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The best life is a God First life

Category: Satan (Page 1 of 2)

Protect your heart with honesty

Save yourself with honesty.

May 20, 2026 / / 0 Comments

When good hearts and minds succumb to lies and deceit, guilt arises, and it weighs heavily on the heart and mind. Choosing to hide truths rather than addressing them honestly places unnecessary burdens on us. Burdens of sin that allow Satan to set up residence and dwell in our minds. For example, if we lie or deceive someone (like a spouse), we carry that unresolved lie in our hearts daily. Rather than confess, we may tell ourselves more lies, like:

  • • No real harm done
  • • It’s better if they don’t know.
  • • Why hurt them with the truth?

However, in doing so, we seal that burden of guilt within our hearts, we entrap our minds and souls with the lie. God knows the deception we carry, and if we cover up rather than confess to our loved ones, asking their forgiveness as well as God’s, we may carry that burden to our death and, maybe, add to our deceit by telling multiple lies over many years in our attempt to keep it hidden. I hope no one carries such a burden, but know some do. We may fear our loved ones’ response, but do we really think living with the lie or lies is better?  Is our relationship with our loved ones and God all it can be when we carry these lies in our hearts and minds? Do we not know we will be held accountable by God?

Our cover-up gives Satan permanent residence in our minds, and as just stated

It’s not hidden from God!

God knows the truth and has always told us to speak it. God hates lies!

When we fess up, confess, ask forgiveness, and repent, we simultaneously kick Satan to the curb, kicking him out of that permanent dwelling we’ve furnished him in our mind.

Don’t let Satan settle in; save yourself with honesty, pray, tell the truth, face the consequences, and stop Satan from building a mansion in your mind as one lie leads to two, then three, then four, and many more. No matter how difficult it is, tell the truth that God may purify, heal, and forgive. Don’t carry the weight of those lies, sins, and burdens into judgment; they squelch the joy in this life and endanger the soul.

  • John 8:34 – slave to sin
  • James 5:16 – confess.
  • Matthew 12:43-45 unclean spirits
  • Philippians 4:8-9 rethink
  • Romans 1:28-32
  • John 8:32 – truth
  • Matthew 5:23-24 – Reconcile

God First!

Our Souls’ Eternity depends on our Choices

May 13, 2026 / / 1 Comment

Occasionally, we can become disheartened and discouraged when things happen that are out of our control. Satan jumps on these opportunities to tempt us; he wants us to throw our hands up in the air, give up, stop trying, sulk, become apathetic, go back to old ways, or try unexplored ways of living like the world. Satan wants us to believe his LIE that a life with little or no time for God is a life of fun, satisfaction, and prosperity, and we deserve it.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Satan wants us to believe God does not mean what He says. That somehow, there is a way around being held accountable, there is some explanation we can give, and Jesus will say, “Oh, in that case, come on into heaven, ” but that is not what we find in Scripture; we find God tells and gives us example after example that there are serious consequences for not doing things God’s way. By choosing to do things our way, we exclude God; yet by choosing God’s way, we can have a joy-filled life that ultimately rewards us with eternal life with God.

God wants us to lean on Him, cast our burdens on Him, and trust in Him, His Word, and His promises of eternal life. He wants us to stay the course laid out for us in His Holy Word. After all, it is written for our benefit—NO REWRITING TO OUR DESIRES.

God gave us the freedom to choose; follow Christ or the world.

Sometimes we do trudge through difficult times, but if we are “In Christ,” we don’t have to do so alone; through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God provided a way for each of those in Christ to approach His throne through humble prayer, asking for His help in Jesus name, and He will hear our prayers.

By staying God’s course, we become a light to those around us: Family, friends, children, grandchildren, and even strangers. So, when we feel disheartened or discouraged, and those temptations try to settle in, recognize who they are from, push them aside, and pray. Remember, you are loved, and you set an example to someone who loves you! Our choices will determine our souls’ eternity, and our example may have a deep impact on the choices of those we love, family, friends, and children.

  • 1st Peter 5:7-8
  • Psalm 55:22
  • James 5:14–16
  • John 14:15
  • John 3:16
  • James 4:10

God First!

SATAN IS THE EVIL ONE

SATAN IS THE EVIL ONE

March 28, 2026 / / 0 Comments

 – If you feel farther away from God today than you have in the past, the question becomes, WHO MOVED? HINT: it was NOT God.

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:8 ESV

It stands to reason that the opposite is also true if we move away from God.

“And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,” Romans 1:28 NASB

– If there is any evil in it, it is not from God

  • “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” James 1:13 NASB
  • “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him, there is no darkness at all.” (1 JOHN 1:5 NASB)

– God is Love

  • “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 JOHN 4:8 NASB)

– God is Good

  • “For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.” PSALMS 100:5 ESV

– All the Time

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” ISAIAH 5:20

Sometimes, we are tempted to blame God when our hearts are torn in anguish and pain. We struggle to reason why tragic things happen to good people, innocent children, loved ones, or maybe to ourselves. We might ask, why me? Why us? Why them? We may experience a tragic loss or have other life-altering events we don’t understand. Crime, Cancer, Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Covid, Heart issues, Blood or Breathing issues, accidents, Lyme disease, to name only a few.

We want an explanation, we want to assign blame, but blaming God is misplaced.

As we see from the scriptures above, there is NO evil in God. There is, however, refuge, hope, and prayers answered. There is the possibility of eternal life in heaven for those who choose to become “In Christ” and keep His commandments according to God’s will, NOT our own.

“For He makes the sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45)

Satan is the evil one; take refuge in Jesus. When we move away from Jesus, we are moving closer to Satan; closer to forever tears.

Jesus is our only hope for eternal life, where there are no illnesses, pain, or tears. Where our souls will live with new bodies, and our hopes become reality forever in heaven with pure love.

Acts 2:38-41, 1 Peter 3:20-21, Colossians 2:11-13, Romans 6:4-5, John 3:5, Mark 16:16, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Titus 3:5, Matthew 28:19–20, Acts 10:48

God First!

More than we can bear alone

March 22, 2026 / / 1 Comment

Have you ever heard or repeated this phrase: God won’t give you more than you can bear?

Do you realize it’s a misrepresentation of Scripture? Life often gives us more than we can bear.

  • The death of loved ones, especially a child, is more)
  • The hopelessness of Alzheimer’s and Dementia is more)
  • The pain and agony of severe illnesses is more)
  • The lost job and inability to pay bills is more)
  • The hurt and despair caused by unfaithful spouses is more)
  • Coping with the suicide of a friend or loved one is more)
  • Depression, bipolar issues, PTSD, trauma, drugs, all can be more)

This list scratches the surface of the numerous ways we may face more than we can bear on our own.

This misquote implies Suck it up; you got this; you don’t need help because God won’t give you more than you can bear. That’s not the intent of someone saying this; however, these words may spur the feeling that we should be able to “go it alone.”

It may prompt someone to reject others’ help when, in fact, God encourages us to come to Him in prayer, to lean on others, and to accept others’ love. (Unity!)

Scripture teaches us to rely on God, to pray for others, and to believe our prayers will be answered; it teaches us to bear one another’s burdens, to cast our burdens on Jesus, and to confess our sins to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Scripture also gives an example that even the Apostle Paul was burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that they despaired even of life. Why? So, they would NOT rely on themselves but rather rely on God. Paul also told the Church at Corinth and all the Saints in the whole of Achaia that they must help them by prayer. (see 2 Corinthians 1:1-11).

So, what’s this Scripture really about? It’s about sinful temptations and idols, not the struggles and difficulties we suffer in everyday life, but rather the temptations to sin that come our way and the escape from temptation God will supply.

Here is the Scripture-

1 CORINTHIANS 10:13“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

Remember: Satan is the evil one; God is good, and all things good come from God!

JAMES 1:13“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one.”

The caregiver of a spouse with Alzheimer’s asked me to address this misquote of Scripture, as it has been stated to them repeatedly. Consider that, amid their overwhelming daily challenges, someone tells them, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” It’s disturbing and not helpful.

I am very attuned to the challenges of an Alzheimer’s caregiver and understand the irritation this statement implies. It reminded me that when my family lost our Grandson in 2015, this was said to us, prompting unnecessary discussion during a difficult time.

We understand the ignorance behind someone using these words, and we give credit to the “intent of heart,” which is why we are mum about the expression when it’s used.

I hope that bringing attention to this subject will encourage anyone who uses this misquote to recognize its unintended implications, pause, and try to stop repeating it.

Written In Love,

  • Philippians 6:2
  • Galatians 6:2
  • 2 Corinthians 1:8
  • 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
  • James 5:16
  • Galatians 6:2
  • James 2:14-18
  • 1 John 3:17-18
  • Mark 12:31
  • 1 Peter 3:8-9

God First!

Satan loves lies and liars, distorting and twisting is lying

March 18, 2026 / / 0 Comments

If I wrote a book full of incoherent words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs and threw in a few random pictures, I could have a best-selling book, a book of incoherency.

A book that simulates watching the news today, where the goal seems to be to purposely complicate the uncomplicated by twisting every word and distorting every sentence to completely destroy its original intent, where the simplest truth cannot be heard and understood because of the useless but loud chatter of deceptive talking heads.

Simply put, purposely twisting words to apply narratives other than their original intent is lying, and only Satan loves lies.

God tells us:

• “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.” (Proverbs 12:22)

• “Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of My own accord, but He sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.’” (John‬ ‭8‬:‭42‬-‭47‬ ‭ESV‬‬)‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

• “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8

• Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. (Matt 5:37)

God First!

Choices are Real, regret is lifetime.

We have two lines

February 12, 2026 / / 0 Comments

One line promotes the murder of babies, and the other line promotes the protection of life. Our decision is black and white, not gray.

One line promotes evil, the other stands with pure love.

There is no evil in God! God is Love, God is Good, All the time

It’s been pointed out that God is not a Democrat or a Republican. Amen to that! Abortion is not a political decision; it is a right-or-wrong choice.

Jesus is pure love.

If pure love were asked: Is it ok to kill babies in the womb? 
Would pure love answer: Sure, go ahead, or would that be Satan? 


Choices are real, and regrets are lifelong. Choosing the right line is important; I choose the Life-Line of love. Which line do you stand behind?

  • 1 John 4:8
  • Psalms 145:9
  • Psalms 100:4-5
  • Mark 10:18

God First!

Seeding Social Media

Jesus seeds

February 8, 2026 / / 0 Comments

We can plant seeds of evil or seeds of good. Some view social media as a “devil’s playground” because many abuse it. Some air their dirty laundry, some are disrespectful and hateful, some spread gossip, and the list goes on and on. I view Social media as farmland, farmland with equal opportunity to spread good seeds, good thoughts, praise, laughter, accolades, and the message of Christ.

We can just as easily spread seeds that build each other up as we can spread the seeds of Satan. We need to keep in mind that what we like, share, and say on these platforms is an extension of ourselves.

Wouldn’t you love to see social media inundated with uplifting posts, shares, and likes by good people wanting to make positive change? It starts with us.

If we’re not planting good seeds in the farmland, the seeds of weeds Satan plants will take over the land.

God is good; let’s share the goodness in all that we do!

James 3:18 – The seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

  • Matthew 28:19-20
  • Mark 16:15
  • Luke 24:47
  • Ecclesiastes 11:6
  • 1 Corinthians 3:6
  • Galatians 6:9
  • Luke 8:11
  • 2 Corinthians 9:10 – God will supply and multiply your seed for sowing.
  • Hosea 10:12 – Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love.

God First!

The 20-year battle within – Part 2

February 6, 2026 / / 0 Comments

We have now been together for 41 years, not long after we married on Feb 14th 2003, I told Virginia I wanted to go back to Church. This literally scared her, and she bawled. In her mind, my desire equated to me not thinking she was good enough. I assured her this was not the case. When I attended, I would arrive late for Worship and leave immediately. I thought that if people got to know too much about my life, they would try to change it, so I stayed very private at first. However, I remained consistent in my efforts to attend and learn, and eventually began attending all the Bible classes and evening services.
I was also a friend of Jimmy Miller, the minister at the time, whom I had known when I was a faithful teenager, so at that time, I mostly only talked with Jimmy.

Though we had corrected the marital part of our lives, there were other parts of my life that, in light of God’s Word, I thought conflicted with a selfless pursuit of following Christ; however, as my faith and understanding grew through study and application, so did my desire and efforts to address or replace those issues with better choices and habits as well.

Although few knew of my past at the time, I decided to repent publicly and move forward, asking the Church for forgiveness for those wayward years. As I attended, I would invite my wife, but only occasionally, as doing so constantly would irritate her. One Sunday morning, Virginia said yes and went with me. She then began attending with me sporadically, but over time, she came with me to every service and Bible study. Jimmy had some one-on-one Bible studies with us, and Virginia concluded she needed to be baptized into Christ.

My wife had been raised Catholic; she had adopted atheism from her previous husband, who was killed in a motorcycle accident, and on March 23, 2010, about 7 years after our marriage, she was immersed in the waters of baptism for the forgiveness of her sins and became a disciple of Christ, a Christian. During her immersion, it was noticed that her elbow did not go underwater, so they baptized her twice. I then teased her that her sins were so bad she had to be double dunked. 🙂 There is nothing that could make me waver again!

I pray that anyone reading this who may be in a similar situation will begin now, set it right, and never waver again. It’s comforting to have certainty in our souls’ condition, knowing we will spend eternity with Jesus. 1 John 5:13

  • God’s Grace: Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:24, Titus 2:11, Acts 15:11
  • Hearing the Gospel:– Romans 10:17, John 8:32
  • Belief/Faith: – Hebrews 11:1, John 8:24, Romans 10:17, Acts 3:19
  • Repentance of sin: – 2 Cor. 7:9-10, Luke 13:3-5, Acts 17:30
  • Confess Christ: – Romans 10:9-10, Matthew 10:32-33, Luke 12:8-9
  • Baptism by immersion for forgiveness of sin: – Matthew 16:15-16, 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, John 3:5, Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 4:5, Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12, Acts 8:36-39, Mark 1:9-10, John 3:23

God First!

Guard the Soil of your Soul

January 7, 2023 / / 1 Comment

We live in the midst of numerous blessings; Those we recognize and many more we don’t. Thank you, God, for All! Satan knows we always want more, so; he relentlessly seeks to prepare the soil of our souls with selfish desires.

Today, I found myself questioning whether a small thing we do to bring others joy is worth the effort. I know it will someday be meaningful to them, yet the effort often goes unacknowledged. Yesterday I began to think, why don’t we just quit; our efforts won’t even be missed. Nobody cares. It was at this point I realized Satan was tilling the soil of my mind trying to make me feel like we were wasting our time. He was attempting to plant seeds of self-pity and discontentment in order to have me waller in sadness and disappointment so I would give up.

Maybe this, in part, is why God’s Word says:

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

Well, hear this, Satan; if it is good, I will try to do it!

Doing good is not about me; acknowledgment and appreciation are Not My Goals. Doing good is my goal, even if or when the recipients don’t recognize it!

As Jesus said to Peter: “Go away, Satan!”

When I chose to follow Jesus, I did what we find in Luke 11:24-26 in the story of the demons; I swept my house and put it in order. My mind is my house, and Satan and his friends are not welcome here.

“…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).”

Each of us is engulfed in blessings even if we don’t recognize them. I am thankful for all those blessings. If we pay attention, we can catch satan in the act of tilling our minds and planting seeds of destruction in our souls and say: Get away from me, Satan. However big or small, Never give up on doing good!

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow du” to change.” James‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬ ‭

Thank you, Father God, for loving us!

God First!

Let Go and Trust God

November 29, 2021 / / 1 Comment

Forgiveness is natural for the good heart, like the heart of a child. Children forgive and move on. But, unfortunately, it’s often not so quick for the adult heart. A Heart cut deep and fractured with lifelong pain needs to know how to lean on Jesus, trust God, petition God in prayer, and have our prayers well heard. We need to let the God of all comfort help us! Let Him mend our brokenness and restore those childhood hearts.

The evil one will do all he can to inflame our wounds and focus our minds on wrongful thoughts; “Satan’s Will” is that we are consumed and devoured by hate. He wants to steal the joy, satisfaction, and hope we get from striving to do “God’s Will” and follow the teachings of Christ. Satan knows there is no joy in a heart consumed by hatred.

We do, however, have a defense! We can become spiritually equipped to cope with wrongs and the injustices of this world, but are we? Only God can truly help us in all situations, but we must be willing to let Jesus be our Shepard. It doesn’t take great physical strength to let Jesus carry our burdens. It takes faith and commitment to follow God’s will, not our will.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV.

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Romans 12:19 ESV

God’s will, leads to salvation; Satan’s will, leads to destruction. However, we have the freedom to choose, and by God’s grace, we can all have forgiveness by our obedient faith. So – Let go and Trust God.

God First!

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