Mother's Day 2021

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and your mother which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on earth. ( Eph. 6:1-3) Today is Mother's day. Think about Mary, the Mother of Jesus. She carried the Lord of the Universe in her womb and raised Him, caring daily for His needs. Feeding, clothing, putting bandages on His hands and knees. Loving Him as her child. Knowing He was The Savior. Think about your own mother. All the things she may have sacrificed for you to live the life you did. The sleepless nights when you were sick. The 2 jobs she may have worked to keep you fed and clothed. Maybe the abuse she endured from a not so nice father and her attempt to protect you. If your Mom is still on this earth, call her today. Go and visit her if you can. You wippersnappers...don't just send her a text! Isn't your Mom worth more time than that? I want to wish all the Mother a Happy Mother's Day. My Mom, and my son's Mom especially. The things y'all gave up to raise your kids, y'all deserve a medal. And frankly speaking, I know if you truly have Jesus in your heart you will get a crown on that glorious day you meet Jesus! ( You'll cast it back at His feet) but you'll get a reward! I thank God for you both.

He's Alive!

 1 Corinthians15:55 reads "Oh death, where is your victory? Oh death, where is your sting?" And verse 57 states, " but thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." That, my beloved friends is why we as Christians celebrate Easter Sunday! We don't celebrate the renewal of springtime. We don't thank the gods of manmade imagination. The earth, the sun, or the trees of the field do not receive our thanks! We praise and honor the One Who MADE them all! The sacrifice of the blood of Christ and His resurrection from the grave is what we celebrate during this season! Glory to God! That He, in is infinite wisdom and unfailing Love, made THE Way for all who repent and believe in Jesus to be forgiven and have eternal life with Him! The choice is up to you! Do you want to continue living your life filled with no peace, fear, and anger? Or do you want to have that abundant life Jesus promised? The peace that passes all understanding ( Philippians 4:7) Beloved friends. Today is the day of salvation! Jesus loved you! Yes, You! He loved you so much he gave His life in order to have a relationship with you! Nothing you've done is too horrible that it won't or can't be forgiven!( 1 John 1:9 says " If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and will purify us from all unrighteousness." John didn't say only certain sins. He didn't say, purified from some unrighteousness. He said ALL! Give your life to Jesus right now! Don't delay because no one knows how long we have left on this earth. Jesus is waiting for you! Call out to Him today! 

The Truth IS Out There

 I asked a friend of mine, who will be ordained as a Catholic priest in June, How does one get to heaven? His response scared the poop out of me! He said Jesus...but then went on to say Jesus is love, so love is how! When I mentioned that Jesus said He is the only way to heaven, my friend started talking about how many different translations of the Bible there are and no one really knows what Jesus said! And went further telling me anyone who says they understand the Bible, believing a certain way and speaking it as the only way are judging others! In defense of Catholics out there, he is being ordained as an Independent Catholic.. whatever that means. It seems to me that it means 'we believe what we want to believe so we can feel good about ourselves'! Sadly he and many other people are mistaken in their reasoning. My friends, as followers of Christ, we must always be ready to defend the gospel. That's why I'm always reminding y'all to stay in the Word! 1 John 4:1-3 states" Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God; every spirit that confesses that Jesus has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that is coming, and now it is already in the world." It is easy to be swayed by falsehood if we are not grounded in the Word. If we neglect to study the Scriptures we can be overcome by Satan's devices and maybe even lead others astray! See, he had some truth sprinkled in to what my friend said? " Jesus is the way you get to heaven" " Jesus is love." Yes folks these are truths! But the rest is human understanding. Knowledge gained by the flesh NOT discerned by the Holy Spirit which is the only way to understand His Word! Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:14" But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised." My beloved friends. Our enemy, the devil, seeks to discredit and take the power of the Word away from you. He seeks to destroy your very faith in Jesus! Be mindful of the Word of God as we encourage each other in the Lord!

The Power of Positive Thinking

    I was talking to a good friend the other day and he said something that worried me. We were talking about God. Not sure exactly what we were referring to, but what he said confirmed what the Holy Spirit had been telling me about his walk with Christ. He said that ( in summary) Christianity is really just the power of positive thinking. I tried to explain my perspective. For instance, I've done the power of positive thinking thing. When I was practicing witchcraft that's pretty much what you're doing when doing a ritual for say, healing or to build self confidence or give you peace. True Christianity is not and cannot be that! Number 1, the " positive thinking" will not last. The peace you " draw" to yourself never lasts! The healing won't last! You have to keep doing the ritual to " recharge". In contrast Jesus said in John 14:27" Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives." The Psalmist David writes " The LORD gives strength to His people; the LORD blesses His people with peace." (Psalm 29:11).Also in chapter 119 verse 165" Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble." Number 2, the true follower of Christ is not focused on " positive thinking"! They're focused on the relationship they have with Jesus. Their personal relationship that is deepened by reading and studying His Word and praying/ seeking His face! My buddy implied that you're just giving your problem to " something else"". Another " god." He's right in that respect when it comes to anything other then Christianity. See my beloved friends, the difference between Christianity and every other religion, is that our God is alive! Our God is powerful! He is the Alpha and Omega! The beginning and the end! He knows us before we are even conceived in our Mother's womb! He knows the very number of hairs on our head! And He loves us enough to speak to us through His Word and via the Holy Spirit! We don't need to make a statue of our God to worship! They can't talk back anyhow! Even the mouth we carve into their faces cannot speak! I understand a doubting of your faith perhaps. Wondering does God REALLY exist? Oh my friends, heed this warning! " Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him standing firm in the faith." (1Peter 5:8-9a) The devil wants you to doubt which can easily come about by neglecting your relationship with Jesus. Not reading the Bible or praying. That's why I'm always reminding you my beloved friends to stay in the Word and keep in prayer daily! Christianity is NOT a religion. It is a relationship with the Creator God of the universe, Who sent His only Son to atone for our sins so we can have a relationship with Him and have life abundant and eternal!

Family First!

 

Far too often I hear men talking about how no one " looks out for them". This means nobody is sending them $ to buy essentials like hygiene stuff or extra food. It also means nobody is talking to them either. Their family has cut them out. One guy, he's been locked up for 30 years and has been denied parole twice, hasn't heard from his family since he was locked up. Now, this guy got denied again, but they did only "flop" him 5 years instead of 10 so there's hope for him now, that he can't share with any loved ones. Hope that he may be getting out. Yet he has no where to go. No family or friends. How does America expect people like that to stay OUT of prison!? You see, just because those on the outside of these razor topped fences turn their backs on incarcerated people, sure the heck don't mean we do the same! SURPRISE! We still love you! Being alone with no one to say I love you or no one to look forward to seeing once out, well that is a truly demeaning and horrendous feeling! Think about it. Say you've made one or two mistakes hurting the ones you love. You regret what you've done immensely. You feel shame and self hatred every day and especially when the lights go out at night. Yet, these ones you've hurt never speak to you again. They never forgive you. Now, some may say "Good! I hope those jerks suffer and burn in hell!" What does God say? Are we as mere humans above His will? Do we know better then the Creator Who made us!? NO! Forgive and you will be forgiven. Do not judge or you will be judged. Do those people who've turned their backs on the inmates know that these people are not forgotten by Father God and if they've repented & sought forgiveness they are new creatures and made righteous in the sight of God Almighty! 2 Corinthians 5:17 says " Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!" I'm no Greek scholar, but I looked up that word " anyone" and get this...it means ANY. ONE! Wow right!? Murders. Rapist. Thieves. Adulterers. Addicts. Liar. Anyone! Glory to God! If Father God can forgive why can't you? Now, I understand how hard it is. Being hurt and abused. Lied to. It's not easy to forgive cuz we want justice dangit!! Being in prison, according to the laws of the land is supposed to be justice for victims. So why prolong and hold onto the hate and offense we feel from the perpetrators?! It hurts you too. These are your family! Learn how to forgive. Do it for yourself first, then for your family who's locked up behind bars. If it wasn't for knowing, truly knowing Jesus as their Lord, many of these men would have taken their own lives because of the shame and regret of the crime they committed and the extra weight of the family who've turned against them! Jesus is the way the truth and the life! Seek His face today. Dive into His Word. He will show you the way to freedom.

Are you Brokenhearted?

 Brokenness has been on my heart here lately. Having a broken heart , well, hurts! Many of us have felt this, or are currently living in the midst of this pain. Your loved one died, your spouse left you, the dog died, you had an abortion, you've done something very wrong/illegal. All these things can lead to a broken heart. Well, what can we do to be healed and restored from this affliction? The Bible says Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted. ( Isaiah 61:1) Psalms 147:3 "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pain and their sorrows] People who are living with a broken heart may feel depressed, angry, or like the weight of the world is on them. This brokenness will affect their relationships with others and with God. They may lash out in anger. Or try to just ignore/pretend God or the person/thing that hurt them doesn't exist or never happened. Beloved friends, you don't have to live like that! Read and meditate on Psalms 145: 14-21. Father God IS near! For those who have called Jesus Lord and Savior, remember this; you have the Holy Spirit living inside you! The Comforter! The very same power that raised Jesus from the grave resides in you! Your body is the temple of God! The weight you're carrying can be lifted! You can be free from the anger and depression! The verse that started this ministry, Psalms 16:8, " I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand I will not be shaken". Reading on, David goes on to say, "Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will also rest secure, because You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will You let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of Life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand."( NIV) You see my friends, for those who are followers of Christ, the Maker of Heaven and Earth has promised you joy and peace and eternal rest! Yes, this verse is also speaking of eternity. When we as His children die, we won't see decay or death . Our spirit will go from our body and be with Jesus in Heaven immediately upon the last heartbeat! Give those burdens to Jesus! Forgive if it is needed. Whomever hurt you must be forgiven in order for you to be healed! Repent and seek forgiveness from God, and forgive yourself, if you've sinned or broken the law of the land. We here at Target Jesus Ministries want you to be free! We want you to live that abundant life Jesus promised in John 10:10! The only way to do so is through Jesus Christ! Give Him your life and you can live in healing and freedom and peace!

My Prayer for you is Victory!

 Sitting here watching Hillsong Worship which I do often and let me just be real. I've done this for years, as I watch I hope that I see the faces of Jerri, Valerie, Natalie, and Cindy. I am praying while watching and listening to the Praise and Worship music. Praying that one day I see the faces of the one's I've hurt with upturned faces and lifted hands worshiping our Father God. Even my sister. I used to love watching her praise God in that little country church! Her face shining bright singing her little heart out. I long to see that again. See y'all, I know what it's like to live in the ruts and pits of your past. The shame and regret and anger. The bitterness you may feel every day you wake up. Thinking why did this happen to me!? Why did God let this happen!? I will never forgive whoever it was that hurt me! Beloved friends, it doesn't have to be that way! Why is it that I thank God for not only the salvation, but the victorious life in Christ that these women will live? It's because salvation saves your spirit, and the Word shows you how to live victoriously through Christ Jesus. If the preachers that preached in our church ever did a sermon on how to live victoriously, it never took with me I figure! So, now I'm here in prison, because of the physical and sexual abuse I went through and how it shaped my thought process . I am also now, able to show you the way to victory! I've lived through the pain. And I am stronger for it! Jesus IS the way! He is the way out of the darkness that threatens to consume you! He can ease the burdens you've carried for years! The abuse you endured is NOT your fault! You can let the past go. Forgive yourself ( I know I had to), for allowing it to happen to me and for me allowing myself to repeat it. " Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you, Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor let it be fearful."(John 14:27) Forgiveness is good for you, period. Matthew 6:14-15 states;" For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." That abuser will no longer have sway over your thoughts or feelings. The betrayal you feel can be healed. The weight you carry will be lifted! That's why I pray to see these people worshiping God! He IS love! He IS peace! Put your trust in Him today and dive into His Word! Let it transform you and mold you into a Christ like mind! Do so today! No one knows how long they have left in earth and haven't you lived in pain long enough!?

Another day in Infamy?! 1/6/2021

 

Never in all my life did I think I'd live to see the sites I saw yesterday! I'm not really one to discuss political stuff as I'm sure you can see, but dang! Those radicalized Trump supporters especially the ones waving the "Jesus" flag, "Jesus Saves" banner, and " Jesus 2021" flag. You did nothing but dishonor the God you profess to serve and discredit true followers of Christ! But Nick, you might say, ' We're standing up for injustice! We're showing the world Jesus!' What Jesus would say to you is a resounding NO, you are not! Folks did you know that as Christians we are expected to follow the examples of Jesus? When did Jesus ever break the law? When did He pose a threat to life and liberty of humans? When asked about paying taxes or not Jesus said " Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." ( Matthew 22:20) Watching these people breaking the law and while doing so putting their lives and the lives of the Vice President and The House, while waving the flag of Jesus just sickens me. Now, I'm a firm believer in lawful protests. Peaceful protests. When you break through barriers and then force your way into a structure what do you accomplish?! Did you have a goal or was it just a mob mentality?! And four people lost their lives because of your ignorance and the disobeying of the God you supposedly represented? To the rest of the world: this is not how all Christians behave! Just like the radicalism of a few Muslims don't represent the religion as a whole! I'm not the smartest tool in the cookie jar, I'm also not a fan of the so called Justice System, yet even I can see after over 50 cases being thrown out for insufficient evidence that there was no widespread voter fraud! And ask my Ex, I'm all for a good conspiracy theory! This man in the White House is so full of pride he couldn't or wouldn't take the time to forcefully tell this mob to cease and desist! As followers of Christ we are called to obey the laws of the land and yes, stand up if something goes against the Word of God. We are NOT however called to storm a federal building with VIP's or smash windows and violate their spaces! Those who were a part of this, read your sign and think about those words " Jesus Saves". Indeed He does! Even you! Repent! You broke the law of the land and the Word of God! We are to show love to our enemies, not overtake them!(Matthew 5:44) We must join together as one as followers of Christ and show the Love of Jesus so the world can truly see that Jesus Saves! He gave His life for you so that you may live eternally with Him! Call out to Him, give Him your life right now! He'll give you peace!

Talking to My Son Nick's Log

 My son turned 13 on January second. Another Birthday I can't see him face to face or call him to wish him a Happy Birthday. I get that it's my fault I'm behind bars, that sure the heck don't make it easier on him or me. I'd begun to wonder whether he wanted to communicate with me. Most times when we'd have a chance to talk on the phone ( Thanks Mom!) he'd seem distracted or like he'd rather be doing anything else..LOL However I realize most kids these days may not know how to communicate properly thanks to technology ie; texting! He called my Mom asking her if I'm allowed to talk to him. Mom of course said yes. He then told her to give me his number! I'll tell y'all, when Mom said that, tears came to my eyes. Yeah I know, I'm the big bad guy..but it's the truth! I was so happy that Caleb wanted to talk to me, wow. My prayers were being answered! I'd just sent him a hand written letter for Christmas and wondered if that's why he asked on that day. My Mom was going to set it up so I can call him Monday after school, but I told her to tell his Mom. See folks, I have never and will never tell Caleb anything bad about his Mom. I will however not lie to him if he asks why I never called him or wrote him. I pray he received what I've written via Jpay or mail! I've just received word that his Mother doesn't want me to have his number and that we should do a 3 way call first. Number One, why?! I'm sure she's at least read what I've written to him and I always try to include something positive about her when I write. I sure ain't going to talk smack because I will NOT ever try to dishonor her or sow discord in their relationship! Number Two, we aren't even allowed to do 3 way calls! ( Sigh ) I'll tell you what, I thank God He IS the God of reconciliation! The God I serve is powerful and able! So the good news is, He has answered my prayer and is working on the second part. Which is the softening of her heart and reconciliation between us. Not marriage.. she's married already, but open communication between us both and forgiveness. Our child deserves it. We both Love him, he needs us both!

2020 In the Bag!

 Another year has gone by. I'll tell you what, 2020 was a whopper! And not the yummy kind with onions!! Fires raging, hurricanes right on top of each other, then Covid...and the icing on the cake, a President of the United States destroying democracy as we know it with his false and unproven claims of a stolen election! My question to you is; where are your eyes? Where is it that you are focused on? The scary stuff all around? Fears of starvation, no money for bills, no toilet paper?! Did you forget that God, the Creator of the universe has provided for your needs in the past? Sometimes I forget, yet then I cry out to God, asking for help. And guess what!? God provides! It happens to me quit a bit locked up in here even! I have a set amount of money to spend per month on extra food and hygiene items. On many occasions I've almost ran out. Yet somehow someone comes along and gives me the items I needed without me saying a word! Or the prison gets a donation from ministries like Joyce Myers. Beloved friends, this is called the favor of God! " My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in Glory!" Which is a great old song we used to sing in Church. It also happens to be Scripture based on Philippians 4:19. As followers of Jesus Christ we must keep our eyes always on the prize! Yes, it's hard living in a world so corrupt with sin and death, but Jesus is our hope! Through His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary we have an eternal hope! Jesus said he came to give us life abundant! (John 10:10) Not only eternal life, but abundant life while here on this earth. Am I preaching a " get rich with Jesus " message, heck no! I'm saying to you, God WILL supply all we need when we put our trust in Him! As parents we give good gifts to our kids right? Father God owns the cattle on a thousand hills and since we are only human, how much better gifts can He give to us His children!? Please my beloved friends, I implore you in the name of Jesus to keep your eyes on the One Who gives Life abundant! Stay grounded in the Word. Meditate on scriptures daily. Keep in prayer, be thankful for the grace that has been given to you as the chosen ones of God Almighty! Happy New Year y'all!