May 2026
#66 Faith In and Faith Of 5/3/2026
Please consider:
Our focus here has to do with Godliness. It does not have to do with faith in power, control, money or other fleshly considerations.
There is a difference between faith in God and Faith of God. Faith in God is a matter of the mind. Faith Of God is a matter of the heart. Hebrews 11 alludes to the saintly deeds of individuals in the Old Testament. It reveals the achievements of those who were prompted to do Godly deeds by the leading of the Spirit of God as their hearts were prompted. It pertained predominantly to those who already had a professed faith in God. Consider however, the apparent exception of Rehab, the prostitute, who had no apparent profession of faith in God. She also was awakened to the voice within of the Spirit of God, "the mystery hidden for ages and generations, Christ within the hope of glory" (Col 1:27).
And with similar inspiration of the prompting of God's Spirit within, Peter recognized Jesus Christ of Nazareth as the Messiah. It was the Faith of God prompting Peter's heart. It confirms that it is the Faith of God, that is the rock upon which God is building the church.
Matt 16:13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
This is not to diminish the importance of faith in God. It is merely to reveal that the Way, the Truth and the Life of God is the Faith of God. Faith in God points us in the right direction; however, it is merely the beginning and not the end.
#67 From Futility to Assuredness 05/10/2026
Please consider:
Obviously, the world is confronted with many problems. They are political, social, economic, cultural, and so much more. Although we may not be immediately impacted ourselves by these problems. Some of those challenges could, in time, impact us. Some of those challenges could, in time, impact our children and generations to come. If we are to find Godly resolve for these challenges, it is essential to begin with Godly means.
So much of what we have done as a culture, both secular and Christian is:
• Ignore the problems if we are not immediately impacted
• Justify the problems if it seems to serve our selfish needs
• Isolate ourselves from the problems as a buffer
• Build walls to shield us from the problem
• Build bombs to kill those who create the problem
None of these gets to the heart of the matter. None of these leads to Godly resolve. All these merely postponed the problems and or compound the problems.
Some would justify this and refer to the Bible. In Ecclesiastes we find it quoted:
Ecc 3:1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
In no way do I doubt the truth of this statement; however, the net result is a roller coaster, so to speak. It consists of recurring highs and lows. Whereas this is true according to the law of the Old Testament, I do not sense that it is necessarily true about the provisions of the New Testament. I believe that as we progress in God's New Testament provisions for Sanctification and becoming a new creation in Christ, our experience can be different in significant ways. I believe that it is possible to have higher highs of victories and higher lows of defeat. In secular terms, this is like a bull market where things are progressively better.
As a Christian culture, we have been provided with Godly means to accomplish Godly change. In my opinion, as a Christian culture, we have not been conspicuous lights upon a hill. As a result, we ourselves have not reaped the full benefits of God's provisions. As a result, we have not provided our children and generations to come with Godly provisions for World Peace. Consequently, what we have seen throughout history is recurring cycles, like a dog chasing its tail.
The message of Jesus Christ of Nazareth was not to kill others who do harm.
Luke 23:33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
If we are to have victory, it is essential that we pick up our cross and follow Him. Forgiveness is foremost. And, among other things, dying to our fleshly ways so that we may be redeemed by the ever-greater presence and power of God's Spirit. Dying to our old ways is not by strength of flesh to discipline of the flesh. It is not a matter of knowledge or study. It is not a matter, as some would say, of dying daily to the same fleshly ways. If we seek to do so, we have not truly died to the old ways. It is a prayerful process. True death and redemption are conspicuous and long lasting. It reveals a progression of new life of Christ within. One step at a time, then, "It is finished."
Col 1:25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord's people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
That is our only hope of glory. Until we know how to do this ourselves, we cannot help others. As we accomplish these Godly victories within our own hearts, we are empowered by the Spirit of God to play our Godly parts to help others. The path is made clear, the yoke is made easy, and the burden is made light. In this process of Sanctification, we accumulate added treasures in heaven as our hearts are purified.
Psalms 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
We become increasingly empowered to contribute to Godly victories for ourselves and others. We then bear witness to the world of profundity of Salvation and Sanctification in the name of Jesus Christ. It is not "futile", it is assured. Amen
#68 Awe and Wonder 5/17/2026
Please consider:
Thirty eight years ago, I attended a regional Evangelical prayer gathering. It was a meaningful event. However, what was most profound was after the event had been concluded. This was a time before the popularity of cell phones; consequently, I was at the pay phone to call my wife when I overheard a conversation. One individual requested of another a special prayer time. The individual to whom the request was made was eager to accommodate. However, his concern was that he had no place to do it. He and most others that had been at the event had already checked out of their rooms. I had a reservation for one more night. I volunteered my room for this special prayer event. Little did I know what to expect.
This session lasted for more than three hours. I found myself in "awe and wonder" at witnessing the transformation of the individual for whom the session was focused. It was my first experience in witnessing a deliverance ministry. Soon after returning home, I began to integrate much of what I had observed into my own devotional times. I found that not only was the prayerful process effective for major deliverance, but it was also effective for lesser things. It was not merely effective for spiritual things. It was effective for a whole spectrum of maladies of the human condition. These are inclusive of but not limited to learned behaviors, conditioned response and a myriad of cultural influences.
At the time of my initial experience, I was truly somewhat speechless. And it took me several days before I found the courage to share with my wife what I had observed. I wasn't certain that I could explain adequately and believably what I had observed.
As time went on, I found myself increasingly confident in my own modified prayerful routine. It was a process of prayerful discernment and transformation. It was life-changing in my own life. In time, I shared my new understanding with other faithful friends. In time, they began to recommend my prayerful counsel to others. It became the primary focus of the past 35 years of my "call to ministry".
I believe that the process may be unique to Christianity. It entails, by the presence and power of God, in the name of Jesus Christ, to discern, extricate, anoint, in essence dying to the old and being resurrected in a greater fullness of the Image and Likeness of God.
When the time is right, I am eager to share what I have learned. I believe that it is one aspect of the significant and profound uniqueness of the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Jesus Christ. It is truly "awesome and wonderful".
#60 God's Still Small Voice 05/24/2026
Please consider:
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
The following article is AI (artificial intelligence) generated; consequently, no specific credits are listed. In my experience, it seems to capture many ways that we can cultivate the awareness of the voice of "The Good Shepherd". It is literal and true and awesome. As we mature in our discernment, trusting and obeying God's leading, it can become central to our day to day, moment by moment decisions. It can truly transform our lives. It can "make clear the path, easy the yoke and light the burden". It is a profound aspect of the Way, the Truth and the Life of Jesus Christ."
Unedited from the internet
Knowing God's voice involves cultivating an intimate relationship with Him, primarily through immersing oneself in Scripture, prayer, and quiet reflection. God typically speaks to the spirit rather than through audible words, providing peace, conviction, or alignment with biblical truth. It requires discernment to distinguish His voice from personal ego or fear.
Keyways to Recognize and Know God's Voice
• Alignment with Scripture: God's voice will never contradict the Bible. His word is the primary boundary and test for any message.
• The "Still Small Voice" & Internal Peace: God often communicates through an internal sense, bringing peace, comfort, or conviction. A lack of peace ("check" in your spirit) is often a "no" or "wait".
• Cultivating Silence: In a noisy world, setting aside time for stillness and silence is crucial to distinguish His voice.
• Testing and Discernment: Test voices by checking if they align with God's character (loving, encouraging, guiding). The enemy's voice brings fear and condemnation, while God's voice brings loving conviction.
• Godly Counsel: God often speaks through trusted spiritual mentors and friends.
• Consistency over Time: Familiarity with God's voice increases with a consistent, daily relationship, much like recognizing a shepherd's voice.
• Practical Steps for Cultivating Recognition
• Read the Bible: Reading Scripture regularly helps you know God's character.
• Journaling: Writing down thoughts and prayers can help you see patterns in how God speaks.
• Obedience: Acting on what you hear helps train your senses to recognize Him.
• Worship and Prayer: Engaging in worship and persistent prayer creates an atmosphere to hear Him.
As you grow in your relationship with Him, your ability to differentiate His voice from others will become clearer.
#70 Godly Standards and Godly Means 5/31/2026
Please consider:
Different religions have different standards, and many have different means of attaining those standards. Even if we are so blessed to know the Godly standards, which we believe to be Christian Standards, they can only be attained by Godly means.
Godly means are "absolutely inclusive" of, but not limited to
• Forgiveness
• Prayerfulness
• And evidenced by the Fruit and Wisdom of the Spirit
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking, and envying each other.
Jas 3:17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.