The Victory over Sin

    My trial has been delirious, I have failed and resented my flesh and my insufficiency. I have blamed others for my shortcomings, I have looked for an escape, a rabbit hole to flee the burden of responsibility that is the demand of finances and fiscal responsibility, to be content in a time of trouble and lack. 

    For a time, there was a relief, things were passable. I had enough to afford certain luxuries, my bills were paid, yet there was little excess. Of the remaining excess I struggled to find acceptable outlets, giving to others was always foremost in my directives. I never withheld a benefit to someone who asked or had offered me their friendship. Psalm 23:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

    Now I have entered a new season, this season has been challenges. I have seen the people whom I gave everything turn on me and resent me. The people whom I presented myself to and served have despised me and hated me. I am trusting in King Jesus for deliverance from this new season of trial. 

    No doubt, the era of covid has been a curse and scourge on humanity. Judgment from the enemy, a people rife with pleasure thrown into chaos. Only the wealthy and the dishonest being given superiority and an excuse from the misery, righteous judgment from God wouldn't have been so cruel to the lowly and poor.

    I love the generosity of the few who have stuck by me in my time of trouble, I resist the temptation to be harsh towards those who have pulled back. I want to be a knight in shining armor for my wife and deliver her from the wiles of the enemy, but alas it is not I who has the hero's sword, I am but a servant of the mighty deliverer. Of his name will I forever be humbled and subservient. I hope to never again liken myself to a man of means or ability. It is not of my might or intellect that my deliverance will come.

Romans 8:3-4 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Back in the mixture

     The time has come, for far too long I have hesitated to return to this Journal or Journeys. In 2017 my life took a turn for what looked like what would be a financially fortunate side street. Ultimately I had to return from the accidental brokenness (we all know so well) to my only trust worthy friend, confidant and mentor Jesus Christ. 

    For most of my life I have been trying, ever so diligently, to prosper both spiritually and corporeally, using the Word of God to speak blessings over my life and at the same time pursuing opportunities in the industries I have found myself involved or at least captured by their intrigue. It's a delicate balance something I now know, I alone am incapable of successfully managing.

    I use the word *capture because when we devote ourselves to a discipline it involves selling ourselves over to a great degree. We must, if we are to be successful in our fields, give ourselves over to an attitude of "Do whatever it takes." God loves this about us, in fact I could argue that the never give up mentality is directly proportional to the gift that God bestowes upon his children. Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

    Never give up mentality has some very disastrous consequences in the physical world, especially without Christ Jesus as your navigator or trying to part-time Christian your way through the peaks and valleys. For example; A person who never gives up and is clearly out of their league is also ignorant and incapable in some competitions. Don't be fooled, life is a competition, Apostle Paul calls it "The Race"; Hebrews 12:1 "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."

    Confidently calling my last race a major loss is me just being honest with myself, I was outplayed and out maneuvered by an enemy, I underestimated. Ultimately I lost my business, my ego and lots of time and effort that was devoted to helping people and doing things in a way I considered to be hospitable. I sulked and found myself being tossed to and fro from emotions of deep depression and anger to hopes of a successful lawsuit that ultimately was at best another waste of time and resources and at worst a legal trap set by the enemy.

     Hospitality is a major cornerstone of what I base my values, Jesus was a promoter of hospitality and I have a background in 5 star hotels. 1 Peter 4:9 "Be hospitable to one another without complaint." I take hospitality very seriously, I consider it my greatest skill. Many people mistake kindness for weakness and prey on faithful Christians who they think they can get one over on us and not face a violent physical reaction and in most cases they are right. But my God is a God who loves to avenge his faithful! My enemies will either be converted or deserted. Psalm 58:10 "The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked."

    It's important to note that throughout this entire debacle I was preaching the gospel to the lost faithfully, enduring persecution and resisting temptations. I had a few failures of newness, some artifacts of the old me would surface occasionally but if I were my judge, I'd have granted myself clemency. Thank God, Y'shua has granted me a full pardon for my failures no matter how great or small. Isaiah 43:25 "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins."

Despite the enemy and his attacks on our freedom and liberty, we are entering a new season of excess and blessing in the Kingdom. I will once again attempt to foray into the world to work as if unto the LORD and claim my inheritance on earth as in heaven. Isaiah 54:17 "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD."

Newness and Prosperity

God renews us with his supernatural forgiveness and grace. Too often we become overburdened by the responsibilities and fascinations of modern life. When we are renewed the world is not given over to rejoice our blessings with us. The enemy is at work to destroy the good works in us of the Lord, but Christ has given us the victory.

Getting the kinks out

Good afternoon friends


Today I sit and ponder the meaning of life and I sense anxiety within. Usually, we have something in our lives that causes anxiety; whether its finances, our health, our careers or even our children and pets. This cause of anxiety should not be how we define ourselves but often the unfortunate truth is we have become slaves to our anxiety. We must look to Y'shua to solve our challenges rather than crediting organization and scheduling as the only solution.
I wake up and immediately look to my emails, messages and calendars. I chronologically plan my day with the tasks deemed most important at the front of the list. While these challenges are never going away, a trusting relationship with Jesus will help us to overcome anxiety and not suffer enslavement to our challenges and anxiety.

Even the secular experts are forced to admit that no matter how great at time management, just do a quick topic search on time management (they all suggest getting involved in yoga and or transcendental meditation) we are all doomed to negative health consequences of stress. In Christianity - there is no existential solution to limiting stress and anxiety besides an improved God centered spirituality.  Eventually we all just need to relax and let the stress and anxiety go, but how do we achieve what has been historically so difficult for many to grasp? So many of us are approaching the problem of anxiety and stress related to time management from a materialist perspective and not a spiritual perspective, how can we truly ever find a true solution?

Anxiety is a personal/internal struggle very much related to and concerned with the spirit of the individual, it only becomes physical when its symptoms are acknowledged and acted on by the persons external body. 1st Corinthians 13: 4-5 explains "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." Therein lies the answer to our quandary with stress and anxiety; Love.

Love is the answer to anxiety, forgiveness eases our stress. Unselfishness ends our frustrations, helping others and bringing the gospel of the Kingdom to others is what provides relief. There is some very fundamental truth to this subject matter and I hope you can find solace and peace in a relationship with Jesus as I have been so blessed to learn and find hope for my future despite our many experiences with unsavory circumstances.

Salvation

The Father has been so good to me, I am so blessed. Over the past few months I have been enriched spiritually and physically. There is a strong groaning in my spirit for revival, the whole earth is crying out for Jesus' return. The blessing all stems from our salvation from sin, which required his holy blood sacrifice and erases sin.

My wife and I recently celebrated our 10th anniversary, it's been wonderful all things considered, she has exceeded my earthly expectations of a wife.

I enjoy a week away from home in paradise as much as the next guy however the stench of overt materialism continues to alert my spiritual senses. As easy as it is to dismiss it as something women do naturally, I am forced to deal with the fact it is not an activity exactly championed by Christ in the gospel, in fact it's quite opposite. In absolute honesty I enjoy finding a good deal too, just don't think "good" deals come along every day.

Rather than spending money on personal fashion and vain pursuits, my spirit much prefers to bless others with finances. I fulfill my Christian walk by giving joyfully to almost every person I come into contact with, especially if they are explicitly begging or asking for money. I pay no mind to the possibility the person may be misrepresenting thier poverty, rather I consider the possibility anyone of them could be Jesus or one of his angels.

He is Healer

Isaiah 53:4-5

⁴ Surely he hath borne our griefs,
and carried our sorrows:
yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon him;
and with his stripes we are healed.

 I started this blog to document the movements of the Holy Ghost (miracles) in my life and those whom I have been blessed to come into contact. There is probably nothing more satisfying than seeing the fruits of spirit come to reality and witnessing a divine blessing. When we witness miracles, in my experiences, it's difficult to admit and attribute it to God, it's in our nature to look for a logical conclusion. We shouldn't be that way, secular thought and science attempts to disprove the supernatural at every opportunity and we should be using faith to prove the supernatural at every opportunity.

An acquaintance of mine, nicknamed Coach, was suffering, I have known him for a few years, Coach was stricken with an infection in his right elbow after a botched surgery to repair ligament and tendon damage. He explained his injury; he had been suffering pain in his elbow for years before finally being able to afford surgery that could possibly alleviate his elbow pain. Unfortunately, his elbow became infected after the surgery, although he was on strong antibiotics, his dream of getting his elbow fixed was quickly turning into a nightmare of bad medicine. The doctors had already prepared him for the possibility that he could lose his arm if the infection didn't start to reduce. They had already modified his medication to a stronger form of antibiotic. Coach was concerned that he was going to lose his arm.

I asked Coach if he would allow me to pray over his elbow, he agreed and I did my best to be as sincere and faithful as possible in my prayer. Afterwards I gave him some advice along the lines of, "don't believe what the doctors tell you, just have faith in your healing through Jesus." Weeks passed and I hadn't heard from him, but I kept diligent to mention him in prayers. The next time I visited, the outlook from the doctors had improved, they claimed he wasn't completely out of danger but there was significant improvement. I reiterated to him to just believe in his healing and thank Jesus. Finally, last week, my most recent visit, approximately 2 months from him notifying me of his complication and he has fully recovered. 

Thank Jesus for this man's healing, of course disbelief suggests we could attribute his recovery to the antibiotics that the doctors gave him who messed up his elbow in the first place or you can believe in my miracle working God, YHWY, Jesus Christ, Ruach Hakodesh, King of Kings, He is Healer.

Good day

The Orphanage

Good day

I was recently caught unaware of the relevance of orphans, orphanages and their impact on the world both spiritually and physically. I decided I would expand on the subject of what orphans really mean, how God is fiercely aware of an orphan child's plight and how we as believers have an intrinsic responsibility to care for, clothe, feed and nurture, physically and spiritually, human orphans.o

The 2007 gothic horror film of the same name, uses our fears of ghosts and the responsibilities we have to our children against us. Though its been several years since I have watched the movie, reading a plot summary brought up feeling of fear and helplessness for the difficulties orphans face and the irresponsible, sometimes accidental occurrences that cause/lead to children being victims of orphanry.

Apostle Paul calls us the adopted sons of God; Ephesians 1:5 "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,". I remember being intensely frightened by the concept of an orphanage as a child. Disney movies used orphans as central character plot in several of their productions, many I watched as a child. Here's an article by Cosmo effectively calling the frequent occurrence merely an attempt to build a central character story line.

It is the fear of the improbable death of our parents that grips us, the security blanket they provide being suddenly torn form our grasps, just like the plot of Batman, Superman and countless other Hollywood productions. In my opinion the real reason for this focus on orphanry is the spiritual, eternal laws of God being manifest. God refers to himself as the Father, Jesus is the Son and of course the comforter is the Holy Ghost. I sense the enemy is attempting to circumvent the truth of Father, Son relationship and instead attempting to replace it with a lonely orphan counterfeit savior. A fatherless son, an orphan outside of the eternal God head. Yes I know that's quite a bit to digest, since this is a new revelation it will take time for me to flesh out all of the related implications. I am merely wetting the spiritual appetite, if you will.

It then follows: we can accept the adoption of our Father God through the salvation of his Son Jesus Christ or we can look to an orphan god, who resents the Father who he abandoned in favor of himself.

There are thousands of charitable organizations dedicated to helping and housing the orphans of the world, all of which is admirable until we find out the demonic influences these organizations can unwittingly or purposely serve. The Christian church has not altogether abandoned its responsibility to orphan children but is quickly falling behind gov't and secular institutions in its ability to navigate the arena as the State and Child Protective Services are given more and more judicial power to decide the fate of young orphans.

In a sinful state we are all orphans, separated from the Father, but by accepting his Son's sacrifice and sacrificing ourselves to him, we become his adopted, glorified, righteous, blameless children and I do not know a more beautiful and redeeming expression of love and forgiveness.

Blessings and Peace in YHWY, Jesus Christ, Ruach Hakodesh

My earthly father took a massive blow to his temple.

Good Day

Recently, my father was knocked unconscious in a work related accident at his home in rural New Mexico. He suffered severe trauma to his right temple, ocular bone and a broken rib. He is very fortunate to have survived and thanks to Y'shua he is in full recovery and making great progress.

I was just getting my work day started around 10:00 am on Wednesday August 26th when I received a call from my step-mom. I immediately knew something was wrong because my step-mom almost never calls me. I was in shock when she told me my dad was laying on the ground with a major head injury, she was waiting on an ambulance and told me the hospital where they were planning on taking him.

My wife and I immediately prayed for my fathers condition to improve and for the healing power of the blood of Jesus to flow into him, I called my mother and she referenced Ezekial 16:6 "Blood Live". I notified a few key family members of the situation and headed towards the hospital. We arrived to find my dad somewhat conscious with major contusions on his head and eye. I began to pray fervently over my father, he was concerned about his condition but the medication used to control the bleeding in his brain caused amnesia so he wasn't aware of what had happened to him.

By his 2nd CT scan the 2 hemorrhages in his brain had subsided, the ER doctors were very much amazed at his fast improvement to his condition considering the severity of his injuries and moved him to from the ER to a hospital bed. A very nice and helpful ER nurse provided an internal assessment of my fathers condition which described an 8cm aneurism. He was given anti-seizure meds and we waited with him and continued in solemn faith for his healing.

My sister has shown an amazing amount of ability to care for my father during this trial and her faith has been refreshed by her witnessing the healing power of the heavenly Father God at work in our earthly father. She had been a practicing nurses assistant several years ago and all of those skills immediately returned when everyone, especially my father, really needed her. The incompetence of the non-ER nursing staff was fairly evident thank God for my sister being there to shore up my fathers healthcare.

Late that night a 3rd CT scan confirmed the improvement in my father's condition. His first night of recovery was very trying and difficult, keeping him from vomiting was extremely important to keep pressure off of his head and neck which could potentially cause the blood clot in his brain to re-open. While the nurses were cleaning his bedding and moving him around he did vomit the blood he had swallowed and it was a very difficult situation to witness, but we remained faithful and spoke healing to my father. My sister and I spent the night at a local hotel while my step-mom stayed with my dad in the hospital, his condition continued to improve.

By the next day he was resting and dealing with the pain of his body being utterly broken the day before. The doctors reports were good and we were all very much amazed at his pace of recovery, which is very unusual for head trauma. He was regaining his memory, he had tactile control of his fingers and toes, he was exhausted, we encouraged him to rest and played Christian gospel hymns at low volume by his bedside. My sister spent the night with him and provided him with the special attention a person in his condition desperately needs.

By the next day his condition had improved significantly enough to allow for him to start eating and drinking orally, they removed the catheter and his IV's. He began to stand up and walk to bathroom along with being able to sit up for short periods in a chair. My father had been miraculously healed of a severe head trauma and myself along with everyone in that hospital was a witness to the power of our G-d. The following day he did a full lap around the wing of the hospital under the supervision of his doctor and he was released from the hospital. I drove him home, helped to get him a few things setup to ease his recovery at home and continued to believe for his full recovery.

Each day his condition improves, today he is now fully recovered besides the pain from the broken rib. He has regained his mental facilities and remembers the beam he was attempting to pull from the rafters of his workshop before he suffered the blow to the temple. No one besides G-d knows exactly what happened, the most plausible explanation is the beam slipped from his grip and hit him on the head causing him to fall anywhere from 5-10' off of the ladder to the dirt floor where a separate head trauma and broken rib occurred. Regardless of the details of the accident my father was miraculously healed of major head trauma by the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords, my God Jesus Christ, Yahwey, Ruach Hakodesh.

 Amen

Miracle God

My initial post to this blog set the stage for showcasing the God given miracles I have experienced in my own life and those around me. Today I present the most impressive heavenly miracle I have so far experienced. My long-time friend and one-time partner in crime was diagnosed with stage 2 testicular cancer approximately 8 months ago, today he received the good news his cancer was gone.

I know what you are thinking, the advances in medicine and treatment made this possible, previously, my old self would have agreed. This was different, my friends doctors did not have a great outlook for him since his cancer had spread from his testes to his lymph nodes from the lymph nodes to the lungs and liver. He received a very potent form chemotherapy (cisplatin) the treatment alone can cause death or severe disability for many patients.

He endured months of chemo treatments, I went with him to a few appointments, it was a wholly depressing and base experience. The suffering along with the financial burden the people who are going through these treatments is enough to make any person question everything. I remained faithful and did my best to support him and promote his healing through confirmation of Biblical truths. I can only imagine the thoughts of doubt that were attacking my friend, his life has been an extreme roller-coaster for the past few years.

He was having difficulties recovering from each treatment and was suffering delays between the treatments which could have diluted the viability of the treatment. His personal family life had taken a severe thrashing in the years leading up to this, a wicked divorce and loss of full custody rights to his only child. Many men in his position would have just assumed to give up and see if the afterlife is all its cracked up to be. Instead he began confessing Isa 53:5 "And by His stripes we are healed". 

Last week I noticed a real breakthrough in his attitude and resolve. He explicitly stated to me that he had been healed, he actually believed the words of our savior that he had been speaking. "It doesn't matter what the test comes back as, I am healed" he repeated to me again and again and I agreed with him. It seemed surreal to me because he hasn't always been so outspoken, in fact in the past his statements were littered with doubt and disbelief, this time was different.

Early today he called me and we agreed that he was healed before he went in to get his results, he reiterated that he was healed. About 30 minutes ago he called with the news, the results were in and he was completely clear of any cancer cells. The joy in his voice was inspiring and gives me chills he is praising and worshiping God.

 His daughter has come to visit him for the summer and he is in the best place he has ever been. My God is so good to his faithful servants, I implore you to give your life and heart to my miracle working God just as my friend did and see what miracles he has in store for you. My God's name is Yahwey, Jesus Christ, Ruach HaKodesh.

Looking for Direction

  The days have been shorter than usual this summer, at least in my opinion, time is speeding up according to my perception. This concept has pressed in on my conscious and has led me to question where I am and what I am doing and where I am going. These questions are usually answered when we eventually find our spouse along with a particular trade or craft that sets the course for our future.

  The answers to these philosophical questions usually don't come easily or all at once and require our own personal thoughts and intentions to be taken into consideration before any answers are offered. Historically trial and error is a reasonable method of deduction and besides being instructed to wait on God, we humans tend to be impatient and jump the gun quite regularly in regard to what I refer to as "our Calling". I have been struggling internally to define and determine my own calling for much of my adult life and from where I am today, I do not physically see any great advances on the horizon.

  In the past, financial stress easily overwhelmed me and caused a fight or flight scenario, a history of low credit scores, a foreclosed mortgage, a bankruptcy, unfinished projects and failed attempts at entrepreneurship. I have made several attempts at attaining a higher education however each time, lack of finances have caused an early end to my studies. 

   I found some success in restaurant and hotel management early in my career and used those skills to further my knowledge and experience base for landing entry level corporate management positions. I worked my way up the ladder until I needed to expand my education beyond my current field. I outgrew my position but lacked the fundamentals needed to continue to move up.

   I thank God for his provision in my life and I know without him, all the the money in the world is useless. However I still wonder, why is it that I have not found my life's passion in a career. I love work and I love to work towards goals that present improvements to others and myself.

   I am looking for direction and believing in the Word. Proverbs 3:5-6 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him,
and he shall direct thy paths.

  I acknowledge you Father, you alone know the truth and my heart. I am trusting you to lead me to my calling and give me direction.

In the name of Jesus, amen.

The Little Door

This morning I was feeling rather slow and downtrodden until I listened to what the Holy Ghost was telling me. It started with the phrase "Mischa Barton". So I did what any young man would and looked up Mischa Barton on the internet and found out what countless women my age already knew. Mischa was a gifted child actor who grew into a starlet on the hit TV show "The OC" and eventually let her partying get the best of her and ended up doing B movies after a short stint in a mental hospital. Last year she made headlines for suing her mother for misuse of her assets, but there wasn't anything explaining why I woke with her name on my tongue.

The actress wasn't the missing soul mate I had always longed for and even if she was there would be no having that because I am already happily married and I know full and well the Father does not tempt us, but the Lord does works in mysterious ways.

Later in the morning I heard another word - "The little door", I searched Google and found a beautiful poem below and a gorgeous hymn on YouTube, I realized while I was listening to the song and reading the article, He had led me right to him, each word he was telling me had meaning beyond my imagination. I was in the middle of writing a letter to a friend when the revelation came: I was led to search for the meaning of the name "Mischa". Of course "Mischa" means "what is like God?" At the bottom of the blog entry is a link, please click in order to experience the majesty, if only for a moment.

G. K. Chesterton's "Here is the little door"

Here is the little door, lift up the latch, oh lift!
We need not wander more but enter with our gift;
Our gift of finest gold,
Gold that was never bought nor sold;
Myrrh to be strewn about his bed;
Incense in clouds about his head;
All for the Child who stirs not in his sleep.
But holy slumber holds with ass and sheep.

Bend low about his bed, for each he has a gift;
See how his eyes awake, lift up your hands, O lift!
For gold, he gives a keen-edged sword
(Defend with it Thy little Lord!),
For incense, smoke of battle red.
Myrrh for the honoured happy dead;
Gifts for his children terrible and sweet,
Touched by such tiny hands and
Oh such tiny feet.

Jesus is the little door. He is the way! The Lord inclined my ear to his words and this is what he told me. Jesus is the little door.
To reiterate: I woke the day speaking to myself  "Mischa" or what is like God?" - and later found the answer "the little door". The little door is Mischa - Jesus Christ is the only thing like God.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSaabcCPoJY 

A Strong Deluding Influence

Good day

The past few months aka the first quarter of 2015 have been challenging. There is much work to be done in the Fathers Kingdom, the veil is being lifted. There is a coming outpouring of the anointing on Holy Ghost filled Christians. Has God unleashed a strong deluding influence to allow the unsaved to be judged? I pray for guidance in my writing and place the glory on our Father. I am here to honor the Father and give blessings and Thanksgiving to the Messiah and discern by the Holy Ghost.

The year is flying by, here we are halfway thru May and I can't get used to the beautiful weather fast enough. I was up late after an unwelcome homecoming and brief yet intense spat with my wife I resigned myself to the guest room to sulk and attempt to calm my raging anger. I resorted to reading a few random verses of the Bible on my tablet (first the Lord directed my attention to Proverbs 14:28-29 Auth KJV

28 In the multitude of people is the king’s honour:
    but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.

²⁹ He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding:
    but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.)

Around 4:00 am when I began to nod off, boom, I was having a supernatural vision of the spirit realm, it could have lasted for just a few moments or it might have been a few minutes.

The actual words to describe what I saw have, so far, been difficult to arrange. The importance or relevance of the vision has yet to be decided. I am currently waiting on the Holy Ghost to reveal more to me about what I saw and I am expecting revelation. What I can describe is as follows: It was either a window to the spirit realm or perhaps what I saw was a spirit or a demon perhaps, maybe even the enemy himself. It had a slowly circulating pattern of deep colors and there were paisely colors much like how someone would describe a hallucination derived from LSD however the halucination was confined within a specific field of my vision allowing me to visually judge both the spirit entity in addition to the plain normality of my actual surroundings in the room.

The entity had a clear and vivid link to the New Age California lifestyle, the hippie culture of psychedelics was evident. It, whatever it was, is comprised of the essence of pagan rituals and witchcraft throughout the redwood forest area of Northern California. 

This is not an effort to scare anyone or even mystify myself. I want nothing more than this to be nothing more than my overactive imagination. However, when I asked Jesus for guidance regarding the matter, he answered my call with this: "A Strong Deluding Influence."

 

A Piece of Heaven on Earth

Good Day

Living in the border region of west Texas and southern New Mexico provides a positive environment to grow and learn. We are blessed with beautiful weather, delicious food, kind people and unlimited opportunity. Many of the regions population are financially challenged or living in poverty however the transformative power of Jesus is alive and well and his blessings in the region are evident and flowing.

In 1992 my mother moved my 2 sisters and me with her to El Paso's west side when I was approximately 12 yrs old. I welcomed the new form of city life and access to large schools that I was not accustomed to in Sierra County NM. Unfortunately, rebellion and poor judgment was a constant embarrassment to my family, friends and my friends parents. El Paso didn't experience the financial success and economic growth much of the rest of the US experienced during the 90's and has been a regularly overlooked destination for middle class incomes when relocating.

As soon as I saved up enough money for a plane ticket, I moved to Kauai HI, with my brother, to flea what I saw as an impossible financial situation in El Paso. I came to find out finances are much more difficult to manage in Hawaii than I could have possible imagined in El Paso. Eventually I went without food for several days due to limited opportunity and I called out for help. My mom sent me enough money for a plane ticket and I unceremoniously left back to El Paso after about a year of struggling on the island.

Philippians 4:19 "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus". I force my spirit to utter this verse when I notice doubt is creeping into my mind. Doubt is so difficult to identify, many times it enters our minds as something logical or normal and we then accept a lie from the enemy without actually acknowledging it. This is why the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;". 

A majority of the El Paso locals are generational immigrants to the region; recent census estimates are close to 90% Mexican/American population. Mexico, just a few miles from my doorstep, has a tumultuous past of large scale financial hardships and elitist corruption that leads many of the Mexico's poorest population to seek relief by traveling north and finding work in the USA. Historically El Paso has been a primary passage for millions of immigrants into America. The name El Paso is translated: the pass. 

Nowhere else, besides California's San Joaquin Valley, is Gods laws of seed time and harvest more evident than right here in the Rio Grande Valley. All the way from Albuquerque down to Presidio, TX and eventually the gulf of Mexico, we unwittingly rely on the agricultural systems of farming and ranching to supplement the food and sustenance for millions of border dwellers. While I do find myself in awe of and appreciative of the vast amounts of resources and capabilities of modern agriculture, I place my faith in our savior Jesus and his ability to provide for his sheep as our Shepherd.

Dealing with Doubt

   Twitter has become a personal fascination, I find myself combing through vast amounts of tweets, it can be a great tool for sharing the good news and keeping current on everything from local events to global politics. Occasionally, I am challenged by opposing personalities who's world views differ from mine. I am fairly outspoken and I always welcome different perspectives in an effort to sharpen my own philosophy and rebuttals though I haven't always been this way.

   I started my twitter profile in early 2009 mostly because I was not pleased with Facebook and wanted a more "intelligent" platform to spew my opinions. Eventually I caught on to what twitter was really about: Be a pseudo celebrity by remaking your own worldview to emulate those of the celebrities and artists who commanded large numbers of followers. I followed suit and eventually made a small niche for myself among other like-minded.

   By 2011 I was regularly, verbally assaulting strangers. I would go off on someone or everyone. I was losing my sanity in 140 characters: on occasion, I posted pic of cash and another post was of my handgun. During this time I was very unstable, both financially and psychologically. Thank God my redeemer Jesus welcomed me back into his Kingdom and gave me the free gift of salvation.

   If you are unaware, the majority of the twitter landscape is a propaganda machine that supplants an illusion of free speech to the users but only broadcasts a very limited perspective. It seems, when someone disagrees with any number of specific promoted ideologies, they will in turn be attacked by groups of roving, combative, trolls and possibly relegated to obscurity; it's akin to being forced to leave the cool kids lunch table in high school.

   The "trends" is a method employed by the service that logically displays the most often tweeted words, phrases or "hashtags" and lists them in an order of popularity on the dashboard for the users "convenience". This could be an attempt to create key words and introduce them into the psyche of the user as a term of elevated importance. #KONY became one of the first publicized dramas to play out on social media that eventually reached the majority of mainstream media outlets. On the surface it seemed to be a good social cause: help eliminate genocide in Africa by tweeting and it very well could have done good in raising awareness. However, recently, we witness twitter behind the promotion of hate and violence being spread surrounding #furguson: In my opinion, a mechanism to promote a victimized culture of civic disobedience and social chaos.

  Currently, there are several varying iterations of the micro blogging platform littering the digital landscape, providing "safe" outlets for the frustrations of humanity. The philosophy of atheism, hedonism and sexual debauchery is on full display and offered for interaction with anyone and everyone in the general public. Almost everyone who gains traction on Twitter or Instagram falls into one of following categories: rapper, stripper, promoter, model, artist, feminist, shirtless wonder, lgbt activist or a lewd pervert. Mark my words: the twitter deception is a very real and powerful attempt by the enemy to dissuade believers and non-believers from the Fathers Kingdom.

  Thank God for Jesus, my life has changed for the better and so has my twitter profile. Before, I would spend hours preparing vulgar language to insult others, now I use my God given ability to debate with based tweets in agreement with Biblical doctrine. On occasion I have been attacked by atheist twitter gangs and ended up spending days debating, thankfully the Holy Spirit gives me insight and provides the answers to the really tough questions. I pray for the lost souls who would dissuade another from belief in the true God of the Bible.

Work and Home Life

  Work and home life balance is generally a struggle and difficult to define. Our home partners can feel unappreciated if there are not constant reminders of just how appreciated they are while our work partners want a sense of approval through recommendations and achievements.  While some partners may feel he or she is meeting the expectations of the other parties, there remains conflicts and disappointments regardless of how much time you spend at home versus time at work. Work partners are generally less emotionally distraught when we show up late or forget an appointment.

 My role as an enabler with the power to delegate is exactly where I want to be at both work and home. I am learning, more now than I ever have, being a devoted husband is very demanding. The elusive balance can be achieved in imaginations, whether or not we ever actually achieve this ideal is highly subjective. Currently, if I was to time myself at home vs work and compare the quality of my life on those measurements there would be some evidence in favor of my home life. However if you asked my wife she would probably ask for more attention.

 The thought of becoming obsolete becomes quite a frustrating issue for many newly minted fathers and businessmen. Eventually an individual resolves to behave and base his image on the manner of livelihood he actually lives versus how he wants to view himself or wishes to be represented. The results can be quite different, hence maturity is always quite elusive with aggressive entrepreneurial men. Mature too quickly and you risk losing your creative drive and ambition, while your team members carry on like drunken frat boys enjoying the fruits of their labor in appropriate, and inappropriate manners.

  With the assistance of the wonderful individuals God has placed by my side we can achieve what millions of Americans and billions of others only dream about. A good balanced home and work life.


  God Bless

How to Navigate

Good Day

  Humans navigate the obstacles of life and eventually reach the destinations we have set before us. The destinations are defined by our worldview and the people we include in our travel. Some destinations have notable edifying characteristics while others are vain and lack intrinsic value. The character and personality of the traveler will be shaped and formed by the experiences and lessons learned throughout the journey until the sojourners physical life ends at death.

   Sometimes we rely on GPS enabled navigation in our hi-tech world. Before GPS humans relied on hand made maps and the constellations for direction. The term "navigator" was used to describe a person educated in the science of directions and telemetry used to formulate routes to destinations. If a navigator was dishonest concerning his experiences or expertise the life of the traveler and his family could be put in considerable risk. Consider Jesus Christ as our heavenly navigator, the Word (Bible) or Holy Ghost our heavenly map or GPS. John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." 

According to the Christian Biblical faith there is a final destination for our spirit that is not independent of our travels within the known physical realm. Matthew 25:46 (AKJV) "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." Our spirit will spend eternity in the destination we chose for it based on the decisions we make and the words we speak. There is no proof or fact, scientific or otherwise, proving the "spirit" can die or end, for all intended purposes, the spirit is eternal

  

  We use "vehicles" to assist in traveling to our destinations. In the Biblical era humans used chariots as the vehicle of choice for navigating to plotted destinations by following the course. Today we predominantly use cars and trucks, I prefer fast and agile automobiles while others prefer bicycles and airplanes. The vehicles we use to reach our destinations are important to us in the physical, how much more important are the vehicles we use to reach our spiritual destination? 

  I believe the spiritual vehicles we use to reach our spiritual destinations are the thoughts we think and meditate on and physical words we speak (words require movement and are based on the thoughts we think) and finally the actions we take based on those thoughts and words. James 1:22 "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.", 1 John 4:2 "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God"

  There is always much more to a journey than what we initially plan for, many times we must adjust our plans when unseen circumstances are encountered. Thank God, the destination, the map and the navigator, for Christians, never changes Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." Who and what are you letting navigate your spirit?

God Bless

The Refinery

Good Day

  

   Engineers, scientists and vast numbers of professionals are employed around the globe by the largest and most powerful organizations on the planet. They are tasked with refining petroleum and other products for use in the global economy. Oil refineries and pump stations are a familiar sight here in El Paso and most of Texas. Oil is still the lifeblood of the economy, large scale mining is another a source of immense power and wealth on earth. There are a few striking similarities and parallels between the kingdoms of the earth and our fathers Heavenly Kingdom.

  

  Human souls, for the sake of making my point, can be equated to crude petrol or unrefined precious metals and minerals. There are vast amounts of us, several billions of us on earth and many of us are literally crude in our behavior and attitudes. 1st Peter 2:5 Peter refers to us as "living stones": Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Coincidentally oil shale is a form of rock that can be processed to reveal petroleum.

  

  So how do we go from being crude minerals and hidden gems to becoming well lit lamps and solid rocks in the foundation of His Holy Temple? Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
Amen, we must be refined!

  

  Peter refers to the "spiritual sacrifices" and in Zachariah the context is in relation to end times and references the book of Revelations. God has been speaking to my inner man over the past few weeks regarding the refining going on in my heart and in my own life. There is coming a great purification by fire, there are several biblical references to this coinciding with the return of the our Messiah Y'shua Hamashiach.

  What are spiritual sacrifices? Here's a fairly succinct explanation: http://www.ucg.org/christian-living/treasure-digest-qa-what-are-spiritual-sacrifices/. So what does this all mean in relation to current events? In my opinion and many experts will agree; The greatest test we have yet to experience is one involving, what we perceive, as our own physical life and when it is threatened by an outside force. Truthfully, the only way God can know we will choose him over our own self is a test of life and death.

  When we are tested it will be the real deal. There is no avoiding the test either, everyone will be tested by fire and according to his word only a 1/3 will make the grade. We are left to wonder whether the statistic is based on humanity as a whole or if it is only 1/3 of those who claim to be followers of "The Way". I am led to believe the latter given humanities current situation. Let us use our short time we have left in this realm to help others become aware of the coming tests. Let us use this short time we have left to reaffirm our dedication to our Holy God the Father, his Son, Jesus and The Comforter the Holy Ghost.

 

 

Amen

Family Time

Good day

   I am blessed to have been raised by a wonderful and loving family. I am always reminded of how blessed I have been to be born into this family. We have a plethora of challenges, many would categorize as dilemmas. I see it this way myself sometimes and need some reminding of just how fallen of a creation we are no matter how much we like ourselves.

  My mother attended an all girl catholic school in El Paso, she was raised by an Irishman from Brooklyn and a teacher from Aguas Calientes, MX along with her brother and 2 sisters. Her childhood was challenging but she was extremely intelligent and graduated high school early and registered for college at only 16 years old. My mom currently spends much of her time raising my nephew, hopefully he will turn out like a better version of me. My mother has acquired an undying devotion to God and his son Jesus, through the impartation of studying the Word and the anointing of the Holy Ghost.

  My father has so many stories to tell, I wish there was a way to document them all, somebody really should do a biography on the man. His early years of "sheep camp" sound like the most miserable existence one could imagine especially for a child of his young age. Those years consisted of spending summers in the northern New Mexico wilderness, along with a random immigrant charged with shepherding several heads of sheep. They would stay out at "camp" for a few months or until the sheep were fat enough to be sold, sheered or slaughtered. My father was just a child and this could be considered neglect in todays climate. 

  Later in life, my father experienced a series of life changing events that would challenge anyone to question the direction his life was headed, thank God, he came out a new man in Jesus. He was always talented and capable, and has long been a born-agian Christian. Now he is a well known expert in construction consultation in southern New Mexico. He is remarried now, he and Cathy compliment each other very well. He was contracted by Ted Turner (TNT, Braves, Hawks) to manage the Ladder Ranch renovation project for the homes and cabins on the billionaires property.

  My siblings are both interesting and talented, each in their own right. The eldest, half-sister, Laura is the most technically accomplished individual in our family. Laura is a practicing doctor of family medicine in southern New Mexico. Her daughter Jade is a beautiful and intelligent. Sean is my eldest half-brother. Sean is busy in Denver creating a name for himself in music, art and metal fabrication.  I whole -heartedly hope and pray for Sean to come back into the fold of the faith in our father God.

  Myself along with my half-brother Brendan make up the middle segment of siblings. Brendan is who I aspired to be as a teenager, he was 4 years older, skateboarded, surfed and lived in Santa Barbara California for much of his adolescence. Brendan is a much cooler, better looking version of me. He chooses to live on the island of Kauai, HI with his girlfriend. Earlier this year, along with my dad, I went to Kauai to see Brendan. We had a great time, obviously, but we were also able to pray with Brendan and help him commit his life to our savior, Jesus

  The 2 younger sisters are Bonnie and Christian. On a side-note; Brendan, myself, Bonnie and Christian were each born within a 4 year sequence of the previous. Bonnie is the most head-strong and confident of the 2. Bonnie is the mother of Michael. Christian  is an independent free-spirit looking for success in Seattle. Bonnie is climbing the social ladder in El Paso. Both Chrissy and Bonnie are exceedingly capable individuals with glowing personalities and beautiful features. I consistently pray for both; for the redemption of their souls and for loving relationships with our savior, Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, it is a rarity to have the entire family completely assembled for any events or gatherings. Mostly, we do our best to keep in touch and keep each other up to date on any family drama. I hope and pray; In the future my family is able to congregate and enjoy family time with increased inclusion, regularity and happiness.

  God Bless

Weird Week

Good Day

What a weird week, it started off normal enough, but quickly descended into controversy. Thank God my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is by my side and through him I am more than a conqueror.

Since quitting drinking my social life has suffered immeasurably. There is a documented socio-economic link between socially active alcoholics and success in business, especially sales. I find it very difficult to strike up friendships with strangers without a drink in my hand and I'm sure there are many others who experience this frustration. I just pray that God directs my steps and introduces me to the correct people.

Just yesterday, my professional character was attacked by a person whom shall remain nameless. Thank God I have supernatural favor and grace because the enemy was setting me up to be fired. The enemy will use every weapon against us, even our own confidence. My spirit man has been pushing me to be bold. I've been hearing Proverbs 28 over and over "The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion."

I will continue to fight the good fight and pursue my heavenly and earthly responsibilities, God has blessed me, I am aware of how blessed I am, God practically spoils me like I am one of his favorite children, at least that's how I feel. When others attack me I must remember to love my enemies and forgive them.

Just this morning I read about the passing of Jason Rabedeux; Jason was the UTEP basketball coach who took over for Don Haskins. He was responsible for kicking me off of the UTEP practice squad and firing G Ray Johnson (the family friend who had assisted me in my foray into college hoops as a young athlete). He was only 49, his wife left him 2 years after he got the job at UTEP and he was replaced at Utep after 4 unsuccessful years. Later he was forced to migrate to Asia in order to coach, where he died. I am deeply saddened by this news, I remember meeting with Jason in his office he seemed like a depressed man, he had no love, life or light in his eyes. He dismissed me without a second thought, I hope and pray God forgives him and accepts him into his kingdom.

God Bless

Work Day

Good Day

Thank God for giving me such an enviable life of leisure, I work hard at everything I set my hand to. Thank you Father, for allowing me the enjoyment of reaping the rewards of a good harvest. I believe, God gives his beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2 "It is vain for you to rise up early , to sit up late , to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep."

A good work ethic was part of my upbringing, I respect men and women who lead difficult lives and struggle through rigorous labor to provide for their family. I don't enjoy being in a situation where my life is a daily struggle, however I know what it feels like to be stranded in a foreign land without money and having to rely on Jesus for your safety and survival. I am blessed to have been able to avoid having to endure extended difficult circumstances, God has shown me financial reward. I pray for Gods direction on how to use the tools he provides for Jesus's glory.

I feel God has equipped me with certain talents that I have yet to fully realize. If God directed me to go work on a farm or heard sheep I would be honored but I may not be excited. I was drawn to athletics, money and success as a child, I honestly felt I was capable of achieving success on a massive level. By the age of 9 I had fully realized my dream of owning my own corporation (Berger Industries) including limos, skyscrapers, super cars and jets, all designed and drawn up in detailed precision by me during arts and crafts time. Although the skyscrapers, jets and the corporation have so far eluded me, I am confident, Lord willing, they will eventually come.

God gives me an intuitive mind, able to search out and recognize opportunities and discern falseness by discernment and good judgment.

Thank you Jesus for your forgiveness, through the atoning blood of your sacrifice on the cross. His forgiveness is much more than just another chance when we make a mistake. His forgiveness was the sanctifying act of sacrifice to end all sanctifying acts. We no longer need to carry the guilt, he took that guilt on the cross and gave us forgiveness. He took every bad thought, every evil look, every time you say something and you wish you could take it back, he took it back for us! He just wants us to walk with him. He just wants us to walk like he did.