Tag Archives: bible

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: DEC. 16, 2025

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On Saturday mornings I meet with 4 men who are wanting to find freedom within the category of sexual purity. We are using a curriculum I’m sure I’ve mentioned previously. It is called Every Man a Pure Warrior. There are 3 lessons in it out of 17 addressing Spiritual Warfare. When we began the first of the three lessons, 2 of the men said they felt like they were battling demon possession. One of them is nearing 50 and the other is in his early 70’s. They wanted specific help with this. I asked our overseeing pastor of this ministry to be part of last Saturday’s session. In it we worked through the differences between: demon possession, demon oppression and demon obsession. It became very apparent the men were battling oppression.

As I was having my morning devotions today I read in my devotional a quote that I couldn’t let go. It says, “Every lock responds to a key that unlocks it.” and “Every trace of Light begins a grace.” These two quotes hit me forcefully. Then, as I was reading my Bible, (I’m in Hebrews 10), verse 20 say, “This is the fresh, new, life-giving way which Christ has opened up for us by tearing the curtain–his human body–to let us into the holy presence of God.” (TLB)

Tying this info above with the Armor of God, His Spirit was wanting me to see that God’s Armor for us provides the keys to unlock the locks trapping us in whatever bondage grips us. What one needs to do is take a look at this and see what steps I am to take to find the key to do the unlocking? An example: In 1 Corinthians 10:13 I’m told that God will provide a way of escape from a temptation. This is a truth with the first Armor of God. This is a key. When I use it a trace of Light begins to show God’s Grace just as the quote above states.

We work so hard to battle temptation with our own self-will (flesh, our human body). Christ has torn this curtain for us (our own flesh) and His Word provides all of the steps we need to take to find the full Light of redemption if we spend the time seeking this truth rather than battling in our flesh which only loses again. Spiritual warfare is fought in SPIRIT not our flesh. We need to find the spiritual keys–God’s Word.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: DEC. 4, 2025

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The last time I wrote an entry to my journey I talked about my timing vs God’s timing. Also, my way vs God’s way. This lesson taught me a great deal about things I needed to know in order to be a better warrior in God’s army.

I know that living for God fully committed to His Kingdom work is a daily assignment with self-discipline tied to it. It is also important to continue learning what it is to live by God’s Spirit rather than our flesh’s discipline. Since I wrote the last entry I’ve begun to place a post-it note in my journal that says surrender so that each day as I write I remember to surrender my will and my mind to God’s Holy Spirit so He will direct my path rather than me. Along with this, I put on the Helmet of Salvation (part of the Armor of God found in Ephesians 6:10-18). In doing this daily I have found myself far more conscious of God’s Spirit guiding/leading me in my day.

Tonight I am teaching the Celebrate Recovery lesson #6. It is entitled ACTION. The focus of the lesson is our need to take daily action on our keeping Jesus as our LORD during the day/each day. The 5th lesson was TURN. It’s focus was to turn our lives over to God by accepting Christ into our lives. Now, tonight, the focus is daily living with Jesus Christ as our Lord as well as our Savior. For Jesus to be Lord, it takes the daily commitment/surrender. I am instantly reminded in our Serenity Prayer where it tells us to “,,,live one day at a time”. Jesus can only be Lord of our lives if we consciously commit each day we enter to HIm. I am much more awake to this truth today than I’ve ever been before.

Thank You Jesus for relentless kindness in teaching us how to best live for you!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: NOV. 6, 2025

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It has been almost month since I’ve written a new entry inthis journey of mine. Today I needed to address what God has been doing to enlighten me in steps He’s wanting me to take. This all started when I began to work on lesson 4 of Celebrate Recovery (CR). I am teaching this lesson tonight and it is called: SANITY.

In Celebrate Recovery we have the 12 steps of AA. John Baker, author of Celebrate Recovery took these steps and added supportive scriptures to each step. Along with this he added the 8 Principles which are derived from the Beautitudes. Tonight’s lesson is prinicple 2 and step 2. Prinicple 2 says: Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me recover. I’ve taught this lesson about 6 times before tonight but the highlighted portions of this principle were screaming at me this time.

I lived 60+ years in denial (insanity) that I mattered to God. I was attempting to earn that “matter” trying to do “good works” for Him. In all of those years not once did anything I did measure up to what mattered. In those 3+ years of therapy coupled with CR, I began to hack away at the truth I hadn’t faced. This truth is that I already mattered to God. The abuse of man in my childhood didn’t impact for one moment how God felt towards me. He saw Jesus–His Son in me and He had given me His Holy Spirit which was waiting to be POWER to overcome all of my disbeliefs–character defects–hang-ups.

Tonight I hope to convey in this lesson that God wants to empower each one of us to not only know what this lesson teaches, but to believe it is real for them as I’ve learned for me. Stepping into believing is a monumental step for some of us and God’s Holy Spirit wants to be the power we use to complete this step!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: SEPT. 22, 2025

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It has been almost a month since I wrote an entry to my blog. But, today I have been compelled to add a new one. A week ago yesterday our quartet sang for an event in the neighboring town of Nampa, ID. A song we were singing is titled: He Didn’t Throw the Clay Away. The lyrics fit my story rather well and our lead wanted me to give a brief testimony of my story coinciding with the song’s message. When we were done singing a gentleman came up to me asking if he and his wife could interview me for the potcast they do? Well, later this morning the interview will be taking place. I know that podcasts are a present means of current day communication. I just haven’t done anything with this means since I left the educational consulting world. In those days I listened to podcasts of educational leaders for insights in my own consulting work.

I have dealt with a good deal of spiritual warfare in my lifetime. When I was faced with “coming clean” with the truth of my past I would be greatly attacked. This time has been no different, however, the attacks have been different. I no longer have the bondage from my past abuse. I’m free to tell it. However, the fact I still have tempations is what hits me squarely. Shouldn’t I be free of lustful passion? After all, I do counseling to help those who struggle with this. What is wrong with you, you two-faced man? These are just some of the attacks.

This morning as I journaled I was nudged by God’s Holy Spirit to reach out to my accountability partner and to my prayer warrior which I did. Then, as I finished my devotional time I was led to write this entry. Satan doesn’t let up no matter what amount of freedom we have found. He twists truths to seem weak which in our flesh they are. However, God’s truths are strong when we surrender our flesh so the Power of the Holy Spirit can be our strength. This is what I Corinthians 10:13 is all about. So, this morning I will go in freedom! Thank you Jesus!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: AUGUST 27, 2025

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It has been over a month since my last entry. I knew at the time I was to discontinue writing. Today I have a reason why. God had been telling me to learn of His Holy Spirit’s presence in me and His significance. He wanted to take the mystery of Spirit I had and turn it into a much fuller understanding.

About three weeks ago I had gone to see my prayer warrior Lois. At the end of our time she asked me how my worthiness was doing? It caught me off guard and I simply said it was fine until someone asked. This very item has always been a stumbling block for me. I just couldn’t quite jump the hurdle of worthiness to own it knowing the ugliness of all my early years of sexual, physical and verbal abuse. So, Lois said I was to take a post-it note when I got home, write I am worthy on it and place it in my journal so each morning as I started my day I would be reminded of this. As soon as I got home I did this, but I could not just have those three words on it. I needed to write I am worthy because of Jesus in me. That first morning as I journaled I asked Jesus what He wanted me to know from Him for this day as I’ve always done for many years now. His reply was that as long as I continued to question my worthiness I was equally questioning His ability to make me worthy. That made me awaken to something I never wanted to do. I sure didn’t want to question Christ’s ability!

Last weekend I went to a conference in Seattle where I met the author of Every Man a Pure Warrior. He is the one who introduced me to the importance of awakening my spirit through worship music as I did my morning devotions. His talk at the conference challenged me like never before to finally believe once and for all that Christ is completely capable of cleansing any sinfulness done to you or you yourself have done. When I began my journaling two days ago I had to take the original post-it note and throw it away. This time I did just as Lois told me to do–I wrote–I am worthy–on it.

Today God said to write a blog message of this. There is nothing, no nothing that Christ is unwilling to cleanse and make pure for His Gift–The Holy Spirit to now reside in and this includes you and me. I will forever continue to proclaim this truth!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: JUNE 27, 2025

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A young man in his late teens is coming for counsel. He started only a few weeks ago. He made a statement that keeps stirring in my mind. He said that his drive to quit using porn was because his parents had both told him it was wrong to do this. He then said that he wanted to find his own reason/s for quitting. He didn’t want to live his life with boundaries set by his parents. He wanted to have his own that he created for himself. He was struggling to find any good reason to quit other than what his parents told him. When I asked what he knew that God’s Word with this topic, he quoted scripture about lust and sexual purity. I asked if these had any influence on his thinking? Is it possible he is simply trying to justify his own flesh desires? He said he was going to think about all of this.

It was good to hear the voice of a developing mind. One that is growing now into its own. In hearing him, I was reminded so well of those years for myself. This topic for me was so influenced by homosexual use of me that I mostly thought of sex as abuse and what was I suppose to do with it from a “Godly standpoint”? Those years are all behind me now, but this young man is just entering into this time in his life. Learning to listen and respond to that voice of intuition–God’s Holy Spirit was going to be a new discipline to learn and respect. In so doing, this will replace the voice of mom and dad’s voiced boundaries. He can trust this Voice of God within him.

Hearing God’s Voice and knowing it from any other voice is truly a blessing God gives to each one of us.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: MAY 23, 2025

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This morning I had another awakening. Several months ago now my journey took on the task of finding out who this Holy Spirit is and how He works with me. I’ve known about the Holy Spirit in our lives and the Gift He is when we accept Christ into our lives, but just Who is He?

I began reading again The Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee and this was enlightening/helping. The curriculum I’ve been using brought out the significance of our spirit and our need to commit our spirit to The Holy Spirit’s leadership so our walk/talk/self-control is fully led by The Holy Spirit within us. All of this makes perfect sense, but doing it–well, that’s another story.

As I wrote yesterday’s journal entry which I mentioned here yesterday, I wrote that I should obey The Holy Spirit’s leading in my life. Then I was nudged to change should to will. Today as I journaled I was able to separate Christ’s role for me from The Holy Spirit’s role in me. When Christ was here on earth He had The Holy Spirit in him just as we do. He learned to obey Him and Trust Him. The role Christ played for us was His continuous obedience to God’s Holy Spirit leading His actions or his not acting. The Holy Spirit was in Him and He showed us how to use this Gift–for obedience to His nudges/voice. As I write this I realize how long I’ve known this, but haven’t made it a solid practice. I’ve wanted to sort out the nudges I obey from those I fear to obey thinking they can be set aside. Someone else would do them who wouldn’t be afraid to do so.

This morning it became clear I am to do just as Christ did–obey The Holy Spirit fully. That is spiritual freedom. Good grief! Sometimes I think I am such a slow learner! But, on the other hand, I’m glad I’m still learning. God is so patient and faithful!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: MAY 13, 2025

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There is a man who has been coming for counseling now for several months. His wife of almost 20 years is an abuse victim and he is seeking help for himself in knowing how to deal with its impact on their marriage. In a session a couple weeks ago he named a book she had read about hope. I ordered it and have almost finished it. It is written by a counseling psychologist PhD whose speciality is abuse victims. As I’ve read this book I found myself reliving my own counseling days. The author is superb, and the memories I have are vivid.

As I’ve processed while reading this book, Jesus has pointed out a very real point that I’ve not considered before. First, God’s healing from any issue we might have is always considered a miracle. I prayed for that miracle in my life all of my life. What I hadn’t considered was whose miracle did I want–God’s or mine? It wasn’t until I realized how much greater God’s miracle was than mine that I accepted His with open arms. The thing God has opened my eyes to in the past few days is that His Miracles always have eternal value while we are here on earth.

I wanted my past obliterated from my mind so I could finally live life in peace–that was what my miracle would look like if granted. God wanted to give me peace from the bondage of my past keeping the memories so I could use them for His eternal purposes. He helped me find intimate love for Him right here on earth as I allowed His Miracle to take place for me. My eyes were only focused on my selfish wants while He wanted to grant something so much greater. The greater for me is using this past of mine to help others find their eternal value to God no matter what they bring to the table. WOW, GOD IS SO, SO GOOD!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: MAY 9, 2025

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Have you ever thought through why we hold our problems in instead of letting them be known so we can have help? Our Celebrate Recovery lesson last night was AMENDS. The author of the material makes AMENDS an acrostic. The first letter–A stands for admit your hurts and harm. For some reason last night (even though I’ve heard this lesson no less than 18 times and taught it in step studies at least that many also) I was hit with the “harm” part.

As I began Celebrate Recovery 18 years ago with the help of 6 others, I began to address the hurt of my past. After a year I started the 3.5 years of counseling as well as attending CR. I fully addressed the hurts of my past. I also stepped into the harm with the help of the counselor, but I didn’t fully resolve them. The one “character defect”–harm, I was left with is having gay thoughts. I’ve never acted on them but they do cross my mind. Having these has always made me feel as though I’m like my brother even though I know better. It has been an entry point for evil’s attacks on my identity and value.

I’ve talked about this a few times and even written about it. Last night’s lesson brought home the reality that it is one thing to confess this, it is another thing to bring it before God’s Light so I can be OK with it. We all have these “character defects” in our beliefs we must deal with. Well, this one is mine. My counselor, years back, even asked me in one session if I thought it made me “less than” others? Of course I did! It made me like my brother I said. However, he acted on it for years with me and I’ve never acted on it with anyone. We share a temptation and that’s it.

Today I thank God for helping me see HIs Light in this struggle I’ve dealt with for SO LONG. I can praise God for being so faithful in helping me to never succumb to this. What a blessed God we get to serve!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: MAY 5, 2025

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Today is the birthday for my last living Aunt. She is 94 today and I doubt that she even knows any of this. She has been on hospice for several months and could pass any day. In fact, I asked Jesus if He’d consider taking her home for her birthday as she’d be so thrilled to step into eternity with Him, with my Uncle and all of those who have gone before her.

Something else I need to write about today is on my heart. Yesterday I wrote about my sponsor spending Saturday evening with Kathy and me. He and I had a few hours to catch up while we sat on our deck in the evening hours. I was so grateful for this. Since he moved away we still reach out to one another twice a day. It isn’t like face to face as it use to be and I miss that. Yesterday was like a torment for me. All afternoon I was plagued with temptations. The same ones I’ve had all of my life.

This morning as I began to journal I wrote to Jesus expressing my deep desire to have these done away with. I know their seeds were planted in me 70 years ago when I was a very young boy. But, my faith has grown so much and my trust in Jesus and His Gift–The Holy Spirit, have done so much so I can live in Freedom. Yet, these tormenting times do still occur. As I asked Jesus to please speak to me about this, I heard this response. He asked me to return to this very spot where I sit right now. He said that I find Him here each and every morning. Why not try to find Him right here as I have tormenting times like yesterday? Listen to the worship music that brings tears to my eyes just as it does while I write this. Let Him–my GREAT HEALER take this tormenting spirit and send it fleeing.

I don’t know why, but this message today truly hit home. Not as something to know, but actually do. I know better, but I still attempt to fight temptation with my mind, my determination as though it will work. Today, in all of Christ’s sensitivity, He spoke clearly what I even say to others about their own temptations and I’ve “learned” myself. It became real today and I will do just as He said. GLORY BE TO GOD!