I got your attention, huh?

In our current world of confusion, loneliness, boredom, our worried and anxious souls can’t take much more of this, or can we? If someone turned the switch tonight and things went back to normal, how would you feel? Relieved, happy, sad?

What if I told you that there is a happy hour online, starting at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow? Would you be intrigued? Excited? What kind of happy hour? An online church service. One hour of worship and message about Jesus.

Did I lose you? Are you less excited now? What if I told you that listening to Pastor Steve might change your life? What if I said that Steve can give you some useful information that would make you see things from a better perspective.

Well, it can. And, there are several online messages to pick from these days. Not all are watch-worthy though. Not all pastors teach from the Bible. Some, at best, give a 30 minute entertainment story that makes you feel good.

Since I met Jesus at the age of 16, my life has never been the same. Oh, I’ve had my ups and downs, but with Jesus at my side, I’m never alone. I’m never lonely. I have a hope and a future, because of what Jesus did for me.

Try it. If you don’t know which online message to turn to, try my Pastor Steve, from Church of the Savior at www.churchofthesavior.net. You’ll be glad you joined us for this weekly happy hour.

And, just think. It could change your whole life from that day forward!

John 4:23 - “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”

Many people are confused, and are not sure how to handle this new normal. People are isolated, lonely and afraid.

As Christians, we are to be the hands and feet of Christ. This means that we should be spreading the word, the good news of Jesus’ love for each of us. I think that there are many out there who are just waiting for us to ask them, how they are; how they are coping.

Unless we step up, reach out and ask, we’ll never know who is out there, ready to say yes to Jesus. They’re ready for a change in their life. They’re willing to let Jesus turn their life around.

Now, I know that we are all practicing social distancing, so this may be difficult to do with those who are not on social media, or who don’t have a phone where you could text them.

Start small. Did you know that you could even send a letter to someone? That’s right. They call it snail mail these days.

Reach out. Start out by telling them your story. Tell them how you were once desperate and didn’t know which way to turn, or who to turn to. That’s when someone told you about Jesus and you gave your life to Him.

You’ll never know until you take that first step of connection.

After all, God commands us to love one another.

What’s your excuse? Show them the way; reach out today.

John 13:34 - “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Deception is described as the act of deceiving someone. This is satan’s primary weapon in our daily life.

The devil is sneaking into every aspect of our lives, and even convincing the intelligent leaders of the world that in order to get ahead in life, you take what you want.

I’ll admit, I’ve battled through some strongholds in my life. I’ve been deceived by many in my early walk with God.

If you’re not strong in your faith, you’ll find yourself weak in areas of your life. You’ll be convinced that what you’re doing is ok, and it’s not hurting anyone.

Don’t be deceived by the devil. God is on your side. Look to God for answers, when things get tough. Know what’s right in God’s eyes, and ask Him for guidance.

Living with a stronghold in your life is like trying to come up out of water when someone’s holding you under.

God loves you and wants the best for you. Remove the deception from your life, by reading God’s word. Ask Him for help in the areas of your life where you’re not able to combat on your own.

There are many false prophets in the world, proclaiming fame and a better way of life. Beware and don’t be deceived.

1 John 4:1 - “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

If you’ve ever watched kids, you’ll know that they can be easily distracted. You can put something in front of them that’s entertaining, and they’ll watch it for hours. This is a very dangerous tool that the devil uses to lure kids into places they shouldn’t be.

On the contrary, you can combat this diversion by filling their minds with good things.

I experienced this by watching my grandkids last weekend. They wanted to hear and watch a music video that was not anything I would have let my own kids watch. I said ok, but then it was my turn to pick the movie or video. As I turned on a kid’s version of Noah’s ark, they were entranced by the story. They started asking questions, and ended up liking my choice.

As we’re having to change our daily routines and somehow entertain our kids during this time, let’s take time to feed them with the ‘good stuff.’ Let’s introduce them to the stories from the Bible that they can understand, and enjoy.

The world is full of hate, destruction, death and bad stuff.

This is our next generation. Let’s teach them the good things of God. Let’s show them how we can help make the world a better place by learning from Bible history. They can be educated on God’s goodness, and how His love for us.

God hates sin, and He hates it when satan rules over a household.

Let’s shut the devil out of our homes, and bring back the wholesome teachings of the Bible.

Feed their minds with the story of Jesus today.

Proverbs 22:6 - “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

I’ve done it before. Threw up a prayer of desperation in a time of need. Short, but to the point.

How did that work out for me? Well, most of the time, not so well.

God wants everything that we are. He wants us as close to Him as our next breath, but unfortunately most of us do good to give him a short prayer before we go to sleep at night. A microwave prayer; thirty seconds of pleas and maybe a few thankful thoughts.

This would be the same as not talking to your spouse, child or parents, except a few words before going to sleep at night.

In every relationship that we have, most times we’re communicating on a daily basis. We share our thoughts with each other, and our love.

So, why do we treat God as if He’s this invisible being that lives in a far off land?

As it says in Psalms 50:15, “and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

God’s right here. He’s waiting on you. He wants our respect, love and honor.

My relationship with God may not be where it needs to be, but He knows me; He loves me and wants nothing but the best for me. I will follow God all the days of my life, until I take my last breath.

Don’t just give God the leftovers of the day. Give Him all of you. Take time to talk to God tonight, or right now. Give Him the praise and honor He deserves.

Bullying is defined as a person who habitually seeks to harm or intimidate those whom they perceive as vulnerable.

Back in the 1970’s when I was a teenager bullying was going on then, but few seemed to label it as bullying. They called it teasing, annoying or badgering, just to name a few. I remember I was called a name from one of my classmates that made me cry. It wasn’t a curse word and it wasn’t even a word that related to me or my personality. Since my name was Dianne, this boy thought it would be cute and call me ‘diapers.’ Even though nothing was done to resolve the situation, it was a name that tormented me at the time.  

Bullying is an everyday issue for some people. In addition to physical or verbal bullying, now there’s social bullying. This is where someone gets on social media and says basically anything they want, to put down or lie about another person.

Bullying is never okay. If you see someone bullying another person, notify the proper authorities. Believe it or not, this is not just happening to kids, it’s happening to a vast majority of adults also.

As Christians, we need to have courage and stand up for those who can’t or won’t defend themselves. The Bible is full of lessons on how to react to this unnecessary crime. Never try and get back at a bully or seek revenge. God is the judge of all. God sees all and knows every bullying situation.

Bullying is wrong. As Christians, we are called to act in love and kindness to everyone, including those who wrong us.

1 John 5:18 – “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.”

I’m sure you’ve bought a product that has a buyer’s manual; an instructional/informational book about the product. Most of us glaze over it, and either throw it away or put it up in case there’s a problem later.

Is this the same issue that comes up when reading the Bible?

I’ll admit I used to try to read the Bible, mark up a few chapters, then put it aside until trouble comes.

Yeah, that didn’t work out too well for me either.

Now, I use the Bible as my daily food. I have to have it to survive.

For those of you looking for answers during this trying time, it’s time for you to open up the Bible.

The Bible is God breathed. Meaning, every word written was and is inspired by God.

It gives me hope, when things look bleak. It delivers guidance when I don’t know which way to turn.

Ask God for help, when attempting to read the Bible.

It’s my life manual; my training guide. My morning cup of coffee. My boost for the day. My map for the day’s journey. And, it’s my bedtime story.

James 1:22 -”Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

There have been seasons of my life when I had lost all hope. Oh, I put up a good front. Many weren’t even aware of my internal struggles. I became good at hiding my feelings and faking it.

But, thank God, He still saw me as His own. He knew I would find Him again. He made a way out of my destructive life, one day at a time.

He saw potential, when I had doubts. God saw me on the mission fields, when I couldn’t imagine a better life.

God is faithful in His promises. He promises His children, all who have given their life to Him, a hope and a future.

Why keep doing what you’re doing, when it’s getting you nowhere; when nothing’s changing?

God will never give up on you.

It’s your choice today. Give it all to God, and watch hope and joy appear in your life.

When you feel there’s no way out; there’s nothing to look forward to, give it to God. He’s the Waymaker!

Isaiah 41:10 - “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”