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To Tolerate Everything Is To Stand for Nothing: Why We Must Teach Our Children to Care and Stand for Righteousness — God First!

July 20, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Pursuing “the right things” only matters to those who care. We need to teach our children to care so they will want to stand up for what is right. When we fail to take a stand and do nothing, we teach our children apathy, which is the same as teaching them that wrong is okay; look the other way. IT’S NOT!

Doing wrong doesn’t matter to the unconscientious, so we must train our children to be conscientious, to care. We need to teach righteousness in our homes and by our examples. The best source for lessons in righteousness, love for others, and selflessness is God’s Word.

Training Children in Righteousness

  • Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.“
  • Deuteronomy 6:6-7 – “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”
  • Ephesians 6:4 – “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.“
  • 2 Timothy 3:15-17- “and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (emphasis added)

Rejecting Apathy

  • James 4:17 – “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
  • Proverbs 24:11-12 – “Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back. If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?

Not Tolerating Evil

  • Ephesians 5:11 – “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;” (emphasis added)
  • Revelation 3:15-16 –‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.’

Caring for Others & Christ’s Attitude

  • Philippians 2:3-5 – Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,“

Putting God First

  • Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

God First!

Blindness opened Paul's eyes But baptism saved him

Blindness opened Paul’s eyes, yet baptism saved him.

July 19, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Paul’s eyes were opened in Blindness on the road to Damascus, Jesus told Saul…

“But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭9:6‬)

Saul had 3 days of blindness to think and pray about his “literal” come-to-Jesus meeting.

In a vision, the Lord came to a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord tells Ananias where to find Saul and to heal his sight. Scripture reads:

“So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;” (Acts 9:17-18).

Note: Baptism was the very first thing Saul did after meeting Ananias and having his sight restored.

Why? If Saul/Paul’s sins had been forgiven before this moment, he would not need to be baptized to have His sins forgiven or to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, would he?

God’s word tells us that when we are baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, this is when we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

“And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38

In 1 Peter 3:21, it reads:

“Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Jesus’s own words are very straightforward in Mark 16:16,

“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Mark 16:16

Paul shares his story in Acts 22:1-16. Please read it for yourself.

  • Why believe all of God’s word when so many claim otherwise? Because all Scripture is from God, inspired by God. Not believing or believing something else would mean calling God a liar, and God cannot lie. ( see: 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Matthew 5:18, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18, Numbers 23:19)
  • How many scriptures need to state something for it to be true? only one.

That said, it is important not to take any single scripture out of context, as God’s Word encompasses all of Scripture; if scriptures seem to contradict, we can know we have the wrong understanding and need to seek what fits the whole of Scripture. There are a lot of false teachings in this world about what God wants, a lot of feelings about what God wants, yet it rests upon each of us to discern what God’s Word actually teaches. Don’t believe me, believe God!

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Philippians 2:9-13

God First!

We study hard for our jobs. Why not study even harder for our souls?

We Study Hard for Our Jobs — Why Not Study Even Harder for Our Souls?

July 18, 2026 / / 2 Comments

To become proficient in our professions, we study and practice to become Doctors, Nurses, Accountants, Engineers, Firefighters, Carpenters, Bricklayers, etc. Learning and skills are not developed by osmosis. To do our profession to the best of our ability, one must be studious and committed to learning every aspect possible about our endeavor.

Shouldn’t we put even more effort into getting to know God and keeping his commandments? The less we know of God’s Word and the message of Christ, the less we know of God. Yet our souls’ eternity depends on our submitting to God’s will, not ours.

How can we do what we do not know how to do? We should make ongoing efforts to deepen our understanding.

Today, many around the world are denied access to Bibles by their governments, even though they would love to have scripture to study; in some cases, even having a bible can be dangerous to their well-being. However, in our country (the United States), most homes have more than one. So, for us, there is really no excuse for choosing ignorance when God’s Word is so readily available. Understanding comes through study, and there is no better time to begin study than right now. Why not grab your closest Bible or download a Bible app and read it daily starting now?

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15)

“But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

God First!

The most valuable time of the day is the time we take to pray!

Include God; He offers so much!

July 15, 2026 / / 0 Comments

We know from scripture that we are made in the image of God; we know that God has feelings, God loves, He hates sin, He is righteously jealous, etc., So, here’s a couple of questions to ponder:

How do you feel when the only time someone thinks of you is when they need or want something?

How do you think God feels when we treat him that way?

Why treat him this way?

It’s obvious from Scripture that God wants to be included in our lives; He wants us to love Him as He loves us. This said, why would we not want to include God in all that we do?. After all, Jesus told us to: ask, seek, and knock.

Our very breath is dependent on our creator! By embracing God’s love and keeping his commandments, we secure God’s promise of eternal life. In other words, we can obtain the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. If we are truly In Christ, serving Christ, our hearts are filled with joy and the comfort of God.

Therefore, it seems unwise to exclude God when he offers so much to our lives both in this world and for eternity.

  • John 1:1-18 (The Word is Jesus, with God from the beginning)
  • John 14:15 – How to show our love to Jesus
  • Ephesians 6:18 – pray often.
  • Matthew 7:7-11 – Ask, Seek, Knock
  • James 4:8 – How to get God to grow closer to you
  • James 5:16 – Prayers of the righteous avail much
  • Philippians 4:7 – Peace beyond understanding
  • 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 – God of all comfort
  • John 15:1-16 – Joy

God First!

Social Media not just the devils workshop / Seeds of Truth - Let your light shine for Christ

Satan’s workshop or God’s? our choice

July 14, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Social media turns off many people because freedom of speech is abused with disrespectful, attention-grabbing rants, gossip, foul language, crude and distasteful images, etc.; I’ve heard many refer to social media as “the devil’s workshop.” Well, this may all have some truth to it;  however, it will be what we make of it.

It doesn’t have to be just Satan’s workshop. No, when good, righteous-seeking people who love Jesus decide to post, share, like, and love only good things, we help make social media a better place. The simple truth is that Satan is in this world, his actions are all around us, and we can’t make a difference if we hide rather than let our light shine and try to make a difference (Mathew 5:14-16). Jesus charged His disciples with sharing the gospel with the whole world; we are to plant the seeds of Truth. So, when we choose to walk away from farmland we could cultivate and plant, we leave it wide open for Satan to spread seeds of weeds and destruction.

Why not be engaging instead? We can use social media platforms to encourage and share the soul-saving truth of a better life with Christ. We don’t have to write articles, but we can support those who do with LIKES, LOVES, and encouraging COMMENTS. We can share articles and memes of truth and uplifting thoughts.

On social media, the seeds of truth will be cast on all types of soil; so spread them, God will provide the growth, even if you never see the results. Trust God (1 Corinthians 3:7).

When you encounter negative statements, and you will, don’t take them personally; be compassionate, understanding, and try to be helpful; they stem from the ignorance of God’s Word. Jesus and his disciples cast numerous seeds, and when they were rejected, it was in far worse ways than a negative or hurtful comment.

I personally don’t want to gamble my soul’s eternity on what someone feels scripture says when there is so much understanding to be had by gaining a fuller knowledge of what God’s Word actually says.

God’s word cannot be shared with silence. It is what it is, but it will be what you make of it!

  • Mark 4:1-20
  • 1 Corinthians 3:6-11
  • Mark 16:15–20
  • Matthew 28:19–20

God First!

SnackelFrackle

Rather than break a habit, Change it!

July 13, 2026 / / 0 Comments

It’s almost impossible to break a bad habit. However, it’s very possible to replace it! For example, when I was young, my dad suggested replacing any profanity that surfaced in my mind with his made-up word: Snackelfrackle.“

Admittedly, this has gotten some strange looks from people, some questions, and a few laughs, all of which are better than any profanity or using the Lord’s name in vain. However, it also sends the soft message that I don’t use that type of language.

In today’s world, a large percentage of people use, condone, and even defend their use of profane language and taking the Lord’s name in vain. However, so far, most are respectful of my stance when they realize that I do not appreciate its usage, and I very much appreciate their efforts to control their language at least when around me or children.

I personally don’t understand the need to use vulgar or profane language, and I know what God’s Word says about it. So, whether it’s one word that has become a bad habit or a slew of them, I know “if a person wants to,” they can replace these habits with good ones.

“But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:8-10)

Ephesians 5:4
Matthew 12:36-37
James 1:26
Exodus 20:7
Romans 12:2
Romans 12:21

God First!

I would like to challenge everyone to say something honest and encouraging to as many people as you can today!In person, on the phone, on social media, at work, at school, etc.Go out of your way today and build each other up! God First!

Encourage Others Challenge – Divisiveness is Satan’s tool

July 12, 2026 / / 0 Comments

I would like to challenge everyone to say something honest and encouraging to as many people as you can today! In person, on the phone, on social media, at work, at school, at Church etc. Go out of your way today, stranger or friend build each other up!

Divisiveness is a tool of Satan; God commands that we love one another; if we do that, Satan cannot divide us. God’s way leads to peace that goes beyond understanding and into contentment and the joy of eternal life with Him. So let’s encourage each other today and Strengthen our bonds of love, better yet, if it’s not already, lets make this effort a daily habit.

  • Matthew 22:37-40
  • Philippians 4:4-9
  • Romans 12:9-20

God First!

With God's help, today's challenges are tomorrow's victories!

Do not be confused, be wise instead

July 11, 2026 / / 0 Comments

With God’s help, today’s challenges are tomorrow’s victories!

Do not be confused, be wise instead; study and pursue the will of God as if your soul’s future depends on it because it does. You cannot follow Jesus if you don’t understand the conditions. “Then Jesus told his disciples, 

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?“”

You cannot do God’s will if you don’t know His will.

Satan wants us to believe that good is evil and evil is good.

Through the study of God’s Word, we gain understanding, and with understanding, faith, and discernment and how to obtain eternal salvation and help our loved ones to do the same.

  • Matthew 16:24-26
  • Romans 12:2 
  • Ephesians 5:17
  • Psalm 119:105
  • Proverbs 3:5-6
  • Isaiah 5:20
  • Proverbs 13:20
  • Proverbs 15:21
  • Philippians 1:9–10
  • Hosea 14:9
  • Romans 10:17

God First!

What is the ultimate act of love

UNSELFISH UNCHANGING LOVE

July 10, 2026 / / 0 Comments
  • Our tastes change,
  • Societies change,
  • People change,
  • Governments change,

GOD DOES NOT CHANGE

  • God’s Love does not change,
  • God’s Truth does not change,
  • God’s Word does not change,
  • God’s Promises do not change.

We must NOT conform to worldly changes but rather stay true to God’s unchanging love. His love offers us eternal life in heaven if we choose to accept it and follow Jesus according to God’s will, not ours. Conforming to God’s will is the ultimate act of unselfishness and expression of true love.

Jesus showed us what it is to have unselfish, pure love for God and for us as He walked this earth, staying true to doing God’s Will to the point of becoming the ultimate Sacrifice.

Matthew 26:39: “And going a little farther He fell on his face and prayed, saying, 

“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Jesus commands us:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

“For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 6:13-20

“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.“

John 14:21-24

God First!

Money is not evil

Money is not evil

July 6, 2026 / / 0 Comments

According to Scripture, “the love of money” is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10)

Acquiring or having money is not evil; As the scripture states its the LOVE OF MONEY at the root of evil. Evil comes from how we pursue the money. Do we lust after it? How do we use it? We can use money for good things that glorify God or selfish things that glorify sin; what’s really important is where our hearts reside.

Jesus tells us:  “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” Luke 12:34

 “And you shall love the lord your god with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength”  Mark 12:30

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.  Matthew: 6:24

Scripture also states: “For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:20

God First!

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