Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

The battle for the church of 2016 is not to defend the Bible, but to have the mind of Christ in all situations.

 

Jesus would go to where the sinners are, and He commanded the church to be fishers of people and go to where they are. We bring the Word Of God with us, when we live it out in front of them.

 

The church is not very wise today, because we do not understand the schemes of the evil one. Jesus told his church to go where the fish are, not to wait for them to come to you. If we go to where the people are we might be in places that make us uncomfortable or afraid. Sometimes to find a good fishing hole it will require a lot from us just to get there. It might be a place where no one has been before. It is easy to sit in our chairs at home or in church buildings expecting people to come to us. People will ask about our hope when they see us in places where they are but talking and acting differently.

 

We know there is a great persecution coming for the church, and we need to be wise. We must not fight the battles that the evil one wants us to fight as Christians. God has called us to go into areas and into places with the gospel. Has the church become like the people who condemned Jesus for eating and drinking with sinners just because He went where the fish are. Jesus did not sin at any time no matter where He was and who He was with. He simply saw opportunities to do the will of His Father in word and deed.

 

My prayer in 2016 is that I would be willing to go where the Lord wants to go with me and fish for men that He is drawing to Himself. This year I commit to praying for the church to be united with the mind of Christ and not caught unaware of the schemes of the evil one. I pray that we will become wise in knowing what we should fight against and how to fight with the power invested in us. I pray that we understand that our power can only come with being humble, unified in love, and know truth of God.

 

Philippians 2:5-11 NLT

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

 

 

To My Grandchildren – 2016

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Recognize the rebellion that lives within you, for it will haunt you day and night. Understand that you are a sinner because the sacrifice your Lord desires is a broken spirit and repentant heart. Along with this never forget that your Lord will never reject you.

 

Look at what happens to mighty people who do not trust in God. They trust in their wealth, and grow more and more bold in their wickedness. They become proud as they refuse to follow God’s laws. Their stubbornness has only made them slaves in the land of plenty, having turned their backs on God’s mercy and love.

 

Honor those who lead you to the Lord and in the work of the Lord. Show them great respect. Follow their example of commitment and love.

 

I write this to you to encourage you and strengthen your faith in the Lord. Be careful that you do not become lazy and careless with God’s word, and never stop praying. Hold on to the truth and avoid every kind of evil and sexual sin. Test everything you hear with the Word of God, and do not scoff at prophecies; for you must know how to be prepared at all times. Learn to be thankful in all circumstances because the Lord is with you and He will never forsake you.

 

Let your love for one another grow strong and full of faith. Make it your goal to live a quiet productive life – working with your hands and sharing with others. Live a life that will honor your God because God’s desire is to honor His children for their faith in Him. 

 

Your Grandfather

 

 

Daily Devotional – 2016 New Year

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

What will this year bring to America? We still live in the greatest country in the world. If it were not so then why are so many people trying to get here. But, what about our future, and what will the decisions made in the past bring this year? What will the decisions that are in the making bring on America and her citizens in the near future?

 

The Lord called me to be a watchman and I have brought out what I see coming. I have told everyone for the last 2 years – to be prepared; not to be fearful but to look at each occurrence as an opportunity to take advantage of.

 

When I say to people that we need to be prepared they seem to jump to the idea of hiding out with water, food, and guns. This is not what I mean, although a somewhat good idea. What I mean by being prepared is first and foremost being right with God and learning to listen to His voice only. Then by watching what is happening around us and asking God to show us each our own open door of opportunity. We know what is coming because it is written about throughout the Word of God, especially in the book of Revelation where we are told by the Lord that in reading this book – we will be blessed. We will be blessed by God showing us how to be prepared for what is coming.

 

If you have not started, I urge you to start today reading the Word of God day after day, believing what is written and then trusting God at His Word. We must understand that our future is not of this world but of His glorious Kingdom of which there will be no end. We are told in God’s Word that God’s Spirit will raise us up to be with the Lord and to reign with Him when He returns. So, to cling to this world will only bring fear and great loss. We may lose things, family members and maybe our own physical life, but if I am not worried about this life and trying to hold on to it, then I will be able to see clearly how I should think and act the way God wants me to.

 

Let me ask you these questions and how you answer should reveal where your mind (and heart) is. What will you do if everything to be taken from you? What will you do if your children are taken from your home? What will you do if they say you are not mentally stable and must be put away because of your faith in Jesus Christ? What will you do if your family is slaughtered in front of you? What choices will you make when your earthly life is determined by what you say next?

 

Because of what the Lord has laid on my heart for His children, throughout the year 2016 I am going to re-post every Sunday morning all of the words the Lord has given me for the last two years about what is coming that we need to be prepared for. I have mixed emotions about this. I’m excited, nervous, and concerned. I’m very concerned because I am a father and a grandfather and I don’t want any of my loved ones to face what I believe is coming that my children and grandchildren will live through. I pray that they will be men and women who truly know the Lord, and who are ready to stand in obedience to God with courage and hope in God’s promises no matter what happens.

 

The Lord showed me this Christmas season that one day we will walk as a family to the throne of our Father, and stand in His court to receive all that He has promised His children.

 

“And the one sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making everything new!’ And then he said to me, ‘Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.’ And he also said, ‘It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.” Revelation 21:5-7

Needed: An Awakening – Chapter 12

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

Is America at war with God’s law? Conclusion

 

Isaiah 59:14-15 “So justice is driven back and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.”

 

In doing this series on the Ten Commandments one thing stood out that I would like to end with. Just as God has set in place laws to govern this universe so He has done the same thing for the moral fabric of society in what these Ten Commandments stand for. We are not saved through the law (if that was the case then the incarnation of the Lord with Him dying on the cross would be of no effect), but we are saved through the amazing grace of God through the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. However, the law has been given to us to direct us in the right way or right path in order to live a productive life; one that is true and just in a fallen world.

 

We see the war that has been waged against God’s law with it being removed from our government courts, schools and other public buildings. We seem to think that by getting rid of the law of God we now have freedom to do what we want and to believe that what we think, apart from God’s law is right.

 

In other words, like Israel in the Old Testament under the judges at the close of Joshua’s reign, they each did as they wanted in their own opinion of right and wrong; they were right in their own eyes but not right with God.

 

What we do not understand is that by getting rid of the Ten Commandments (as gaining what we think is freedom) this has put us under the tyranny of thousands of ‘little man-made laws’ that has enslaved us instead and most people (even Christians) do not understand that they are slaves and not freemen.

 

For example: take property rights. God’s 8th commandment is “do not steal,” meaning that we have the right to property of our own, but look at all of the ‘little laws’ that have popped up taking away our rights slowly but surely.

 

For example: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which is becoming very powerful can declare your property worthless because of some minor infraction under their man-made laws, and take it from you. Or take the government’s ability to issue property tax that if not paid they can take away your property.

 

Another example: the ‘little law’ in existence called ‘eminent domain.’ This law gives the government the right to take private land for public purposes, but only if the government provides fair compensation to the property owner. The process through which the government acquires private property for public benefit is known as condemnation.

 

How this works is that the government will come in when the town or city is expanding and see private property to acquire for this expanding purpose and will then offer the owner what they think is a reasonable price. If the owner agrees then it is settled, but if the owner does not agree then it goes into ‘condemnation proceedings’ where the owner then comes and brings out the price that they think is fair and then the two: government and owner must settle the matter. However, we find that developers wanting a piece of property also go to the government and persuade the government to use ‘eminent domain’ to acquire private property that can then be developed often for the benefit of the developer, but primarily for the expansion of the town or city for the increase of tax revenue.

 

What we are finding today are other ‘little laws’ taking away our rights, one by one. For example: we have today a law called ‘hate law.’ Sounds good because we do not want any hate speech taking place, but in reality we see that it is a law that bans one from even preaching certain truths from the Word of God that convicts (condemns) us under God’s laws. For example: calling homosexuality a sin can now be labeled as hate speech.

 

Because Pandora’s Box has been opened, where all of this will go no one (but the Lord) knows, but Isaiah prepared us for it by telling us about a time like this: “Justice is far from us and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows… We look for justice, but find none; for deliverance, but is far away. So justice is driven back and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.” Isaiah 59:9,11b,14,15

 

If this sounds familiar in our day it is only because we have rejected God’s law that gives us freedom to do what is right and true with protection of that freedom. Yet, we have been brought into bondage by these ‘little man-made laws’ man has conjured up.

 

I admire the giant intellect and moral standing of our Founding Fathers when they drafted our Constitution that has stood the test of time, but is now being lowered to the dust bin of history. We need men/women in the seat of government who will govern with the Constitution in mind and do that which is true, right and just. We still have the power of the vote. Might we use it wisely. Amen?

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Son, there are lot of people who say they believe in Me, but what do they believe about Me?

 

  1. If you believe I was just a man, even a very wise man that lived a sinless life – then I cannot save you and you will have no hope in death.
  2. If you believe I have a brother named Satan – then I cannot save you and you will have no peace.
  3. If you believe I am an angel, even the greatest angel – then I cannot save you and you will get no mercy.
  4. If you believe I am a god among many gods, then I cannot save you and you will be lost forever.
  5. If you believe that I AM the great I AM of the Bible, and believe that I died to pay for your sins and that I have forgiven you – then I CAN SAVE YOU, and you will have hope in death, protection, peace and guidance through your life.

 

Son, ask people who do they say that I am?

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

This morning while reading about the kings of Judah, there was something that stood out to me. The Bible said they started out with the worship of God only to end their lives worshiping idols, allowing idol worship in. So the thought this morning is what God’s book has to say about my life.

 

To the young: You are just starting out on your life’s journey. What will it take for life to move you off your relationship with God? Will success, failure or sickness stop you from walking with God?

 

To the middle age: What will it take for you to slip back to your old ways? Will keeping busy at work taking care of a family? How about setbacks in your finances and the loss of things? What about the death of a child, or the loss of your mate by death or divorce, or severe sickness?

 

To the old: Life has thrown you everything that the young and the middle aged will see, and maybe you have stayed the course. But will you quit the journey feeling that there is nothing you have left to offer that anyone wants or needs?

 

I know that the Bible writes about me, as it does all of us. I know that there are many things that I’ve done that I will have to answer for one day. But I also know that my Lord has forgiven it all, and my desire is just to finish strong for the Lord trusting in His love and strength. I will remember this quote I heard, “You will be remembered for how you finished, not how you started.”

 

So here is what the Word says about this life we live whether we are young, middle aged, or at the end of our lives.

 

“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-10,16-18 NLT

 

“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 NLT

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Son, all heaven is alert. So do not team up with unbelievers. How can My righteousness find any agreement with wickedness? How can My light live in peace with darkness? Therefore, separate yourselves from them, so that I can bless you.

 

If racing against mere men tired you out, how will you compete with the horses that are coming? Keep your head. Don’t lose sight of the course. Remember what I said.

 

Son, there will be some of your greater family, that will turn against you. So do not trust them, no matter how pleasantly they speak. I AM your shepherd, and you will have all that you need. When it is the darkest, do not be afraid. I AM close beside you. Let Me lead you by My peaceful stream in green meadows; for there I will renew your strength. My Word and Spirit will comfort you. Let Me guide you along the right path that will keep you safe and bring honor to My Name.

 

Remember that I bless those whose hearts are pure towards Me; for they have the right relationship with Me their Savior.

Needed: An Awakening – Chapter 11

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

Tenth Commandment

 

Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

 

The key word in this commandment is the word “covet,” and then we get a list of things that we should not covet: everything that belongs to our neighbor.

 

Coveting “signifies an earnest and strong desire after a matter of which all the affections are concentrated and fixed.” The word covet also brings in the emotional aspect that deals with the sin of intention. In other words, this law deals with not only the action of man but also the heart of man.

 

There are some good things that we should covet, for example, Scripture tells us that we are to “covet earnestly the best gifts.” (1 Corinthians 12:31) In other words, we should earnestly desire or covet the things of God. Jesus brings out the same thought in the Sermon on the Mount where He makes clear the thoughts and actions of men addressed in God’s law.

 

The question that could be asked is: When is it wrong to covet? There are several things that we could think of:

 

  1. We could be moving towards covetousness when our thoughts are wholly taken up with the world. A simple test that we can take is where does our mind go when it is free from the task at hand; to the world or to the things of God?
  2. We can be moving towards covetousness when we take more pains getting what is of this world rather than what is of heaven.
  3. Our conversation can reveal the spirit of covetousness within us. John 3:31 “One who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth.”

It would seem that the root of covetousness is distrust in God’s providence. So it would seem that faith in God and His Word is the victory that will overcome and 1 John 5:4 states: “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”

 

What is happening today is that since we have moved on from a Christian consensus to a humanistic one, this is now affecting our law laid down in our Constitution as well as God’s law.

 

With a Christian consensus there were absolutes and that gave us the base for making laws, but now law is becoming arbitrary. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said: “Truth is the majority vote of that nation that could lick all others.” In other words, what he was saying is that law is only what most people think at that moment of history and there is no higher law.

 

What this means in our society, especially here in the Western world is that law can be changed at any given moment of time to reflect the mood of the people. In other words, there are no absolutes, the standards are what the majority thinks. With this thought in mind we can now understand why the 10 Commandments are being removed from our public places because they stand for absolutes.

 

What is happening is that law becomes what a few people in government think it should be or what they think promotes the sociological and economic good of the people. In other words, God is out and man is in.

 

So we find that the moral judgments of the majority are now influenced by, or even overruled by the opinions of a small group of men and women. Values can be altered overnight at an almost unbelievable speed.

 

John Locke wrote an essay stating that knowledge and understanding come from sensory experience which gained wide acceptance among the so-called “Enlightenment Thinkers” as having some validity. This idea led to another idea that by being able to control the intake of sensory experience the contents of our minds could be manipulated, which in turn led to the belief that by controlling the impressions that we receive by legislation we can control what people learn and know. So this led to the belief that people can be improved, not by religion, but by legislation, and education became the prime factor in all of this. This is what led to the re-education camps of the 20th century as well as a social experiment by the Soviet Union. The new task of politics was to make man virtuous.

 

We can now look back at the dust-bin of history and what do we see?  Soviet Union collapsed and that legislation failed.  All of this is an attempt to gain what the Lord Jesus Christ gives us freely when we come to Him.  We can become a new creature, but this life is found in Christ not in what man can do.

 

“And God spoke all these words.” These Commandments did not come from the inspiration of man, but by revelation from God. Yet we see how they have been downplayed in our societies worldwide. We are not saved by the law, but through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the law is given to protect our unalienable rights that come from God and not from the state.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily Devotional

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Son, My children need to be united in purpose because My Word still holds true today, and they can trust everything I say. I will frustrate the plans of the wicked and thwart all their schemes. Those who know that I watch over them will rely on My unfailing love, and that I will rescue them in the coming hard times.

 

My children must understand the ways of evil and not give in to it. When evil hears that My children are united they will scheme against them saying, “Let us help you, for we worship the same God you do.” When this will not work they will pay others to work against you so that they can frustrate your plans and frighten you. They will make false accusations against My children and broadcast it in every way they can. They will come at My united children with a show of strength to stop My children from being united, but that’s all it will be, a show; for they are very threatened by the unity of My children.

 

Lord, let Your unfailing love surround those whose hope is in You alone. You will free us from all our fears as we pray and unite with You and each other. You will listen and save us from troubles that would overtake us. Your angel’s will guard and surround all who trust in You. Why should we fear the wicked when we will not lack one good thing from You, just as You promise. Your ears are open to our cries to You for help; for You have always been close to the broken-hearted, and to those whose spirits are crushed. In the coming days Your children will face many troubles, but You will come to our rescue every time.

 

Son, I will not turn away anyone who takes refuge in Me!

Needed: An Awakening – Chapter 10

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

Ninth Commandment

 

Exodus 20:16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”

 

Proverbs 6:16–19 “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”

 

In the sixth chapter of Daniel we find that Darius was going to appoint Daniel over the whole kingdom because Daniel so distinguished himself above the other administrators in character. The other administrators tried to find fault with Daniel but could not because there was no corruption in him, he was trustworthy and not negligent. The reason I bring this out regarding Daniel is that he was a man of truth and influence. This is what we need today in our societies: men and women of influence who surround men and women of power – like David and Darius.

 

The bottom line is that King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land issuing a decree that people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.

 

We should we at all times and under all circumstances tell the truth to all men who ask anything of you? I do not believe so. We can be silent.

 

Rahab lied to protect the lives of two spies, but Rahab’s faith that James singled her out for as an example of vital faith, was not in that she lied to protect them, but that she received them as God’s messengers and sent them out another way than they came in. (James 2:24-25)

 

Abraham and then later his son Isaac lied about their wives to the kings in order to avoid murder and rape, and Scripture does not condemn them for lying, although they were shamed by God for lying.

 

It was Churchill who said during the time of war that the truth is so important it must be guarded by a bodyguard of lies. Interesting…

 

This Commandment is against two things: First, slandering our neighbor. Like someone once said, “The scorpion carries his poison in his tail, the slanderer carries his poison on his tongue.” Perhaps the best definition of slandering would be to unjustly report things about others in order to do them harm. Holiness will not keep us from being slander as we see with the apostle Paul as well as Jesus Himself, but we can learn from them how to respond.

 

This commandment forbids the giving of false testimony and it is especially appropriate in the testimony given by witnesses in courts of law. This commandment not only forbids straightforward lying and slander, but also telling the truth in order to do harm or get revenge.

 

Another question that does arise with this commandment is: What should be our response to those that do slander and falsely accuse us? First, we labor to make a sanctified use of it. For example, Shimei cursed David and when Abishai wanted to put him to death David forbade him to do so, and said “If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why you do you do this?’ In other words, if we are falsely accused we first need to see if there is any unrepentant sin that we need to deal with. If there is then we need to deal with it, but if we are falsely accused God will take care of it.

 

Psalm 37:6 “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” It is God who can bring forth our righteousness as the light.

 

This commandment also brings out that because we should not slander or falsely accuse others, we should be a favorable witness for the innocent and stand up in their defense. How true it is that a man may wrong another by silence as by slander; when he knows him to be wrongfully accused, yet does not speak in his behalf.

 

We see Peter standing up for the other apostles when they were slandered. They were accused of being drunk after being filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:15 “These men are not drunk, as you suppose.”

 

Jonathan knowing David to be a worthy man knew that all the things that his father Saul said of David were slanderous and so Jonathan vindicated David by being a truthful witness for David. 1 Samuel 19:4-5 “Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, ‘Let not the King do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly.’”

 

We are here to extend the kingdom of God and the kingdom of God consists of that which is just, right and true.