Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Son, I am coming, and you must remember that My Word stands forever. In the coming days you must hold My Word close, and store it in your heart. Search for Me and you will find My strength. If you continually seek Me without fear you will know that I stand faithful by all My promises. But until all My promises come true – know that I am testing your character.

 

I hear My children say that they want to soar high on wings like eagles, run and not grow weary, walk and not faint. But the only way they can do this is to trust and obey Me. They will find My strength when they seek Me with all their heart.

 

It grieves Me to see when the thoughts of My children are only on themselves, running wild, so that they are only concerned for peace and security in their own lifetime and not thinking about the next generation of their own children and grandchildren. They test My patience mingling with other religions, and adopting their evil customs. They shed innocent blood of their own sons and daughters by saying, “It is my choice.” Do they really think they have the right to choose whether a child in its mother’s womb has the right to live or not? Oh how this angers Me! Therefore, I will hand them over to their enemies and they will miss all the opportunities I had for them.

 

To those who would choose to obey Me they must be strong and courageous in the coming days, and I will give them a rest that the world knows nothing about. They will soar high on wings like eagles, run and not grow weary, walk and not faint. The faithful will find Me faithful and true to My Word because they earnestly seek after Me. I will reward their righteous acts.

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Last week I went to the doctor and while sitting in the waiting room I became disgusted. Across the room was a 15 year old girl laying down across a couple of chairs with her legs up in the air. What disgusted me was how she was immodestly dressed. As I thought about this it came to me that femininity is very hard to find today, just like morality that is hard to find any more in both our young girls and young men.

 

What amazes me is that you can put a little girl around a baby and she does what is natural for her: she wants to mother that baby. But we see this natural tendency being taken from little girls, and the same with little boys having their natural tendencies taken when they are not allowed to grow up the way God designed male and female.

 

What happened to true womanhood and true masculinity? Little by little, progressively, male and female have been given unnatural definitions and assignments. We can see it in the television commercials today where men are depicted as idiots and women are depicted as the head of the home with a good head on their shoulders. Or we see manhood depicted as sexual animals drinking with their buddies, and womanhood depicted as sexually revealing in their dress and behavior; both so very shameful compared to God’s distinct design of male and female, femininity and masculinity, motherhood and fatherhood.

 

So why and how does the natural become unnatural? We know why; the god of this world is against the God who created him. Satan is behind all this confusion and evil rebellion working against our Father’s designs. The natural becomes unnatural when fathers and mothers no longer teach their children what is right and respectable – according to who they are as God designed us all in the womb.

 

This morning in my quiet time I read Psalms 101:2-7. A true father will do the following:

 

  1. Leads a life of integrity as a real man in the way God designed
  2. Protects and honors his daughters femininity and his sons masculinity
  3. Refuses to look at anything that is vile and vulgar
  4. Hates evil and comes against anyone who deals wickedly with his children
  5. Will not tolerate people who slander others
  6. Will choose friends who are truthful and above reproach
  7. Will not allow deceivers in their homes

 

If men began to make this the priority in their home and with their family – what result would it have in society?

 

Just a thought

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

A couple of weeks back I met with some men. The first one I met with talked on the subject of his children. He has five children. He said to me that they are such a blessing to him and his wife. He went on to say how so many people have judged them for having so many children, and then he said something that resonated with me. “If my children are a blessing to me and my wife now, then why would we not consider them to be a blessing before they were born?”

 

The other conversation I had with another man said something just a little different. “When in heaven where I will see the blessing of all the sacrifices my family and I made in giving, why is it that we do not consider the sacrifice of giving a blessing now?”

 

Question: Why at the beginning do we think of all the hardships and not think of the blessing? If we only thought about the blessings would that change our attitude about sacrificing?

 

Just a thought.

The Lord’s Prayer

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

John 17:20-23 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

 

When we think of the Lord’s Prayer we often think of Matthew chapter 6 where Jesus tells His disciples how to pray, but we forget John 17 where Jesus is having His last few days with His disciples before the betrayal, crucifixion, burial, resurrection and ascension to the Father’s right hand. This prayer that Jesus prays in John 17 is for the Body of Christ and it is a prayer for unity within the Body. United we stand, but divided we fall and not only do we fall, but we will not be able to complete the Last Great Command the Lord gave us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel.

 

When I started out 56 years ago in ministry I did not find the unity that the Lord is talking and praying about here in John 17, but over the years there has been a movement of reconciliation and coming together for the extension of the Kingdom of God. We find that we are not standing and dividing over the wrong things like we did in the past.

 

Writing to the Corinthian church Paul wrote that they were standing and dividing over the wrong things. There were three main issues that he focused on:

 

First, they were standing and dividing over what I would call today “denominations.” Paul mentions this when he says: “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. What I mean is this: One of you says, ‘I follow Paul;’ another, ‘I follow Apollos;’ another, ‘I follow Cephas;’ still another, ‘I follow Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?” 1 Corinthians 1:10,12,13

 

Secondly, they were dividing over knowledge: “Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.” (1 Corinthians 8:1) They had a tendency to look down on their less gifted brethren.

 

Thirdly, spiritual gifts: they were standing and dividing over spiritual gifts and the main one was the gift of speaking in tongues. (Ch.14)

 

In chapter 15 Paul tells us what we should be standing on: “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand.” 1 Corinthians 15:1

 

What I find in the church I see now in the world. We have become divided. Here in America we do not have Americans, but African Americans, Latin Americans, Asian Americans, white Americans; we have labels for everyone – democrats, republicans, independents, libertarians and we have labels for the generations – baby boomers, generation X, millennials etc. and because of this we are pitted against one another and we find one generation clashing against another generation. This is not just a phenomenon here in the States, but it is also all over the world. In India it is a caste system and now in Europe with the integration of the masses of immigrants we find a break-down in European identity.

 

Seeing what is happening and praying and thinking over this and knowing that we do not fight against flesh and blood I see that a divisive spirit is pitting one another against each other, not just in families, but also in our communities and our countries.

 

This is the time that we, who God has called to build His House and not to tear it down (Satan and his cohorts are doing that), are to maintain the unity in the Body of Christ. When doing that we are able to bring sanity into a world that is moving quickly towards chaos.

 

I see great hope in the days ahead in that it will be the worst of times, but also the best of times to see a great harvest of souls, but it will only be when the Body of Christ realizes the importance of the prayer of Christ: “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:21

 

We, in the Body of Christ, must realize that we all have our opinions, but that is not what we stand on. Paul told us what we stand on and what we divide over: the Gospel.

 

1 Corinthians 15:3-7 tells us what that Gospel is. “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”

 

Let us (the Body of Christ) go forth to war (using the powerful weapons given to us-prayer, Word of God and shield of faith) against the real enemy and his cohorts.

 

Job Responsibility of a President of the United States of America

Posted by & filed under Carols Blog.

What does our Constitution say a president’s responsibility is?

 

The President’s Job According to the Constitution: The US Constitution contains the only official “job description” for the President of the United States. According to Article II, Sections 2 and 3, the President:

 

1)    Is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the United States, and of each state’s militia when the nation has need of it

 

2)    Has power to obtain information and opinions from heads of the executive departments

 

3)    May grant pardons and reprieves for crimes against the United States

 

4)   Makes treaties with other countries with the approval of the Senate

 

5)   Appoints ambassadors, federal judges and heads of executive departments – all subject to the approval of the Senate; the President also has power to fill any vacancies that may happen while the Senate is in recess

 

6)    Must report to Congress from time to time about the state of the union and recommend whatever measures he thinks are necessary

 

7)   May call members of Congress together on extraordinary occasions, as well as adjourn their meetings when they cannot agree on their own about when to do this

 

8)    Receives foreign ambassadors and other public officials

 

9)    Is responsible for enforcing the nation’s laws

 

10)   Issues commissions to all officers of the United States

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

This morning I am overwhelmed with fear, anger, and doubt. Fear of what is coming, anger over how the media spreads its lies and that people actually believe them, and doubt that God will meet all of my needs.

 

This woke me at 2 a.m. and I went to the Lord in His Word where He spoke to me. “Son, do you love Me? Then trust Me. Remember that I am always with you, and I will not fail you or forsake you. So do not let your emotions overtake you by what you see or hear. I AM in control!”

The Young and the Old

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

THE YOUNG AND THE OLD

 

Proverbs 10:19 “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.”

Proverbs 12:18 “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Proverbs 16:21 “The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction.”

Proverbs 17:27 “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.”

Ecclesiastes 5:2 “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.”

Ecclesiastes 6:11 “The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?”

 

One of the things that will begin to take place in these last days is a bond between the young and the old, what I see as – zeal and wisdom.

 

When I first got saved and joined a young people’s movement called Operation Mobilization I realized that we had tremendous zeal, but sometimes (many times) we did lack wisdom. It would have been great if we had ‘fathers’ of the faith to mentor us. The desire that many of us had was to latch on to anybody who had more experience and wisdom than us and try to learn all that we could. However, I found out early in life that not all older people had wisdom.

 

Today I see a desire with the coming together of the young and fathers for the glory of God and for the extension of the Kingdom of God. However, to bring about this unity of relationship there are several things that we need to keep in mind because misunderstanding can so easily come in and instead of the linking together we may be driven further apart.

 

We must seek to understand more than to be understood.  This is important for us ‘fathers’ especially with the youth of today, because we live in a technological age and a lot of communication is being done through texting, e-mails, Facebook, messenger, etc. This type of communication is through ‘words’ only. It is stated that most of our communication is through body language: our gestures, facial expressions and our tone of voice, and last on the list are the words that we speak.

 

To really understand each other one of the first things that we must do is suspend judgment. So often we are quick to judge someone by what they said because of our misunderstanding of it at the time, or because what we see or hear does not match up with our thinking. Suspending judgment gives us the ability to really focus on what the other person is saying, and what he actually means. Understanding one another does not mean that we automatically agree, but by understanding what the person is saying that he believes gives the opportunity to bring in biblical values.

 

We all have strong opinions and will have a natural human response to shout over one another to get across our point. We must allow love to be the motivation and then through our dialogue we will come to know one another better and form the relationship necessary to accomplish all that the Lord wants. I would think that one of the greatest examples of love is to be able to understand the other person.

 

HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND MUST BECOME OUR MANTRA FOR THIS PARTNERSHIP FOR ZEAL (young) AND WISDOM (old) TO COME TOGETHER.

 

By understanding the other person and finding ourselves not in total agreement gives us the opportunity to fine tune our own thinking. Do we have all truth? NO! Do we have all wisdom? NO! Are there things that we can learn? YES! When we realize this it gives us the opportunity to examine more carefully what the other person is saying and finding that certain things make sense. And when added to what we have already said it can make for a better understanding of our own thinking.

 

What do I mean by this? I bring forth my reasoning on a particular subject (whatever that might be) and the other person brings out things that oppose my reasoning.  However, when I understand what the other person is saying often I can find elements of truth in what he/she is saying. When taken and added to my own thought it tends to bring it into better focus.

 

One other aspect that I would like to add to this is ‘how we communicate.’ We need to keep in mind that we are mainly using words and the other essential parts of communication are left out such as facial expression, body language, etc.

 

When we are expressing our opinions, others reading it then express theirs and soon we find that the misunderstandings that cause disagreements come full steam ahead. I have found very few writers who have the ability through words to express the body language necessary to be fully understood. This is the reason why it is better, if possible, to speak face to face about important matters.

 

However, if it is impossible to speak face to face then it is of the utmost importance to take the time to understand the other person by asking the person to clarify words, statements, expressions and phrases that may communicate the wrong thing to you. This takes time, but we can endeavor to become better communicators and have the ability to understand for the glory of God.

 

MY GOAL IS TO BECOME A BETTER COMMUNICATOR!

 

 

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Not everyone has the same “world view.” Some think with a ‘globalist’ view and others with a ‘biblical’ world view.

 

I did not graduate with a college degree, and I do not feel I am a very good writer, and that I speak that well compared to others. But I do understand that what we have here are two very opposite views that will never agree or unite.

 

I never built a commercial building until I was almost 50 years old. Today I can build 20-60 million dollar hotels in little more than a year. Some have been extremely challenging to do because they were only on ¾ of an acre, and others with supervisors failing because they were overwhelmed. On each of my projects I had men of different cultures and languages, and I had to work with some of the most difficult building departments of this world. I look at how I was able to get these hotels done on schedule and to the owner’s satisfaction? What comes to me is that when the “goal” is understood and agreed on you can overcome the differences of culture and language, building departments, and challenges with city and government officials.

 

In building anything, everyone must understand the goal before they come to work on the project, right down to the ones doing the cleanup. I don’t get involved with anyone that opposes the goal. They aren’t allowed to have any input on the project, or to work on it in any way because this would not be wise and constructive. If someone starts on the project and then tries to change the goal, they are removed. When problems arise on the job they are weighed and resolved by the goal. Sometimes the answers to the problems are not understood by everyone working on the project; it may not make sense to them at the moment because the answer/solution has a long range view.

 

The point is today we have two views: global world view and the biblical world view and they are totally opposite of each other. As long as the goal is different there will not be any real communication no matter how hard we try to understand or listen. It will always end up incompatible.

 

The globalist view for America is to remove the culture of old America, change the language, and remove our boarders. The biblical world view is to acknowledge that God helped our forefathers start this country and why it was started, and that it is God who blessed it because of the biblical world view she had, and that America will only temporarily overcome this enemy of globalism as long as we keep God in everything we do, and acknowledge Him in all our ways. The globalist view for America is to remove America’s unique goal of liberty and justice for all, and to remove the biblical foundation that made it work right.

 

Until there is the agreement on the world view that we should have as Americans – there will be no real communication. I do believe that the globalist view will win out because it will work to usher in the last anti-Christ that has the globalist view; he will work until all the nations of the world have the globalist view. But, this does not stop me from speaking against it and upholding the biblical world view.

 

Just some thoughts.

28 Principles That Helped Build America – Chapter 28 – Principle #28

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

The United States Has a Manifest Destiny to Be an Example and a Blessing to the Entire Human Race.

 

John Adams said: “I always considered the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of the grand scene in design in Providence for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth.”

 

This is quite a statement from one of our Founding Fathers, but like John Fisk said that the early arrivals to America “felt themselves to be instruments in accomplishing a kind of manifest destiny.” Their Exodus from Europe to this new land gave them a sense of mission, but it needs to be differentiated from the idea of racial superiority which brings out the idea of the role to conquer and rule.

 

John Adams mentioned that the mission was for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth.” The words written by Emma Lazarus on the Statue of Liberty says it all: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

 

Thomas Jefferson (referring to the freedom under the Constitution) said about America that it is “the world’s best hope.” In other words, Thomas Jefferson saw that America could be an example or the aim and imitation of other countries. Reading this it is important to understand that we live in a fallen world where sin and decay is always present, but God has given us principles to live by and when they are put into practice in a country we find that there is a measure of peace and safety as well as prosperity for the citizens. This is why I think these 28 principles are important for us to see and come back to before it is too late.

 

Men like John Adams and Alexander Hamilton often stressed the point that the “people of America have now the best opportunity and the greatest trust in their hands that Providence ever committed to so small a number.”

 

The Founding Father were scholars and they had studied every form of government up to their time and what they were putting together was something entirely different. They knew that they were moving in uncharted waters, but they also believed they were guided by Providence. In forming the Constitution and coming to a stalemate, it was Benjamin Franklin who said: “I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth – that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?”

 

However, in closing this series on the 28 PRINCIPLES THAT HELPED BUILD AMERICA what do we have today in the 21st century? We have kicked God out of our public life and affairs; we have relegated the Bible to a book of fairy tales that have no use in public affairs; the oath used to include ‘so help me God,’ but that ‘help me God’ part is gone. We need to bring God back into our society and it starts with us as individuals and families, progressing into our communities, cities, states and our country.

 

IT CAN BE DONE; IT SHALL BE DONE!

 

I would like to close by saying that these same principles can help build America again. People ask me who I will vote for in the coming election, not only for the President of the U.S.A., but also the senators, congress people up for reelection, etc. My answer: those that exemplify these 28 principles the most.

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

I just saw a movie on the last days of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. There was one point in the movie that stood out to me, and that was when Sitting Bull was on the reservation and a young warrior called to him, “Father watch me hunt!” The young warrior took his rifle, got on his horse and went into the corral where a cow was released for him to shoot. The young warrior’s wife was so proud of him, but Sitting Bull just looked at it and thought about what was greater. The greater was when they hunted buffalo out in the open range, when they were free to go as they pleased. To Sitting Bull this was not a thing for a man to be proud of.

 

When the children of Israel had a leader named Solomon he built the great Temple of God and that was one of the wonders of the world in that time. When the children of Israel were removed off the land the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. Later when they were allowed to move back on their land, they rebuilt the Temple. It is said that the older men looked at the new Temple and were sad because they remembered the old Temple which was far greater.

 

Today old people are looked down upon for what they say, but it’s because they see what was greater in comparison to the lesser of today that the young people are so proud of.  When I was a young boy of eight years old I would get up Saturday mornings and mow the lawn. I did not have a power mower but a push mower. Once I was done I would take off and explore the open country between our house in Roseville and Folsom lake. At that time there was nothing built from Sunrise Blvd. to Folsom lake. I would be gone all day and knew that when I got home I was not going to get a time out but a knock out.

 

The lure of discovery in the open fields was worth the punishment when I got home. I used to ride with my family to Folsom Lake – not in a pick-up truck, not with seat belts and helmets, but in an open flatbed truck. I would swim the rapids of south fork of the American river without a life jacket. Because “fear” is being thrown at us everywhere we turn, we have little children crying with fear because they cannot get their seat belt buckled. Parents are afraid to allow their children out of their sight. Why? Because they’ve settled for the lessor and think that’s the best.

 

Today we have people who push a globalist view, and for them to do that – culture, language, and borders of nations must be removed. Globalism is not what our founding fathers fought for, and neither did our armies in World War I and II. The men that sacrificed their lives did not do so for globalism, but for American culture, language and strong borders.

 

So why do our leaders today push globalism and dishonor our military who risk their lives for the America we once were so proud of. The way to bring globalism into a nation you must bring one culture against another culture, remove the faith that a country started out with and replace it with many religions, re-write history books to confuse borders of the country, and dilute the common language to many languages to learn. To say the greater should move over for globalism is just plain evil.

 

I say the greater is not what is being displayed today and that is why I write and speak out. We are told in the Bible to keep to the ancient path: the greater.

 

I am not against any people’s group and will stand with anyone who is being put down because of their color or race, or being threatened because of their age or lifestyle. But I will not stand for our borders to be removed, or the old American way of our culture to be forgotten by our children, or for our language to be replaced with lesser forms of communication that have diluted America’s common language. When they use this ideology of globalism to break down our borders, culture and language – I will stand against this.

 

This is what was done to the American Indian, to the black Africans and now what is being pushed in America today with the globalist view that wants to remove our borders, remove our culture and dilute our language by getting us to believe that the lessor is greater.