Fall is my favorite season.  Last year we got something like 2 months of Fall.  It was glorious.   Frequently we get like 2-3 weeks between highs in the 80s and snow.


Trump does have an issue with getting distracted by the wrong things.  He needs to stick to the issues.  There are millions of unhappy people desperately looking for an acceptable candidate.  If Trump would focus on issues instead of snappy, "mean" tweets, I think the majority would flock to him.


Looks like your wallet is working again.  :)


Isn't that convenient?

For them, but not for us.


There are so many different, but beautiful areas in Wyoming.

https://image.nostr.build/4821dd1860beee743290981d0a64d895bfcae3d27bd308b8946f1fb2eee5b4c3.jpg


I'm definitely a Wyoming fan
https://image.nostr.build/dec0f63965b03aa1a3e87f71cf6088d8e52d42b605aed8d495e2f9600267823d.jpg


I don't think of myself as old guard, but I have definitely been here more than a year.

I'm not good at dates, but maybe even more than two.


Our situation is actually much worse than jut printing money out of thin air.  Our money is created by debt.  That means there is not enough money in existence to pay the debt plus interest.  Over time the interest on the money creation debt goes to the bankers (and government).  At some point everything crashes when the banks have taken most of the money and people realize what was done to them.


Yes and No.  I agree that people can get a false dopamine hit from sharing goals and never make progress towards that goal.  On the other hand, some people need a little accountability.  If they share a goal with someone(s) who will keep them accountable and ask them, "how are you doing towards your goal?" it can help a person stay on track.  Some people will keep working towards their goal better if they are worried about disappointing those around them.

I guess it all depends on who you tell and what your purpose for telling is.


It is foolish, but I understand short-sighted people voting to take money from others so they can have it without working for it.  I don't understand why anyone would support politicians who steal money from their own citizens and give it to foreign invaders.


This is probably the worst part, "Indeed, not only are we developing a new citizenry incapable of thinking for themselves, but we’re also instilling in them a complete and utter reliance on the government and its corporate partners to do everything for them—tell them what to eat, what to wear, how to think, what to believe, how long to sleep, who to vote for, whom to associate with, and on and on."

If people are unable to think for themselves, then they are unable to ever free themselves from the shackles that have been put on them.

I will continue to vote for the lesser evil to slow the slide, but I put more effort into things like homeschooling (and helping others homeschool their kids) and sharing the Gospel.  The government is too corrupt to fix.  Our only slight hope (if Jesus doesn't come back first) is to change the hearts and minds of the citizens.


I agree


And the government will take a quarter of that for unrealized capital gains.

I really would like details on what percentage of capital gains taxes are on real capital gains instead of fake gains due to the destruction of our currency.  I'm guessing a lot.  Majority?  Wouldn't surprise me.


Hamas's whole reason for existence is to wipe Israel from the map.  Israel keeps giving up land and it just gives terrorists more territory to attack from.  Nothing but a miracle from God was going to get those two to agree on something.

The question is how how Iran is going to react to this news.


Tried to zap, sat for 30 seconds, then opened a new zap for my client split.  I'm guessing it didn't go through (21 sats)


I applied for a job (I think it was HP) while I was in college.  A year later, I received a form letter that they had filled the position but would keep my application on file.  Sending a form letter like that so late was probably worse than no response.


Can't speak strongly on brand, but I don't like front load washers.  They typically use so little water that I don't feel like they get clothes really clean.  I strongly prefer the top load that doesn't have the spindle in the middle.


My book is more of a ministry than a money making endeavor.  I want the reach, but I also don't want to spend too much and lose too much.  I'll think on that.

My husband still has an active facebook account because of our business (rarely used personally).  He does business advertisements, so he could do a book advertisement for me.


I love the ingenuity.


As the world has gotten farther away from deep, nuanced thought and truth seeking, I have gone the other way and gotten deeper and less into memes.  They still have their place, but I want depth and nuance in my life that can't be properly communicated with a meme.

Call me a rebel.


freeborn | ἐλεύθερος


Most of the traditional social media I never did.  I did use facebook for a while.  Then I went to logging on once a  week to check in with some of my international friends, but several years ago they asked for more personal information so I decided I'm done.

I did try Gab and use MeWe and minds quite a bit.  I enjoyed them, but at this point, I pretty much just use nostr.  I've got better things to do than managing multiple social media accounts.

I suppose you could argue that I should do some others to promote my book that is coming out before the end of the month, but I don't want to.


Yes they do because they always have ulterior motives and most of them think they own us and our stuff.


These are the only things that can be argued as valid.  I agree with you 100% that no government has ever stayed within these parameters and that government always becomes so big that it causes more harm than good.  If it could just do these things, I could live with it.  Unfortunately it is always corrupted and begins to harm life and property instead of protecting it.


It always amazes me the people that will admit that the news was wrong about one thing, but insist that those people are 100% right this time without any support evidence and despite evidence I try to show to the contrary.  It is hard to fathom how common cognitive dissonance is.


The only valid jobs for government are protecting life and property (and contracts which is sort of property).  Everything else is corrupt and makes things worse.


Jesus said in John 10:30:  "I and the Father are one.”

" 23And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” 25So they were saying to Him, “Who are You?” Jesus said to them, “What have I been saying to you from the beginning? 26I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.” 27They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father. 28So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me." (John 8:23-28).

Every time, in this passage, that Jesus says "I am He," the original text says just "I am.  When Moses met God at the burning bush, he asked God who should I say is sending me and God referred to Himself as "I am."  In this passage, by saying "I am" twice, He is claiming to be God.

Similarly in John 8:58, "Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”"

Here Jesus is referring to His Godhead and His eternality.

Jesus does not leave us the option of calling Him anything less than God.


Jesus repeatedly claimed to be God.  Also, in Genesis chapter 1, God refers to Himself several times as We/Our.  The trinity existed even in the first chapter of the Bible even if it wasn't explained.

The Apostle John started his gospel account with these words.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (John 1:1-5)

He then goes on to explain the birth of Jesus.  Jesus is the word.  Jesus was with God and was God.  Jesus created everything.  That is the definition of God.


Many times evangelicals will tell unbelievers things like “You need to make Jesus Lord of your life” What does this mean? It may seem confusing.

Sometimes, as believers, we also forget about our call to make Jesus Lord. We’ve been saved. We’re going to heaven. We think that is enough, but is it?

> Therefore the LORD God of Israel declares, ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever’; but now the LORD declares, ‘Far be it from Me—for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed. (1 Samuel 2:30)

### When We Think We Know Better Than Jesus

Truly, we are called to follow Jesus and do as he commands. He knows best. He knows what to do.

> When He [Jesus] had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” (Luke 5:4-5)

This passage occurs shortly before the Apostles Simon (Peter), Andrew, James, and John began following Jesus. These four professional fishermen had fished all night without catching anything. Then Jesus borrowed their boat so He could preach to a crowd from the safety of their boat. Jesus then tells them to put out to the deep water and drop their nets. Peter thought he knew better than the creator of the universe because he did not yet realize who Jesus was. To Peter, He was just a great teacher. He didn’t truly understand that Jesus was the creator God who spoke the universe into existence, so he spoke down to Jesus, “*Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing*.” Peter thought he knew better than God. He was tired and thought more fishing was a waste of time. The good news is he was not completely disrespectful, and finished with “*but I will do as You say and let down the nets*.”

Simon Peter didn’t believe God had the best plan, but at least he submitted, even if reluctantly. You can almost hear an implied, “but you’ll see. We won’t catch anything.” Little did he know.

> When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; (Luke 5:4-11)

When Simon Peter saw the power of God, He fell at Jesus’s feet in awe and fear. He went from thinking he knew better to knowing that he knew nothing compared to Jesus. He went from thinking he should be in charge, to bowing in awe and submission to his creator.

As in Jesus’s parable:

> “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ And he answered, ‘I will not;’ but afterward he regretted it and went. The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They *said, “The first.” Jesus *said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.” (Matthew 21:28-31)

Although God calls us to obey immediately and with a right attitude, the most important thing is that we obey. As our knowledge of Him becomes more complete it usually becomes easier to obey because we see how obedience leads to good things (not necessarily easy things) and disobedience leads to bad things (even if they are easier in the beginning).

The first son was like Simon Peter, he didn’t want to obey, but he did chose the right path, if only reluctantly. When we obey God and look for the good that comes from obedience, we will see wonderful things.

Now we see the result of Simon Peter’s obedience:

> And so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him. (Luke 5:10-11)

They saw the awesomeness of God through Jesus and it made such a big impression that they left their career to follow Him. They had the most successful catch of their lives and abandoned their fishing careers because they saw the blessing that comes from God’s way rather than their own or the world’s way.

### When We Think We Are Incapable of Obeying God

In the story of Moses and the burning bush, when God sent him to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, Moses had the opposite issue. He didn’t believe He had the ability, skill, or knowledge to obey God. Right after seeing the burning bush and being told to remove his sandals because he was standing on holy ground, God commanded:

> Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.” (Exodus 3:10-12)

Moses’s first response was “*Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh*?” He thought he wasn’t important enough to fulfill God’s will. He didn’t understand that God can use anyone because He empowers us to do what He has called us to do.

After God explains what He wanted Moses to do:

> Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ” The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. But the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— “that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” (Exodus 4:1-5)

Moses responds, “*What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say*?” This time Moses questioned whether he could be used to fulfill God’s will, but God always enables us to to fulfill His will if we will just obey. We are called to obey Him, but He is responsible for the outcome. He doesn’t judge us on the outcome, just obedience. The amazing thing is that God gave Moses the ability to do miraculous signs to prove that he had been sent by God.

Even with the ability to do miraculous signs, Moses questions how he can be used because he doesn’t consider himself a good public speaker. Although God had just given him the ability to do miraculous signs that he could never do before, he didn’t trust that God could help him speak well.

> Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.” But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.” (Exodus 4:10-13)

Moses tries to excuse himself from obeying God by saying “*I have never been eloquent*.” A God who can speak the Universe into existence and give the power to change a staff to a snake and back is easily able to make a man into an eloquent speaker. God responds, “*Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.*”

God reminds Moses who created him and his mouth and then gently tells him “*I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say*.” God always enables us to do what He has commanded us to do.

Finally, after being rebuked three times for his lack of faith and obedience, Moses reluctantly acquiesces and replies “*now send the message by whomever You will*.” Moses knows God is sending him, but leaves God “an out” just in case he was able to convince God to change His mind.

From this day on, Moses chooses to obey and follow God no matter where it leads him and he becomes one of the most revered men of the Bible.

God rarely picks the person you or I would pick to do a task. He picked a man who couldn’t speak well to lead the Israelites out of captivity. He picked a bunch of fishermen and other misfits to build the body of Christ. He has a plan for you that you would almost certainly never pick for yourself, but will become a blessing to you if you only listen to His command.

He commanded me, a person who was interested in almost every career except writing, to write a blog and a book and probably more. I always hated writing and now, after obeying Him, I can’t seem to write enough. There is a reason it is said, “God works in mysterious ways.”

### When We Think God’s Way is Unfair

We often don’t like God’s plan for our lives, especially if that plan includes hardship. When we think of hardship or “bad things happening to good people,” we usually think of Job.

Job was a man who served God more faithfully than any other at his time, but lost everything (except a nagging wife) including his children, his animals (career), his respect in his community, and his health.

After a period of being blamed by his friends for everything bad that had happened to him and Job questioning God’s goodness, God replied:

> “Who is this that darkens counsel

By words without knowledge?

Now gird up your loins like a man,

And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell Me, if you have understanding,” (Job 38:2-4)

In the book of Job, we are given insight into actions that are happening in heaven that will be a blessing to the world, but Job doesn’t get to see the battle for his life during his life, so he questions what God is doing. Instead of faithfully trusting God, he questions God’s goodness. God rightly puts Job in his place.

> “Have you entered into the springs of the sea

Or walked in the recesses of the deep?

Have the gates of death been revealed to you,

Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?

Have you understood the expanse of the earth?

Tell Me, if you know all this.” (Job 38:16-18)

Job is reminded of his lack of knowledge about many things that God knows and controls.

> “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades,

Or loose the cords of Orion?

Can you lead forth a constellation in its season,

And guide the Bear with her satellites?

Do you know the ordinances of the heavens,

Or fix their rule over the earth?

“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,

So that an abundance of water will cover you?

Can you send forth lightnings that they may go

And say to you, ‘Here we are’”? (Job 38:31-35)

God reminds Job of His power compared to Job’s lack of power. God reminds Job of all that God has created.

Then the Lord said to Job,

> “Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty?

Let him who reproves God answer it.” (Job 40:1-2)

Then God asks Job if he wants to continue questioning God’s will and righteousness.

> Then Job answered the Lord and said,

“Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You?

I lay my hand on my mouth.

Once I have spoken, and I will not answer;

Even twice, and I will add nothing more.” (Job 40:3-5)

Job then fully submits to God’s will no matter how hard it may seem. Although we don’t always get full blessings on Earth like Job does (He received more kids, more wealth, more fame, and more respect than he had before his testing), we will be blessed in eternity for submitting to the will of God no matter what that will is and no matter what it costs us here on Earth. We just have to remember that:

> And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. (Matthew 29:19)

### Who Is God in My Life?

One problem we have is deciding who will be God of our life. Will we submit to Jesus as God of our life and obey Him or will we act as if we are our own God?

> Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:1-6)

This whole error started with a temptation and with Eve not fully knowing God’s command. The Serpent (Satan) tempted Even. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He was always ready to answer any temptation with the Word of God. Eve on the other hand only seemed to partially know God’s command. God had commanded Adam and Eve to not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve, probably resenting this one and only negative command, added “*or touch it*.” She changed God’s command. She added to it. She resented this limitation on her freedom and then she heard the most enticing temptation of them all, “*you will be like God*.”

In reality all temptation to sin relates to this first temptation. We all want to be the god of our lives. We want to define right and wrong the way we want it. We want to define relationships the way we want them. We want to define what God is like and how we relate to Him. We want to be like Frank Sinatra and “do it my way.”

We’ve all heard the Disney mantra “follow your heart.” The problem with this nice sounding suggestion is the Bible says the opposite. It says that our hearts frequently lead us astray.

> But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; (2 Peter 2:12-15)

When we try to decide for ourselves what is right, we always fail to follow true righteousness. When we try to decide on our own what is best, we always decide wrongly. Only God defines righteousness and only God knows what is best. Jesus is our God and needs to be put on the throne. We need to submit fully.

> Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:1-4)

Although there will be rare moments in life where we hear the call of God to make a particular choice in life or a particular action to do, the way we truly know God’s will (and are able to properly know those few personal calls are actually from God) is to study and know the Bible. Anything contrary to God’s word is not His will. We need to study the Bible so we know exactly what God says and what He doesn’t say.

### Right in His Own Eyes

Too often people do what is right in their own eyes like it says in Judges many times:

> In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21:25)

Any time we choose to do what is right in our own eyes, we will choose poorly. King David, whom the Bible calls “*a man after God’s own heart*” had one case when he did what was right in his own eyes. One bad decision led to another and another leading him badly astray. The good news is that when he repented of his sin, he turned back to God and honored God the rest of his life.

> But for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem; because David did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. (1 Kings 15:4-5)

David decided to stay home from leading troops and take it easy. This led to him seeing beautiful Bathsheba. That could’ve been the end, but instead he had her brought to him and used his power to force a relationship with her. He got her pregnant. He didn’t want his sin exposed, so he tried to hide it by bringing her husband back from the front lines, hoping he would have relations with his wife covering David’s sin, but Uriah was too honorable and felt guilty enjoying his wife while others were dying on the front lines. When Uriah refused to go in to his wife, David, in desperation to cover his sin, sent a command to Joab, the commander of his force, to put Uriah at the front and have him killed in battle.

Do you see how one sin led to another and to another? If David had followed God’s commands, he wouldn’t have committed the first sin which led to many more. It started with just taking a break from leading his army and ended up with adultery and murder. It is scary how one bad choice can lead us so badly astray. The good news is that David was willing to acknowledge his sin and repent and turn back to God. He learned from his giant mistake and never went that way again. We also can be forgiven and can turn back to God and put Him in charge of our lives.

David’s descendants and we are commanded to “*do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments*.” We can learn from David’s mistakes and choose the right path.

> Then it will be, that if you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build you an enduring house as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. (1 Kings 11:38)

If we “*do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments*.” He promises to “*build you an enduring house*.”

Anytime we put something as more valuable than God or having more authority than God, we are making that thing or that person or that group into a god in our lives, which breaks one of the Ten Commandments.

> “You shall have no other gods before Me. (Exodus 20:3)

Whenever you put man’s tradition or culture’s example above God’s command, you are making them into a god and putting them over God.

> Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? (Matthew 15:1-3)

Too often people put tradition or culture before God’s clear commandments. Even if something isn’t bad in itself, putting anything before God and His will is sin. Repeatedly defying God’s commandments and repeatedly denying His Godhead can lead to God removing His protecting hand from our lives.

> And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. (Romans 1:28-32)

There is only one true God — God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. One of our primary goals as we grow in our faith is to remove all of the gods in our life and to let go and no longer act as if we are our own god.

Step down and put God on the throne of your life.

Trust Jesus.

your sister in Christ,

Christy

FYI, This article was getting long, so I moved several verses that I was intending to use to the end. If you want some more information on the subject, read on, if not, you’ve gotten the important information. These verses are in no particular order. I’ve included a short comment with most of them.

If you are doubting God’s authority to command or do things in your life, this verse helps your perspective:

> On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. (Romans 9:20-24)

Many people want religion to be what they want it to be instead of what God says it should be. They define what they want God to be and what they think is right and good. They define how they want to worship God instead of how He commands them to worship.

> For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

God condemns those who choose their own path:

> But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart. (Jeremiah 18:12)

When we refuse God’s way and choose our own, God takes His protection from us and allows us the consequences of our bad choices:

> “But My people did not listen to My voice,

And Israel did not obey Me.

So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart,

To walk in their own devices.

Oh that My people would listen to Me,

That Israel would walk in My ways! (Psalm 81:11-13)

> “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today; and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known. (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)

> But Moses said, “Why then are you transgressing the commandment of the Lord, when it will not succeed? Do not go up, or you will be struck down before your enemies, for the Lord is not among you. (Numbers 14:41-42)

> You shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God or accept correction; truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth. (Jeremiah 7:28)

Even worse than just choosing to do your own will is teaching others to do likewise. The harshest punishments are for those who lead others astray.

> “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own inspiration, ‘Listen to the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God, “Woe to the foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have seen nothing. O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among ruins. You have not gone up into the breaches, nor did you build the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of the Lord. They see falsehood and lying divination who are saying, ‘The Lord declares,’ when the Lord has not sent them; yet they hope for the fulfillment of their word. Did you not see a false vision and speak a lying divination when you said, ‘The Lord declares,’ but it is not I who have spoken?” ’ ”

Therefore, thus says the Lord God, “Because you have spoken falsehood and seen a lie, therefore behold, I am against you,” declares the Lord God. (Ezekiel 13:2-8)

Bible verses are NASB (New American Standard Bible) 1995 edition unless otherwise stated

For more of my posts, check out my [Trust Jesus Substack](https://trustjesus.substack.com/)

This post is about putting God first in your life and obeying His commands.  It also goes through our excuses for not doing so:  We think we know better; we think we are incapable of obeying; and we think it is unfair and too hard.

This is a long form article, you can read it in https://habla.news/a/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzprf5h5jryfqv2cm3wj3akxgc0za2rsfn4mrnndj2yep9naq5hcetqqxnzdejxser2vpsxg6r2dpemzsav6


Do you actually think that most politicians have more mental power, insight, or understanding of delayed gratification than a five year old?


Yum!


Also the average politician and the average bureaucrat doesn't have a clue about how things really work.


Politicians believe that everything you have worked hard to earn is theirs and that they need your money to buy more votes so they can stay in power.


It frequently takes 2 good nights.


A turning from evil and corruption would be wonderful and I pray for it daily, but I can't say I have high expectations.  All of humanity seems determined to destroy itself


Finally got 2 good nights sleep in a row, got some time in the sun reading on my deck, and got some exercise on my exercise bike while reading nostr.  This is a good start to the day.  Hopefully I can finally get caught up on my work today after being out of town and other stressful things lately.


I can give some high level ideas, but my coding days are over.


I reserve the right to be wrong, but that is my theory.


The problem is that those in charge have broken so many laws and done so many bad things they are incentivized to break even more to maintain power so they not only don't lose power, but also don't spend the rest of their lives in jail.  I expect massive fraud and/or an emergency that either prevents the election or forces it to 100% mail-in ballots where things are easier to manipulate.


My son takes being called weird as the highest complement.


100% true, but I do think our time is short.  We need to be like the 5 wise virgins and be ready.


The best thing about homeschooling is school can be optimized for each child instead of having an average environment that is harmful for so many and which makes kids lose their love of learning.


Very nice.

I homeschooled my eldest son (and am still homeschooling my youngest son who has Down Syndrome).  We didn't unschool, but we were flexible on what we learned and when we learned it and we would go off on a tangent when something interested us and stop something or change it if it wasn't working or was boring.  He took one class online at the local community college each semester his sophomore year of highschool and 3-4 classes at the community college each semester his junior and senior year.  My son got a 35/36 on his ACT and is at college at Liberty University on free tuition and 4,000 towards room and board due to being in the honors program.  Although it is his 2nd year, he is a senior by credits and getting a double major in computer science and math.

We were able to accentuate his strengths (logic and curiosity) and work on his weaknesses (handwriting and hyper literalness that gives him problems with things like figures of speech).  He had so much issue with handwriting that he couldn't handwrite a paper properly and would've done terribly in government schools.  I allowed him to type papers in 3rd grade so his brain could focus on his thoughts rather than controlling his fingers.  He was able to excel, but would've struggled in government school.

The best thing is he never lost his love of learning.  He learns just for the sake of learning.  He knows who he is, both strengths and weaknesses, and is OK with that.  He isn't manipulated by peer pressure.  He is a loving, caring, generous young man that is a joy to everyone who meets him.  Even more important than his academic learning was his character growth.

Homeschooling is the best.  This world would be a better place if all kids with loving parents were homeschooled.


It wasn't a roach (the worst), but I did have a bug crawl on me twice last night.  Paranoia doesn't help one go to sleep quickly.


Not as old as me.  ;)


Congratulations and may you have many more anniversaries together.


Amen.

This is true if science is your reference or if God is your reference.


These days voting only makes a difference in a landslide.  There is so much corruption, manipulation, and out-right cheating that the results are preordained unless an overwhelming majority decide otherwise.  If the election is close, it is fixed.


Steve Kirsch shared a study linking transgenderism with the covid shots.  He implied causality, but I have my doubts.  I think transgenderism and getting the covid shots are both signs of someone who doesn't think for themselves, but does whatever the media/authority tells them is cool and will make them fit in with the cool people.


It is so sad.

It seems especially ironic when a "Christian" goes off blaming every evil in the world on Jews.  Do they not realize that Jesus was a Jew?


It would be nice to be able to choose "all of my relays" or a particular "one of my relays."


Generally 2 would be my choice, but I would love to to be able to see people I follow, posts on my relays (or a particular relay), and by subject/tag depending on my interests at the time.


Jesus is Lord


All of the 12 step programs acknowledge that the first step to improvement is admitting you have a problem, yet almost everyone thinks it is hateful to point out a person's problem.

The most loving thing we can do is to gently point out a person's sins and lead them away from their sins and to the Savior.  It is much harder to do, but it is the one thing we can do that is done for their good.  Affirming their sins causing hardship and pain in this life and in eternity.


I can see it now.  Germany asks Ukraine to reimburse them for damages to the NordStream.  Ukraine is broke and can't afford to pay, so they will ask the US to help them out (Loans that never get repaid?).  US taxpayers end up paying for everyone.


Amen


I don't understand why this is so hard to understand.

Homeschooling is one of the best decisions I've ever made.  It has been so good for every member of the family, me included, and has made us all closer.

freeborn | ἐλεύθερος


freeborn | ἐλεύθερος


That was my suggestion as well.


But the reverse statute of limitations is reserved for statists.


Another comforting verse is Romans 8:28

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."


Most people are afraid to jump all in.  Baby steps.


Is anyone actually surprised by this news?  The FBI destroyed the physical evidence before the local law enforcement could investigate.  There was definitely funny business.

Can we just eliminate the FBI?  We have reached the point they do more harm than good.


When our house burnt down and we rebuilt, we designed the house for every stage of life, so we will never have to move because of the house.


Moving is never fun, but the end result should be good, so hopefully it will be good.


Tyrants only want money they control.


I never understood greeting cards.  They seem like a waste of money.


Right now they all have their use case but I definitely think we should move from worst (fiat) to best (BTC).

Right now fiat works best for ease of use in day to day economics.  Keep enough for what you plan to spend today or this month.

Bitcoin has the most upside, so is great for savings.  The majority of what we don't need for day-to-day expenses should go into Bitcoin.

Gold/Silver is not where you make money, but it is a good store of wealth (spending power).  It also works if there is no internet or electricity.  It is good for worst case scenarios.  Keeping some wealth in precious metals is a good backup for whatever happens.  Unless you have huge wealth or expect to need to move a large amount of wealth easily, silver is usually better than gold because most purchases are smaller than a gold coin.


Maybe have a general AI oversee a bunch of specialized AI to try to combine depth and width?

That might be too likely to be misused.


We are most content when we are doing what God made us to do and being who God made us to be.  Our creator knows what is best.


Insane.  They are working hard at wiping out all of their own.  No wonder the leaders are trying so hard to import migrants.


Beautiful!

The sky must be really amazing.  Cameras never seem to quite capture the beauty of a sunset.


Every American should be asking this question because it isn't Joe Biden.


I very much support breastfeeding, but there is a time and place and while guarding a protectee is not either.  She should be temporarily reassigned to a less critical detail or even office duty.


Walking around during those breaks is worth the time even if it is only for 5-10 minutes.


Yes there is a problem, but it has nothing to do with the electoral college.


If you want someone to be saved, they have to understand what they are being saved from.  There is a reason that probably the most effective sermon in US history was "Sinners in the hands of an Angry God."


Most people treat God as a magic genie instead of the all-powerful creator God that He is.


Not a surprise.  I figured it was part of the setup for J6


Newbies need to be told to use an alias.  I tend to not trust posters who only have an npub, plus I can't remember one from another, so I rarely follow someone who doesn't use an alias.


My favorite Cuban restaurant in South Florida is Padrinos, but I usually ate things other than Cuban sandwiches, so I can't specifically speak on the sandwiches.  They have several locations.  I believe one is in Miami.  I usually ate at the one in Plantation (Near Ft. Lauderdale).  I loved their food and their cafe con leche is amazing.


Have fun and drive safely.


Great quote!  So true!

It is too bad that Thomas Jefferson had to change "protection of life, liberty, and property" to protection of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" in order to prevent the Declaration of Independence from supporting slavery.  We need better protection of property.

Also, we don't really own our property as long as we have to pay property tax (rent) to keep it.  The two most evil taxes are property and income taxes.


I’ve been reading *The Unchanging Word of God* by David Jeremiah.  This book has chapters from multiple books he wrote previously.  I was particularly inspired by some of what I read in his chapter entitled “When You are at Your Wits’ End.”  The title of this article was inspired by something he said as well.

### What Prayer Says About Our Faith

To start us off, I’m going share the quote that led to this post. It is found on page 145.

> A devoted believer will pray for God’s deliverance from problems, but a wiser one will pray for God’s use of them.

I would expand upon this quote and say, “In times of trouble, a foolish believer will try to fix things himself; a generally faithful believer will pray for God to deliver him from hardship; but a wise believer, who knows what an awesome, holy, good God we have, will pray for God to use the problem/hard times for good according to His will.”

Truly understanding who God is (His holiness, goodness, omniscience, omnipotence etc.) and truly understanding our own weakness and lack of understanding enables us to honestly pray “*thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven*.”  When we think too highly of ourselves and to lowly of God, then we want to fix things ourselves or we just ask for deliverance.  Nothing that happens to us is an accident or God being unfair.

> And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  (Romans 8:28)

### The Good Father

God is like a parent.  He wants the best for His children, knows what is best better than His children, and gives His children what is best for their long-term good rather than their short-term happiness.

As a parent, I make my kids eat healthy food rather than the junk food they may want (especially my youngest).  As a parent, I tell my kids not to do certain things that I know will cause them harm.  Sometimes they don’t understand the why and try to do otherwise.  When my kids were very little and just learning to crawl, I found a few spots with 1-3 steps and allowed them to fall off the steps scaring them and maybe even allowing minor pain.  I did this so they would learn about the dangers of heights. If they fell off 1-3 steps, the worst thing they could get was a minor bruise and a scare.  On the other hand, if they fell off a great height, they could break a bone, become paralyzed, or even die.  By allowing them to have a small, short-term pain, they learned an important lesson that would prevent greater harm.

God does the same for us.  He seeks our long-term good rather than  our short-term comfort.  He intentionally puts us through temporary hardship so we can grow in strength, wisdom, and faith to prepare us for eternity.  We look at the here and now and wonder why God would allow such awful things to happen to us, but He looks at what will help us grow in faith and likeness to Himself.  God is not limited by time, so He does not look at things in the same way we do.  He always controls things with an eternal perspective and with complete knowledge of all things throughout eternity.  He knows how each and every event or action affects every other.  He works out everything according to His very good plan.  We just have to reach the point of knowing that everything will work out according to God’s plan and that everything will work out for good.  Sometimes God allows us to see the good in this life and other times not till we reach heaven.  When we trust Jesus, we don’t have to worry.

### Secure in the Storm

On page 150 of Dr. David Jeremiah’s *The Unchanging Word of God*, he writes:

> We are far more secure in the storm with Jesus in our boat than we will ever be on the shore without Him.

Let’s start with this narrative from Luke 8:

> Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out.  But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger.  They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.  And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”  (Luke 8:22-25)

In this event, The disciples are crossing a lake with Jesus in the boat.  They have the creator God with them in the boat when a terrible storm rolls in while they are far from shore.  Instead of trusting in their friend and God, they cry out in terror. “*Master, Master, we are perishing*!”  Instead of looking for God’s miracles (of which they had seen many), they instantly assumed they were about to die.  Did they really need to worry?  Of course not.  Did they need to be afraid?  Not at all.  God was in control.  Should they have been looking for another miracle?  Absolutely Yes.

How often do we fear a financial calamity, lament an illness, mourn a loss, or otherwise have the wrong attitude about things happening around us or to us?  For most (all?) of us, I’d guess the answer is “way too often.”  If we know how wise, loving, and powerful our God is, we shouldn’t fear, lament, or mourn.  We should just trust Him.  We should lay our needs before Him and trust His goodness and power will take care of things.  We should be actively looking for how God is going to use these hardships.

God is good all of the time.  He isn’t being unfair.  He isn’t making a mistake.  He isn’t being mean.  He is working for our good and the good of others.  Nothing can happen outside His will.

I know that living out this belief can be difficult when you are in the storm, but trust me.  Hard times with Jesus are always better than easy times without Him. Yes, we really can have joy and happiness even in the worst situation when we trust Jesus and join Him in having an eternal perspective.

Trust Jesus.your

Bible verses are NASB (New American Standard Bible) 1995 edition unless otherwise stated

Find more articles at my[ Trust Jesus Substack](https://trustjesus.substack.com/)

Better in the Stormy Sea with Jesus than on a Peaceful Shore Without Jesus

This is a long form article, you can read it in https://habla.news/a/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzprf5h5jryfqv2cm3wj3akxgc0za2rsfn4mrnndj2yep9naq5hcetqqxnzdejxvunzwf5xyunqvper5rnaj


Love it.  You are doing something right.


We need to be spending our time obeying God's command to make disciples and be like Paul,  "To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some." (1 Corinthians 9:22) and like Jude, "keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.  And have mercy on some, who are doubting;  save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh." (Jude 1:21-23)

I always hated writing, now I am writing like mad.  I have one book that is about to come out.  (I'm waiting for the proof copy to approve release), I started another book.  I also write a substack:  https://trustjesus.substack.com/
I'm doing anything I can to share the gospel before it is too late.


Being used by God for His purposes is joyful because it is doing what we were created to do.


Like many other truths that people deny, He is Lord even if nobody accepts that fact.


I was watching Home Improvement with my son while he was home for the summer.  I forgot how good it was and how much better it was than everything today.  They have a healthy family and learn when they make mistakes and love each other.  Wilson even gives pretty good marriage and relationship advice.


I'm sorry for your suffering.

I've found that focusing on knowing God and who He is and His plan for eternity helps.  When we are worrying about what is right for us and what we should do, we are focusing selfishly.  It isn't till we are 100% focused on God and until we really understand what an awesome, creator God we serve that our own lives and the direction for them falls in place.

It is a little like a person who desperately wants a spouse and is searching frantically.  They will never find the right one.  When they give up searching for someone to make them complete, suddenly that right person enters their life unexpected.

Focus on God first and everything else you need falls into place.

This is a post that you might find comforting:

https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/sufferings-of-this-present-time-are

More posts that might be an encouragement if you have time. (I tried to put them in order from most relevent to least):

https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/an-infinite-god

https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/a-change-of-heart

https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/abide-in-the-vine

https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/god-answers-seemingly-unanswered

https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/walk-in-the-light

https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/conversation-with-god

https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/psalm-19

https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/mind-of-christ


I've come to the realization that most people will chose a comfortable lie over an uncomfortable truth every time.


There are a lot of things I really like about RFK, Jr., but I can't vote for him for this particular reason.  I might be able to overlook his wanting to do too many government handouts, but I can't overlook him being pro-abortion, and even pro-abortion up to the moment of birth.  It seems out of character, but I absolutely can't support him because of this issue.


I think our time on earth is short and things are coming to an end just as predicted in the Bible.

When I used to read end times prophecy, especially Revelation, I hatted it because it didn't make sense to me.  I didn't see how it could be and my brain would shut down.  Now I read these same passages and I see how technologies and events today are setting up everything predicted ~2,000 years ago(and even longer in Daniel & Ezekiel & others).  We have every technology (ready or almost ready) to implement everything predicted in Revelation.  I think the rapture and the beginning of the tribulation are almost here.  I can't say days, months, years, or even a couple of decades for sure, but my head and my heart say it is coming soon.

We can't know exactly when these events will happen, but Jesus did call us to be aware to the signs of the times and the signs are screaming, "Jesus is coming soon."


freeborn | ἐλεύθερος


So Germany is destroying its nuclear power after losing their natural gas power?  Is every western nation purposely destroying itself?


Wow!  They aren't even hiding their tyrannical tendencies any more.  I don't recognize America anymore.


LOL


Cornerstone Church

Bible believing Evangelical Free Church
Pastor:  Dan Hallock

Services Sunday 9am (nursery & children's sunday school available) and 10:45am (nursery available)

This event represents a place. View it on https://go.yondar.me/place/naddr1qqfyxmmjdejhyum5dahx2gzrdp6hycmgqyxhwumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmvqy28wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hsz9nhwden5te0wfjkccte9ec8y6tdv9kzumn9wspzprf5h5jryfqv2cm3wj3akxgc0za2rsfn4mrnndj2yep9naq5hcetqvzqqqyj3vygnd97


Casper Mountain Motorsports

Casper Mountain Motorsports sells motorcycles, ATVs, Side-by-Sides, scooters, trailers, and ebikes.  They also sell parts and accessories and do installs and repairs.  Selling Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, KTM, CFMoto, Suzuki, Kayo, and GPS (trailers).  Liberty friendly owners.

Tues - Fri 9am - 6pm, Saturday 9am - 4pm

This event represents a place. View it on https://go.yondar.me/place/naddr1qqd5xctnwpjhygzdda6kuarpd9hzqnt0w3hhyumsdae8gucpp4mhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mqpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduq3vamnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwwpexjmtpdshxuet5qgsg6d9aysezgrzkxut550d3jxrch2suzvawcuumvj3xgfvlg997x2crqsqqpy5tp60zcf


My 13 part series on the fruits of the Spirit.
https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/fruits-of-the-spirit-6fc


It makes me think of politics.  We are constantly hearing about the "far right", but most of the "far right" is to the left of the average Democrat 50 years ago.  The left has become so radical, that it thinks average economics, average morals, and average political chicanery is far right extremism.

I agree that anyone who lives according to God's unchanging word, must look extreme indeed.


Even the most devout Christians don't have a high enough view of God, His power, and His holiness.  If we really knew who God was, it would scare us straight.


My off hand theory (not prediction) is that they picked unlikable Kamala because she is expendable.  Next month Kamala debates Trump.  If they got a bomb in it would take out both of their problems and not look like a political attack on their opponent like the botched Trump assassination.  It would be easy to blame on someone like Iran or Russia which would also further their international aspirations.

I have no proof of this, but it makes sense enough that I wouldn't be attending the debate even if it was in my town and free.


Homeschooling is the best!  You will never regret it.


The algo feed is only useful to find the people you want to add to your personal feed.  It is more useful when you are new to Nostr than once you've made good connections.


That's rough.


Welcome and enjoy.


I used my sons as the workout.  Moms don't have time for a normal workout, but lifting a baby and pushing up and down (like push-ups), tossing the baby in the air (once bigger).  I played up and over with my special needs son till he was 100 lbs (should've stopped sooner).  We would face each other holding hands.  He would jump as I lifted and he would land legs wrapped around my waste.  I would grab his legs and lift him over my shoulder and lower him down my back head hanging down.  We would reach through my legs and pull  him through back to standing.  He loved it and I got a great workout.


The good thing about a big baby (mine was 9lbs 3 oz) is they are strong and not so breakable.  You don't have to be so careful holding their neck.  You don't have to be so careful with everything.  It is like starting with a 1 month old.   Yes the big babies are stronger, but that can be a benefit.


Are you having trouble adjusting back to your time zone?


> Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)

If we want to have a clean heart, to know Jesus as Savior, and to join Him in heaven for all eternity, we need a new heart.

A friend of ours from church had a failing heart. It wasn’t working right. He couldn’t do any physical activity. Eventually he was limited to bedrest. He needed a new heart (physical). One day, a heart donor became available. Someone needed to die so that he could get the new heart he needed. One day, he went through surgery and a new physical heart was implanted in his chest. After receiving a new heart, he had to go through lots of Physical Therapy to build up his body and his heart, so everything was working as it was supposed to.

In the same way we are broken, sinful men and women. Our hearts are corrupted and failing and we are quickly heading towards death. Jesus died to take away our sins and when we repent of our sins, acknowledge Him as our Savior, Lord, and God, He gives us a new heart.

From the moment of salvation, we have a new heart and are a new person. This is Salvation and it happens instantaneously. We go from spiritually dead to spiritually alive.

### Born Again

Being born again is a hard thing to understand. Even the top spiritual leaders of Jesus’s time couldn’t understand it. Here is Jesus’s explanation:

> Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (John 3:1-21) {emphasis mine}

One thing that science has never been able to explain is the soul of man. People are more than just biology. We are body, mind, and soul. We are more than chemical reactions. Our body may be finite and decaying, but our soul is not. It will exist for all eternity.

The important thing is that our soul be renewed to its perfect state by repentance and faith in Jesus.

When my sons were little, I allowed them to make small mistakes where they suffered small consequences, so they could learn and avoid making big mistakes with life changing consequences. I encouraged them to climb stairs in spots where there were only 2-3 steps, so they could fall, learn about heights, but not get any serious injuries. I allowed them to waste a few dollars and regret their choices, so they would not waste their money and indebt themselves in adulthood.

In the same way, God allowed Adam and Eve to chose to disobey God and pay the consequences for that choice, but He also made a way to escape those consequences. “*For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life*.” We now have a second chance to make the right choice and to choose to repent and trust Jesus. If we chose to reject Jesus, we are “*judged already, because he(we) has(have) not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God*.”

### Regeneration

When we are born again, there should be an immediate change in our thoughts, words, and actions. No, we don’t go from non-stop sinners to perfect saints in that instant, but there should be immediate change. Depending on our lives before accepting Jesus, this change may be more or less dramatic, but it should still be obvious to those around them.

When my oldest son was little, he said that he had trusted Jesus. He was a people pleaser and a submissive child and he wanted to please his parents. The first time he told us this, we looked at his life and rather easily determined that he had not truly been saved. A year or two later, he came and said the same thing. At that point we saw a definite change in him that was obvious to us despite the fact that he had been a “good” son before being born again. There is always a change.

In the case of Saul/Paul, the change in his life was immediately obvious to everyone around him.

> Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way (Christians), both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” (Acts 9:1-16)

Saul went from doing everything in his power to destroy the church and to destroy all belief in Jesus to being Paul who suffered and died to share the truth of Jesus with people all around the world. The change was so dramatic that even many of the Christians couldn’t believe that his conversion was real. It didn’t make sense to them. Only the power of God is able to change a heart from sinfulness leading to separation from God, to righteousness and love leading to eternity in God’s presence. Of all the miracles in the Bible, this change of heart in believers may be the greatest.

### Salvation vs Sanctification

From the moment of saving faith and repentance, we have God’s salvation.

> But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13)

We are given the gift of His forgiveness, the indwelling of His Spirit, and the promise of eternity with Him. On the other hand, sanctification takes time. Sanctification takes effort learning to submit to God’s will and to rely on the power of the Spirit in us rather than on our own power.

In the movie A Princess Bride, one of the main characters, Wesley, is tortured “to death.” The other characters take him to Miracle Max to see if he can be brought back to life. Miracle Max says Wesley is “only mostly dead and mostly dead is partially alive.” Some believers are only mostly dead, but mostly dead is partially alive. Sanctification is the process of reviving us from mostly dead, to alive and in the image of God and His son, Jesus Christ.

No Christian should stay in this mostly dead state. We should NOT resemble the sinners of the world. We should resemble Jesus. The Holy Spirit helps guide us and empower us to become more alive and more like Jesus. He changes our hearts from a cold heart of stone, to a loving heart in accordance to God’s will.

Although sanctification is really a work of the Holy Spirit, there are things we can do, with the help of the Spirit to become more alive in Jesus. We can read the Bible to learn more about who God is and what He expects from us. We can pray for His help accomplishing His will and changing our will to be inline with His will. The more we know about God and who He is, the more we know what we should become and what is pleasing to Him.

Being saved requires us to know that Jesus is God and that we are sinners. It requires us to trust in what Jesus did for us and to submit to His will. Being sanctified requires so much more. How can we trust someone we don’t really know? How can we become like someone of whom we only have a cursory knowledge? We need to know more about God (primarily by reading the Bible), and we need to know God better (primarily by talking to Him and listening to Him through prayer).

Sanctification also requires time. Nobody becomes an expert at anything instantly. We get better at things through practice. Now this doesn’t mean that we sanctify ourselves or do this by ourselves. Just like salvation is a work of God, so is sanctification, but we do need to learn over time. As we trust Him and obey Him, we see that He is faithful and His way is the best way causing us to trust and obey Him more. It builds on itself helping us to grow to become more like Jesus. Sins (no matter how “small”) that didn’t seem like a big deal will become a big deal to us as we grow to view the world as God does.

> And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:32)

This growth will prepare us for eternity in God’s presence.

> He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. (Revelation 3:12)

God can do anything, but I’ve never seen a person instantly go from being a sinner, separated from God to having a 100% proper view of God and His will and having a perfectly correct view of our relationship with Him. Hopefully as you live your life through the power of the Holy Spirit, you will continue growing in this wisdom, in knowledge of Him, and in likeness to Jesus.

Pray with me, “*Create in me a clean heart*.”

Trust Jesus.

FYI, Read my whole series on the individual [fruits of the Spirit](https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/fruits-of-the-spirit-6fc) listed in Galatians 5

Bible verses are NASB (New American Standard Bible) 1995 edition unless otherwise stated

Create in Me a Clean Heart:  Fruits of the Spirit Part 13

A summary of coming to saving knowledge of Jesus and how that changes our hearts as we are filled with the Spirit.
(conclusion to Fruits of the Spirit Series)

This is a long form article, you can read it in https://habla.news/a/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzprf5h5jryfqv2cm3wj3akxgc0za2rsfn4mrnndj2yep9naq5hcetqqxnzdejxvmrvwphxy6rqdp5qqnjv6


I agree and disagree with your statement.

It is true that much of our organized religion has become corrupted and causes more harm than good.  I do, however, disagree with those who try to convince people to avoid attending church.  The Bible clearly states, " and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near."  (Hebrews 10:24-25)  We are clearly told to work together as the body of Christ and not to stand on our own.

I will admit it can be very hard to find a Bible believing church that teaches the whole truth of the Bible, encourages sharing the Gospel and helping others without any of the woke nonsense.  These churches do exist, though.  It is worth the effort to search and find one, and even move if you have to, to be near a good church.

I don't know exactly where you are coming from, so I clarified my understanding.


Absolutely.  Use it however you wish.


The church mostly fails at sharing the Gospel today.  They avoid mentioning any unpleasant facts like sin and the judgment of God.  If people don't know what they need saving from, they won't submit to a savior

Also people witness today in the same way they did 50 years ago when America was a Christian nation and everyone knew the Bible and most liked Christian principles, even if they weren't true believers.  They had the foundational knowledge to understand the Gospel message.  Today, most Americans either don't know anything about the Bible or most of what they think they know is false.  They don't have the foundation necessary to understand the Gospel message.  They don't know who God is.  They don't know what sin is.  They don't know why they deserve judgement.  Without giving them this foundational knowledge, they can't understand the message, "You need the Savior."

As Christians we have failed to live Godly lives that set us apart.  As Christians we have failed to share the Gospel message.  As Christians we have failed to share the foundational message of our sin nature and the creator God who is owed totally allegiance because we owe Him for every breathe we take.


A preview didn't show, but I was able to click on the image and see it.


Good to know.  I briefly tried to find a short highlight reel of the interview because there is zero chance I have 2 hours to spare for the interview, but I was curious if anything of significance came up.  I guess not.  I won't waste any time on it now.


I'm guessing he was referring to the King James Bible.  A lot of people treat it as the best Bible, but I'd argue that the ESV and NASB are the most accurate Bibles.  They are based on the oldest manuscripts (therefore closer to the time they were originally written and having less time for copy errors to sneak in) and are word for word translations  (Most Bible translations are word-for-word, Phrase-for-phrase, or paraphrase).  Word-for-word translations are the most accurate, but can be harder to read because of grammatical differences between languages and because of figures of speech, but they prevent translator bias from changes the word of God.  Paraphrase translations tend to be the easiest to read, but can have more translator bias in the translation, so I usually avoid them.  I did buy a New Living Translation Bible for my special needs son so he could read and understand the Bible.  It is one of the more Biblically accurate paraphrase Bibles.

There are lots of people that believe the King James Bible is the best, but I have never heard a reason for this belief.  They say, "everyone knows".  That isn't a reason and "everyone knows" lots of things that are totally wrong.  King James authorized this translation as he was consolidating his power over the Anglican church.  At the time, many Christians refused to use it because they thought it was being used as a power trip by the King of England.  It is a decent translation, but not the best.  (Don't be super worried, there are lots of good translations)

Reading through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is a good plan.  The basis for everything is in Genesis, so it is important to properly understanding the whole Bible.  Many people try to suggest that Genesis, especially the first 11 chapters, are just parable and therefore not true, but that is false.  You can check out my series on the subject:  https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/literal-genesis  All six articles are useful, but if you don't have time for all 6, you can read the last 3 which are better organized.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.  I will answer as quickly as I can, however I am likely to be unavailable most of the rest of the week because I am taking my eldest to college and my youngest has eye surgery out of state.


When I had chickens, before I developed a lung sensitivity, I would pick up and pet my rooster every day.  It taught him who was boss and I didn't have any trouble with him.


That would definitely teach him the difference between boys and girls.


freeborn | ἐλεύθερος


You aren't the only one having that feeling.  I think we are nearing the end and need to be ready.


Also try the Uncle Eric books.  They are easy to follow, but a bit deeper and probably for slightly older kids.  My son had studied a bunch of the Uncle Eric books like "Whatever Happened to Penny Candy" before the Tuttle Twins came out, so he was beyond Tuttle Twins.  I still quite like the Tuttle Twins.


Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its
victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under
robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber
baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point
be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment
us without end for they do so with the approval of their own
conscience.

-- C. S. Lewis


I used thesaurus.com.  Is that cheating?


beasts


We constantly hear that taxation is theft, and it is, but it is also slavery.

All of the people calling for taxing others and calling for more freebies are proponents of slavery.  They are calling to steal another person's labor for their own benefit.  That is making the taxpayer their slave.  It is morally wrong.


I love mine even though the open button now sticks after being used for several years.


They are almost worth more as fertilizer factories, but I like their meat as well.


I agree.

Although there are people who deserve death, I'd rather a million people that deserve death not receive it if it prevents just one innocent person from being put to death.  When you have politics and power, there will always be innocent people convicted wrongly.


I was already coming to the conclusion that our time was very short, but this sight has some good information on current events and how they relate to end times.

https://endtimes.substack.com/


I definitely think so.  Every thing seems to be lining up with Bible prophecy and all of the technology necessary to make Revelation a reality exist at least in an experimental fashion now.  That wasn't true even 5 years ago.  Iran, Russia, and Turkey are aligning and seem to be setting up the Gog/Magog war.  Israel has plans for a new temple without the outer court (matching the description of the outer court being trampled by gentiles.  They have several perfect red heifers necessary for cleansing the new temple.  They've found multiple men who meet the requirements to be priests and can trace their genealogies back to Aaron.

Honestly, I'd guess we have a better than 50% chance that the rapture happens before the end of the decade and it wouldn't surprise me a bit if it happened before the end of the year.

We can't know the day or the hour, but the signs are telling me that our time is short.  I am definitely preparing for it happening any time including trying to make arrangements for my special needs son who has not trusted Jesus.


Only producers should be able to vote.  If you give takers the vote, they vote to steal the producer's stuff because it is easier than working and producing something themselves.


mind, not wind


It took me about 4 hours to get to sleep last night.  I didn't like where my wind was going, so I got up and wrote for a while and then finally went to sleep.  I then spent the entire day writing a new book.  I wrote 16,800 words for my new book.

I haven't even gotten my final proof for the paperback copy of my first book.  Hopefully I'll have it fully published before the end of the month.

Now I am working on another.  I'll admit my books are on the short side, but I'm definitely a glutton for punishment.  I run a business, homeschool my special needs son and take care of a large household.  I don't need more to do.  I always hated writing and now I can't stop.  My eldest son asked if I needed an intervention.


Throughout this [whole series](https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/fruits-of-the-spirit-6fc), I have gone through the fruits (evidence) of a life given to Jesus.  These are traits we should see in anyone who is born again in Jesus Christ.  I thought it would be useful to also show the “fruits” (evidence) of a life that has rejected Jesus.  Seeing what the opposite looks like can help us better judge where we stand.

### Blessing and Cursing

We can have some idea of who belongs to Jesus by our/their words.

> Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.  You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.  Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.  (1 Corinthians 12:1-3)

Are your words more of a blessing or a curse towards God?  It isn’t just by these two three-word sentences that we judge.  When it comes to truth, do you put God’s word or man’s word first?  In whom do you put your faith?  When you are deciding what is good and what is evil, do you use man’s culture or the Bible to make your decision?  When you decide how to use your time, do you do what everyone else is doing or does God’s will guide your actions?  These all speak to where your heart lies.  All of these expose whether your heart says “Jesus is Lord” or whether it says “Jesus is accursed.”

### God Gave Them Over

There are definite signs of an unrepentant heart, and being unrepentant for long enough leads God to remove His sin restraining power and to give “*them over to a depraved mind*.”  We are seeing this “fruit” of this situation growing in our culture today.

> For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

…

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.  (Romans 1:21-23,28-32)

One thing that the Bible makes clear is that every person alive knows that God exists, whether they admit it or not.  One of the reason that Christians (and Jews) are attacked so much is everyone knows that the God of the Bible is different than the made up or demonic gods that others worship.  God’s word is attacked more vehemently because they know He is real.  Nobody hates a myth with such passion.

We live in the scientific age and many (most?) people put “science” above God and His word.  Unfortunately much of what is called science is actually a pseudo-science that is more myth and story telling.  It is based on false assumptions, so it always leads to false conclusions.  That isn’t to say that real experimental science isn’t very useful.  It is.  Experimental science, that seeks the truth, is a good thing, but there is a lot of work that is called science that is not science at all.  Any time someone says “the science is settled,” it should tell you that they are not talking real science, but more of a politicized, story-telling pseudo-science and it shouldn’t be trusted.

If we know that the God of the Bible is the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent creator of the universe and that He inspired writers to accurately write His word into the Bible, then we know that the Bible is always the highest authority.  If science “contradicts” the Bible, it is most likely that the science is wrong.  (There is a chance that the Bible is misunderstood, but that is much less likely.)  We need to always remember that our omniscient God knows more than any person or all people put together.  Putting man’s word above God’s word is sin.  As the passage above says, “*Professing to be wise, they became fools*.”

When we don’t acknowledge God, obey His commands, and believe the truth that He has clearly laid out for us in the Bible, He gives us “*over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper*.”  When we say, “We don’t want God,” He gives us the consequences of that choice.

What are the consequences (fruit) of rejecting God?  You could say that the fruit of an unrepentant heart are *“being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful*.”  Is this what you want to be?  Is this the kind of person with which you want to surround yourself?  Is this the kind of country in which you want to live?  I don’t think so.

Somewhat recently, renowned atheist Richard Dawkins complained that England was losing its Christian culture.  He missed the Christmas decoration and the Christian morality and such.  He has made a career of denigrating Christians, but wanted the culture that Christians bring.  He wants a world with a Christian culture that doesn’t include Christians or God.  Such a thing never existed and never will.  After the rapture, he will see what a world without Christ looks like and he will not like it.  We are already seeing the “fruits” of rampant rejection of God.

We are now seeing these “fruits.”  *“Although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them*.”  Our culture is calling good “evil” and calling evil “good.”

### End Times

It seems like everything is getting worse now as God is rejected by more and more people and especially those in positions of influence and power, but in the end times, this trend towards evil will get so much worse.

> But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.  For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.  For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.  (2 Timothy 3:1-7)

This actually sounds a lot like culture today.  Do you notice these traits in society today?

lovers of self

lovers of money

boastful, arrogant

revilers & malicious gossips

ungrateful

unholy

unloving & irreconcilable (centering around political parties, race, etc.)

without self-control

brutal, haters of good, & treacherous

reckless & conceited

lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God

holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power (false religion)

always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of truth (science that denies God)

Denying God and what Jesus did for us leads to all of these evils.

Unfortunately, there also many who pretend to be holy or even believe they are holy who are not and lead many believers to be unfruitful.

> For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.  (Titus 1:10-11)

### Consequences of Denial of Christ

We’ve clearly seen that denial of Jesus/God or even just refusing to put Him first, leads to many sins that harm relationships and society.  Those are the warning signs of what is happening to each and every sinner’s soul.

The more important harm is to our soul and to our future.

> Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.  Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.  (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

All people will live for eternity.  The only question for each individual is whether they will spend an eternity with God in heaven where there is no more pain and suffering or whether they will spend eternity in Hell alone, in darkness, and in pain.  The worst thing about Hell will be the lack of hope.  God has enabled us to survive a huge amount of suffering when we have hope that the suffering will end one day and that justice will be served.  Hell is suffering and knowing it will never end.  What is worse than that?

The good news God gives us is “*Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God*.”  Although we have all sinned and sinned badly, we all have the opportunity to repent, to believe in Jesus (including all He did for us), and to submit to His Lordship.  We all have the opportunity to turn away from our sins and join God in Heaven some day.  What will you choose?

### Repent & Choose Jesus

Be like the Roman jailer to whom Paul and Silas said, “…* Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household*.” (Acts 16:31)  Don’t be like the Israelites about whom the Bible says “*However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God*.”  (2 Kings 17:14)

>  He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”  (Revelation 21:7-8)

Trust Jesus.

FYI, Read my whole series on the individual [fruits of the Spirit](https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/fruits-of-the-spirit-6fc) listed in Galatians 5

Bible verses are NASB (New American Standard Bible) 1995 edition unless otherwise stated

“Fruits” of an Unrepentant Heart:  Fruits of the Spirit, Part 12

After going through all of the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5, this post goes through the "fruits" of rejecting the Spirit.

This is a long form article, you can read it in https://habla.news/a/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzprf5h5jryfqv2cm3wj3akxgc0za2rsfn4mrnndj2yep9naq5hcetqqxnzdejxvenzvenxqcr2vpcwt6jwj


We don't usually get much rain here, but it is really coming down right now.


𝕞𝕪𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕥𝕠𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖


There aren't many things worse than a boy getting his kicks beating up women.  He needs to be shamed all the way home.