Duckduckgo And Microsoft Help Scammers Cheat People

1st Timothy 6:11-12, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”

I was scammed a few weeks ago on Duckduckgo. Hurricane Isaias hit Pensacola on October 9th, 2026, doing major damage to my home and neighborhood. A large tree branch caused impact damage on the northeast corner of my roof. I can see light through the damaged area where wood, fascia and soffits are missing. My front storm door was ripped off its hinges. My fence got smashed like a pancake by a 50 foot oak tree that was pulled up by the roots.

Before the power went out it was fluctuating, which sensitive electronic equipment doesn't like. My Cobra wireless security camera system stop working. So I went on Duckduckgo to look for an exact replacement and found one, so I thought. Here is the ad. These are all scammers!

I ordered the center one from Sopiqu for $75.69. I didn't see the cheaper one for $30.99 at the time I ordered it on October 27th. I paid about $200 in 2023 at Harbor Freight for my system, which came with two cameras. I ordered two more for about $100 a piece. The model number is 63842. I figured it was cheaper because it is an older model. So I used my VISA credit card to pay for the Cobra system from Rosellaflash.com, which is what the confirmation email receipt says.

The company is allegedly based in Grand Rapids, South Dakota. There is no business phone number, which is highly suspicious. The only email is vip@rosellaflash.com, but when I emailed them twice no one ever replied. My order number is “Rosella Flash1286.” The company never gave me an expected delivery date. After two weeks of not hearing from the company, and not receiving anything, I called Chase Bank (VISA) to report the Rosellaflash company. The representative from Chase Bank in India said I likely had been scammed, so she credited my account for $75.69, which I appreciate from Chase Bank.

Duckduckgo And Microsoft Should Be Ashamed

Dear reader, I hope you are seeing what I am seeing, that Duckduckgo and Microsoft are facilitating blatant scammers and fraud. I mentioned this ordeal to ChatGPT, which A.I. revealed that Microsoft places 95% of these advertisements on Duckduckgo, and these unethical companies (Microsoft, Duckduckgo and the scammers) all make money from the corrupt ads. It is the naive consumer who gets cheated, robbed and burned!

One of my favorite Bible passages is Isaiah 13:11, “And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.” It can't happen soon enough for me. I am so sick of the thievery, deception and greed. We are living in a very unethical culture in the United States. People don't even hesitate to lie, cheat, connive and steal today.

All of the fake companies in the screenshot I shared with you earlier are scammers! They all falsely claim to sell Cobra's Wireless Security System Model #63842 for a steeply discounted price. Yet, all of their websites exclusively display women's clothing. There is no company phone number. They are lying, good for nothing, thieves! What bothers me so much is that Duckduckgo and Microsoft and empowering them to hurt people with impunity.

When it comes to technology, I am just a naive nobody consumer with a laptop, and if I can clearly see (after getting burned) that these are fraudulent companies, don't anyone dare try to convince me that giant companies like Duckduckgo and Microsoft with all their lawyers, employees and resources don't see this evil garbage. It makes me angry. If you're not upset, you're not paying attention. I just got scammed by a crooked company that only exists on paper to deceive their victims. It couldn't be more obvious that the owners of Microsoft and Ducksuckgo couldn't care less that people are being scammed and cheated. Everybody is making lots of money except the victimized consumer whose time and money are wasted.

And I did report these fake ads to Duckduckgo as fraudulent, and I told the company that I had been victimized, but the evil fake ads are still there. I wonder if anyone at Duckduckgo even bothers to read user's complaints. We've got a serious problem with willful fraud in American society today. These big companies are making trillions of dollars from advertising.

Amazon Is No Better

Amazon.com is another shady dishonest company, which has outsourced all management to foreign countries, mostly India. I really hate Amazon! They have a great business model, but abusive customer support, woefully ignorant of American culture, and poor management.

When I mentioned in a movie review that it reminded me of “The Little Rascals,” I received a ridiculous threatening notice from Amazon's Abuse Department warning me that my account would be terminated if I continued using “Hate Speech.” Hate speech? Some fool in India thought I was calling children “little rascals.” They weren't familiar with the popular 1970s TV show The Little Rascals. When I called the guy an “idiot,” they banned me from writing any more reviews. I actually took the time to write an apology letter, which I mailed to Amazon's headquarters in Seattle, Washington, but they refused to forgive me and upheld the ban. What saith the Scripture? Matthew 6:15, “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Woe unto Amazon! Woe unto Jeff Bezos!

Amazon is a heathen company run by ungodly reprobates who have no love, compassion, sense of decency or forgiveness. They are cold-hearted and only want your money. To no surprise, there have been 61,436 complaints in the last 3 years against Amazon at the Better Business Bureau (BBB), mostly unresolved. Amazon has a very low 1.11 star rating at the BBB. I wish I had the power to punish Amazon, to put them out of business permanently for their abuse of customers.

Check out the following fraudulent ad on Duckduckgo from Amazon...

I searched Duckduckgo for a replacement camera for my Cobra Wireless Security Camera System, and Amazon falsely advertises that they sell Cobra wireless camera systems, but they do not. I couldn't find even one Cobra security camera on Amazon. The company lies to hog the market!

Type “buy pedal steel guitar” into a search engine. Any search engine, it doesn't matter. I typed “buy pedal steel guitar” into Duckduckgo, and this shady advertisement from Amazon appeared at the top...

The problem is that Amazon does not sell any pedal steel guitars, which expensive quality instrument costs several thousand dollars. An Emmons' D-10 lacquer body pedal steel guitar sells for around $13,000 from the Emmons Guitar Company in Tennessee. Amazon does sell many lap steel guitars for a few hundred dollars, but they don't sell pedal steel guitars. So why is Amazon lying to deceive people? They are hoping to lure you to their website so that you'll see an alternative product and purchase anything, just to get your money.

Amazon takes in roughly $750,000,000,000 each year in revenues, but that's not enough, they choose to be dishonest and lie to get the rest of your money.

God Will Someday Put A Leash On This Evil World

I sometimes wish to God that I had dictatorial power to do whatever I want, to whomever I want to do it, and no one could do anything to hinder or stop me. Boy, that sounds scary, huh? One day we will have that power as God's children. The Bible teaches in Revelation 20:6 that during the coming one thousand year Millennium that we as God's saints “shall reign with him a thousand years.” Humbly said, if the Lord puts me in charge of a region, with unlimited power, I will rule my city with a rod of iron, under the kingship of our dear Lord and Savior:

Revelation 2:26-27, “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.”

I always thought this passage spoke of Jesus, but that's not what it says. The Bible says His saints will reign over the nations with a rod of iron, and I would indeed. Let me tell you some of my ideas. I would ban fine print in advertising. I loathe those ambulance-chasing attorney television commercials. I see them all the time on YouTube. Their lawyer ads can barely fit all the tiny fineprint onto the TV screen, which disclaimer is all legally intended to limit, disqualify, disarm, victimize and render you powerless in court.

Why do you think people hate attorneys? Jesus didn't like lawyers either! Luke 11:46, “And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.” Lawyers prey upon people during the darkest hours of their lives, ravishing your bank account, taking financial advantage of hurting people. I once heard a female attorney on TV say that a good lawyer can take away money from anyone with deep pockets. She was right!

I would ban fine print. I would require all businesses to print their disclaimers in the same size, color and format as their advertising. I am tired of shady companies advertising with bold, bright, flashing text, but then their legal disclaimer (the bad stuff that can hurt you) is so small that it's barely legible and you need a law degree (or ChatGPT) or understand it.

Also, I would not allow any false advertising, and I would hold scammers severely accountable. The Old Testament's laws for dealing with thieves would be implemented. I would not allow prisons. God never intended for humans to be locked in cages like animals.

And I would outlaw automated phone answering systems. I hate those stupid annoying things. Ah yes, Godlike powers. It's a wonderful thought. The Bible foretells that we shall reign over the earth with Christ in the future. The Bible says we shall judge angels. 1st Corinthians 6:3, “Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?”

If you live in the United States, then you know how frustrating our justice system can be. You also know how unjust it can be. We have often seen U.S. companies commit blatant fraud for decades and make tens of billions of dollars in profits. And then a class action lawsuit is eventually filed and the court awards the victims $500 million in damages (most of which is legally stolen by the lawyers), which is a slap on the wrist for the ungodly crooked company. This disturbing shady scenario is all too common. The usual outcome is that the government takes a third, the lawyers take a third, and the thousands of victims are lucky if they receive a $2,500 payout to offset their tens of thousands of dollars in individual personal losses.

And I hate crooked insurance companies too. Hurricane Gloria struck Connecticut in 1985, bringing damaging winds, coastal flooding, and widespread power outages. A separate Texas class-action investigation found that dishonest insurers had deliberately underpaid approved homeowners’ claims by deducting too much for depreciation; it was not specific to Gloria or Connecticut. This type of evil dishonest behavior is all too common with insurance companies. For that reason I try to avoid buying insurance unless it is legally required.

If you ever buy a concert ticket for $140 and they offer you insurance for $10 or $20, don't purchase it. I'll tell you why. They are thieves! Read the fine print. It says if a mother goes into labor, they won't pay a dime. If you suffered a heart attack or a stroke, and you previously had any existing underlying health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure, they won't pay. And if you get into a car accident, you must have a police report, and even then it is solely at their discretion if they will refund your money They are ungodly crooks!

State Farm Insurance Cheated Me

Years ago in the early 1990s, I paid extra to State Farm for Uninsured Motorist clause on my policy. A foreigner drunk driver struck my car. He drove off. I cut in front of him to stop him, but he just slammed into the other side of my car. He struck at least 5 or 6 parked cars along the way, doing extensive damage. The accident happened in Chicago, but I followed him home to Cicero, watching the drunken fool stumble into his apartment.

In a disturbing twist, the lazy Cicero, Illinois, police said since the accident happened in Chicago, they couldn't take the police report. The lazy Chicago police said since the criminal lived in Cicero, they couldn't take the police report. I detest lazy cops! So, I had no choice but to go to a different precinct and lie to the Chicago police by telling them that I had no idea where the man lived. They had to take the report.

As it turns out, my State Farm agent told me that the drunken guy was an illegal immigrant from Mexico, had no driver's license and no insurance. My 1973 Cutlass Oldsmobile with a 350 Rocket engine sustained a few thousand dollars in damage to the body. There were no scratches or dents prior to the drunken driver smashing into my car twice. My agent said the damages far exceeded the Blue Book value of my car. State Farm issued me a whopping check for $400 to repair $3,000 of damages. At no time did anyone at State Farm warn me that they wouldn't pay more than the Blue Book value of my car. I found out that you have to purchase collector's insurance.

And I'll tell you something else, in 99% of fire insurance it says in the fine print that they WILL NOT replace your home if it burns to the ground. They'll do the same thing as with my car; they'll issue you a ridiculously low payment because of the old age of your home. Insurance companies notoriously use fine print to cheat people, knowing that without a lawyer you'll never be able to understand all that legal jargon and complicated terminology. Thankfully, nowadays you can literally scan and upload any contract to ChatGPT and the A.I. will explain it to tell, and warn you about the important stuff. I absolutely hate insurance companies!

The Golden Rule Condemns Them All

Jesus warned in Matthew 7:1-2 that by what measure we judge others, we shall be judged. “  Matthew 7:12, ”Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” I have no doubt that Duckduckgo and Microsoft have a bunch of cute but lame excuses to justify their shady business practices, but that won't fly with God. The bottom line is that people are being scammed and hurt, while these big companies do nothing to stop it.

The burden shouldn't be placed upon consumers to find, expose and try to stop these ungodly thieves who prey upon the public, while these billion dollar companies continue facilitating these conniving evildoers with impunity. Where is justice? Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Fear The Lord And You Will Dwell In Safety

Proverbs 1:29-33, “For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.”

I was listening the book of Proverbs today and this passage caught my attention, especially the last verse of chapter one. Proverbs 1:33, “But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” Who wouldn't want to dwell in safety? Who wouldn't want to be quiet from fear of evil? People make most of their own problems. We all desperately need God's wisdom, which is why I was listening to Proverbs today. The fear of God is the beginning, middle and end of wisdom (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Ladies and gentleman, we are living in a generation of fools who do not fear God. I enjoy playing the pedal steel guitar. I began learning and playing pedal steel in 1992 and I have never lost the passion for it. I think the steel guitar is the most beautiful sound this side of Heaven. I also love to play the 5-string banjo, but pedal steel will always be my first love musically. I thank God for the opportunity to play such a beautiful and expressive instrument.

That being said, I like to watch the Grand Ole Opry sometimes on Roku. I look for Tommy White (a member of the staff band) playing his pedal steel guitar. Unfortunately, singer Alan Jackson is right that country music is dead. To be honest, I switch channels often because I cannot tolerate the rockabilly, rock and hop hop garbage that they mix with country music, producing obnoxious noise these days. What they call music today I call garbage! I know that Tommy White is an amazing musician who could amaze the audience if they would allow him to play from his heart, but they keep him on a leash, limiting his musical ability. It is sad.

Moreover, and the reason why I brought up the Grand Old Opry, is because they are wicked people. A new uprising artist calls himself “Jelly Roll” (real name: Jason Bradley DeFord, born 1984) an annoying looking creepy guy covered with prison tattoos all over his face. Now, I have a right to my own opinion. I think anyone who covers their face with tattoos has serious self esteem and mental issues. Normal people don't abuse themselves like that. Those tattoos are permanent marks of the world. That being said, Jelly Roll has a beautiful singing voice.

Last night I heard Jelly Roll tell the audience at the Grand Old Opry in Nashville that he has a Christian faith and is still going to rehab for help. He told the audience that they can also have a relationship with Jesus without listening to religious hypocrites who judge others. It is clear from listening to his rhetoric that Jelly Roll has a lot of emotional baggage, and a negative attitude toward fundamentalist Christians who take a stand against sin.

In a 2020 Facebook post, Jelly Roll shamefully wrote: “I refuse to engage in any kind of negativity with anyone. I will not entertain anything that is not about lifting people up or helping people out…" He added, “I don't care what your race, political agenda, personal sexual preference or religion is. You'll never hear me in any of those arguments.” Do you think his $20,000,000 net worth might have something to do with his refusal to side with the righteous?

In October of 2025 Jelly Roll performed a concert for the Roman Catholic Vatican, wickedly bidding Godspeed to false prophets (2nd John 1:11). Clearly, Jelly Roll is pulling on the same rope as the Devil, a friend of the world. James 4:4, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” You cannot remain neutral, regardless of who you are. Sorry Jelly Roll! By supporting LGBTQ+ homosexual perversion, and supporting the biggest Satanic religious cult on the planet, Jelly Roll has brought God's judgment upon himself. There is no middle ground between the world and God.

When Jelly Roll told the audience at the Opry that they could still have a relationship[ with Christ without listening to what religious judgmental people say, the entire audience loudly applauded. It is open season on fundamentalist Christians (the righteous) today.

A neo-evangelical pastor and church is a shameful disgrace, in trouble with the Lord. Proverbs 29:27, “An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.” I do not hate anyone and do not bash homosexuals, but you will NEVER find me bidding Godspeed, hobnobbing, supporting or talking favorably toward their ungodly perverted so-called “community” of LGBTQ+ unrepentant sinners. It is not a “phobia” to call a sin a sin. Homosexuality is a sin. It that offends Jelly Roll then he needs to repent and get right with God.

Beware of Jelly Roll because he is a dangerous ecumenical and sinful influence. Satan loves when a famous person claims to be a “Christian,” but they also support homosexuals, abortion, immodesty and all manner of worldliness and sin. Proverbs 14:2, “He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.” The wicked homosexual mob despise God and His holy Bible. The Devil is a clever deceiver and liar. He has made the church worldly, so that now the world is becoming more churchy.

The true Church of whom Jesus Christ is the Head will NEVER accept unrepentant homosexuals as members in good standing into their midst. Sin must be reproved. 1st Timothy 5:20, “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.” Fools like Jelly Roll can condemn godly preachers who cry aloud against sin, but the truth cannot be overthrown. Job 20:5, “That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?”

I don't like Jelly Roll. He is an annoying clown. In the old days, Hank Williams and Roy Rogers wore dress shirts, ties and a suit when they performed music. Today, singers wear jeans with torn out knees, covered in prison style tattoos from head to toe, with pierced lips and ears wearing slave-like nose rings. I saw Lainey Wilson sing last night and she looked like a whore, wearing skin tight black leather pants. Immodesty is wickedness! On her website she appears with a sinful whorish impudent look (Proverbs 7:10-13). This is the ungodly world.

Is Jelly Roll really a Christian? I have my doubts. He says he has a “relationship” with Jesus, but so also did Judas Iscariot. Jelly Roll says he has found redemption through “his music.” That is not how you get to Heaven. He speaks with extremely vague and ambiguous terms that could fit into any religion's faith without offending them. Remember, Jelly Roll sang for the hellbound Pope and wickedly bid Godspeed to the Satanic Roman Catholic Vatican. If Jelly Roll is a born again Christian, he is as worldly and messed up and immature as they come!

I wouldn't give you a dime for the Grand Old Opry today, which is nothing more than a collection of wicked sinners who do not fear God. They ALL openly support homosexuals. Lest they commit career suicide, the entertainers are terrified to be labeled as “homophobic”; a Satanic disparaging term given by wicked homosexuals to the righteous who oppose their filthy ways. It is not a “phobia” to call a sin a sin. I fear God, and if you are smart you will too. Proverbs 19:23, “The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.”

The women who sing on the Grand Old Opry are boisterous, lacking femininity, openly immodest, covered in ugly worldly tattoos, mostly divorced and bask in the idolatry heralded upon them by the worldly fans. Ecumenical Christianity is of the Devil. In 2nd Corinthians 6:17b God commands believers to “come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord.” God doesn't want us uniting in sin and error; He wants us to divide over morality and truth! Shame on Dolly Parton (1946-2026) for supporting homosexuals.

Do you understand dear reader that the issue is not about loving people? The ungodly LGBTQ+ mob want Christians to accept them in their unrepentant state, to affirm their deathstyle. The Luciferian powers behind the controlled media, news and White House want to normalize homosexuality in America. Their sinister goal is the destruction of the family and Christianity. For anyone to claim faith in Jesus Christ, while at the same time approving of open sin, is blasphemy against God. That is heathendom, not the fear of God!

According to this sick wicked world, since God is love we should just all stay quiet about our convictions concerning sin, and openly welcome homosexuals into our normal communities; and no one had better dare say a negative word, or else the heathen world will demonize and persecute that righteous person for telling the truth (John 15:19; 2nd Timothy 3:12). Psalms 118:6, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?”

God Is Greater Than Our Heart

1st John 3:18-22, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”

Proverbs 15:3, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”

I struggled for quite some time trying to understand what verse 20 means, “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.” I absolutely love that precious truth, “God is greater than our heart.” We have all experienced guilt over our sins and failures in life. Some would call it “religious scrupulosity.”

Religious scrupulosity is a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) characterized by intrusive thoughts about moral or religious issues, leading to excessive guilt and compulsive behaviors aimed at alleviating that guilt. SOURCE

1st John 3:18-22 emphasizes that true love is demonstrated through actions rather than just words, urging Christian believers to show their love in practical ways. It also reassures that when we act in love, we can have confidence before God, even if our heart may sometimes condemn us. That truth caught my attention, that God is greater than my heart, and even when I feel bad about my life, feeling like I am a failure as a child of God, the Lord sees the big picture. Proverbs 15:3, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” I think most of us read this passage of Scripture and walk away thinking that God only sees the bad things we do, but the Bible says God also sees THE GOOD that we do.

It has been said that the Devil always calls Christians by our sins, but God calls us by our name (Genesis 35:10). That is so true. The heathen world defines believers by our sins. If you doubt that, go look up famous preachers like Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) on Wikipedia. They even blame him for the alleged sexual sins of former associates, alumni and staff at the college. Yet, if you go read about the heavy metal band Van Halen's frontman David Lee Roth who has bragged throughout his evil career of having been a whoremonger with thousands of whores, Wikipedia is silent. Now read John 15:19, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

1 John 3:20 means that even when our heart condemns us for our sins, we can find comfort in knowing that God is greater than our feelings and understands everything about us. These verses emphasize God's supreme knowledge and love, reassuring believers that He knows our true intentions and struggles. Proverbs 24:12, “If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?”

The inspired Scripture speaks about inner peace that comes from living authentically for Christ. When our actions align with God’s will for our life, we experience a profound sense of peace and assurance, even when our heart or conscience might condemn us. This is living in the fear of God. Psalms 119:67, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. ...It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” 

Many Christians have to learn the hard way, as did David in the Old Testament. David testified in this passage that before he was afflicted with chastisement, persecution and shame for his sins of pride, idleness, adultery and murder, he went astray. But after suffering for his iniquities, the fallen king had learned to fear and obey God (Ecclesiastes 12:13). I think all of us can relate to David to some degree.

That being said, we all feel down about ourselves sometimes. We are creatures of emotion. I once heard Pastor Jack Hyles say in a sermon that the best Christian in the church auditorium probably feels like the worst Christian there, and the worst Christian probably thought they were doing pretty good. You see, the closer you draw unto our holy God, the more wretched you will see yourself.

That is why the prophet Isaiah said in Isaiah 6:5, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” That is why the Apostle Peter fell down at Jesus feet and said in Luke 5:8b, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” The better of a Christian you become, the more sinful you will feel. That is a very good thing, because the only direction from the bottom is up.

But God is greater than our heart as 1st John 3:20 teaches. I humbly believe this verse is simply teaching that whereas we oftentimes dwell upon our own areas of weakness, failure and sin, God sees the whole shebang. God sees the good things that we do. The Lord knows our deepest thoughts, motivations and sincerity or lack thereof (Psalms 139:1-6). Nothing is ever hidden from the eyes of God. NOTHING! Hebrews 4:13, “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

So, when you feel down on yourself, or guilt over past sins come back to haunt you, just remember that God sees all the good things you do too. God sees when I grab that idle shopping cart a customer left in the parking lot. I take loose carts back into the store because I care, and I care because I am a Christian. God sees when I pick up a piece of litter on the ground and put it into a nearby garbage pail. God sees that I care. Most people dismiss those hundreds of small acts of kindness, concern and responsible behavior, but you can be assured dear reader that God sees everything...

Matthew 10:29-31, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

God sees the bird that falls from the sky. He sees the squirrel that you gave a walnut to. The Lord knows the exact changing number of hairs upon your head, and the total number of stars in the unknown universe. God never needs to remember anything. Nothing ever occurs to Him. I know who holds tomorrow, and I am going to trust Him. God is greater than my heart. Just because I sometimes feel wrong, guilty or inferior as an imperfect Christian, doesn't mean that God sees me that way. It has been wisely said that God remembers the things we forget, and we remember the things that God forgets.

That all being said, my goal each day is to live my life in the fear of God in obedience to His inspired Word. Despite whatever guilt, sadness, conviction or failure that I might feel at times, I just decided years ago to place all of those feelings into God's hands for judgment, and not to worry about them or place emphasis upon them. Feelings are often misleading.

To be honest, I always feel like the worst Christian in the world. I feel like I let my dear Savior down every day. I feel so vulnerable, inadequate and inferior. But those are mere common human feelings. God is greater than my heart so that He knows the whole story, and God sees the things that I overlook, dismiss and forget. Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” It's been rightly said that God remembers what we forget, and God forgets what we remember.

The inspired Word of God warns us against leaning (relying) upon our own human understanding. Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” God knows who is trying to do right, and who doesn't care about doing what is right.

I believe that is what the Bible means in 1st John 3:20. If our heart condemn us unjustly, God sees the big picture and He is the keeper of our soul. The truth to be learned is don't trust our frail human feelings, trust upon the Lord. Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”

One Of The Great Secrets To Enjoying Life

Proverbs 20:21, “An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.”

Proverbs 21:20, “There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.”

I couldn't think of a good Bible passage to go along with what I have to say, but these are all great truth passages. The first passage from Proverbs 20:21 could perfectly fit the Prodigal Son. He got his inheritance hastily and spent it all before he knew he was broke.

The second passage goes along with the first passage. We've all heard about reckless Hollywood multi-millionaire celebrities who foolishly spent every dollar they ever earned. A wise man retains riches. Proverbs 11:16, “A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches.”

I have learned that one of the secrets to enjoying life is to take plenty of time to acquire things. I recently bought a Huber VRB-3 banjo with a radiused neck. I spent about one year looking at different banjos, watching many videos, reading lots of articles, listening to audio files of various banjos, et cetera. I saved up and paid cash. I really enjoyed that process of taking my time before buying anything. I actually enjoy the time preparing to buy something as much if not more than acquiring the purchase.

And that is a secret that I have learned, to better enjoy life. People who must gratify themselves immediately, and then pay for it later, never truly enjoy life. When I see someone driving a new SUV as big as a garage, I cannot help but feel sorry for them, knowing that 99% of them went into massive debt to acquire it. Dealerships now offer 8-year loan packages, which I think it insane and foolish. I paid cash for my 2013 Honda FIT when I bought it in 2021.

I saw a Gold Tone banjo advertisement today for their new OB-175 banjo. PayPal popped up inside the ad and said, "Play now and pay later" on credit. That is a terrible idea dear reader. Who can “play now” and enjoy something that you're already in debt for, and that dark cloud hangs over your head? I would much rather save up the money, learning all about whatever it is that I want to acquire, having fun deciding what I want, comparing products, and then when I have enough money saved up down the road, pay cash and enjoy the item when it is fully paid for. That makes good sense to me.

I think the vast majority of Americans today, especially this younger spoiled rotten generation, have the wrong attitude. They are spoiled and feel entitled. I have learned to save up the money first, and enjoy the preparation period as much as buying the item. I have enjoyed the last year looking at dozens of different banjos. It's fun to enjoy looking, comparing and learning for months before you buy something. Take your time. Save up money to pay cash.

Likewise, I am now enjoying learning about banjo bridges (which affect tone) and will take my time before I buy anything, and I'll buy a couple and then see how they sound, and go from there, instead of ordering a bunch of bridges all at once. Most people don't know how to enjoy life anymore. If you have to always buy things to be happy, you'll never be happy.

The same can be said about courtship leading up to marriage. There was something priceless, sweet and beautiful about the courtship period in the old days a century ago. We see courtship in Brian Wilson's beautiful song, "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys. That is my favorite song by the Beach Boys. Today, teenagers are horribly encouraged by Walt Disney and Hollywood to "score" (fornicate outside of marriage - Hebrews 13:4), which ruins the specialness and sacredness of marriage. Premarital sex has ruined courtship. I think that is a crying shame. Young people are missing out on the joy of courtship, of waiting until their marriage day to have sex (carnal knowledge) for the first time, preserving its specialness.

I have learned to enjoy life more by enjoying the time before buying something, as much as I enjoy eventually buying it. I think it is a very wrong and even destructive attitude, that we need to enjoy everything immediately and then we'll pay it off for months or even years to come.

When I moved from Guam to Pensacola in 2021 I had saved up money for a long time, so that I paid cash and bought my 2013 Honda FIT before I even left Guam. The dealership in Pensacola had one of their employees pick me up at the airport and drove me to my new used vehicle. They even got the license plates for me. They were so kind and helpful at the Pensacola Honda Dealership. By God's grace and goodness, I didn't buy the vehicle by going into debt for years to come to pay for it. I saved up first.

I think most people who go into financial debt don't need to. I see young people driving brand new vehicles. Many of them are on 8-year loan payment plans, almost like a mortgage. I think that is really a bad deal. I have never bought a new vehicle my entire life and I am 59 years old. And I don't want a new vehicle. Used is good. Hey, my 2013 Honda FIT was brand new 13 years ago. I bought it in 2021. It still runs great! God has been very good to me.

I encourage you the next time you want to go buy something that is a bit pricey to wait a couple weeks, or even a few months. Learn about the different products. Shop around, read and compare, ask questions if you'd like, and make it a fun time of considering all the angles. I do that often and enjoy the entire acquisition process, long before I actually acquire anything.

Don't Be A Foolish Spender

I encourage you to listen to this practical sermon by Pastor Jack Hyles titled, “Hasty Fruit.” The greatest things in life we should pay for first, and then we enjoy them. Such is marriage. You earn it by proper courtship. Some of the most miserable people are those who choose to enjoy everything first, and then pay for it later. That's no way to go through life.

Approximately 77% of Americans have some form of debt, while only about 23% are completely debt-free. Common types of debt include credit cards, mortgages and student loans. I thank God that I am in the 23% group of debt-free Americans. That's not by mere coincidence. I am careful what I spend. I save up money before I buy big things.

I really like the old saying from The Great Depression...

Use it up,

Wear it out;

Make it do, 

do without.

People waste a lot of money buying things that they don't need.

When I shop at Walmart, I often see select foods at the aisle ends which cost much more than the other food. You are paying for the fancy packaging and brand names. I always buy “Great Value” products, which is Walmart's exclusive brand. The food is often half the price of name brands and the quality is just as good, if not better. I love Great Value foods.

When I go to Publix they charge around $8 for strawberries, which they cut the green tops off. I can get twice as many whole strawberries at Walmart for half that price. If you can afford it, go for it, but I try to be frugal when shopping. I don't smoke, drink booze or gamble on lottery tickets, which right there saves me thousands of dollars a year. The average Floridian spends $1,600 a year on tobacco products. What a waste of money!

It seems that everybody and their dog nowadays is begging for money. The Los Angeles Times and New York Times refuse to let you read their websites unless you pay them money to subscribe. No thanks, there are many other free news outlets. I refuse to throw money away.

Two sales people came to my door a couple years ago wanting to put solar panels on my roof in exchange for guaranteeing that I would only pay a certain amount for electricity every month. As I always do, I said I needed time to think about it. I learned that it is a common scam, which even the U.S. government warns people to avoid. The sales people used the pitch that my electric bill was so high in the summer, trying to get me worked up to draw me into their scam. I learned later on that if I had signed their contract, I would have been legally locked into their tyrannical scam for 25 YEARS! I recommend that you NEVER make hasty decisions dear reader.

When the nurse on Guam years ago in 2017 pressured me to take a Tetanus shot mixed with Whooping Cough vaccination, I said that I needed to think about it and do some reading, but I never took the shot, and I am so glad that I didn't from what I read. At least 25% of people who take the Whooping Cough vaccine experience side effects, such as soreness at the injection site or fever. Tetanus cases are rare in the United States, with only about 30 reported cases each year. It's just a money making scam. No thanks! I digress.

Getting back to the topic of this article, I encourage you to take time before buying things. Enjoy the process. Enjoy the moment. Save your money so you can pay cash when you're ready. Avoid going into debt. Avoid foolish adages, such as: “You only live once.” Although that is a true statement, you don't want to be miserable along the way in your one life. Being in debt all the time is no way to survive. It feels darn good to be debt free!

You Don't Need To Keep Up With The Joneses

You truly don't need to, “Keep up with the Joneses,” as the old adage goes. Who cares what your neighbours, relatives or co-workers drive or have. When I worked as a truck mechanic at an International Harvester Dealership in my early twenties (late 1980s), my older coworkers often pressured me to go into massive debt by buying a Snap On brand toolbox. Misery loves company and they wanted me in debt too. Thankfully, I was smarter than the average bear. Those boxes cost upwards of $15,000 when you buy a bottom, top and side cabinet. They come with ball-bearers that roll as smooth as butter. Nice!

But I wisely went to a local store called, The Tool Box, and I paid $600 for a bottom, top and side cabinet sale combined. Those tool boxes were all I needed. They served the same exact purpose as my coworkers who were in debt for $12,000 to Mac Tools and Snap On, which purpose is to simply provide a place to store your tools. I worked at that truck repair shop for 4 years and one week (1987-1991).

It was funny looking back in hindsight. When the Mac Tools and Snap On trucks drove onto the property, I used to watch grown men leave the building and hide outside until they were gone. The tool salesmen came to collect their weekly payments from the men who were in debt to them. What saith the Scripture? Proverbs 22:7, “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” I never wanted to be in their debt, so I refused to buy anything from them.

Instead, I went down to Sears Roebuck & Co, which company at the time sold their awesome Craftsman tool line, which sold for a fraction of what Snap On and Mac Tools cost. Granted, the quality was inferior on some of Craftsman's tools (like hand wrenches) compared to Snap On and Mac Tools. But I bought a Craftsman torque-wrench for $35 and it worked great.

At one time Sears had 3,500 stores nationwide, but today only have 5 stores remaining open (two in Florida). My father loved shopping at Sears back in the day, and he always bought me one of those big soft pretzels each time we went, which I loved. Several of the men whom I worked with were always angry and bitter because they were in big time debt. Literally, it took them years to pay down those very expensive toolboxes.

And if that weren't bad enough, every Saturday when the business was closed the foreman brought a group of teenagers from his church to clean the shop. They used a caustic soap solution with acid in it to power scrub the greasy floors. Each truck bay had a sewer drain in the middle. As the industrial scrubbers cleaned the floors, they flung caustic soap onto the bottom of the tool boxes, literally eating the paint off the boxes. Oh man! I watched some of my coworkers go ballistic in anger on Monday when they came into work and saw the paint dissolved off their $7,000 tool box. Who could blame them?

Most of the red paint had been eaten away at the bottom of my $600 toolboxes, but I couldn't have cared less since I owned the boxes outright. Time and time again I praised God for giving me enough Horsesense not to go into debt like my coworkers did, over some metal boxes. Dear reader, I could share many more true stories with you about people who foolishly spent money. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with buying an expensive toolbox, or whatever, but you should save up the money first and then pay cash.

When I was growing up in the 1970s there were no credit cards. Praise God! When microwaves first came out they cost $1,500 and only wealthy people could afford one. I grew up eating Swanson TV dinners which all came in metal trays, never in plastic. All soda cans had removable tabs. Coke came in 16 ounce bottles. All cars were rear wheel drive. It was a much simpler time in our country. There was no hip hop, rap or grunge music. No one owned a personal computer or cell phone. There was no internet. Many younger Americans today cannot even imagine such a world. I was born in 1967.

Thank you dear reader for reading my ministry blog. Jesus is precious!!!

Beware Of Preachers Who Make Answers To Prayer Impossible

2nd Corinthians 5:4-7, “For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”

This is a precious passage of Scripture full of truth. If you are a Christian, the day you got saved you became a member of God's heavenly family. The Apostle Paul reminds us here that as believers, even though we are present in an earthly body, we are also absent from the Lord.

This world is not my home
I'm just a-passing through
My treasures are laid up
Somewhere beyond the blue

The angels beckon me
From heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home
In this world anymore

Oh Lord, you know
I have no friend like you
If heaven's not my home
Then Lord, what will I do?

The angels beckon me
From heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home
In this world anymore

I like that Gospel song. I am reminded each day by the blessed indwelling Holy Spirit that I am just a pilgrim passing through, and not a settler here on earth. 2nd Corinthians 5:7 says we walk by faith, not by sight, as saints. That is such a vital biblical truth to always keep in mind, especially when it comes to prayer. Living by faith means that we stay focused on the invisible things of God in the spirit world, which Romans 1:20b says “are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”

Beware of Ignorant Preacher's False Teachings

That being said as introduction, I read a disturbing article today in the Sword of the Lord biweekly newspaper. The article by Pastor Len G. Broughton (1865-1936) starts on the front page, titled: “Why Prayer Is Not Answered.” The article then jumps to page 15, and then continues and finishes on page 19. I hate when the Sword prints articles haphazardly all over the place. Why the chaotic arrangement?

It's just like Pensacola Christian College's (PCC) multiple contradictory plans of salvation, which Sword editor Dr. Shelton Smith shameful sanctions and promotes. I am so disgusted with the Sword of the Lord. Contrary to their slogan displayed at the top of every newspaper which says they contend for the faith, they do not. They falsely claim to “stand” for salvation by faith, but then wickedly bid Godspeed to PCC's Lordship Salvation counterfeit gospel.

It is tragic that the love of money (a career) is a higher priority today to the Sword of the Lord than defending right doctrine. RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS!

PCC donated $7,000 to the Sword of the Lord back in 2015. Birds of a feather flock together. I will go to seed exposing these ungodly organizations, as did the Apostle Paul. Philippians 1:17b, “I am set for the defence of the gospel.” Paul admonishes his convert and soulwinning apprentice Titus in Titus 1:13b-14, “Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.” Titus was not an apostle, and neither am I, but like Titus I am rebuking PCC and the Sword of the Lord sharply for their damnable false teachings. By supporting PCC, Dr. Shelton Smith and company are guilty partakers of PCC's heresies.

In his misleading article, Pastor Len G. Broughton lists three reasons for unanswered prayer:

1. Sin Harbored in the Heart
2. Lack of Faith Hinders
3. Prayer Blocked by Lack of Surrender

I cringed as I read this misleading article, because it is nonsense. Dear reader, prayer is asking which in itself is faith. We all have sin in our heart. And no one is wholly submitted to God. The whole spirit of Pastor Broughton's article is rooted in one's self righteousness, not trusting God. His requirements to get your prayers answered is to that YOU must surrender, YOU must turn from your sin, and YOU must have more faith. I contend that we should simply obey the Bible in 1st Peter 5:7b, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Either God will or won't answer your prayer, it's as simple as that. But dear reader, I discourage you from going down that worrisome road which Pastor Len G. Broughton is trying to take you down, putting the dangerous idea into your head that unless everything in your spiritual life is Kosher, you're screwed. The most discouraging book I've ever read is by Dr. John R. Rice titled, “Hindrances To Prayer.”

We know from the following passage that our prayers can be hindered by sin. 1st Peter 3:7, “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” I humbly think it boils down to this. God sees everything (Psalms 139:1-6). Proverbs 24:12, “If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it?  and shall not he render to every man according to his works?” The Lord cares about how we treat each other as human beings (Matthew 7:1-12).

God Will Answer Your Prayers If He Wants To

The first of the Ten Commandments deal with how we treat God. The last five deal with how we treat our neighbor. Galatians 5:14, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” It's all really quite simple dear friend. If you love God and people, and it's more than mere phony lip service that exists in 99% of Bible colleges and churches today, then God will answer your prayers according to His will.

But if you hurt people, like Pastor Jeff Redlin at PCC's Campus Church banning me from returning to their church, God won't answer your prayers. PCC is an abomination in His sight!

If you hurt people like Family Baptist Church kicked I and my wife out of church in June of 2025, God won't bless that hateful organization in their arrogance, worldliness and sin. The pastor's worldly wife and mother wear ungodly sexy pants, and their henpecked husbands sanction immodesty. Woe unto those wicked families in eternity! Woe unto Family Baptist Church and their damnable heresy that you must repent "of your sins" to get to Heaven.

I am so sick and fed up and tired of hearing these fearmonger preachers, who place a bunch of impossible burdens upon people's shoulders, trying to make us all worry for two dozen reasons why God won't answer our prayers. I hate that book by Dr. John R. Rice about “Hindrances To Prayer,” because after reading that impossible book I felt hopeless ever praying again.

I mean, there's no way that I could ever live up to all those high expectations to get my prayers answered. I am not a good Christian. In fact, I feel like a terrible Christian all the time (and so will you if you draw close to our holy Creator). I have enough faith to pray, but beyond that I am at a loss. God knows that I desire to think and live right to please Him, but I fail all the time. I have many faults, and so do you dear reader. There's no such thing as a “good Christian,” and there never has been and never will be. Only Jesus is sinless (Hebrews 4:15).

Beware Of Reasons for Unanswered Prayer Nonsense

I hate when preachers give a list of all the reasons why God won't answer your prayers. In so doing, they are wickedly placing heavy burdens upon your shoulders, which will cause you to continually question and worry why God didn't answer your prayers.

Over the past 24 years of my website ministry at Jesus-is-Savior.com, I have received countless emails from hurting, confused and worried people, who have been lied to by wicked neo-evangelical preachers (like Ray Comfort and Paul Washer) to continually worry if they are really saved because of the sins in their life. Since everyone struggles with sin (Romans 7:14-25), these poor folks are trapped in a cruel world of religious scrupulosity, worrying all the time if they are saved because of their sinful bad habits. Folks, that is not the free grace Gospel taught in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4.

The inspired King James Bible teaches that forgiveness of sins and eternal life are a free gift from God (Romans 5:15-18). In that beautiful passage of Scripture you will find the word “gift” mentioned SIX TIMES! And the phrase “free gift” is mentioned THREE TIMES! We know that nothing is free in this universe, and that applies to salvation as well. We read in 1st Peter 1:18-19 that it was Jesus who paid for our sins with His precious blood. How ridiculous is it then, when an incompetent pastor stands behind a pulpit and insists that you must turn from your sinning to receive God's free gift?

And likewise, I reject the fear-mongering preachers who continually blame people for unanswered prayers, continually making you feel like it's always your fault when God doesn't answer. Dear reader, God only saves sinners. God only answers the prayers of sinners. You don't have to climb the spiritual mountain to receive answers to prayer.

Pastor Len G. Broughton is wrong in his article which appeared in today's Sword of the Lord. I will never subscribe to the Sword of the Lord again, for a few reasons:

1. Editor Dr. Shelton Smith wickedly bids Godspeed to false prophets who preach another gospel at Pensacola Christian College. Shame on Dr. Smith!
2. The Sword of the Lord paper has become so lame and meaningless, not contending for the faith anymore.
3. The paper is full of lame advertisements to buy a bunch of crap and services.
4. It's just a waste of time and money to purchase their stupid newspaper.

Pastors foolishly make getting your prayers answered about works instead of faith. Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Dear friend, all God expects of you is your faith. That is, that you trust and rely upon God. Throughout my day in my home, I often say, “Excuse me to the Lord,” if I am distracted while talking to Him. That is faith. God is pleased by my acknowledgment of His presence. I treat God like an individual person, because that is exactly who He is. Every day I often pause for a moment from whatever I am doing and I say, “I love you Lord.” That is faith.

Every time I work on my website and blog ministry to write another article, that is faith. Faith pleases God. The John 3:16 sign on my front lawn is faith in Christ. The “Jesus Loves You” sign in my backyard for my neighbours to see is faith.

It is a dangerous and unwise thing to pray and then put God on the spot to see if He answers. In so doing you are walking by sight, not by faith. I pray and then trust the Lord's wisdom and protective hand upon my life and ministry. Nothing can happen in any saint's life without the Lord's express permission (Job 1:10). 1st John 4:4b says “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” When Len G. Broughton and John R. Rice write about reasons for unanswered prayers, they are walking by sight. How do you know if God answers your prayers or not? I'm simply not qualified to make that call, and neither are you.

In fact, we are taught in Romans 8:26 that we simply do not know what to pray about. I sure don't, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Since we cannot see the unseen spirit world, nor see what is going on in the hearts of other people, we are at a disadvantage.

I am always leery of these charlatan preachers who boldly speak about getting their prayers answered. Why? It's because the world is full of unsaved heathens who enjoy the same success, wealth and prosperity, who have never prayed a day in their life.

I am not one of those superstitious Christians who prays for the sun to rise in the east tomorrow morning, and then praises God for answering my prayer when the sun rises in the east, which it has done every morning for billions of years. I hear people praising God for answered prayers that were almost assuredly mere coincidence. We certainly can and should thank God for everything, but I am very careful not to claim something as an answer to pray unless it is truly a miracle. Put another way, I am a fundamentalist not a nut.

I find the whole idea of trying to teach about unanswered prayer to be very frustrating. I feel like God never answers my prayers. But what do I know? I trust the Lord and I believe the Bible when it says in 1st Peter 5:7 that God cares about me. 1st Corinthians 1:9 teaches that God is faithful. I refuse to question those divine truths. Psalms 139:1-6 teaches that God knows when I lay down and rise up, and my very thoughts. God is omniscient.

Philippians 4:6-8 teaches that we shouldn't worry about anything as believers; but rather, bring everything to God in prayer, and then claim God's perfect peace that passeth all understanding, knowing that God is on the job. That is, bring your burden to the Lord and leave it there! John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

We know from 1st Peter 3:7 that mistreating one's spouse can hinder prayer. And we know from Matthew 5:23-24 that if a brother has ought against us, we are commanded to go make things right with our brother, and then come back with our gift to present to God. In other words, you cannot be wrong with people and right with God. We need to be right horizontally with humanity as well as vertically with God. That's not to say that we have to get along with everyone, nor that everyone needs to say good things about us; but it does mean that if we have wronged anyone, we need to apologize and make restitution if we have cheated them.

Pastors' Jeff Redlin at PCC's Campus Church, Marty Herron (former incompetent pastor of Harvest Baptist Church on Guam), Bill Adams (incompetent pastor of Smyrna Baptist Church in Pensacola), and Brad and Bobby Moffett (incompetent pastors of Family Baptist Church in Pensacola), all injuriously threw me under the bus. They cannot be right with God until they make things right with me. That is 100% biblical (1st Thessalonians 4:6). Those ungodly phonies should all be fired. I told the truth and they persecuted me for it. If you think I'm being hard on them, just wait until they suffer God's wrath (Psalms 6:1; Galatians 6:7; 2nd Corinthians 5:11).

Have Faith In God

Jesus said in Mark 11:22b, “Have faith in God.” I humbly believe that the only thing you need to worry about when it comes to prayer is how you treat other people. I do not believe surrendering to God has anything to do with getting your prayers answered. Discipleship has nothing to do with salvation, and I don't think it has much to do with God answering our prayers. God is my friend. He knows what is best for me. I have learned not to question His will. And as far as harboring sin in your heart, we all do that. We all have sinful bad habits, whether it be pride, anger, lust, lying, envy, gossip, et cetera. If getting all the sin out of our heart is required to receive answers to prayer, then we're in big trouble.

And of course, it all depends on what you are asking God to do. Pastor Jack Hyles in his helpful book 'Exploring Prayer With Jack Hyles' says if you want to purchase some bread from a bakery, that is simply a matter of asking. However, if you want to work in the bakery, that is something entirely different and requires much more. If we ask for something for our self, Jesus said you don't need to pray long prayers LIKE THE HEATHEN DO, because our heavenly Father already knows your needs (Matthew 6:7-8). But if you want something for others, then importunity in prayer is required by God (Luke 11:1-8).

 

I reject all these crazy sermons and books about why God doesn't answer our prayers. The plain truth is that God will answer your request if He wants to, and it is not our place to analyze God's reasons. Walk by faith dear reader, and trust God with the rest. Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”

Normal Sinful People Get Their Prayers Answered

Please don't allow well-meaning preachers discourage you dear reader. In Acts 12:1-15 tells the remarkable story about the apostles' James and Peter. Herod had just murdered James, beheading him. When Herod saw that it greatly pleased the Jews, he intended to kill Peter also, but the early church prayed for God to deliver Peter. The angels of the Lord rescued him. When Peter came to the door where they were praying for his release, the maid Rhoda ran to tell the group, but they called her “mad” (crazy).

This remarkable true story just proves that even when you don't believe God will answer your prayers, He still might. Prayer in itself is all the faith you need if it is God's will to help you. I love this story. They were asking God to do something with a heart of unbelief. Contrary to Pastor Len Broughton's sermon, God answered their prayers even though they lacked faith.

Please don't misunderstand, there are some things that can hinder our prayers, which I have mentioned in this article, but I think most preachers go way overboard and that discourages Christians from praying. I don't think every sin hinders prayer, otherwise none of us could receive answers to prayer, because we all sin. I do think mistreating others hinders our prayers. I don't think God will refuse to answer your prayers because you smoke cigarettes, play the lottery or watch Hollywood movies. That is just my humble opinion.

We read in James 4:6, “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” God resists proud people! God resists the prayers of arrogant pastors like Jeff Redlin at PCC who refuse to heed the truth that Lordship Salvation and Misunderstood Repentance are false teachings. I think preachers often focus on the wrong reasons why God doesn't answer one's prayers. The Lord is far more concerned about the condition of your heart, than He is about your sinful habits. And the way that you treat God and people reveals the condition of your heart (Mark 12:30-31).

And I also believe that the good Lord usually gives us everything we need in advance, so that we don't even need to pray for those things. God has been so good to all of us. I want to encourage you to pray, which is why I wrote this article. Please don't let preachers discourage you by misleading you to think that you've got to become Super Christian to see answers to prayer. Those miserable believers at Rhoda's house were so carnal that they didn't believe her when God actually answered their prayer. I love that!

What saith the Scripture? James 5:17, “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.” I love that! Elijah was a regular fella the Scripture tells us. In 1st Kings 19:1-5, we find the prophet Elijah running from wicked Jezebel who had threatened to kill all the prophets. Elijah feels overwhelmed and ask God's to kill him...

1st Kings 19:1-4, “And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.”

And yet we read in James 5:17 that God answered Elijah's prayer for the rain to stop, to destroy wicked Ahab's wine orchard. Some people might call that a petty request, but the Lord cared about what Elijah cared about. And God cares about you too friend. I have prayed for God to break the yoke of pride of all the aforementioned ungodly pastors who hurt me.

You just keep on praying dear friend, and trust your God that He knows what is best. The Lord doesn't have a long list of reasons for not answering your prayers, He looks at your heart.