Rewired for the Journey

Ok, how does Halloween fit into Christianity? It does not because it is a pagan holiday. But I would like to caution Christian people to not play around with the occult or black magic. Dress up like Mickey Mouse and get some free candy, not a problem but when you get into the dark side of scary evil things you are opening up a portal that you do not want to enter... you may laugh but it is real and if you play around long enough you will wish you had not! You have been warned! Deuteronomy 18:10-12 Common English Bible (CEB) 10  There must not be anyone among you who passes his son or daughter through fire; who practices divination, is a sign reader, fortune-teller, sorcerer,   11  or spell caster; who converses with ghosts or spirits or communicates with the dead.   12  All who do these things are detestable to the  Lord ! It is on account of these detestable practices that the Lord your God is driving these nations out before you. Prayer: O'Lord, protect us from the blac

No, I am not giving away a free glow in the dark cross for a love offering of twenty-five dollars! I am giving praise to Jesus and I am so grateful I did not have to earn my salvation because I would have failed. Thankfully Jesus Christ gives us the free gift of salvation when we but believe in Him. Now I just try to live worthy of the gift and I do not want to ever give this gift away.  Ephesians 2:8-9 Common English Bible (CEB) 8  You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. 9  It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. Prayer: O'Lord, thank You for the gift of salvation, in Jesus name, Amen.

Why is it that most spiritual people think of their soul but pay no attention to the earthly body that houses the Spirit of the soul and the Holy Ghost? They let their bodies go and become overweight and out of shape. God has asked us to keep our earthly bodies up as best we can. This is so we can have the health and energy to do the ministry that Jesus has asked us to do in this world. So let us go hit that gym in the name of Jesus! Romans 12:1 Common English Bible (CEB) So, brothers and sisters, because of God’s mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God. This is your appropriate priestly service. Prayer: O'Lord, help us to keep our earthly bodies in good shape to do Your work in this world that You have asked us to do, in Jesus name, Amen. 

The three verses below are famous for when clergy needs more money for the church. Yes, salvation is free but the ministry does cost. But do we not rob God more than just with our money? Do we not rob God of our time to be His hands and feet here on earth? Do we not rob God of His glory when we do not stop and try and help other people in need? Do we not rob God of praising Him and thanking Him by not showing up to church for worship? Malachi 3:8-10 New King James Version (NKJV) 8  8. “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9  9. You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even  this whole nation. 10  10. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the  Lord  of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you  such  blessing That  there will  not  be room  enough  to receive it. Prayer: O'

As I think back on this year and all the loved ones in the family that have died, I realize how fleeting our life is on earth. Sixty years ago most of the famous people of that time you can no longer remember who they are or what they did unless you researched and internet engines like Bing or Google. Fame and fortune truly is just a flash in a moment of time on our earth journey. Try to make every moment count and look for the divine movement of Jesus whenever possible. 1 Peter 1:24-25 Common English Bible (CEB) 24  Thus, All human life on the earth is like grass,      and all human glory is like a flower in a field. The grass dries up and its flower falls off,          This is the word that was proclaimed to you as good news. Prayer: O'Lord, help us use our time and energy wisely, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Hindus have an interesting way of greeting or saying goodbye. They put their hands together and bow as they say "Namaste" which means in a basic term that my spirit honors your spirit. I think that is kind of cool because we as Christians do the same thing in a slightly different way. We raise our right hand and say "God be with you" or "God bless you" so we show respect and kindness in our greetings and our goodbyes. Genesis 27:28 Common English Bible (CEB) 28  May God give you          showers from the sky,          olive oil from the earth,          plenty of grain and new wine. Prayer: O'Lord, thank You for blessing us, in Jesus name, Amen.

Life is sweeter when you let Jesus into your life and live by the wisdom found in the Holy Bible. Pour a cup of coffee and talk to Jesus as you would a friend and let that relationship grow. Psalm 34:8 Common English Bible (CEB) 8  Taste and see how good the  Lord  is!      The one who takes refuge in him is truly happy! Prayer: O'Lord, thank you for being a friend, Savior, and looking after us in the journey of life, in Jesus name, Amen.

We have talked about thoughts then words and now our actions. What is in your heart comes out many a time as actions. May the Holy Spirit guide our actions so we may be a blessing to those around us. Acts 10:4 Common English Bible (CEB) 4  Startled, he stared at the angel and replied, “What is it, Lord?” The angel said, “Your prayers and your compassionate acts are like a memorial offering to God. Prayer: O'Lord, help us to act with compassion and wisdom to bless all those around us and give You the glory, in Jesus name we pray, Amen.

I have always said words have power and we can use them for either good or bad. Yesterday we talked about our thoughts and today the words that come out of our mouth. Let our words be wholesome and that starts from our thoughts. James 3:9-10 Common English Bible (CEB) 9  With it we both bless the Lord and Father and curse human beings made in God’s likeness.   10  Blessing and cursing come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, it just shouldn’t be this way! Prayer: O'Lord, help me have a clean mouth free of vulgarness, in Jesus name, Amen.

Sometimes our thoughts can run away from us and bring us into dark places or fear overcomes us. This is when it is important to call out to Jesus and put our thoughts under the control of Jesus. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 Common English Bible (CEB) 4  Our weapons that we fight with aren’t human, but instead they are powered by God for the destruction of fortresses. They destroy arguments,   5  and every defense that is raised up to oppose the knowledge of God. They capture every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Prayer: O'Lord, help us to make our thoughts obedient to Yours, Amen.

Everyone loves a happy ending to a book they have read or movie they have watched. Those people who have believed in Jesus Christ as Savior who has redeemed them from their sins will have the greatest happy ending in Heaven. Isaiah 12:2 New King James Version (NKJV) 2  Behold, God  is  my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For  Yah , the  Lord ,  is  my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.' Prayer: O'Lord, thank you for our future happy ending in Heaven, in Jesus name we pray, Amen.

On cruises, I have seen people get off at every port and end up being run ragged. How can that be relaxing? Sometimes it is best to stay on the boat and relax. You do not have to be busy every minute doing ministry work. Sometimes it is healthy not to get off at every port of ministry. You will be spiritually healthier when you give yourself to rest. Psalm 46:10 New King James Version (NKJV) 10  Be still, and know that I  am  God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Prayer: O'Lord, may we rest in Your presence today, in Jesus name we pray, Amen.

There are different types of love. Friendship love that shares time with each other and romantic love that involves getting to be vulnerable with one another. Then there is the love of the Holy Trinity that we receive unconditionally and is the purest former of love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 New King James Version (NKJV) 4  Love suffers long  and  is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;  5  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  6  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  7  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Prayer: O'Lord, help us to learn to love unselfishly like You, in Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Having visited both the Eastern and Western Caribbean there is a thing called island time. Which means the culture is very relaxed about the time restraints. I will meet you sometime around seven tonight for dinner, no problem, no worries man! Now God has a set time when He will judge all humankind and there will be no island time so we must be ready first by receiving Jesus Christ as our Savior and then living a holy life. Revelation 22:7; 12  Common English Bible (CEB) 7  “Look! I’m coming soon. Favored is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy contained in this scroll.” 12  “Look! I’m coming soon. My reward is with me, to repay all people as their actions deserve. Prayer: O'Lord, may our time on earth prepare us for the time of judgment, in Jesus name we pray, Amen.

From the balcony of my room on the ship, I am overwhelmed by the massive sea. The beauty of the blue water lets me know that God loves to create pretty things. May we strive to deepen our faith in Jesus as deep as the sea. Genesis 1:9-10 Common English Bible (CEB) 9  God said, “Let the waters under the sky come together into one place so that the dry land can appear.” And that’s what happened.   10  God named the dry land Earth, and he named the gathered waters Seas. God saw how good it was. Prayer: O' Lord, help us deepen our faith in You, in Jesus name we pray, Amen. 

To keep a building standing in a storm one must have taken the time to set a firm foundation.  Secondly, one must use proper knowledge to set the footings in just the right places to maximize the strength of the building. Third, you must use the right materials of high quality. When a person needs to be an anchor in a storm they must set a firm foundation in Jesus Christ. Secondly, setting spiritual footings is studying the Holy Bible every day. Thirdly, using the highest quality of spiritual materials of prayer and taking the Holy Communion. It takes work but then you will stand when the storms of life Hit! Matthew 7:24-28 New King James Version (NKJV) 24  “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:   25  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26  “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and

I recently went on a cruise. To get to the ship we had to take an airplane, train, and bus. It was amazing and tiring all at the same time, yet to travel over a thousand miles under five hours to reach the boat to float is truly time travel. Before we know it our time of traveling will be over on planet earth. Are you headed in the right direction to make it back to Heaven? Luke 10:20 Common English Bible (CEB) 20    Nevertheless, don’t rejoice because the spirits submit to you. Rejoice instead that your names are written in heaven.” Prayer: O'Lord Father, help us head in the right direction to You, in Jesus name, Amen.

There are times in life you have to throw caution to the wind. If you do not you may never reach heights you were meant to reach. Go for it even when you are afraid. Go for it even if you do not see the end game. Go for it even if you do not have all the skills. Go for it because while you are talking about it somebody else is doing it! Isaiah 41:10 New King James Version (NKJV) 10  Fear not, for I  am  with you; Be not dismayed, for I  am  your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Prayer: O'Lord, may I have the courage to overcome my fears, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

In the Holy Bible renaming people was common like Abram being renamed, Abraham or Simon after meeting Jesus becomes Peter. This is because a name is important because it shows your identity. If today you were to be renamed what name would reflect your identity? John 1:41-42 Common English Bible (CEB) 41  He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, Christ  ).   42  He led him to Jesus.  Jesus looked at him and said,  “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas”  (which is translated, Peter ). Prayer: O'Lord, may our identity always be in You, in Jesus name, Amen.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me, By His own hand He leadeth me; His faithful foll’wer I would be, For by His hand He leadeth me. And so the hymn goes and it is a reminder of the tender care Jesus has for all His children. He truly cares for you and His heart is saddened when a person on earth wants nothing to do with Him or chooses a false god to worship instead of the one true God, Jesus Christ. Isaiah 40:11 New Living Translation (NLT) 11  He will feed his flock like a shepherd.      He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart.      He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. Prayer: O'Lord, thank you for caring so deeply for me, in Jesus name we pray, Amen.

At one time or another, you have or will have a setback, a loss, be weakened, broken. Now this could be financial or your health, this could  be any number of things; but the one thing you can always count on is that Jesus will always be there ready to bring you back from whatever it is that broke you and sometimes He will even bring you back bigger, better, stronger, and give you the victory! 1 Peter 5:10 Common English Bible (CEB) 10  After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, the one who called you into his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will himself restore, empower, strengthen, and establish you. Prayer: O'Lord, may we live in victory over our setbacks through You, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

In life, you from time to time will run into a disagreement with someone or a group. The key is to be kind in listening to the other side and then they should allow you to explain your side of understanding. No disagreement is settled if all there is to it is put-downs and name calling, there is no win-win there at all. Sometimes both parties just simply need to agree to disagree and from there continue to show agape love to one another. Matthew 5:44 New King James Version (NKJV) 44  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, Prayer: O'Lord, help this world to disagree in loving ways, in Jesus name, Amen.

One of God's first tasks He asked Adam and Eve to do was to tend the garden. We as followers of God should continue to tend the garden and in today's mind that would mean to be a good steward of the earth and it's resources. Recycle, pick-up trash, not waste water, and burn what we can to keep it out of a landfill and these are just a few ideas. Clean water and the air is a gift from God as is fire to warm us. Let us tend the garden together. Genesis 2:15 Common English Bible (CEB) The  Lord  God took the human and settled him in the garden of Eden to farm it and to take care of it. Prayer: O'Lord, help us to be mindful to be a good steward of the earth's resources, in Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Do you spend time in prayer just listening for the voice of God? When in a conversation one speaks and the other person listens and then they trade roles where the other now speaks and you listen then the two of you can encounter an intimacy with each other and grow to a deeper understanding. This is what God desires of you, to encounter you at a deeper level where you can actually know the Lord your God. 1 Samuel 3:10 New King James Version (NKJV) 10  Now the  Lord  came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.” Prayer: O'Lord, I am listening, in Jesus Christ's name, Amen.

In the life of Jesus many a time He asked the disciples and others to invest themselves in Kingdom work. Jesus is asking us today to invest our time, talents, skills, money, and love into the lives of others and His church. Jesus can do miraculous things at times when we allow Him to use us. Step out in faith! Mark 6:35-38 New Living Translation (NLT) 35  Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late.   36  Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.” 37  But Jesus said,  “You feed them.” “With what?” they asked. “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!” 38  “How much bread do you have?”  he asked.  “Go and find out.” They came back and reported, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.” Prayer: O'Father in Heaven, please use us in Your Kingdom here on earth and wherever You send us or find us, in the n

Celebrations are important for it marks time moments on earth. It also gives us time to dance, sing, and remember we are still alive. This sin fallen world has its dark times but if we pay attention to the rose petals and not the thorns on the stem all the time then we can live a more abundant life. John 10:10 New King James Version (NKJV) 10  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have  it  more abundantly. Prayer: O'Lord Father, help us to live abundantly in You, in Jesus name, Amen.

I had an important meeting to attend and in the mid-morning so I brushed my teeth, shaved, showered, dried off, styled my hair, put on aftershave, and started to dress in suit and tie. Now as I polished my shoes and started to put them on it dawned on me how much preparation it took to get ready and look your best. Do we put as much work in on preparing our souls for each day to go out and represent Jesus as His ambassador? (daily prayer, Bible study, reflection) Job 11:13-14 New Living Translation (NLT) 13  “If only you would prepare your heart      and lift up your hands to him in prayer! 14  Get rid of your sins,      and leave all iniquity behind you. Prayer: O'Lord my God, please help me to prepare every day to be Your ambassador, in Jesus name, Amen.

When you serve others do so expecting nothing, in this way you are not disappointed. Serve others out of love for Jesus Christ, not expecting any blessing but to bless others. Also when you serve others do not afterward go about telling others what you did for this can become bragging. Let your service be a quiet witness of your testimony of faith in Jesus the Christ. Matthew 6:2-4 New Living Translation (NLT) 2  When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3  But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.   4  Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Prayer: O'Lord, let not my good works become prideful acts but a blessing from You to others, in Jesus name we pray, Amen .

The verse below is interesting and goes along with the fact that our spirits were created before they came to earth assigned to a specific body. Why we were assigned to a certain time in history, area on earth to live, and even our families we came into is unknowable until we someday cross over back into the glory of God. Jeremiah 1:5 New Living Translation (NLT) 5  “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.      Before you were born I set you apart      and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Prayer: O'Father in Heaven, may we try our best to live out the life You desire for us, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

When life seems overwhelming lean on the hope of Christ. Fill yourself with hope through prayer and reading the Holy Bible. Fill yourself with hope by praying with a friend and giving each other encouraging words. Hope helps you hang on until better times come into your life.  Romans 15:13 New Living Translation (NLT) 13  I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Prayer: O'Lord, continue to fill us with Your hope for the days ahead, in Jesus name, Amen.

Simple can be powerful... like a hug to comfort and reassure someone. Offering a bottle of water to a thirsty mail carrier in the hot summer can be powerful. Showing kindness in a variety of ways can be powerful. When you have free agency to choose to be kind or not is a power in and of itself and when you choose kindness you are unleashing a power that ripples through the universe! Colossians 3:12 New Living Translation (NLT) 12  Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Prayer: O'Lord, may we do simple acts of blessing and do so in the power of love, in Jesus name we pray, Amen.