Living A Religious Lifestyle Versus Being A Good Christian

Matthew 15:7-8, “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”

Sadly, ninety-nine percent of people who attend churches today are as phony as can be. They merely go to be part of a social club, fun center or to feel a sense of belonging. They are living a religious lifestyle for their own personal satisfaction. There is no sincere desire to truly obey, serve or please God.

Such is the case of a religious woman who enjoys going to church. She enjoys singing the old hymns. She enjoys the whole church thing. Yet, in her personal life she disobeys her husband at home. In fact, she loves her religious lifestyle so much that she divorced her husband because he refused to go to church with her. It didn't matter to the man's wife that he is suffering in horrible bodily pain all the time and needs to be at home. All that mattered to his defiant wife was what she wanted, with no regard for her husband. She is selfish.

I fully agree with Pastor Curtis Hutson (1934-1995) that if a husband tells his wife to stay home from church, she should obey and stay home. The feminist idea that a wife can just do whatever she wants, without her husband's permission, is of the Devil. A wife who abandons and divorces her husband simply doesn't love him and never did. A godly husband or wife would rather die than file for divorce! I know that is not a popular idea, but Jesus said in Matthew 19:8b, “Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.” God hates the sin of divorce!

I know a religious woman who left her Christian husband. She just moved out one day and moved to another city six hours away, without saying a single word to her legal husband. He only found out where she was a month later, when he read their credit union statement. She didn't even bother to tell her husband that she was moving across the state. Can you image? That is wicked rebellion ladies!

When her husband scolded her verbally for not asking for his permission to leave home, let alone to move to another city six hours away without saying a word to him, she wickedly replied: “I DON'T NEED YOUR PERMISSION!” Woe unto that ungodly wife when she stands before God in the afterlife to give account. Romans 14:12, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” When her betrayed husband warned his rebellious wife that she would have to answer to God, she wickedly exclaimed: “That's fine!” What a sinful and ungodly attitude for a wife to have toward her own husband. What saith the Scripture? Ephesians 5:23, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.”

Wow, did you get that? A wife is commanded by God to submit (obey) to her own husband AS UNTO THE LORD. How many American women believe and obey this Scriptural truth today? Not many I can assure you dear reader, not many at all. Most women have been corrupted by the evil influence of feminist ideologies. Satan is the author of all rebellion! 1st Samuel 15:23, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.  Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” A defiant wife who disobeys her husband, and makes his life a living hell on earth, is in the same boat as a witch. I didn't say that, God our Creator did.

Kindly said, there are many professed Christian women who are far more religious than Christian in their behavior and words. Our talk talks and our walk talks, but our walk talks louder than our talk talks. Many Christian women today are so enamored with living a religious lifestyle that they sacrifice their marriage on the altar of selfish pride.

Ladies, your marriage is 10,000 times more important than attending a local church. The pastor is not your hubby! Shame on any ungodly wife who elevates her pastor's word and opinion above that of her own lawfully wedded husband. Your pastor has ZERO authority over you dear woman; your husband has 100% authority over you.

When you sass your husband and make demands of him to obey you, or else you will leave and divorce him, you are directly rebelling against God. Rebellious wives who abandon their husband and cause him much grief can expect to receive NO REWARDS in Heaven. The LORD does not reward quitters! Proverbs 31:12, “She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.”

And if you are the type of rebellious person that is already thinking: “Well what about my husband?” or “What about abusive husbands?,” you are a big part of the problem in this broken society in America. I am so sick and tired of the ungodly naysayers who feel compelled to contest and counter everything that the Bible preacher says.

That being said, I would never defend any form of abuse. In my humble opinion, rebellious wives are ten times more of a problem in homes today than abusive husbands. Many husbands only get angry when their wife disobeys him. And here's something that will ruffle your feathers—God's command for wives to obey their husband is not conditional upon her husband being fair and nice toward her. Unless it is something illegal, immoral or unsafe, a wife is expected by God to submit to her husband. That is biblical truth.

I learned a long time ago that there is a vast difference between living a religious life versus being a good Christian. The way that we treat others matters. You need to understand dear reader that you are not a good Christian just because you attend a local church. You are not a good Christian just because you sing hymns on Sunday. How you treat your spouse reveals how good of a Christian you are. No wife who files for divorce is right with God. I say that kindly with Christ's love, not to be mean, but truthful. Thank you for reading my ministry blog.

Why A Lot Of People Won't Attend Church Anymore

Galatians 6:1-3, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”

I don't find any passage of Scripture which teaches to throw people under the bus, kick them out of their church family, and kill your wounded in a church.

A lot of people won't attend church anymore because they're tired of being kicked out of their church family. No pastor or so-called New Testament "church" should ever have any right to kick you out of your family. The local church is your surrogate family in the Lord.

When you attend a local church for a few years, you form friendships. You make close acquittances. You get to know people, and they get to know you. You are making an investment into that church with your time, your money, your love, your concern, your prayers and your very soul. The Bible says in Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Your heart follows your investment. When you attend a church for 45 months, you have made an investment with your life.

But then one day, because you said something in a comment on Facebook or other place on social media that offends them, you are told the next time you arrive at church by the pastor that you are no longer welcome. They horribly tell you to leave before they call the police on you, and don't ever come back again. This is how people are being abused by today's ungodly shameful pastors and carnal churches. Why prey tell me, would anyone who has been through such a traumatic negative experience, ever want to attend another church? Only a fool would invest into something risky and uncertain, which they can lose on a whim over something as trifle as a mere comment on social media. Is this communist North Korea?

I have known numerous Christians, including myself and my wife, who have been kicked out of a church on a whim. They didn't even bother to talk with us first at the wicked Family Baptist Church at 5454 W. Mobile Highway in Pensacola, they just kicked me and my wife out of our church family in June of 2025. In some previous churches, I was compelled to leave and then banned afterwards when I tried to go back. Campus Church did that to me at Pensacola Christian College (PCC) in 2022. Today's pastors are horrible, brutish, cold-hearted and woefully lacking in God's love and compassion. I speak to their utter shame. There is no love or compassion at PCC, which complaint I have read from a few dozen of their former students.

“I am all for standards, but I am not for standards without love.” —Pastor Jack Hyles

“The pastors have destroyed the churches, and they've been trained by people that have never built churches, and they have no compassion.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “Many Pastors Have Destroyed My Vineyard”

I cannot blame people for not wanting to attend church anymore, when after years of investing your love, time, money, prayers and resources for Christ, their carnal ungodly pastors just kick you out, maliciously taking away your church family, throwing you under bus and leaving you for dead spiritually. I've seen this happen umpteen times to truth-tellers—punished for befriending pastors with the truth of God's Word.

The Apostle Paul experienced this painful situation himself. Galatians 4:16, “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” What irony! If there's one place in the cosmos where you should be able to tell THE TRUTH, you'd think it would be a New Testament Bible church. But nope, even people in the churches would rather believe and defend a lie, than to embrace the truth. Go figure.

Kicking someone out of a church is no different than if you were to throw a family member onto the street. People just aren't willing to invest everything they have into a local church anymore, just to have some ungodly jerk for a pastor take it all away from you on a whim. No pastor should have that kind of power, but they do since it is their organization and not the LORD's. Christians today are simply unwilling to invest years of their life into a local church anymore, when today's wicked pastors have absolutely zero loyalty for those who are faithful to God.

The Miserable Atheist

Romans 1:20-21, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

Hebrews 11:24-27, “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.“

The inspired Holy Bible teaches that there is no such thing as a bona fide atheist. Our text passage from Romans 1:20:21 plainly teach that at some early point in life everyone KNOWS that God exists, evidenced by the universe that we can see. The Bible says therefore they are all without excuse. In other words, woe unto the atheist!

One of my hobbies over the years has been to investigate the religious beliefs of famous people. I am curious what they think about God, and His only begotten Son Jesus. When a famous person dies, I am curious if they went to Heaven or Hell. I care about people, which is why I made this blog ministry, to preach the truth of God's Word.

Here is a list of atheist celebrities that I am familiar with:

1. Alex Honnold (free climber)
2. Morgan Freeman (actor)
3. Sarah Silverman (comedian)
4. Warren Buffett (investor)
5. Elon Musk (inventor)
6. Linda Ronstadt (singer)
7. Sir Elton John (singer)
8. Harrison Ford (actor, says nature is God)
9. Geddy Lee (musician)
10. Alex Lifeson (musician)
11. Neal Peart  (musician)
12. Ridley Scott (producer)
13. James Cameron (producer)
14. Gene Wilder (actor)
15. William Shatner (actor)
16. Billy Joel (singer)
17. Britney Spears (singer)
18. George Clooney (actor)
19. Peter Fonda (actor)
20. Kathy Griffin (comedian)
21. Hugh Hefner (creep)
22. Bruce Lee (actor)
23. Larry King (radio and television host)
24. Seth MacFarlane ('Family Guy' creator)
25. John Malkovich (actor)
26. Helen Mirren (actor)
27. Marilyn Monroe (whore)
28. George Clooney (actor)
29. Roman Polanski (rapist)
30. Rob Reiner (actor)

Here is a list of over one hundred atheists in music.

Here is a list of hundreds of atheist celebrities.

I randomly listed 30 avowed atheists. These people that I mentioned (with the exception of Alex Honnold) are all millionaires multiple times over, and a few of them even billionaires. How sad and tragic, to have enjoyed this earthly life to the fullest, just to die in one's sins and spend eternity suffering in Hell, fire and brimstone (Revelation 21:8). If God allows suffering in this temporary lifetime, what makes you think that He won't in the next?

It always saddens me as I think about these people. I am familiar with these celebrities from watching them in movies, music and the media. It is truly heartbreaking for me as a born again child of God, to know that all of these people will spend eternity suffering in a burning Hell without Jesus Christ. Psalms 14:1, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.  They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.”

Alex Honnold amazes me, not only for his incredible lack of fear of heights, but for his incredible lack of fear of God. How can such an intriguing man, who has free-climbed dozens of mountains without any ropes or safety gear, and has seen things that very few humans will ever see in person, not believe in a Creator? Alex has sat on mountain cliffs thousands of feet above the ground, beholding the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets, seeing beautiful views of nature that photos simply cannot possibly convey, and yet he denies that there is a God? Something is very wrong with that man's soul. The Bible says that at one time Alex KNEW God, but he was unthankful and did not glorify God, and his heart became darkened.

Those Who Deny Jesus' Deity Are Effectively Atheists

There are hundreds of millions, if not billions, of people who claim to believe in God, but they deny that Jesus is God. Effectively they are also atheists, because they deny the Son. John 8:24, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” The inspired Scripture warns in James 2:19 that it is not enough to merely believe in God, because the demons know there is a God, but tremble. You must acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, the only begotten (biological) Son of God, which makes Him also GOD.

This is why ALL of the modern perverted English revisions of the Holy Bible have been tampered with by Satan, to ruthlessly attack the deity of Jesus, and to remove the word "godhead" completely from Acts 17:29, Romans 1:20 and Colossians 2:9 (the only three mentions of the word in the King James Bible). The Devil's modern perversions change “godhead” to the “divine nature,” which sounds like new age, and clearly removes the idea of God being three individual persons; and yet one. 1st John 5:7, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” This passage of Scripture has been butchered in ALL modern English translations, to merely read that there are three in Heaven. See for yourself! Get thee behind me, Satan!

I Thank God For His Blessed Holy Spirit

I pray for God's Holy Spirit to work in people's heart, as my words speak to their mind. Without the Holy Spirit of God, all is in vain. Psalms 127:1, “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” Zechariah 4:6, “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” Jesus said in John 15:5b, “for without me ye can do nothing.” I pray for God to work in the hearts and minds of all my ministry followers.

Every Living Being Knows There Is A God

Every living soul KNOWS that there is a God, and that by His omnipotent power He created the universe (Romans 1:20-21). I cringe as I watch astronomy videos on YouTube, to hear them attributing the origin and workings of the universe to accidental aftermath and cosmic chaos, totally ignoring our brilliant Creator. It is ingratitude and wickedness!!!

I heard some guy today claiming in a video that Mars used to have an atmosphere like earth over 4 billion years ago, but it evaporated away. You've got to be a fool to believe that junk!

I cringe when I read NASA's website, learning how ridiculous and bizarre their official position on the origin of the moon truly is. Read what NASA teaches for yourself:

Earth’s Moon is thought to have formed in a tremendous collision. A massive object ― named Theia after the mythological Greek Titan who was the mother of Selene, goddess of the Moon ― smashed into Earth, flinging material into space that became the Moon. SOURCE

I am fully convinced that many of NASA's 18,000 employees believe in God, and some are no doubt born again believers; but the organization's leadership is afraid to go against the world's common consensus that science should be separate from theology. But manmade theology is not God. To throw God under the bus under the guise that theology shouldn't be mixed with science is a Satanic way of thinking. Theology and truth are two different things. Theology is man's interpretation of the Holy Bible. But only a fool would dare try to explain the origin and workings of the universe without acknowledging our divine creator, and to fabricate bizarre science fiction explanations that even a child knows is ridiculous conjecture (guesswork).

And that is from some of the smartest people on the planet. Dummies! That would make a great new episode of The Outer Limits, but the inspired Holy Scripture labels it as “science falsely so called” (1st Timothy 6:20-21). What saith the Scripture? Psalms 8:3, “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained.” God made the moon, the planets, the stars, the universe and all therein (John 1:1-3, 14).

To God be the glory, great things He hath done, and will continue to do. Jesus is precious!!!

It Is Rare To Find Somebody Who Really Cares Anymore

2nd Corinthians 7:9-12, “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.”

2nd Corinthians 8:16, “But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.”

1st Samuel 24:12, “The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.”

These are remarkable passages of Scriptures. In 2nd Corinthians 7:9-12, the Apostle Paul sharply rebuked the church at Corinthians over numerous problems in their midst. Paul said that he didn't write his letter on behalf of anyone; but rather, to show that he cared. I encourage you to listen to this beautiful sermon from 1987 by Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001), in which you can clearly hear why I love Brother Hyles so much and listen to his wisdom. ...

Who Cares Anyway?
(Pastor Jack Hyles)

Here are some inspiring life changing quotes from the sermons:

“I sometimes wonder if there's any love left.” —Dr. Jack Hyles, “Who Cares Anyway?”

“If you have one person in this world, one, in or out of your family, who really cares for you; and will care for you when you mistreat them, and will care for you when you cannot give them a thing; if you have one person who cares for you with Bible care, you're above average.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “Who Cares Anyway?”

“If you really care about one person, you're above average.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “Who Cares Anyway?”

“Our trouble is we only love those who appeal to our senses.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “Who Cares Anyway?”

I admit that I felt convicted yesterday while listening to this sermon. I haven't always turned the other cheek when someone did me wrong, threw me under the bus, or deliberately hurt my feelings. People can be so cruel. Sadly, Christians can be as horrible as the heathen world. I have been deeply hurt and done wrong by numerous ungodly pastors and their wives. It is in our sinful human nature to want to get back at the people who hurt us, to retaliate, to seek revenge. I am just as guilty as you are—as we all are at times.

“Father, please help me to do better from day to day; to emulate your only begotten Son Jesus in my thoughts and behavior.”

I learned a long time ago as a fundamentalist Bible preacher that there's a fine line between faith and foolishness. There's a fine line between preaching what is right and against sin, versus attacking people and making matters personal. Sometimes it gets confusing and become hard to sort through our own feelings.

In fact, since I am a caring person with a tender heart, sometimes I have difficulty discerning between my feelings and my Bible preaching. I tend to feel guilty about many things, from a humble heart. I feel unworthy to eat a nice meal in a restaurant. I feel like God doesn't want to be around a guy like me. I know that those are just feelings, which can be deceptive; not reality. So, I have a troublesome tendency to be too hard on myself, and if I'm not careful I can become down and discouraged easily.

We are taught repeatedly throughout the inspired Scripture that vengeance belongs to the Lord, and that we shouldn't avenge ourselves (Romans 12:19-21). To do that is easier said than done, I know; but God wouldn't command us to do something impossible.

Throughout human civilization people in general have been uncaring and selfish. Things haven't changed in 2,000 years. Philippians 2:20, “For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.” Things haven't changed in 3,000 years. Psalm 142:4, “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.” In lieu of today's amazing new technologies, selfish human nature hasn't changed over thousands of years.

If you don't care, but want to start caring, then you need to plan time to think about whatever or whoever it is that you want to start caring about. Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Our human heart follows our treasure. That is, our feelings and love will follow our investments, where we spend out time, money, prayers and resources.

In American society today, people don't invest in each other anymore. We are so busy living our individual lives that we don't care about anybody except ourselves. I speak to the shame of 99% of today's Bible colleges and churches. One man can make a difference! You show me any group or church that cares about people, and I guarantee you that the man in charge cares, and his influence is leading his followers to show love, concern and compassion.

As we draw nearer to the end times Tribulation, I am often reminded of what Jesus said in Matthew 24:12, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” The daily evening news is rife with heinous crimes, government and local corruption, police brutality, public unrest, economic woes, senseless acts of violence and selfishness, war, et cetera. Hardly anybody trusts anybody anymore. The world has always been a wicked and ugly place (1st John 5:19). It is rare to find somebody who really cares anymore.

By God's grace, I want to be a caring person. Since I started my Jesus-is-Savior.com website ministry back in April of 2002, I have never made a single penny. My long time ministry friend Pastor Max D. Younce (1935-2023) mailed me a check for $200 many years ago, but I never cashed it. I kindly mailed it back to him with a 5-page thank you letter. I have had hundreds of kind web visitors over the years offer to give me donations for my labors for Christ, but I have always declined with gratitude. My ministry is a work of love for God, people and truth.

“If you really care about one person, you're above average.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, “Who Cares Anyway?”

We've all met our share of rotten selfish people in our lifetime. I sure have, many of them pastors. I try not to focus on people, lest I become bitter and discouraged. The Scripture tells us in Hebrews 12:2 to LOOK TO JESUS, who is the Author and Finisher of our Christian faith.

We are all selfish by nature. The Bible tells us that Jesus thought about OTHERS instead of Himself. Philippians 2:3-5, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” If you and I want the mind of Christ, then we need to get out of the self life. We need to start thinking about OTHERS, and how we can help and be a blessing to the people in our life. The Bible tells us as saints to have Christ's mind in us.

Biggest Difference Between The Righteous And Wicked

Proverbs 24:16, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.”

I love this Bible passage and I think about it often. A righteous man will fail and fail and fail and fail and fail and fail to live above sin, but by God's grace he will get back up. Some believers can live above reproach, but no one can live above sin.

As a Bible preacher, by God's grace I receive thousands of emails each year, many from believers who are frustrated with their failure to overcome sin in their life. I always direct them to Romans 7:14-25, in which inspired Scripture passage the Apostle Paul is transparent, sharing his intimate struggle with sin on a continual basis. 

Romans 7:14-25, “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”

We CAN have the victory over sin through faith in Jesus Christ. We live the victorious Christian life the same way we all got saved, through FAITH IN CHRIST.

The following passage teaches us how to overcome temptation to sin...

2nd Corinthians 10:5-6, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”

This is not mind control; but rather, walking in the Spirit. The way that we overcome sin is when a sinful thought enters into our mind, we seize that thought, bringing it into obedience to Christ as this passage teaches. And when we mess up and fail, verse 6 tells us to revenge all disobedience. When I have faltered in my Christian walk, and look back in hindsight in frustration that I failed again, I determine in my soul that it won't happen again, not on my watch. I believe that is what this Scripture passage is teaching. We should have a desire and a determination in our heart, with God's help, not to repeat our same blunders.

I don't care who you are, you're either a child of God (Romans 8:9); or a child of the Devil (John 8:44). And if you're a child of God, you are still a sinner. As long as we are stuck in this earthly flesh, we will have to contend with the enemy of the flesh.

I don't know about you dear reader, but I have never wanted to live more righteously than I do today. I love my dear Savior and Lord, Jesus, and I want to please Him (John 14:15). I love God and owe Him my life for saving me from the eternal damnation of Hell, fire and brimstone (1st Corinthians 6:20). We all deserve to burn in Hell, but God loves us and made a way of escape through faith alone in Christ (John 3:16; Romans 5:6-9).

The biggest difference between the righteous and the wicked, other than the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit or lack thereof, is our attitude toward sin and evil. The wicked person has no regard or fear of God, and has only the desire to continue committing evil. Their only deterrent is fear of getting caught and going to the penitentiary. Thank God for our legal system, as imperfect as it is. Before the flood of Noah's day, God showed us what the world was like when there was no magistrates, government or court system. Thank God for the law!

One of the evidences that someone is saved is the conviction of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The inspired Holy Bible warns that if you are without chastisement from God, you are not saved (Hebrews 12:6-8). God is not an absent parent! It is 10 o'clock and the Lord does know where His children are at (Psalms 139:1-6).

It is quite normal for believers to fall, get up, fall again, rise up, fall again, and so forth. The Bible says that a “just man” falls seven times. Seven is God's number of completion. Creation was completed and then God rested on the seventh day. There are seven notes in a diatonic musical scale. There are seven colors in a rainbow prism. God likes the number seven for some reason. And for that reason, I indent all of my sentences with seven spaces. I love the number seven, it is my favorite number.

“If you want to never do anything that is terribly wicked, then you never do anything that is slightly wicked.” —Pastor Jack Hyles, "Unjust In The Least"

I love that awesome quote!

Feeling Ignored By God Is A Very Normal Experience

Luke 18:1-8, “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

In the popular 2005 movie, The Island, the following script is heard...

McCord: (makes a reference to God)
Lincoln Six-Echo: Who is God?
McCord: You know when you really want something, you close your eyes and wish for it really hard? God is the guy that ignores you.

I sincerely believe that 100% of viewers can relate to that statement if they are honest. I am 59 years old and if all I had to go on was my prayer life, I would become an atheist. But when I read the inspired King James Bible, I say to myself: “There's no way that men could have written this amazing Book; and if they could have written it, they wouldn't have.” Moreover, the inspired Holy Bible was penned by approximately 40 different men, most of whom never met or knew each other, spoke different languages, coming from various different social backgrounds and education, and spanning a time period of at least 1,500 years. This remarkable manner in which the Holy Bible was given to humanity proves its divine origin.

Furthermore, when I observe and consider the universe, and the uncanny intelligent design in all of creation, I know that there is a God, and He is a good and faithful Creator.

In our text passage of Scripture, Jesus teaches a very important truth that God the Father intentionally ignores us when we pray, “though he bear long with them,” even though we “cry day and night unto him” (Luke 18:7). Our importunity in prayer pleases God, because it requires a greater faith to keep petitioning God when he is not answering.

I admit that this bothers me. It bothers me that God ignores me, testing my faith by not answering my prayers how and when I want Him to. What saith the Scripture? Romans 9:20, “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?” Who am I (or you) to question how God does things? I choose to trust Him, blindly if need be, trusting the great heart of God when I cannot see the omnipotent hand of God at work.

You Cannot Be Happy Tomorrow

Philippians 4:11, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

I heard a life changing sermon today by Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001). It is titled, “The Yesterdayer, the Todayer, and the Tomorrower.” I encourage all of my ministry followers to start listening to the preaching of Brother Hyles on a regularly basis, if you don't already. I jotted down some notes from the sermon to help you. These are great truths!

Which category do you fall under: Yesterdayer, Todayer or Tomorrower?

Dear reader, if you're happy it is today. Until you get satisfied with today you'll never be happy. Are you a Yesterdayer? Are you always wanting today to be like yesterday, when times were better? You can't. Yesterday is gone! I am now 59 years old. I cannot feel 40, 30 or 20 again. I cannot relive those better years when my wife was loyal and with me. Now she is gone, again.

Are you a Tomorrower? Are you always looking through a haze to a brighter future here on earth. Many spouses think the grass is greener in someone else's marriage, so they divorce their spouse and marry another person, just to find out that the next husband or wife is just as bad, or worse. Some people are always chasing rainbows! Take off the rose-colored glasses and learn to appreciate what you have. Plant some grass seeds in your own yard.

As long as you're a Yesterdayer or a Tomorrower, you'll never be happy! People dream about tomorrow with fantasies, and then when tomorrow arrives they reminisce about how wonderful yesterday was. This is their whole life—never happy, never satisfied, never content. When we think about the past, we tend to only focus on the positive things that made us happy, but if we'll be honest with our self, the past did include negatives that we'd rather forget. So, whether we are looking backward or forward, we tend to only see what we want to see, not reality.

As a home musician, I have always admired other musicians. The Beatles were musical prodigies. They wrote hundreds of songs, at least 140 of them iconic masterpieces. I recently read a quote by George Harrison that reiterates the truth Brother Hyles is trying to convey:

“It's being here now that's important. There's no past and there's no future. Time is a very misleading thing. All there is ever is the now.” —George Harrison

I think one reason George's quote resonates with so many people is that, regardless of one's worldview, it points to something we all experience: the present is the only moment in which we can actually live and act. A born again Christian can certainly remember the past with gratitude, learn from it, and look forward to the future with hope. At the same time, Scripture also emphasizes faithfully living today. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 6:34, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”

And Psalm 118:24 says:

“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Those verses don't say the future doesn't exist, but they do remind us that today is where we make our choices, offer our prayers, and live our lives. Let's make the best of today.

Like Solomon in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, George is giving his perspective from a secular viewpoint. George was not a born again Christian, sad to say. One man who claimed to be a close acquaintance of George has publicly propagated the claim that George becoming a Christian before his death in 2001, but neither George or any of his family have confirmed the claim, and all supporting evidence speaks to the contrary. I reject rumors.

That being said, George was right (from a certain perspective) that there is no future or past, there is only the here and now. We know as Christians that there is a future, and we must all give account to God someday for our every word and deed (Ecclesiastes 12:14; Matthew 12:36). George is simply saying that we shouldn't dwell upon the past, because it is forever gone and cannot be changed or relived. And we don't even know if we'll be alive tomorrow, so we ought not concern our self with it (Proverbs 27:1).

Another favorite sermon by Brother Hyles is titled: "Learn To Enjoy Where You Are, While On Your Way To Where You Are Going." These sermons will change your life dear reader if you'll heed the wisdom. Most people are miserable today because they're always looking to the future for happiness, or dwelling upon a filtered fictional past. They were complaining in the past as much as they do today, but they have forgotten how bad it was yesterday.

Many people are in a state of discontentment. They'll never be happy! They dream of going to paradise, but if they ever got there they'd still be miserable and it wouldn't be paradise, because they'd still be there! Until we can learn to relish the moment, and become comfortable in the present, we'll never be happy in life.

I think a lot of believers who contact my ministry—who are discouraged, down and destitute in life—it is largely because they have never learned to be content with today, satisfied with what they have. There are two ways to become rich:

1. Have all you want
2. Want all you have

I just want what I have. You can have very little in life, and yet be rich, if you are content. And contrariwise, there are billionaires who are miserable, still not content with what God has given them. Everything is a mindset in life. 1st Timothy 6:8, “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”

I have never owned a new car in my life. I am 59 years old. I don't want a new car. I love old things. My present vehicle is a 2014 Honda FIT, and I love it, mainly because it is 100% paid for. I saved up money on Guam before I moved to Pensacola in 2021. I paid about $12,000 cash (including sales taxes) and bought the vehicle before I had even left Guam, from a Honda dealership in Pensacola. One of their kind employees even picked me up at the airport and drove me to the dealership to get my new (old) car. They had already acquired my license plates. They were very nice to me, which I am still very grateful to them for doing. I am still driving the same reliable vehicle and Lord willing, plan to drive it until it is either beyond repair, gets stolen or smashed. So far it has served me very well. I am happy with it. Thank you Lord!

I live a simple life. I have all I need and am content and happy in the Lord, despite my chronic health afflictions that torment me night and day mercilessly. God is faithful (1st Corinthians 1:9). Job 13:15, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.” Job 19:25, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.” My full trust is in God my Savior!

Pastor Hyles says your whole disease is that you are not a Todayer. You're not satisfied with today. We foolishly have the wrong attitude, "It's always going to get like I dream it will be." But our fantasies don't include any negatives. You can't be happy tomorrow, because tomorrow will be today when tomorrow comes. So, if you're not happy today, when tomorrow comes and it is today again, you still won't be happy. Boy this is good stuff!

Dear reader, learn to embrace the moment, now! We can be happy right now, simply by thanking God in every thing, and learning to enjoy where we are at. This is what causes nearly all of our unhappiness. Be a Todayer. Get comfortable with today, right now! Yesterday is a cashed check. Tomorrow is a promissory note. All we have is cash to spend today. Spend it wisely. Worrying about tomorrow won't change anything, but it empties today of our Christian joy. God gives us trials and burdens to make us better, not bitter.

We're all guilty at times of being Yesterdayers and Tomorrowers, by either dwelling upon a filtered fictional past or by looking to the future through a blinding haze, missing the moment. If you've never come to grips with settling to be happy today, you'll never be happy. This is something that I think we would all be wise to continue working at, to learn to enjoy today.