Category: spiritual battles

Posted in life, missions, priorities, school days, spiritual battles, thankful

Gnats and Distractions

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “I will meditate on Your Precepts and think about Your ways. I will delight in Your Statutes; I will not forget Your Word.” Psalm 119:15-16

Gnats…little in size…big in bother. Well, if you are a regular Grits reader you might know two things.  First I was raised in the South and two, well, sometimes I had to great creative to have fun.  Often, that involved the variety of bugs that called 6008 Carlton Road home.

Being a warmer climate we were blessed with a wide variety. There was the standard house fly, your common cockroach, the black ants, red ants, and fire ants. There was also dragon-flys, love bugs and the mosquitoes.  We won’t even talk about spiders. Each one had its place in life—flies were flies and they sure knew how to make eating outside a pain.

The cockroach was almost a southern institution.  It seemed that even the cleanest house had one or two. Since our house was older and had a few more places for them to enter…well, we sometimes had more than a few.  The ants could inflict a world of hurt so we tried to stay away from them, the dragonfly was fun to catch, The love bug was fun to shoot with rubber bands and the mosquito was just a pain–the buzz drove you nuts and the bite itched like crazy.

There was one other bug though that really, really was a bother…a distraction…an annoyance…the pesky gnat.  For those of you who don’t know the gnat is a small flying bug that just loves to buzz around your head.  Whether it is your mouth, your eyes, your nose or your ears they just love to buzz.  What is interesting is that they don’t bite–they just buzz–they just distract.  If you are eating…they distract you.  If you are sleeping…they interrupt.  If you are talking…you spend your time swatting at them.  And you need to add that the fact that there is rarely one gnat…usually there are a whole lot.  They know there is strength in numbers.  

Well, thanks for reading and there you go.  Oh wait, surely there is more to the story than that. Well, there is.  You see, there is supposed to be a spiritual application to this story on bugs, isn’t there? Well, here it is.  You see, Satan knows that a distracted believer is an ineffective believe.  He knows that a distracted church is a powerless church.  He is a powerful instigator of distractions.  On an individual basis, here in America you couldn’t put the distractions on a single piece of paper.  Everything from career pressure to our hobbies distracts us from God.

As a church, the distractions are just as obvious.  Take what has been labeled “worship wars.”  Think of all the time and energy that has been wasted trying to decide if a church should use a hymnbook or project the words on a screen and whether they should sing hymns, choruses or a combination of the two.  How about translation wars?  We have the KJV, NKJV, NIV, TNIV, ESV, HCSB, NASB, and the NLT to name just a few.  Whew.

And here’s the deal:  All the time and energy we are using being distracted is time and energy that is not used to doing what we should be doing:  sharing the great news of Jesus Christ with a lost world.  Believe me, Satan knows this well…hence the distractions. I like what William Hendriksen said: “It was to save sinners that Christ Jesus came into the world. He did not come to help them to save themselves, nor to induce them to save themselves, nor even to enable them to save themselves. He came to save them.”

That is the heart of God…that is our mission.  So, how about we try and ignore the gnats and get about the mission–being Jesus…sharing Jesus.  Ok, this really is the end. Well not quite. In case all this bug swatting and trying to stay on track has you overwhelmed, just remember…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in fear, friends, gratitude, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, spiritual battles

What Shall We Do?

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

These days in too many ways are monsters—perhaps a cookie monster.  Crazy changes seem to take so many of the things that were precious to us and just consume them.  One minute they were there and the next…they were gone.  Like Cookie Monster, change crunches and munches its way through our lives declaring, “Me like cookies.”

We have struggled, pushed and pulled as time marched on but let’s not lose sight of what we learned.  We learned things about ourselves, and things about God.  We have stopped just reading about faith or listening to preachers tell us about it and we were given opportunities to taste it, to experience it.  Keep in mind that kind of learning happens in situations that we can’t handle.  It starts in the darkness but it is then that we get to see the dawn coming.  We get to see what he saw.

The man woke up early…just as dark was turning to dawn.  He quietly stirred so as not to disturb his master, Elisha.  It was then that he heard them.  “Them” were masses of horses and warriors lining the surrounding hills. It wasn’t going to be a good day.

For too many days we awoke to a world filled with the unfamiliar. It seemed the sounds of warriors and horses were louder and closer than the day before as politics and headlines stopped being something that was just happening on the national news. Slowly it inched its way nearer, first, in nearby counties and then even closer. Perhaps you felt the fear creeping into the pit of your stomach…again…and again.  You asked, “What can I do?”  Now the question is “How did we do?”

Our friend shakes his master out of a deep sleep.  The Word of God records it like this in 2 Kings 6:15 “When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked. What.Shall.We.Do.

Did you ask that question in 2020? Last year? Recently? This morning?  Well, welcome to normal.  The best part is there is a great answer coming.  Elisha, in 2 Kings 6:16, says “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

“Calm down, friend” Elisha said because the odds are on our side.  Well, the servant did the math and it looked like a zillion to two.  Hmmm.  So, do you find yourself doing the math and no matter how you rewrite the equation it doesn’t look good? Well – get ready because something is about to change.  In verse 17 the Word says, “And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

And boom, just like that everything changed.  When he could see clearly it was clear that the odds were in their favor and the fear eased and the panic fled and well, it was gonna be a better day. 1 John 4:4 puts it this way, “You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

That was true then and it is true now.  Yes, we had enough stuff in recent days and years to cause the strongest knees to knock.  The enemy was and is great, but our God was and is greater. Yes, the carnage scars the landscape but the virus, the division, the economic and emotional disruption was and is no match for our God. He is bigger…by a lot.  Ask God to open your eyes so you can see what the odds really were and are–and feel the fear ease and the panic flee.  After all, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in fear, gratitude, life, school days, Scripture, spiritual battles, thankful

There’s Always Tomorrow

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

Have you ever had one of those days when it seemed the sun took a long vacation? I remember the COVID days when it wasn’t one day but almost every day. It seemed we were stuck in a dark rut.

Those days and days like them caused me to stop and think. I began reading a lot (well, at least a lot for me) about rethinking the way we think.  Both scripture and science prove that our brain, (not to mention our lives) respond to our thought process.  It is true. Our lives move in the direction of our strongest thoughts.  Or, as another person said, “where you stare you steer.”  It is possible and probably probable that we can and should take some advice from Annie.  Remember her?

Annie.  Her life was pretty hard…pretty dark.  A perky young redhead with an optimistic attitude in a pessimistic world.  Others mocked her and those charged to care for her emotionally abused her.  So, what was Annie’s response?  Well, it goes something like this. 

“The sun will come out tomorrow. Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there’ll be sun! Just thinking about tomorrow clears away the cobwebs, and the sorrow, till there’s none! 

When I’m stuck in a day that’s gray, and lonely, I just stick out my chin and grin, and say, “Oh the sun will come out tomorrow. So ya gotta hang on till tomorrow…come what may. Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya tomorrow! You’re always a day away.”

Guess what?  The sun did come out.  She was rescued by Daddy Warbucks and her life was changed forever.  Are there still problems?  Yup.  Are there still bad guys lurking to hurt her–steal her away? Yup.  Does the story have a great ending?  Yup and three big lessons emerge.  One, the sun will come out.  Two.  Don’t mess with Daddy Warbucks. Three, don’t underestimate a nine-year-old redhead.

I know, sometimes it seems we are stuck in a day that’s gray, and lonely.  Honestly, doesn’t it sometimes seem like that? Doesn’t it seem like the good old days are fast disappearing in the rearview mirror? Well mark this down—the sun is going to come out because our Dearest Daddy is in control—not those pesky circumstances!

I read on the internet that the phrase, “And it came to pass…” appears 396 times in the Bible.  Each time it is saying that the current situation didn’t come to stay…it came to pass. Listen, most likely, your present doesn’t represent a new normal…it is a set, a series of temporary circumstance. And if it is a new normal, well, His grace is sufficient. When it is all said and done, it is refreshing to know that a new day is just 24 hours away.

In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Paul writes, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Right on Paul.  Right on.

So, remember this.  One, the sun will come out–guaranteed.  It may be here, or it may be there but the future for a child of God is filled with “Son-shine.”  Second, remember who our Father is.  He isn’t just rich like Daddy Warbucks–He owns it all and is in total control.  And no one…and I mean no one…messes with our Father.  Last, you may not be a perky young redhead like Annie, but don’t underestimate yourself.  You dear friend, if you have trusted Christ, are a prince or princess of the King.  Your home is heaven, and your Heavenly Father calls you His. Can someone say, “Son-shine?” The forecast says clouds but I’m feeling pretty “Son-ny.”  After all, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, life, Scripture, spiritual battles, Trials, wisdom

Just Walk Away

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “I am doing important work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?” Four times they sent me the same proposal, and I gave them the same reply.” Nehemiah 3b-4 

Well, it was definitely smarter than me.  We live in a world of smart devices. I remember years ago when phones were just getting smart, and I was all in up to my eyeballs.  Through the years, I have been amazed as device after device got smarter and smarter. Everything from locks to thermostats to televisions got smarter and smarter and smarter.  And then one day, they got smarter than me.

A while back I bought some smart plugs.  These little wonders allow me to control a device either from my smartphone or with my girlfriend Alexa.  I just tell her to turn on the lights and she does.  In my living room, I have several lights all plugged into a couple of these smart plugs.  All I have to do is say, “Alexa, turn on the living room lights” and just like that all the lights come on.  Want to turn them off?  No, problem.  Just tell Alexa and she will turn them off.  How great.  How smart.  How awesome.

Well, one day my smart world came crashing.  All the smart plugs became very not smart.  None of the lights would turn on and none would turn off.  After an hour or so I figured out I needed to restart my internet modem and bam…just like that…we were back in business…almost.  There was one plug that didn’t get the message. It said no, nada, ain’t gone happen.  Well, I figured if I messed with it long enough, I could persuade it to get on board.  I was wrong.

I messed with it and messed with it and then messed with it some more.  It wasn’t a matter of minutes but hours.  I finally gave up and went to bed, but I am not one to throw in the towel.  First thing in the morning, after coffee and Jesus, I started in again and it wasn’t long before all that Good News Jesus stuff had leaked out and I was one frustrated dude.  And just about that time it occurred to me to…just stop…and I did.

I picked up the tools and put them away and walked away.  It occurred me that nothing including a smart plug gone dumb or one that was smarter than me should have that much control over me.  And guess what.  That particular light still does not have a plug…at least not one that is smart.  I might give it another shot one day but that day was not yesterday, is not today and probably won’t be tomorrow.  It just isn’t that important. Let’s be honest…I like to win but there are times when walking away is better than fighting a battle that doesn’t matter.

Someone once told me to be sure and choose my battles carefully.  We need to learn to ask, “Is this a hill worth dying on?”  So often our pride keeps us in the fight long after the fight doesn’t matter—after the fight has long left us. So, when you find yourself beating your head against a wall or bumping into that same stubborn wall, ask yourself, “Does this really matter?” Now if it does you stay in there but if it doesn’t don’t let your pride keep you where you don’t belong.

You know, Jesus knew about “hills worth dying on.”  The one that held Him and His cross, Calvary, was so important nothing, and I do mean nothing, could keep Him from it.  At the same time, He knew when to walk away…to let it go. We should do the same. Nehemiah, one of the guys in the Old Testament, was on mission to rebuild the wall that surrounded his hometown Jerusalem. His enemies kept trying to distract him so he finally said, “I am doing important work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”  Isn’t that great? And four times they tried and four times he said no. He simply refused to leave what mattered for something that didn’t.

So, like the song Kenny Rogers made famous, “You need to know when to hold them, know when to fold them and know when to walk away.” It will not only make your life easier, but it just might also make it more purposeful.  Need a little help figuring out when to do what?  No problem, just ask the One who is never wrong.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in life, missions, Scripture, sovereignty of God, spiritual battles, travel, wisdom

Big Rivers, Hungry Crocs and Fat Hippos

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “But if you don’t do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you.”  Numbers 32:23

How do things like this happen?  If you are older than three, you have probably already bumped into something that got bigger than you intended.  Whether you are a toddler reaching for the cookie jar or a teenager thinking no one will ever know or in a marriage pushing the limits…well, you’ve probably had that emptiness in your stomach when the cookie jar crashes, or dad says, “Son, we need to talk” or you come home to an empty house because word got around.  How does it happen?

Really the answer to that question is older than time and bigger than a short story with a big truth or, for that matter, a thick book full of truths but maybe we can at least cast a little light in the arena.  Judy and I have been to East Africa and the country of Uganda more than a few times.  We launch our trips to the islands of Lake Victoria from the small town of Jinga.  We enter town, with the lake on our right, and cross a small channel that leads to a decent size dam.  On the other side of the dam, and no more than fifty yards wide, is the origin of the mighty Nile River.

Now trust me, if you saw the Mighty Nile at this point you wouldn’t be too impressed.  It wanders through the Ugandan countryside on its way north before eventually emptying into the Mediterranean Sea.  The journey is somewhere over 4,100 miles and slowly the river grows and grows until it is almost two miles wide at some points.  Judy and I had the opportunity to take a ride on the Nile and besides being impressed by its size, I was more than impressed with the very large and very hungry, crocodiles that call the Nile home.  Oh, and did I mention the animal that causes more deaths in Africa than any other animal? It is the hippopotamus and there are lots of them in the Nile. Lots.

So, we begin with something that is relatively small that becomes large and we have something relatively benign that is dangerously filled with things that want to eat you or stomp you to death.  Either way—something little becomes big and dangerous.  And that, dear friend, is how things get out of control in our lives too.  It starts as something we think we can handle, something that almost, almost, seems safe and before long—we have a monster on our hands.  Let’s revisit the Nile.

If you were to start floating down the Nile in your little boat the first chunk of your journey would be easy.  But somewhere upstream (since the Nile flows north) there is something that will kill you—Murchison Falls.  The entire Nile River is funneled down into a rock channel that is only 23 feet wide before the water violently plummets 141 feet.  Go there and you are dead—no exceptions.  It’s the same results when we don’t pay attention to the tension that sometimes occurs in our lives.  When that tension is there…it is there for a reason.  Andy Stanley gives two good pieces of advice.  First, pay attention to the tension; and two, if something bothers you, let it bother you.  That’s good stuff.

So, the big truth today is we sometimes need to hit the pause button.  We also need to understand that we are not the exception to the rule…we can get hurt, we can create a disaster, and yes, someone will find out. Oh, by the way, do you really think it is a secret from God? The Old Testament gives us a sound warning—be sure your sins will find you out and often, when it does, well, its gonna leave a mark—a bruise—or worse.

As you journey today or tomorrow, you might want to listen for the Whisperer whispering His gentle words of warning.  Don’t ignore them…He knows truth and He knows consequences.  Our sin cost His Son His life.  However, if we ask, He will be there to help and to guide. No matter how big the crocs, or how fat the hippos, or how violent the falls—you can trust the fact that, “He’s got this.”    Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, Grace, Integrity, life, Scripture, spiritual battles, Uncategorized

Inside and Out: Bumping Vs Mapping

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 

They sure looked alike. A while back I told you about a robot vacuum we had bought that would help clean our house. It was really quite amazing. It was rechargeable and even knew when it was time to go home and get recharged. I think most amazing of all was the fact that it would “map” our house, remembering how each room was laid out and where it had already been and where it needed to go. Well, all good things have to come to an end. After about a year, we noticed that her charge didn’t last as long as it had before. Instead of running about an hour it would go for about 30 or 40 minutes and then it would simply announce that it was going home to recharge.

I quickly figured out that her time at the Taylor house was limited and we were right. Suddenly, and without warning, she would just—die. Instead of going home we would find her in the middle of the floor deader than a doornail. We would carry her back to the charging station and while she would eventually come back to life—it was never for very long. It was time to look for a replacement.

I went to eBay (an online shopping site) to find what we needed. Before long I found what appeared to be her sister, same brand and almost the same model—in fact—it was a new model. The price was right, I placed the order and in about a week she was sitting in our living room. We charged her up and mashed the go button. Well, rather quickly we realized that something was very different about this one. She didn’t seem to know where to go and would often go over the same area again and again. She would bump into something and then randomly turn.  We figured out soon, to use a historical quote, “Uh, Houston, we have a problem.”

We thought she was defective but in fact she wasn’t. It turned out that while they looked alike on the outside they were in fact radically different inside. Our first friend had a feature called “mapping.” This enabled it to learn the layout of our rooms. It knew where to go, it knew where it had been, and it knew where home was. It wasted little time uselessly bumping and running into things. The new one was wired totally different. It had what the company called, “bump technology.” Call it what you want but the truth was it it just about useless. So as it turned out it may have looked the same, it may have sounded the same, it may have had the same name but inside it was different. Inside.It.Was.Different.

You might know where this is going but let me help. What is true about our two vacuum friends is true about people. When it comes to Jesus, what really matters is not the outside, though that is important, what matters is what Jesus has done on the inside. Religion can dress up the outside but only Jesus can change what matters—and what is the inside—the heart. In God’s opinion the heart always trumps appearance.  That is what God told Samuel, the preacher in the Old Testament, when He said, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” It was true then and it is true now.

So if you are in the market for a robot vacuum, be sure and read all about it. And as you do life, remember, don’t waste time bumping into walls instead let Jesus map your life by giving you a new heart. You won’t regret it and you will quickly find out that, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in fear, friends, life, prayer, pride, Scripture, sovereignty of God, spiritual battles

Happy New Year

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.”Romans 8:28

I slowly walked to the edge, paused, and…”. Well, it was a long time ago but most of the picture remains intact.  I was about nine years old, and our church Sunday School decided to have a picnic.  We loaded up on a bus or two and drove to the lake.  It was a natural freshwater lake with a beach and a dock.  And speaking of docks…this was a big one.  It left the shore and went out about a mile…well, it seemed like a mile…remember I was only nine.  In fact, it probably went out about fifty yards or so.  Then it made a 90 degree right turn and went on for another fifty yards.  By any standard it was a long dock.

However, it was what was at the end of the dock that caused me to pause.  There, built into the dock was the “Tower of Terror.”  Now for those of you who are familiar with Disney World you know that is the name for one of their attractions.  You are taken inside a building and end up in the dark (mostly) and then without warning…the floor gives way and you are falling for what seems like forever.  Now all this is speculation and hearsay for me because trust me I would never, will never find out personally. No. Not. Nada.  But that day when I was nine, I faced my own “Tower of Terror.”

The tower at the lake that day was probably thirty or forty feet in the air.  You climbed a ladder attached to the tower and at the top was a pretty good-sized platform.  This was where you could stand, look, and gather courage to walk to the edge and jump off.  Well, pushed by peer pressure and goaded by friends, I somehow found myself on the top and they were all saying one thing, “Jump!” Trust me, the last thing that I wanted to do was jump off that perfectly good tower.  I walked slowly to the edge and looked down.  The water seemed to be a zillion yards below me. There were only two options.  First, take the plunge or two, go back down the ladder.  With my heart pounding, with my peers all telling me to jump, I….

I honestly don’t remember what I did. I don’t know if I finally overcame my fear, swallowed my pride and jumped or swallowed my pride and slowly, with great humiliation, went back down the ladder.  Either one at the time felt unbearable and I know one thing even today…fear can paralyze you and fear can cause you to make some pretty crazy decisions.  Most of us personally know the truth in those words.

Well, today we find ourselves at the edge of another kind of platform…and for some, it might look like a “tower of terror.”  We are hours away from a New Year and honestly it can seem quite frightening…especially these days and with these circumstances. Considering all this, what should we do? What can we do?  Well, it seems logical to me that when I face something bigger than me, I need to find something or Someone bigger than the mountain, the obstacle that I am facing.  For me, hands down, that is God.  

There are two truths that I have found in God’s Word that really help me.  Maybe it will help you too.  First, is the sovereignty of God.  That simply means that God is in charge. I love the scripture that reminds me that every day is made by God…He is the owner and therefore the planner. It also means that He is in control…He.Is.In.Control. There is something peaceful in knowing that God is and if He is…well, worry shouldn’t rule us. But it gets better.

Not only does He make every day, He also makes us an incredible promise.  If you are a Bible person you probably know this one.  In the book of Romans, Chapter 8, it says, “God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.”  Wow.  While that doesn’t mean that everything is good…we know that…it does mean that God can bring good from every circumstance.  What that also means is we have a promise from God that no matter how wonky 2025 may be, He can and will bring something good from it.  Now the truth of that should certainly bring some inner peace into the chaos of our lives.  

So, the bottom line is, “Happy New Year!” The God who makes the day makes the year and the God who makes the year manages the outcome.  Hey, sprinkling a little truth into a murky future can change a lot of things.  Now all of that isn’t a promise of easy but it is a promise of His faithfulness and that no matter what, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, fear, Grace, Integrity, life, Scripture, spiritual battles

Trust the Truth

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword.” Hebrews 4:12a

On your mark, get set, go. Today is Monday.  While not the first day of the week, that honor is set aside for Sunday, for many it is the first day of their work week. But wait—this week there is sometime way bigger.  Wednesday is January 1st, the start of a new month and, wait for it, the start of another New Year.

In Psalm 118:24, we are reminded that, “this is the day the Lord has made.” We are also told what we are to do with that truth, “We will rejoice and be glad in it.” He makes each day and we get to celebrate each day. So if God is the author of each day then He is also the author of each week, month, and year and we should celebrate each one.

One of the best ways to celebrate all this newness is by reading and celebrating God’s Word. I cannot, we cannot, overstate the importance of God’s Word to each and every Jesus follower. You see, reading, studying, meditating and ingesting God’s Word is vital to our intimacy with our Abba Father—our Dearest Daddy. God’s Word is our weapon to fight against our arch enemy Satan. The Word is alive, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword. But wait there is more. When we hide Scripture in our heart, it helps us battle with the forces of evil. We have an enemy, and the last thing he wants us to do is trust God and His Word.

You can take this to the bank. Our spiritual enemy wants to keep us in a place of doubt, fear, guilt, shame and insecurity. But when we know who we are, children of the Most High God, we can confidently demolish every lie that distracts us. Jesus said of Satan, “He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Don’t miss that—no truth in him. Just think, whatever comes out of Satan is a lie so we must be careful to believe nothing he says.

I was reading one day and came across this list of some common lies we’ve all believed, and the truth we need to remember to overcome them. These powerful truths will help equip us  and help us to overcomer the enemy this year.

Satan Says — You are a failure, and can’t do anything right.

God Says — You may struggle, but you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. (Philippians 4:13)

Satan Says – If God cared, why would He let these hardships happen to you?  

God Says — I cause everything to work together for My glory and My good (Romans 8:28). My grace is sufficient for you, and My power is perfected through your weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Satan Says — You will always be the way you are.

God Says — You can change because you belong to Christ. The old you has gone and the new you is here (2 Corinthians 5:17)!

Think through the lies you’ve believed. Unfortunately the list is probably longer than we want to admit. It’s easier to entertain lies when we allow them to become a part of us. But once you recognize the lies you’ve internalized, you’re halfway to victory. God gave us His Word so that we could know the truth …  and it’s His truth that sets us free.  As we launch into this New Year, let’s start living more like the conquerors we are, and apply the life-giving, hope-delivering truth provided to us through God’s Word. Let’s make the commitment to live and believe that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, Grace, life, Scripture, spiritual battles

No Hoops–Just Believe

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:27 

 How can something so simple be so complicated. I don’t really do Facebook but my wife Judy told me I needed to check in and see if there are any comments from our faithful Grits readers. So I sat down at my computer…determined to check in on Facebook. Gathering my courage, I gave it a shot. I started with the usual process: username, password, the whole nine yards. But what I didn’t expect was the complexity of hoops Facebook was about to make me jump through.

I clicked on the Facebook icon, ready to breeze through the login page. But no, it wasn’t going to be that simple. The first hurdle appeared: “We need to confirm your identity.” Oh, great. Apparently, Facebook didn’t trust that I was really me. I mean, I get it; security is important, especially with all the hacks and data breaches that have made us all a little more paranoid. But still, this was a little over the top.

I was prompted to enter my phone number to receive a code via text. Fine, no problem, I thought. I punched in my digits, waited for the text, and then typed in the verification code. But that wasn’t the end of it. I’ve even heard sometimes they want a photo to verify your identity. The mere thought of that caused me to get even more frustrated. A photo? Seriously? I couldn’t help but think, “when did logging into a social media site become such a high-stakes, high-tech operation?”

But wait—there was more! I could choose to answer security questions. One of them was, “What is the name of your first pet?” I typed in the answer, hit the key, and waited. No dice. The system still wasn’t convinced. I felt like I was trying to crack a vault, not just get into Facebook. I eventually gave up, deciding to log in later, but the whole experience left me exasperated. I just wanted to read some of the comments some of you left on our Grits page. That’s it. Instead, I was stuck feeling like I was a thief trying to break into my own account.

Then, as I sat there fuming, it hit me. All of this made me so grateful that there is no login process like this for God. You don’t have to jump through hoops or submit forms to get His attention or talk with Him. No selfies, no verification codes, no waiting for a text message. All you need to do is believe that His Son Jesus is who He said He was and that He did what He said He did. No hurdles to clear, no forms to fill out. Just simple faith in Him, and that’s enough. How about that!

So now you know why I rarely comment on your comments on Facebook. While logging into Facebook had become a frustrating ordeal I am so grateful my relationship with God isn’t bound by any complicated process—never was and never will be. It is simple—believe and you are known. No hoops to jump through, just grace to receive. I am so glad that my Dearest Daddy knows me and tells me that no matter what—He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, friends, gratitude, life, love, prayer, priorities, Scripture, spiritual battles, thankful, Trials

Riding With Jesus

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

How about that? One of the newest rages in communities everywhere is electric bikes. Long before we took the plunge and started our next chapter, we talked about buying a pair of these bikes so we could ride and ride together. Well, we finally took that plunge too. These bikes are not cheap, so we decided to use the individual love gifts you gave us to purchase them. Now…every time we ride, we will think of you all.

So, what’s up with an electric bike? Since my early days in Harrisburg, I have ridden bikes on and off. My first thought when Judy mentioned this was, “what is the purpose of an electric bike”? I thought riding meant exercise and exercise meant pedaling and sweating. Well, it turns out that there can be some of that…or none of that.  Let me explain. Our bikes have several settings.  First, it can be like a good old-fashioned bike. You simply turn the battery part off and pedal your heart out. Now, you need to know that is a challenge because these dudes weigh a hefty 65 pounds. Compare that with a regular bike that weighs about 25 pounds, and you can see—and feel the difference.  So pedal if you want—but be prepared to sweat—a lot.

The second setting is something called pedal assist. With this setting you still pedal but the electric motor does a chunk of the work for you. Now this is where I was surprised. I found out that even though pedal assist helps you, your legs and heart still get a pretty good workout. So, you tell the bike how much help you need or want and away you go. But wait—we aren’t done.  The third and final setting is when the bike does all the work. All you do is twist a throttle on the handlebar and the electric motor takes you wherever you want to go. In some ways, it is similar to riding a motorcycle, but not.  It turns out, the bike will do as much or as little as you desire.  And that, Grits readers, is just like our Father.

You see, God is ready and willing to go with us.  And how much we are willing to rely on Him is how much easier the journey will be.  The truth is, just like the bike, we can tell God, “no thanks” and try to do life on your own.  That is simply a poor choice. We weren’t made to live like that. A much better choice is what we will call, “God assist.” We do our part, which often is simply trusting and believing, and leave the rest to Him. In other words, we do life doing what we can and should do, and leave the rest to Him.

The final part is the best. You see, we are constantly assured that we can totally and completely trust in Him. He is more than willing to carry us every day and in every way.  Again, all we must do is trust. The only option that should never be an option is thinking that we don’t need God’s help. Like I said—bad choice. But the other two, God assist, and God dependence teach us an important lesson that no matter what—He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne