Maverick1's Blog

It’s rare I don’t start a day with a Spark and Alpha-brain. Energy, focus and knocking the cob webs out of the noggin. Of course, have to enjoy the flowers my wife got me for my birthday too!

More importantly and exactly 40 days ago, I decided to get up and give the first fruits of my day to my first love; Jesus. There were some rocky days the first couple of weeks as my bad habits kept calling me. My tendency to think the worst got the better of me some days but I kept asking Jesus for help. Each day I got healthier and stronger. I forgave myself and got back in the saddle each time I dropped the ball. I trusted Jesus for the saving of my soul over the 40 days. It’s been amazing. I love starting the day with a daily devotion or reading. Forty days ago I was feeling down and inadequate. I was holding on to stuff I shouldn’t have been holding on too, was becoming less hopeful, was drinking too much, was secretly angry, down on myself and my life. I wasn’t down on the people I love, but couldn’t see how they could love me or my shortcomings. My 40 day commitment to spending time with my Jesus was transformative and I never want to to stop giving Him the first fruits of my day. After all, it’s His day and not my day. I just have the day on loan. I turned negative news TV off! I stayed away from the negative aspects of social media. I let go of what I had been carrying. I took ownership of the problems I had created. As well, I accepted some things about myself that I have been battling for decades. Until you love and respect yourself you can’t see how anyone else can either. I’m enjoying my liberties in Christ without worrying as much what others think. I got in the Word. I’m seeing life more through the lenses of love, even myself through the lense of love. Walk in the Spirit as much as you can while at home in these bodies. Now time to go tame the flesh and anchor to love before the day starts.
Thank you beautiful wife, Sasha Martin. You are beautiful inside and out. You make every day spectacular and exciting.

Starting a new 40 day commitment NOW.
#blesstheNameoftheLord #UnwaveringFaith

Anchor. Trust. Cast your care upon the Lord because He cares for you

It’s hard to please anyone that walks self willed and in the flesh. Me, anyone. Hard to please. As well, until someone is ready to surrender their heart and life to Christ or until someone is ready to overcome what imprisons them, they won’t come. A person has to have a heart to change.

John the Baptist came and didn’t drink, fasted a lot, abstained from savory meat and so on. He avoided the pleasantries of life for the gospels sake. They ridiculed him and killed him.

Jesus came eating and drinking. He was accused of being gluttonous and a friend to sinners. He did many mighty works but was called a devil. They ridiculed and killed him.

If you are trying to walk in the spirit and live unto Christ you will encounter scoffers and naysayers. Don’t let them bother you. It’s been this way since the beginning of time. Love them. Forgive them. Pray for them. I often walk in the flesh. I’m working to anchor to the Holy Spirit daily so that I am easily entreated, my speech salted with grace, and content with my daily wages. I’m finding life much more accommodating when I surrender to Christ daily. The flesh cannot be pleased. The surest way to be miserable is to think you can please anyone’s flesh or to think you can please your own flesh. Stop altering your identity in Christ to please others. Be true to yourself, who you are, and walk daily in borrowed confidence. I lack confidence therefore I borrow confidence from my Christ and only then have the confidence to get through today happy and healthy. Sound body. Sound mind.

Yoking with Christ today. His burdens are light and He cares for me. Christ is easily pleased. I desire to be too.

A testimony Monday, August 30, 2021

Sunday Funday. It was fun reading about many miracles performed by Jesus this Sunday morning. Worshipping, praising, and heart leaping with the Spirit. What’s more fun than that? A half century old now, my soul has turned towards my first love. The Holy Spirit.
Jesus healed so many and performed so many miracles that we know there aren’t enough books on the planet to contain all the writings about all the miracles He performed.

I rejoiced this morning over reading about, and I summarize, the man brought to Jesus that had the palsy. Jesus before the religious leaders, told the man with the palsy to be of good cheer and that his sins were forgiven. The religious leaders pitched a fit. They thought and said “who does this man think He is to forgive sin?” Jesus knowing this says, “Which is an easier thing to do? Is it easier to forgive sins or heal this man? So that you know power has been given to the Son of Man to forgive sins, I will show you I have the power to do the harder thing which is to heal disease.”

He healed the man with palsy saying “Arise, take up your bed and go to your house.” The man with palsy was healed. I guess Jesus closed the mouths of the religious leaders.
I glean from this that the power of forgiveness has been given to all of us. Some say it’s hard to forgive. If we walk in the spirit it is not hard to forgive. It’s the easiest and most powerful gift that the Holy Spirit gives us. In fact, I am seeing miracles take place in my life and I believe it’s because I forgave myself and forgave others in the name of Jesus. My heart is full of love. I have no enemies. Only misunderstandings of which there are solutions for.
If you’ve been asking God to heal you, asking for miracles or help of some sort but your faith has wavered or you aren’t seeing the light maybe you have to dig deep and before the seemingly hard things in your life can be turned around, you do the easiest thing, and in faith, forgive.

Self.
Others.
Enemies.

And, maybe things have happened in this life that you blame God for? Forgive God too if you have ought with God. It’s ok. He’s your Daddy, Husband, Brother, Mother, and Best Friend. He knows all. He understands all you hurt.
Lay it on your secret altar and leave it there once and for all so you can enjoy the newness of life and love again.

A Testimony Sunday, August 29, 2021

I love to read about Jesus. His wisdom. He sliced up and destroyed the system. The law couldn’t make the comers to it perfect. Yet, Jesus commands, be thou Perfect as your Father in heaven is Perfect. Jesus explains that perfection is found only in living a life in and through Him. Perfection is found in having the capacity to love the unloveable, to show mercy to those who don’t appear to deserve it, being a peacemaker when you want to go to war, being tender hearted with one another and being charitable. I have celebrated a false definition of toughness. I love the word warrior. Vikings and barbarians are celebrated. My flesh enjoys aspects of our entertainment culture. Yet, as I read this morning, I find Jesus’ words to be the epitome of the words, as a man, that represent everything I should aspire to become. Jesus had the power of life and death in His words. Jesus says live and you live. He says die and you die. Yet, when persecuted He said, “Father forgive them they no not what they do.” And, they were forgiven. That’s me by the way. He forgave me. I couldn’t fight my way out of a wet paper bag, but nevertheless, I have boasted “I’ll do this and I’ll do that”. Big Travis gonna fight back. Yea, right, lol. It’s all a show. If Jesus had the power He had and showed mercy and tenderness, certainly I, being powerless in and of myself, should show mercy and tenderness.

After this mornings devotion, I will try to limit my conversation to yes and no. I will try to limit my conversations to words that edify and show love and will purpose not to express myself in arrogant ways. I love you Lord and thank you for setting forth a good example for me. If I decrease you can increase in my life. I have no interest in being under the law but in faith declare myself under your Grace.

A testimony Saturday, August 28, 2021

What a GREAT morning. The reading today went along with my morning. I know God ordered it. We know that we shall give an account for every idle word spoken. So, how much more will we have to contend with every ignorant or stupid thing/deed we have done? Make no mistake that we reap what we sow while at home in these bodies. Some of us will have to deal with our pasts the remainder of our lives because even though it’s in the past, people will dredge it up. It makes you feel bad and takes your eyes off of Christ if not careful. Now the good news. There has never been one found worthy except King Jesus, the Lamb. While the world will hold your past against you, in faith, you don’t have to hold it against yourself any longer. Yes, the world, will hold you accountable for every hurtful word, hurtful deed, lie, misunderstanding, and even knowing they themselves have done the same thing, will keep bringing it up over and over again. It gives them some manner of control over you. However, in faith, you can let it go. The world isn’t just. In nature, if you make a mistake, you pay for that mistake once. You don’t pay for it over and over again. Humans make a mistake and they pay for it hundreds if not thousands of times. In addition to the world making you pay for your mistake you also victimize yourself and beat yourself up thousands of times for not being perfect. Now for the good news of Christ. Christ brings balance. Christ keeps record alright. He’s got every hair on your head numbered. He catches every tear and every prayer. Every charitable deed done in secret He collects. Every smile. Every kindness. While you can’t see the beauty and goodness in yourself, He does. He’s the only one that’s ever been worthy of the Throne because He lived like we live in the flesh yet without sin. My Jesus is the only one worthy to sit and judge and guess what? He judges the intent of the heart. He’s the righteous judge. He forgives the drunk. He forgives the drug addict. He forgives the thief. He forgives the adulterer. He forgives the smallest of sin and forgives the most vile of sin when we put our trust and faith in our Jesus. You can walk through the fires of hell, while the world cries “crucify” (your name here) with your heart and head held high knowing those people cannot judge you because they too are a sinner like you. They aren’t worthy to sit on the throne and judge. They don’t have the pedigree. King Jesus asks “where are your accusers that have not sinned?” You can confidently say, “I have none.” Jesus who is invariable will say, “Neither do I accuse you. Go away, walk in heavenly places and do your best. Your faith in me has made you perfect like me.” Isn’t Jesus good!? This comes with responsibility on our own part to forgive ourselves and also to forgive others quickly for our/their trespasses. Come now and let us reason together. Though your sins be scarlet I’ll make them white as snow…. Join me today in self-love and love of the brethren and sisters. It’s a beautiful place. Let go what you are carrying. I have. I love you Jesus. ❤️ A testimony Friday, August 27, 2021

Today I can live life HOT! Determine your Vision and WHY. Is it worth doing for and unto the Lord? Is this of God or of yourself? Is this self willed or God willed? Can you walk in the Spirit and not fall into the trappings of the flesh if you make this decision? The older I get, the more careful I am about the decisions I make. I’ve made a lot of self willed, selfish, consume it upon my own lust decisions!! Every time I’ve been self-willed, I have failed. Every time that I have made decisions “unto the Lord” it seems in the longer term, those decisions always work out and even better than I had hoped. Once you make a decision unto the Lord, have unwavering faith in that decision that was made unto the Lord. You know your intentions. Is this for you or mutual edification of all? If unto the Lord, move forward as if you cannot and will not fail with unwavering faith. Unwavering faith is the only way to please the Lord. Finally, set sail and know that you can rejoice either way because we have overcome by our faith in Jesus. As Jesus has overcome and is set down with His Father in His Father’s Throne, we also, by faith in precious Jesus, will overcome and sit down with Jesus in His Throne. Blessed is the Lamb of God, the Everlasting Father, our beautiful bride-groom, elder brother, and wise grandfather! AND, AND the body of Christ, the Body of Believers, the Bride……that’s US….I stand up and call Mother Blessed! A Throne? Us on a Throne? Undeserved on our own but true. I’m not sure that scripture means what most think it means though. Scriptures about thrones, dragons, and mansions. Doesn’t matter who is right or wrong as long as a banner of Love is over it. I’ve had to ask the Holy Spirit to dumb it all down for me and every time I ask that I hear, “Love God, Love your neighbor, Love yourself” and “you will enjoy peace, joy, love, and exaltation with me for eternity.” Yes. Rejoice all those that have an ear to hear. The Bible was spiritually written so it must be spiritually understood. I’m asking God daily to show me new layers and textures that I’ve missed. I miss so much. I’m HOT today. No lukewarm. I’ve made the decision and it’s unto the Lord. I have overcome. Today, I will do my best under His Grace and protection. A testimony Thursday, August 26, 2021

Never judge a book by its cover. Everyone has Jesus in them. If you love Jesus treat them as if they ARE Jesus, as much as is within you. How do you know if they have Jesus in them? Talk to them. Look into their eyes for the eyes are the windows to the soul.
Love and friendship with Jesus is all around you. Unclinch your fist and reach out with an open heart, in Jesus name. Don't exclude people just because they don't look like you, act like you or believe like you. I have a feeling Jesus didn't look or act like you either.
#backtoparadise #backtothegarden #peace #blesstheNameoftheLord #doyourbest #stillsmallvoice

Philly Cheesesteak stuffed mushrooms and salad for dinner. Sasha Martin always out does herself and keeps us #shibbolethapproved. Losing weight is enjoyable once you realize that the foods you can eat and still lose weight are pleasurable. We always eat good and as a couple are down more than 150 pounds.
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To be sick with love for the Christ because you love Him is such a deep and meaningful love. It’s better felt than told. In fact, like most good things, words can’t describe His presence. He’s your best friend, confidant, protector, nurturer, and even your best cheerleader. He covers your faults. He lifts your countenance at His appearing and at the sound of His voice. Oh, and His sheep, they do know His voice. When in His chamber, you wonder why you ever left His presence in the first place. Speaking for myself, my flesh walk, had me leaving His presence and the FIRST WORKS. I got caught up in public worship, the visage of godly living, the rules, the law, genealogies, rumor of wars, pomp and circumstance, endless debate, right, wrong and the like. I’ve turned from those things and turned back to the lover of my soul and spirit. I’ve returned to the first works. Faith, love, hope, charity, forgiveness, mercy, the truth, and the life. The hidden man of the heart is Thriving in spirit this morning. Free indeed. Free. There is no condemnation for those living in the Lord Jesus Christ. Smile. Thank you Jesus.

Steady as a Clock!

Let’s go to WAR. What weapons shall we take into the battle? This is not a war against flesh and blood but a war against principalities, powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world. Carnal weapons will not work. Spiritual weapons win the battles that lay ahead.

I’m following my captain into this spiritual battle. I won’t need a gun. I only need His Word and I’ve asked Him for the honor of carrying His banner and His banner is LOVE!
Let’s go! Let’s put suffering behind us and enjoy the taste of sincere milk and sweet honey.