Purim

 Purim

March 2, 2026

The Jewish feast of Purim starts at sundown today. This is a celebration of the story of Queen Esther, whose courage resulted in deliverance from the evil plot of Haman, a high official in the Media Persian empire, to wipe out the Jews. How interesting that in this same season we are in conflict with a ruler in Persia who has vowed to not only wipe out the Jews, but also the Americans. Let us take a lesson from the courage of Esther to stand up to evil.

Esther 4:13-14

13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’spalace can escape any more than all the Jews. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

‘For such a time as this”. May we also rise in our own time to oppose evil and protect our own people. War is never a desired outcome, but is sometimes necessary to protect our country. So remember Purim, and the courage of Queen Esther, and the faithfulness of God to raise up a deliverer to protect His people. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and protection of the people and soldiers of the USA.

Esther 9:23-28

23 Thus the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had writtento them. 24 For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them. 25 But when it came to the king’s attention, he commanded by letter that his wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews, should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. And because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews established and made a custom for themselves and for their descendants and for all those who allied themselves with them, so that they would not fail to celebrate these two days according to their regulation and according to their appointed time annually. 28 So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to fail from among the Jews, or their memory fade from their descendants.

Teach Me Your Paths

 Teach Me Your Paths

February 18, 2026

Psalm 25:4-5 (NKJV) 

4Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You [are] the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.

There seems to be a lot of darkness and confusion in the news this week. It can be depressing to see the evil and darkness exposed, but it is also a good thing, as the evil cannot be uprooted until it is exposed. But in the process, there are some who appeared to be good guys who are exposed as conspiring with the evil doers, and others that seemed nefarious who turn out to be working undercover to expose the darkness. So how do you know who to trust and who to believe?

As Christians, our only answer is to look to the Lord. As the psalmist puts it, “teach me your paths, lead me in your truth and teach me.” Only the light of the Holy Spirit can show us the true way and lead us in the right path. Many will try to confuse us and lead us onto another path, but there is a true way if we only wait on the Lord and ask Him to lead and guide us. Jesus himself warned us about us about guarding against this deception in the last days:

Matthew 24:4

4And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.

Matthew 24:10-14

10At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

When we see the worlds lawlessness exposed and their love turn into hate, we know that the end is coming and that the Lord is coming back. So wait on the Lord all the day and endure to the end. 

Revelation 22:20-21

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

The Judas NGO

 The Judas NGO

December 22, 2025

John 12:3-6 (NASB95) 

3 Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus andwiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” 6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.

If you have been following the news lately, you would have heard about the corrupt Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) that have been stealing billions of dollars from the government while promising to help the poor. This, of course, is nothing new. Theft and corruption have been a part of human civilization since the fall of Adam, Ana we see an example here right in Jesus’ inner circle. I’m sure Judas said all the right things to get people to contribute to Jesus ministry, and that certainly included promises to help the poor. That was certainly the case here in the house of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. But Jesus saw his true motive and allowed Mary to “waste” the perfume by anointing His feet. As they say now “Never let a crisis go to waste”, so we see where Judas was scheming to profit off of Mary’s expensive gift. His true motive was to enrich himself and get close to the seat of power that imagined Jesus would hold when he became the earthly king of Israel. Of course, Jesus had other plans and Judas sold his scheme to the high priest for 60 pieces of silver, the price of a man. That was a considerable sum, but it profited him nothing when he was overcome by grief and regret and hung himself.

So in this season where the world is trying to sell us all sort of schemes to help the poor, be careful and use wisdom. Not all who tell a good story are good people, even when they are in the inner circle of the “right” people. Judas was one of the twelve, but was corrupt of heart and was a traitor in the end. So by all means find ways to contribute to the poor at Christmas time, but be careful of who you support. Just because it feels good and the story sounds good doesn’t mean that it is a good cause.

Life

 Life

Sept 15, 2025

John 14:6 (NASB95) 

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no onecomes to the Father but through Me.

Yesterday we talked about death and the forces of evil that we see in our society. I would be remiss in my duty if I did not point out that there is an answer. There is a way that leads to truth and life and that way is Jesus. There are many people today searching for answers, asking about the Bible and how to find a good church. Keeping it simple, here are some guidelines for them to get started.

Find a church that preaches that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

Find a church that not only teaches the love of God, but demonstrates it in daily life.

Find a church that teaches and demonstrates the power of the Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth and help you lead a holy life.

Find a church that teaches that the Bible is the word of God and is faithful guide to teach the truth.

That’s it. It’s not hard to find the truth if you sincerely look for it. So pray for those seeking the truth and reach out to help them find the way. God is at work and the Spirit of God is moving in the land.

I think that is what Charlie was trying to say.

Chalie Kirk- RIP

 Charlie Kirk- RIP

Sept 14, 2025

 Proverbs 14:12 (NASB95) 

There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

John 10:10 (NASB95) 

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

It seems that many things are becoming clear to some people this week. It has always been true that the advocate for death and destruction was the enemy of our souls, but some people have been confused.

Because of “compassion” for the woman and a “woman’s right to choose”, many advocated for the death of unborn children through abortion.

Because of “a public health emergency” and  a fear of death and disease, many supported the untimely death of many through the Covid vaccine, respirators and Remdesivire.

Because of a desire to resist tyranny and fascism, many supported the sending of thousands of young men to war from Afghanistan, to Ukraine to Gaza.

Because of “compassion” for the underdog and repressed minorities, many looked the other way as murderers and rapists were released back onto the streets to kill and main over and over again.

But when a young man, a father and a husband, who wanted nothing more than to talk civilly about the issues was gunned down in broad daylight, a light went on. How can I support the murder of such a man? And when an innocent young woman was killed on a train for no reason but that she was white and alone, some began to question why her killer was arrested and released 14 times without consequences.

It is an eternal truth that the enemy comes only to steal and kill and destroy and many are waking up to the fact that the ones advocating for this death and destruction are not your friends. It is sad that it takes such tragedy to wake people up to the truth, but it has ever been so and will be so till the end. In the book of Acts, Stephen was a powerful advocate for the gospel and the enemy had to have him stoned to death to silence him. But through that senseless death, one Saul of Tarsus, who was standing by, began to question. It was only a short time later that he “saw the light” , as they say, on the road to Damascus. But it took both the death of Stephen and the vision of Jesus to change Saul’s heart. We pray this week that there will be many Damascus road experiences as young people begin to wake up and see the evil that is calling for death and destruction and turn to the light. Come, Lord Jesus, and bring revival the the hearts of millions of people.

Let the rallying cry be, “I am Charlie Kirk. Change my mind.”

Stand Strong

 Stand Strong

Sept 11, 2025

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

13 Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you dobe done in love.

Ephesians 6:10-18 - The Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armorof God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

Evil. Today we remember the great evil perpetrated on 9/11/2001. We also have the fresh horror  of experiencing the assassination of Charlie Kirk yesterday. So much evil. The war is very real and is not a new thing. Paul explains the true enemy in verse 12.

 Ephesians 6:12

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

These forces of darkness have been at war with the kingdom of God from time immemorial. Hate, division, violence and strife are nothing new. But what is our response?

Paul’s answer to the Ephesians and Corinthians is to stand strong. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith and the word of God are our weapons and our armor. Charlie Kirk was a true warrior. He was in the midst of proclaiming truth when he was senselessly gunned down. His voice was silenced, but his message must not be silenced. Faith, hope and love must be proclaimed until Jesus comes. There will be casualties in this war, but in the end we know that love wins! The kingdom of God is coming and nothing can stop it. So take heart. Mourn for the losses on 9/11 and yesterday, but be resolved to stand firm against the spiritual forces of wickedness and proclaim the gospel of peace until the Lord comes. And remember verse 18 and pray for God’s messengers to have courage to speak the truth in the face of evil.

Ephesians 6:18-20

18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Imitators of God

Be Imitators of God

August 26, 2025

Ephesians 5:1-2 - Be Imitators of God

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 andwalk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

Ephesians 5 is full of practical advice on how to live as a Christian. But how do we interpret such guidelines without reverting to the law and living in legalism ? We need to remember the lessons of Ephesians 1 thru 4 about sitting with Christ in heavenly places and walking in the Spirit. We imitate God,  not be striving to obey a list of rules,  but by keeping our eyes on Jesus. If we go where He goes and walk where He walks, we will be imitating or following Him. When we listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, we will walk as children of the light.

Ephesians 5:6-13

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of thesethings the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

Another point in this passage that is very important in these days is verse 6; “Let no one deceive you with empty words”. Our world today is full of empty words. We are immersed in a world of radio, TV and internet which bombards us continually with empty words. How are we to discern right and wrong and avoid being deceived in such a world?  The only way is to walk in the Spirit and allow Him to guide our thoughts. The Spirit of the Lord knows truth and will tell us the truth if we listen to His voice. He often speaks with a still small voice, so is easily drowned out by the noise of the world if don’t listen carefully. So be wise and spend quiet time where you can hear the voice of the Spirit and so not be deceived by the words of darkness. Then we need to speak out and expose the works of darkness. It is time for these evil deeds to be exposed. We are beginning to see some of this happening in current affairs so we need to pray that more will be exposed and speak out for the truth whenever we have occasion. 

Ephesians 5:15-17

15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but aswise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

So as Paul says, the days are evil so we need to be careful how we walk and be wise. By walking in the will of the Lord we demonstrate light and truth to the world. They may not appreciate being exposed to the light, but if enough people come to the light the kingdom of God will grow and flourish in the earth, as it is in heaven .

Blessed

 Blessed

July 22, 2025

Ephesians 1:3-6 (NASB95)

 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestinedus to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

The word this morning is blessed. No matter what appears to be the situation around you, remember that you are blessed. And not just a small pleasing, but you are blessed with every spiritual blessing In heavenly places in Christ. You are chosen, adopted, empowered to do His will. You are blessed. So bless the Lord this morning. You are beloved of the Father, and you are blessed.

Independence Day 2025

 Independence Day

July 4, 2025

Psalms 33:8 (NASB95) Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

Psalms 33:12 (NASB95) Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.

“And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God ... and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.”

Abraham Lincoln

Happy Birthday, America! Today we celebrate “One nation, under God, indivisible…” , but in a time when there are forces that are trying to divide us. We are in a similar time to those in which Abraham Lincoln lived. (I was born in the land of Lincoln, so always like to quote good ole’ Abe.) In the time of the Civil War, there were those on both sides who quoted scripture and claimed that God was on their side. When someone asked President Lincoln if he believed that the North was on God’s side, he replied "Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right." ~ Abraham Lincoln

In this simple saying, he highlighted the true issue; are we striving to be on God’s side? At another time, he quoted Psalm 33 which says that the nation is blessed who's God is the Lord. The Lord made the nations and is God of the whole earth, but He only will bless a nation who acknowledges Him. The answer for our nation’s revitalization is for a spiritual revival in which the people return to the Lord and call upon Him. When the people repent, and cease to call for the Lord to be on their side, but acknowledge their sin and strive to be on the Lord’s side, then peace can come. The forces of the evil one strive to foment civil war, strife and division, but if we as a people return to the Lord, he will bring peace, prosperity and reconciliation. 

So today, as we celebrate the birthday of America, let us call upon God, the Lord of all the nations, to bless America, because we, as a people, are calling upon Him to be a people worth blessing. Cease striving and know that I am God. When we repent, and call upon Him, He will hear from heaven and heal our land.

Revelation of the HIdden

 Revelation of the Hidden

March 26, 2025

Psalms 19:12

12 Whocan discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.

Matthew 10:26-27

26 “Thereforedo not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.

Revelation is essential to Salvation.

The Occult must be Hidden for Evil to succeed.

First, some definitions:

Occult means hidden, invisible, secret or unknown. Keeping in the darkness.

Revelation is the act of disclosing, making known, bring into the light.

With these definitions in mind, what do I mean by the opening statements? Yesterday we were talking about the refiners fire, and today’s topic is similar. Just as the refiners fire reveals the dross, so that the refiner can skim it off, just so revelation from God exposes our sin so that it can be forgiven. The first job of the evangelist is to teach people that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” No sinner wants to believe that. They think that they are just normal people with normal foibles. It takes a revelation by God for them to acknowledge that they are indeed sinners and in need of salvation. That is the sense of Psalm 19:2 in that it is near impossible for anyone to discern his own errors but by the grace of God, they can be revealed and forgiven. Thus I say that revelation must precede salvation. The enemy traps us in sin by concealing its true nature from us. Thus the occult, or hidden, leads to evil. But when light shines into the darkness and reveals the evil concealed Therein, then salvation, forgiveness and redemption can enter in. 

This also applies the society as a whole. Occult powers seek to enslave mankind in darkness. It is the gospel of Jesus that reveals all that is hidden and brings people out of darkness into the light. Just as the silver being refines first turns ugly as the dross rises to the surface in the increasing heat, thus it is when truth and light comes into a society. We see the evil and darkness that had been hidden (occult). It is ugly, but it can only be purged from society when it is revealed. As long as it is occult (hidden), it has power to influence society because people don’t realize the dangers around them and are ensnared by the occult master’s evil plans. It is only when revelation comes that the light can drive out this darkness and society can be healed. We see this process going on around us in this age as the greed, corruption, child trafficking and human slavery is revealed for the evil that it is. Pray that the forces of the light will persevere and drive out the forces of darkness.

But first, seek the Lord for your own revelation. Jesus teaches that judgement begins in the house of the Lord, so examine your own heart and ask for forgiveness and healing for any darkness you find there. Then you will be able to speak light to your neighbor and help him come to the Lord also. Each of us has our own part in salvation and revival. So pray, repent and seek for righteousness to increase in your own heart and in those around you. Then revival can come to you and to your nation.