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Like A Thief In The Night

One night a thief broke into a house he thought was abandoned. As he walked then the darkened house with a flashlight he heard a voice from the kitchen that said, “Jesus is watching you.’ He stopped and said, “who’s there?” There was no answer so he thought he must have imagined it. But after he took a few more steps, the voice said again, “Jesus is watching you.” He decided to walk toward the voice, just before he entered the kitchen, he heard it again, “Jesus is watching you.” He swung the flashlight up and saw a parrot talking in a cage. The parrot said, Jesus is watching you.” The their turned flipped on the kitchen light and said, “Why you’re just a dumb bird.” The he looked in the corner of the room and seen a huge Rottweiler couching. And the parrot said “Get him Jesus.”

You might think it’s strange that Jesus would compare Himself to a thief. Of course, Jesus isn’t identifying with the sin of stealing. But just a good thief (that’s a oxymoron).that tries to sneak in quickly and quietly and escape with His people. That’s an accurate description of how Jesus will rapture His church.

We should all be living as if Jesus was crucified yesterday; raised from the dead this morning, and is coming back this afternoon.

1 Thessalonians 5: 1-4 tells us, “But concerning the times and the seasons, you have no need that anything be written to you. For you yourselves know that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come to then, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape.

We should know these 4 things

1. Jesus will return, But we don’t know the exact day.

Can you imagine a thief sending you a text or email saying, “Just wanted to know that I’m coming to rob your house tonight.” Of course not. Thief’s don’t announce when they’re coming. They sneak in and out.

When I was growing up my Dad used to do military funerals when a soldier or veteran would pass away. My father would keep all the guns in his closet. One night when no one was home the house was broken into and all the M16 rifles were stolen. He was very upset because they trusted him with these rifles. For a long time there would be someone home, or a neighbor would be watching the house.

Jesus told us to keep watch, because you don’t know on what day the Lord will come. We need to understand, if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and not let the house be broken into. So we must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you don’t expect him (Matthew 24:42-44),

There have been times throughout history when many people expected Jesus to return. We use the Gregorian calendar now, but when the Julian calendar turned from year 999 to the year 1000, people expected Jesus to come for a new millennium, the same was true in the year 2000. People were on their best behavior, In the year 1000 history says that worldly goods were sold and money was given to the poor. Prisoners were set free, and many traveled to Israel to wait for Jesus’s return,

In the second and third chapter of Revelation, Jesus gives messages to the 7 churches, which represent all churches of all time. When He wrote to the church at Philadelphia, He says, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I also will keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth” (Revelation3:10).

In Luke 17 Jesus compares His return to a couple of Old Testament events. “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the dat Noah entered the ark. Then the flood cane and destroyed them all. It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating, drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and suffer rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son Of Man is revealed (Luke 17:26-30).

Are You Ready?

Habits That Can Improve Your Life

We can transform our lives by creating some good habits. It involves focusing on small consistent daily actions rather than overnight overhauls. One habit that has changed my life is to choose gratitude every day. A negative attitude will never lead to anything positive in life. When we choose gratitude we focus on what’s good instead of what’s bad in our lives. It rewires our brains. By shifting focus from what we lack to what we have, it actually releases neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. It reduces stress, and fosters healthier relationships. Psychologists reveal that gratitude has profound impacts on both the mind and body.

Prayer For Safekeeping From Wickedness – Psalm 141

Taking Proactive Steps In Life

“Then the Lord God took, the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work and keep it” -Genesis 2:15

I think this principle applies to our life. Everything God has given us, our marriages, our families, and our personal lives, must be worded (cultivated) and guarded. If we don’t take care of what God has entrusted us with, it will not remain the way it began.

The Bible shows that when a field is neglected, it becomes overgrown and broken down. It doesn’t happen overnight but little by little, it falls apart because no one tends to it.

This is exactly how the enemy gets into our lives. He looks for areas that are not attended to, where we have stopped investing and paying attention. These are areas of our lives where, over time, things have begun to weaken. But when we decide to stay engaged, to care for what God has given us, we close the door on the enemy (Satan).

This principle isn’t complicated, but it takes consistency. When we intentionally invest in our marriage, our families, our prayer life, your minds, and our relationship with God. We can strengthen and protect what belongs to us and position it to flourish.

The Difficult Chapters Of Life

I would say my most difficult chapter in life was when I was diagnosed with bladder cancer.

The media bombards us with flashes of death in stories and graphic pictures of vehicle accidents, murders, and wars, but we block them out of our minds. We feel as though we are safe and protected. We accept death of war heroes and old people, but we tend to reject the idea of it happening to us. We focus on guarding and enjoying our lives and distance ourselves from thoughts about death.

When I was diagnosed with cancer and the possibility of death, I was forced to accept this reality. I swung back and forth between fear and hope, and the emotions that came with that diagnosis – disparity, anxiety. A whole array of emotions took over, and a whole lot of questions – did I do everything I wanted to do? Did I fulfill my purpose on earth? Was I ready to leave my children and my husband? To every question, the answer was no.

I wondered whether I should fight or give up. As you can see by reading this, I chose to fight. It was the hardest fight of my life. And I don’t think I could have done it if my faith in God were weak. My faith and hope brought me peace and clarity in the middle of the pain and distress.

Books That Deserve Sequels

I cannot honestly say any fiction books deserve sequels, because I usually read non-fiction books. But I have been reading Jonathan Cahns books for years. He writes about ancient mysteries to current events.

Recently his book “The Dragon’s Prophecy” came out as a movie. And his latest book is the “The Avatar.” His next book will be the “Alter of Pergamon” coming out in September of this year.

The Power Of Self Talk

Self talk is our continuous internal dialogue, shaping how we perceive ourselves and the world. Mastering it can rewrite neutral pathways, significantly reduce stress, boost confidence, and even enhance our resilience.

It can serve as a tool to regulate our emotions, improve our focus as well as promoting a proactive approach to the challenges we face in life.

King David used self-talk to encourage himself. A perfect example is Psalm 42:5, when he told himself, “Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise Him for the saving help of His presence.”

There is science behind having an inner dialogue:

Neuro–plasticity: Engaging in positive self talk repeatedly forges new neutral pathways in our brains, favoring optimism and resilience over time.

Emotional Regulation: Speaking to yourself using your own name or third person pronouns creates something called psychological distance.’ This helps us process emotions objectively and reduces rumination.

Physical & Mental Health: According to the “Mayo Clinic,” shifting from negative to positive self-talk is linked to a wider array of benefits, including better cardiovascular health, reduced rates of depression, and improved coping skills during hardships.

There is a danger of negative patterns. If left unchecked, negative self talk manifests as self-criticisms, doubt, and catastrophizing.

Common traps to this are:

Imposter syndrome: Telling ourselves, that we don’t belong here, everyone else is smarter than us.

Overgenrailzation: Thinking, ‘I messed up the presentation, so I’m a complete failure.”

Fear of Failure: When we conclude, “I will never be able to pull this off, so I shouldn’t ever try.”

There are some actionable strategies that you can do that can help us change.

We can actively reshape our inner voices through conscious habit-building:

Catch: When we notice our thoughts drift into criticism or defeat.
Check: As can ask ourselves, ‘Is this thought actually true, or is it an exaggerated fear?’
Change: We can reframe our statement. For example, instead of saying ‘I can’t do this.’ The objective would be third-person encouragement, such as ‘I have the ability to figure this out if I take this one step at a time.

“Be careful how you are talking to yourself because you are listening.”

Who Was A Villain But Actually Had Good Points

If you have read the book or watched the popular movie series of “Harry Potter.” One of the plot twists was that Professor Severus Snape posed as a cruel Death Eater throughout the series. Still, he was a deeply devoted double agent who protected Harry Potter from the shadows out of his love for Harry’s mother, Lily Potter.

Four Anchors That Will Secure Faith

The writer of the Book of Hebrews still remains a mystery today. But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from it.

The writer gives four anchors to help us secure our faith: don’t drift, see Jesus, follow Jesus, and trust Jesus. Jesus entered our humanity, tasted death for us, and now calls us brothers and sisters. He is our “trailblazer” who leads many of us to glory. Even when we feel overwhelmed by questions or disappointment.

Hebrews warns us against drifting so far that we lose sight of Jesus Himself. We can remain anchored to Jesus even when our faith feels fragile. Jesus still stands as the anchor who frees us from fear and strengthens our faith with every storm we face.

I would like to focus on the key takeaways we can learn from Hebrews:

Don’t Drift: Pay close attention to Jesus. Faith weakens us gradually when we neglect what we’ve heard.
See Jesus: Fix your eyes on the One who became human and tasted death for us
Follow Jesus: He is the One who goes before us and builds faith, not a bunch of rules.
Trust Jesus: Through His death and resurrection, He breaks the power of fear and the hold of death.

Jesus Understands: Because He suffered and was tempted, He is able to help those who struggle with doubt and temptation.

If I Could Live Anywhere

If I could live anywhere, it would be a beach house. Specially a beach house with few people. Because I’ve lived in mountainous areas all my life. I would want a change of scenery.
We seem to always want something we don’t have, due o to our quirky brains and the psychological craving for novelty and a desire to reinvent ourselves.

In reality I would love to have both, the beach house and the mountains. But this doesn’t seem possible. So I will be content where ever I live and be grateful I have shelter, food, and a family who supports me in whatever I do, along with all the blessings from God I have.

God Sees Your Intentions

Simon the Sorcerer captivated Samaria with flashy magic until Phillips gospel brought real power, exposing a heart more interested in spectacle than salvation. When Simon tried to buy the Holy Spirit’s gift, Peter’s rebuke revealed a faith that was all show and no substance.

The account of Simon the Sorcerer in Acts is a perfect example of God seeing our intentions and not the mask.

Simon was a new believer who had forsaken his old way of life and had recently been baptized. He was amazed at the powerful work of God he was seeing in his town. Most amazing of all, Simon watched as people received the Holy Spirit when the apostles laid their hands on them. He had practiced magic most of his life, but he had never seen anything like this before, and he wanted in on the action.

In Acts 8:18, Simon says, “Now when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the emissaries’ hands, he offered them money.”

The apostles were doing a good work and Simon wanted to be involved.

Well, it seems that Simon desires were a good thing, we see other wise in Peter’s response. He states, “May your silver perish with you, because you though you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part not lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God…for I see that you are in the Gail of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” (Acts 8:20-23 summarized).

Simon was mistaken to believe that he could purchase this gift for money. Peter was guided by the Holy Spirit that His heart was not right with his request. While Simon outwardly desired a good gift, his heart motivations were wrong and deep down he was filled with bitterness and equity. But, the Lord rebukes him through Peter.

As humans, we naturally view the world through what we see with our eyes. Someone might have certain outward actions that are commendable, but scripture teaches that God doesn’t look merely at the outward action, he examined the motives of our hearts. Doing good things for all the wrong reasons does not police God.

Scripture often remind us that God cares about our heart and our motivations instead of just the external work we do.

There are many scriptures that tells us God looks at our intentions:

Proverbs 16:2 tells us, “All the ways of a person are clean in his own sight, but the Lord examines the motives.

In 1 Samuel 16:7, God said, “Samuel, Do not look on his face or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For I don’t se as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.“

Jeremiah 17:10, “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.

Genesis 6:5, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually only evil.”

This doesn’t mean our external actions don’t matter, they certainly do. God sees what we do and why we do it and take both into account. Outward obedience is widely important, but it’s not all that is needed.

It’s important not to be like the Pharisees who work so please with their outward works, they never examine their motivations. Their self righteousness didn’t lead to life, it kept them from true healing and grace. The good news is that we can evaluate ourselves truly and honestly because we need not fear condemnation.

I believe we need to ask ourselves some time to time whether our motivations lineup with God standard. We can repent our sin and confess. We can plead with God to continue to work. He began in our heart and mow our thoughts and desires to look more like Him.

There is grace when we are honest about our motivations and plead for mercy and for the power of the Holy Spirit to bring change. Only He can bring internal change that is visible through our external actions.

A Little Chaos

The real growth in life comes during times of chaos. We often equate a growth mindset with optimism, resilience, or learning from our failures and while I think that’s part of it. The real work begins in the chaos.

We can’t appreciate the good times, if we don’t see a little chaos from time to time.

My Sheep Hear My Voice

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone perish” -John 10:27-28

Hearing God is one of the most essential factors in developing a personal relationship with Him. There are no special requirements that qualify any of us to hear from God. According to Jesus, we need to be one of His sheep. In other words, only one thing is required to hear God, and that is being born again.

Many of us have more confidence in other people – like their pastor, father, husband, or spiritual mentor to hear God for them. They depend on others to hear God for them and this keeps us a baby Christians that hinders our growth in Jesus. Hearing God’s voice personally is a wonderful gift. I have received tremendous insight and encouragement given to me over the years. I do not rely on what anyone says is God’s word for me. I pray and listen for God’s voice myself.

I am His sheep. I can hear His voice as I seek Him. I spend extra time in His Word and pray when I need Him to shine light on my path.

In Psalm 119:105, David says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet. And a light to my path.” More often than not, as I am reading the Word, a knowing comes into my spirit about what to do when I need His direction.

He doesn’t speak to me in a specific way, like an audible voice, or an angel coming to me, or a word from someone else. It’s a check in my spirit or a dream that suddenly wakes me up with a sense of urgency or an inward desire. And times through an “Rhema” word. One that is personally applied to my situation.

John 10:4-5 says, “And when He brings out His own sheep, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him for they know His voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

From my study of His Word, I have learned God’s character. When I hear something contrary to His character, I ask myself three things, “Does this line up with His character and nature? Does this produce peace or confusion in my heart? Does this produce liberty or bondage.”

The more I know God through His Word, the easier it becomes to distinguish His voice from my emotions.

You can hear His voice and recognize it if you take the time to check what you are hearing against His Word and godly counsel from others who know God, and He will shine light on the path of your life.