DAY 100 - Let The Countdown Begin... Amen!

DAY 99: STOP! Breathe in for 8 counts, hold for 4 counts, breathe out for 8 counts. Repeat until calm(er).  Stop being the pinball, and get in the game...

          Making any change in life requires stopping one action or thought and starting another. Oh, how I loved to play pinball as a teenager. It was so exciting. It required focus and skill. Getting a high score and putting YOUR initials on that machine… meant something. It showed others that you had practiced and had risen up the ranks until achieving a level that others would need to exceed to place their name above yours. 

          So many quarters and so much time would need to be invested in order to achieve this honor! All of a sudden, you were available for just about any chore where cash was involved. You were cutting grass, delivering newspapers, babysitting… oh, the sacrifice! But, it would be worth it, just to see your name up there. Yet, it would only be a matter of time until someone would come along, beat that score, and your name would move down the list… until it disappeared.

          Thank God the Book of Life is not like that. There is no ranking system. For now, let’s just say, there are only two possible outcomes. Name in Book or name not in Book. In reading ‘No, Not One!’, you will see that I believe that God wishes none should perish; I believe initially God wrote everyone’s name in the Book of Life, like a dinner reservation at the finest Restaurant imaginable. If you accept this invitation to become the bride of Christ, you are the guest of honor at your wedding in Heaven. 

          When people meet, the amount of time spent together shows how much value is being given to the relationship. Time is something that no amount of money can purchase. This is also true of your relationship with Jesus.  God gave the Ten Commandments to be followed to honor Him; and because we needed rules to stop our own chaos. He provided one book, the Bible, so we could get to know Him on a personal level. It is His diary; the legacy He left for His sons and daughters to read and follow. It is His roadmap to Heaven. No matter how many times you read it, you will learn something new. You will not live long enough to stop learning from God’s Word. 

          All that learning can benefit you greatly, right here and now. From the second you read it, it starts taking effect. You are the only one who can stop it. You have to question it with unbelief, see it as negative instead of positive, and choose not to accept your invitation, thereby blotting out your own name from the Book of Life.

          Your relationship with Jesus Christ is personal. It is the most intimate relationship you will ever have. It is so much deeper than the world's views of lust; The desires of the flesh and the pride of life are the downfall of all. It's seeing the other person from the inside out, seeing their heart. That allows you to love them unconditionally. You look at them and you love them, fat or skinny, wrinkled, broken, or broke.  What matters most is that you are one, going through all of life's highs and lows together, standing up for each other just the three of you.

          You love them because you are drawn to their light… You see their Christlike qualities, which keep you attracted to them like a magnet no one or nothing could pull apart… You move together in the same direction as one, bound together with Jesus. You can honestly say that I only have eyes for you, because you are married together, forever, the three of you, man, woman, and God. Of course, achieving and maintaining this depth in a relationship requires a lot of time and effort from all parties involved. 

          I’m sorry, but I believe that if you claim something is your everything, it must also be worth anything; you must prove every day who or what you follow by how you spend your time, talent, and tithe, by who or what you support.

          Good looks or a lot of money can attract worldly people with worldly desires for your life. That’s not always a positive. Physical beauty can fade as you age, but spiritual beauty can increase daily. Money can be lost, but accumulated treasures in Heaven last forever. All earthly pleasures lose their ability to truly satisfy over time. But when your joy is found in Jesus, there is no limit to the amount you can receive, and that joy can last for eternity! 

          This is about you, not your husband or wife, mother or father, or children. You stand before the good Lord, just you and God, to be judged for all of the immoral acts you committed against God… (AND AGAINST HIS CHILDREN, yes, be careful what you do to others; especially if you do not know who their daddy is). That is why you need Jesus to stand with you when you meet God. Only His blood given on the cross can make you worthy to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 

          If you have been abused, don’t worry, God saw everything. (If you were the abuser, you need to first say you are sorry and then apologize, giving recognition for what was said or done and committing to not allowing it to happen again.)

          Jesus can only stand with you if you have chosen to have a personal relationship with Him. He gave FREEly, and you accepted FREEly… or you accepted the offer from the other side.  Again, only two choices.

          A better life is possible starting today if you believe that it's possible. Only you and Jesus know what areas in your life you need to focus on. If you ask someone else what you need to work on, I guarantee you will be surprised at their answers. We often don’t project the same image that others see. (This is important when we are representing God.) Ask Jesus to direct positive changes in your life. 

          Stop speaking negative comments about yourself and others… remember, God ‘spoke’ all things into existence. Just something to think about. Negativity spewing out of your mouth is like bad breath.  Sometimes others can smell your bad breath, and you can’t. Garbage in; Garbage out. If anger and negativity constantly come out of your mouth (or fill your mind), you are surrounding yourself with something that repels the positive. Of course, other negative people won’t mind being around that; misery loves company. Narcissists will be attracted to you.  The lower you feel, the better they feel about themselves and their circumstances (as compared to you). 

          When you speak negatively, you are not breathing in life yourself or breathing out life to others. You are surrounding yourself with a toxic aroma that attracts those who feed on others' weaknesses. Start looking for and speaking the positive in your life, whether you feel it or not, feelings can change rapidly. Keep it up, and it could change your whole perspective on life for the better!

          Remember that your value is measured by the people you are surrounded by. As you grow closer to Jesus, you will repel others, this will be painful when it is people that you love. But, you must put the lifejacket on yourself, stabilize yourself, then reach for others; And, if you try to grab them, while they are still fighting back (against God), they will pull you under too! Get yourself right with God and pray for them while you are doing it.

          Don’t know how to pray? Breathe in 8 counts, hold for 4 counts, breathe out for 8 counts. Continue until calm(er). Some people don’t pray because they aren’t sure they are supposed to, or they aren’t sure how, or maybe they really don’t believe that God cares enough about them to handle any problem that comes along, but He does.

          God is: Omnipotent, all-powerful; Omniscient, all-knowing; and Omnipresent—everywhere, in every place and time, at once. (How could that be? try to imagine God as being air, or light, or sound, or frequency all of which surround all of us.) He knows you better than you could ever know yourself, and yet, He loves you anyway, with all your faults and failures; but, He loves you too much to leave you that way. His desire is for you to become more Christlike.

          It is impossible to please God without prayer (seeking His Will for your life). Prayer is not something to avoid because you don’t know how to pray. I have heard that ‘Anxiety hates Psalm 23”; you could always start there.  The most important thing to remember about prayer is that you don’t have to be afraid to tell Him anything… GOD ALREADY KNOWS. He knows the beginning from the end. There is absolutely nothing that you could possibly say that He hasn’t heard before, so don’t think you are going to shock or surprise Him.  You pray to show God that you recognize your weakness, and care enough to improve.  

          You don’t pray to Jesus to give your Christmas wish list. You pray every day about everything and everyone. It becomes a way of life. You pray when coming in and going out. You get used to Him fighting battles for you that you can't, and you trust Him to guide and protect you. You give thanks and show gratitude by reaching out to others, so they can meet the God who saved you and be saved too.

          This is a daily process. That’s why God’s mercies are provided to us anew every morning, just as manna was provided during the Wilderness Journey. This is intentional as it causes you to rely on God to sustain you each and every day. Humans need to be reminded daily of their need for Jesus and redemption. We are to fight the good fight til the very end or the distractions and diversions of life will creep back in and cause you to stray unintentionally.

                     Remember: Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little One To Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong... Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me.  Yes, Jesus loves me - The Bible tells me so… Amen! 

          If at any point today you can’t get that tune out of your head, and you remember to think… ‘Yes. Jesus loves ME’… put a gold star next to your name, Day 99 – Mission Completed. Well Done! 

          Don’t forget to read your Bible, pray, and spend time with Jesus every day in some way.  This will keep you grounded and well nourished for the long journey ahead. Stay positive and breathe life, because Jesus loves you!

DAY 97: Tug of War – A Good-Old-Fashioned, end of the school year, Track & Field Day event… back when we were taught to enjoy the struggle.

          Although you may not have realized it, every day you either move closer to or further away from Jesus. There is a constant tug of war going on inside of you to do things to satisfy humanity’s never-ending list of desires. The battle either continues where you left off the day before, or a new one is about to begin. That’s why you need to pray, give thanks, and receive new mercies every morning from God. Let the devil know first thing who will be fighting your battles for you today. Let God do the heavy lifting of leading while you follow.

          From the moment we wake up, phones, TVs, radios, society is there to remind you of the things that you need to make your life better, easier… more complete. Of course, there are necessities in life, but the definition of these necessities is often based on the individual person. Some live with more, some with less. Most people assume that if they only had $________ extra dollars a month, that would change their life. Maybe. But everything comes with a price. 

          Are you sacrificing time with your family to get a newer model… ‘something’? Be careful, there is a very fine line here. Sometimes it can be easy to confuse what your family needs with what other families have. There will always be someone who has more than you. As soon as you get that increase, often the way you live changes, and then you’ll still need another increase to be able to save anything again. The most important thing you can do is try to accept where you are at now and decide where you want to be.      Ask God for a plan to get from one point to the other. Trust Him. He may provide it, or, like He recently did for me, He may provide a completely different path that could be better than your wildest expectations.

          Also, desires change over time. As children, toys, dolls, and games are all meaningful; teenagers move into technology with phones, computers, and cars; adults want homes, jewelry, and exotic vacations; everything just keeps getting more and more expensive. Such is life. We have been programmed as children to want what others have. Parents spend the majority of their lives working to provide for themselves and their families, only to move last year's model out before this year’s model arrives. 

          Sadly, some people do this as well, changing people out like accessories to their latest wardrobe. They travel from person to person without hope or commitment to any proper form of future. When society accepts this behavior, it weakens respect for God’s biblical view of sex, which is only permissible in marriage. 

          Change must start with a compromise in one direction or the other away from your current state. Usually, it is one small step out of character that slowly changes your identity. Where the mind goes, the body often soon follows. If you want your changes to be positive, they need to make you more like Christ. If the changes are negative, they will bring you closer to the devil, whether you realize it or not, whether you want it to or not. Every action brings about a reaction.

          I believe change needs to start and stop at home. That is your place of safety, where you receive your foundation, and it needs to be a refuge where you can return to for love and peace. You need to rebuke the devil out of your home daily. 

          When you leave your home, you can be subjected to a variety of different experiences and people that either take something from you or bring something to you. When you are subject to people who are overly demanding or demeaning, that negativity can ‘stick to you’, altering your identity, allowing you to ‘bring your work home with you’. You don’t realize it, but then, the whole family and everyone else around you suffer the abuse you did. The more people living in the home, the more negativity can be brought home. So every time you put the key in the door, start rebuking that devil and his demonic spirits before you even enter. Rebuke them from your spouse and children, too.

          Of course, you can’t always control who enters the home. When you have to deal with negative people inside your home, every time a negative comment comes out, just keep thinking Jesus, ‘it’s for you!’. Pray. Give them over to the Lord, and let Him deal with them. In His own time, He will. The stronger-willed the individual, the more they have to be broken before they can be remade. This is unfortunate and can be hard to watch happen.

          Remember, if you are constantly surrounded by negativity, it may be rubbing off on and affecting you. Look in the mirror often to make sure you recognize the person looking back at you. The image you see should resemble Jesus more than Satan.

          Try putting a sheet of paper on the fridge divided down the middle. On the left side, write down the things you do or say that are obviously pleasing to the Lord. On the right side, write down the things you know that you say or do that you are not proud of, the things that are a sin to God’s commandments. Do this from Monday to Friday. On a separate sheet of paper, do this for Saturday. Again, a third piece of paper for Sunday, God’s holy day of rest. 

          You may be shocked to see which side has more comments. This can be very humbling! If each comment were a step, did you move closer to or farther away from Jesus that week? Did you do better or worse on the weekend days? Just something to think about… (I’m still crying over my answers.)

          In the end, it could all come down to who you are looking like or acting like… make sure to stack your deck with prayer, praise, worship, gratitude, and service; this is no time to leave the results up to chance!

          If you looked in the mirror today, I pray God fills you with the desire to prioritize the improvements you need to, and the strength to endure the painful changes.

To God be the Glory... Come Alive in 2025 – You Were Made For More! Give Jesus 100 days to see what He can do in your life.  REVIVAL is in the air. Breathe life.

Jesus the Good Shepherd (NLT) John 10:10 states, “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

LISTEN CLOSELY… He's calling...

DAY 95: Listening to God… (where I left off 3 days ago…)

          Sometimes when you’re in a season of growth, you need to distance yourselves from others… and clear off your own door-step. God has you so focused on removing or changing areas in your life that you seem to move in silence. Trust He has His reasons for you NOT to broadcast your plans for all to hear before you take your first step. Silence is powerful! 

          The definition of silence can be the absence of speech (muteness), funny how the absence of speech can speak volumes to a person being ignored; the absence of sound (stillness) which can be deafening and debilitating when you live without socialization and human interaction for too long; or the absence of mention (secrecy).  Often, this is necessary when other people are involved, especially in cases of domestic violence or abuse. Silence can demonstrate your level of self-control. It can be used to measure your faith and humility.

          Secrecy can be necessary when God is elevating you to a new level. You see God moving in your life, and you start getting excited. You assume that the people around you, the people closest to you, will be happy for you too, but that’s not always the case. When God continuously answers your prayers, others can resent what God is doing in your life. You can make enemies because of jealousies that are beyond your control (or concern.) Remember, God leads, you follow.

          Sometimes you can go out of your way to serve others, and yet the more you do, the more you are secretly hated. And, you have no idea why. You can spend countless hours trying to figure it (or them) out to no avail. It really bothers you that you don’t even know what you did.  This starts to keep you up at night, wondering.  Why can’t you see it. You try to reach out on a more personal level, but it’s like they want to keep you at a distance. Why?...

          Their problem may be directed at you, but it may not have anything to do with you; their problem could be with God, not you. Their problem could stem from the fact that you were fine as long as you were living in darkness with them. They liked you, right where they found you. But, when you start getting serious about your faith and try to clean up your act by following Jesus, that light started shining through. 

          They start jokingly referring to you as the holy roller, insinuating that all of the sudden you think that you are better than them. This can be disheartening to you, but I can assure you that this insecurity lies within them. 

          Anyone who tries to keep you from God cannot possibly have your best interest at heart. You need to rebuke that in the name of Jesus and pray for God to restore their soul. Yes, you need to forgive them, because forgiveness is required by God, it sets you free.      That doesn’t mean that you have to reconcile, allowing the relationship to continue. Sometimes that can be painful but necessary to continue your walk with Jesus. Not everyone chooses to follow. You cannot allow someone to hold you back from what God has for you, or you are making them your God.

          That person could be threatened by your level of passion, or their lack of effort. The more threatened they are, the more they will verbally attack you. Be careful! Once someone has crossed the line and put their hands on you once, it could happen again, over and over, until they get help and can accept responsibility for their actions. They need to be the one who desires to seek help, you can want it for them more than anything in the world, but, inevitably, it is their choice, not yours.

          Either way, you are not responsible for their inability to control their emotions. But you are responsible for controlling yours!

          Compassion is a Fruit of the Spirit. It’s seeing someone in distress and wanting to help them. Compassion separates good from evil. This is where the desire to change others can stem from; it’s when you want a better life for another, a life that they may not want for themselves. If God allows us to choose how to live our lives, it makes sense that we have to allow others the same opportunity (while praying for them night and day.) Trust they see your example. Let them know you are praying for them. Prayer is the lotion that puts things in motion!

          Today, pick a Fruit of The Spirit and consume to your hearts delight… they are all available free of charge to those who diligently seek Him.  You have 9 to choose from… each set you free of bondage. Write these on a sticky note and attach to the fridge, the bathroom mirror, and you’ll commit them to memory before you know it. 

Life by the Spirit – (Galations 5)

          13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

          16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

          19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

          22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.           25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

DAY 93: Oh, the Pain of it All!... (God = Enough)

          Tragedy is like a hot coal. It burns like Hell as long as you are holding onto it. Yes, it hurts. I’m sorry; I’ve been hurt too. No, it probably wasn’t fair. It hardly ever it. Such is life! Often tragedy strikes when we least expect it and in ways that we have no control over. Some tragedy is self-inflicted due to sin and addictions. 

          Most people are interested in hearing your story, especially when it includes all your tragedies that they can relate to. This is what gets the News agencies ratings. The bigger the tragedy, the more people tune in. (Why can’t it be that way for REVIVAL?) Have you ever met someone you haven’t seen in a while and you ponder; I wonder what happened to them? Some age better than others.

          The real question isn’t what happened… it’s how long are you going to allow that moment in time to STOP YOU from moving forward? How much time will you spend crying over spilled milk? When will you have suffered enough? Just how long that specific memory takes to leave your heart and mind is up to you. It is hard to let go. Yes. I am a dweller by nature. But you will heal in the loving arms of Jesus, just settle in for a spell, and take rest. Then, when it’s time to get up, rip that Band-Aid off quickly. Don’t worry, Jesus has you. Start again fresh, without all that unnecessary baggage. 

          Matthew 5:4 states, Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

          When you say ENOUGH, then let it go (and let God), then YOU FREE YOURSELF. It often helps to have something to replace the empty space with, so fill it with prayer and thankfulness that you don’t have to live with it anymore. Give it to Jesus. Let Him do the heavy lifting. You will still have pain, but you will be able to move forward. Eventually, you may even forgive and forget. Unfortunately, I do believe that you cannot have one without the other.

          Use this example. Think about your first crush, probably way back in grade school. Oh, that person was just the cat’s meow. The sun rose when they entered the room and set when they left. All the time you spent dreaming about the wonderful life you would have together… What was their name? Then your first car, that old junker that you fixed up and loved. You were gonna have that car forever… Best friends came and went; some you may have made lifelong pacts with. What ever happened to them?... 

          Major life changes seem to rock our world, leaving things in shambles. Often, they are just growing pains. They are a part of life lessons that we experience along the way. They often open new paths for you to embark on. Each path leads to a different outcome in life. 

          New people, new jobs, new areas. Each time you seem to ‘reinvent yourself’. Each adventure gives you something and requires something in return. 

          If someone hurt you and left, and you feel like you need closure to set you free, pray. Tell God everything you wanted to tell that person (He already knows, this is to benefit you, not Him). Get it out! Release it and release yourself from the drama that came with it! Dust off your shoes and don’t look back. 

          Now think about the music your children are listening to. Think if the music causes confusion, anxiety, isolation, anger or jealousy. Negativity breeds negativity.

            It all comes down to what you allow to be put into your body. You may watch what you eat and drink. You could get plenty of sleep and exercise regularly. You could be in great health and be physically fit. But, when you listen to negative conversations, gossip, vulgar or perverse sexual content, it manifests in you like acne, spreading across your face, altering the way you look to others. The purer the person, the easier it is to notice the change.

          Be careful, the longer you hold on to that hot coal, the deeper the scar it may leave! Have faith, you will get through this. God will comfort you.

          Pick one small area and give it to God. See what He can do for you. Obey. Be blessed and praise Him. Move on to another area. You will see.  Pray to God for Him to help guide you. (Continue to pray and have faith.) Mission Accomplished: Put a gold star on today’s date.

          Change is hard work. Please know that God sees the amount of effort you are putting in, some things take a little longer to let go of than others, so best to start today.  Be proud of the effort you are putting in, God is!

Day 91:  From No, Lord, please, not that, not NINEVAH!... to… Deliverance?

          I can’t believe that I am about to say this… I have seen this coming since I prepared a letter to the CEO of Target back in March-April (that I never sent)… oh, woe is me!! I have played the part of Jonah, and now I must face my God and my Ninevah… and send that letter after all… this is gonna hurt.

Jonah’s Disobedience (Jonah 1) 

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

The Storm at Sea

4 But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.

5 Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.

6 So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”

7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?”

9 So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

Jonah Thrown into the Sea

10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. 11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous.

12 And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”

13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows.

Jonah’s Prayer and Deliverance

17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (The story continues, many people have never read the end of the story.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jonah%201&version=NKJV

          This is what I get for scrolling through random feeds on my phone this morning… and an article comes up from, ‘The Street’ headlining ‘Target faces another massive boycott from customers’. I open the article and start reading… I was fine until I read…

          In a recent video posted on Instagram, The People’s Union USA founder John Schwarz said that despite already being boycotted for recent DEI cuts, Target has “had their chance,” and “they're not doing anything” to respond to consumers' recent frustrations.

          “So, what we are doing between June 3 and June 9, that week, we will be calling for the permanent boycott of Target,” said Schwarz. “Shop anywhere else but Target, and I literally mean that if you've got to shop at Walmart or Amazon, places we boycott, instead of Target, do it. Target needs to be shut down, this corporation needs to feel the full power of the people.

          “Oh NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO…. I tried to pray it away” (an excerpt from my book), but I could not. Am I wrong in stating that these words show nothing but hate and a desire to destroy all, at any cost? Is this not evil? Now, I could be wrong, but if I said, How dare anyone say that a corporation needs to be shut down and feel the power of the people? Who the… hold that thought… I’m pretty sure my choices would be the nice little white jacket or the matching shiny bracelets… I’m pretty sure either way I’d be praying for a nail file in a cake.

          Now let’s look at this from God’s point of view, solely based on the nature of God, proven by the story of Jonah. From the surface level, this story might seem to be about ‘obey God or else’. Not even close; The story is only halfway over when the fish spits Jonah out on the dry land. 

          I’ll try to explain how I saw this unfolding this morning in the blink of an eye… in this story of Jonah, the Assyrians were cruel, yes, and Jonah wanted them to be punished, who wouldn’t?  Normal human worldly response.

          BUT GOD… God is not cruel. ONLY GOD knows the intentions of each man’s heart. Things can only happen in God’s timing, not mans. Man has no right to act as God; There are serious consequences for that! Man cannot speak for God, contrary to the nature of God. There is more to the book of Jonah. Instead of punishing man and destroying him, God desires to love man, asking him to repent, showing him a better way, offering man eternal life.

          This is the last two verses of the book of Jonah 4:10-11, 10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

          Jonah wasn’t looking at the big picture. He was so bent on revenge that he neglected to think about the ‘innocent people’ that would be affected. That plant sprang up overnight and was gone the next day. Some of these people had lived their whole lives in that city. God also took the time to mention the animals, showing that their lives mattered to him as well, God values all life.

          The same article then states, “We’re building a people-powered force that’s not just pushing back, but preparing to take power back from the corporations, the billionaire class, and the political parasites that have been feeding off our work, our wages, and our rights for far too long,” said The People’s Union USA on its website.

          Please help educate me… I am curious to know how many of Target’s 400,000 team members, employed by their 1981 stores, are part of this people powered force?

I understand that corporations can make billions of dollars, but Target’s website states that they have been giving back 5% to communities since 1946. Is that much less than other corporations give? 

          Honestly, I am interested in these answers because I think there could be people working there who really need that job and are happy that Target gave them a chance when no one else would. There are also people there who have spent much of their working life building a career and would hate to see someone take that away from them after all their hard work. Could people lose their homes, cars, livelihoods and possibly their marriages? That would be tragic! 

          Would the destruction of Target not destroy the lives of the 400,000 employees employed there? - plus countless others that provide services to Target. Is this not destroying the lives of the people you are claiming to protect?

          Come Alive 2025 – You Were Made For More is all about Revival… improving your life physically, mentally, socially, and most of all spiritually.  It’s about coming together as a community to breathe life… both in and out. 

          Times are tough financially, and for a lot of people that’s not going to get better overnight. They may still have problems paying rent, providing food, and finding the strength to go on. Living in this world provides struggle after struggle contributing to anxiety, fear, and isolation. All humans use, abuse, and disappoint other humans.

As long as you are on this journey of life, anyway, why not consider taking the Journey with Jesus?...

          Walk with Jesus and see the irony of life. This world has broken so many people over and over. They lie as mere fragments on the ground. Beautiful creations of God, shattered by man (and woman). Hallelujah... and Amen! This is your ‘Lucky Day’! You are already broken. You are ready. Jesus can pick up those pieces and mold you into something beautiful again… 

          People need to know that they aren’t invisible, they have feelings and purpose. Everyone needs to know that they are loved. Jesus is love. Your identity is in Jesus Christ. God can fill the emptiness that all that pain and suffering caused with the Holy Spirit. All of humanities identity is in Christ it’s Creator.

          With God looking over you, Jesus walking with you, and the Holy Spirit living inside of you, all things are possible. Take the 100-day challenge and discover what a personal relationship with Jesus can do for you and breathe life into yourself and others. 

Jonah is a story of Redemption… Give Jesus 100-days and see what happens, because I know one thing for sure, you can’t out give God. So, get ready to be Blessed!

          Today, Pray for the employees of Target!... and then Walmart, Amazon, McDonalds, (and all the others), because I’m sure all these corporations have the same main goal of making as much money as possible. Yes, there are right and wrong ways to do that. I’m just saying to be careful of the message that you are putting out into the world. Make sure it aligns with the nature of God.

          If you work anywhere that you feel you are mistreated, please if they are not worthy of your working there, then absolutely get a job that supports your individual needs. But, many people have used these companies as steppingstones to greatness, because these companies provided them with their first job, and some people are still thankful for that opportunity. AI will replace the need for a lot of those jobs soon enough.

          Rip your gold star in half, put up two broken pieces separated from each other today and pray. With division rearing its ugly head again tomorrow, we all lose. THIS MISSION, of the Great Commission, cannot be accomplished unless we are also willing to take a stand for what we believe in.  

          My son asked for a toaster.  I'll head over to Target tomorrow morning and pick one up.  Target has taken a stand that alligns with the nature of God, therefore, I feel the need to stand with them.  Miss Bess will be putting her money where her mouth is...

          Everyone has the right to choice, to take a stand for what we believe in; Believe in Jesus, for 100-days, and see what happens… especially, if you’ve already given everything else a try. Jesus could be the answer you’ve been looking for. 

          You owe it to yourself (and your loved ones) to give it a try.  Come Alive 2025 - You Were Made For More.  Amen.