Life Reviews reveal grace

Living with an eternal perspective 

https://open.substack.com/pub/randykay/p/living-with-an-eternal-perspective?r=43vew&utm_medium=ios

 The Life Review That Changed Everything

When I returned from Heaven, I could remember each moment of my life review, except the times I had failed God. When I asked why, the Holy Spirit answered, “I have removed them as far as the East is from the West.”

East and West never meet. That’s how far God has removed our sins—not just forgiven, but erased from His memory of us.

Even more astonishing, those life reviews didn’t condemn me. They revealed grace. Where I saw weakness, God showed redemption. Where I remembered shame, Heaven revealed love.

In speaking with others who’ve experienced similar life reviews, I’ve seen the same pattern: God shows our lives not to condemn but to reveal the redemption of Christ woven through every moment. Heaven’s reviews aren’t “gotcha” moments, they’re revelations of grace, demonstrations of how Jesus covered every failure and turned every weakness into glory.

This stands in sharp contrast to the legalism many encounter, where failure becomes shame and sin becomes a weapon. Heaven’s message is different: not condemnation, but redemption.

The question that haunted me upon my return was this: If Heaven operates on grace, why do so many of our churches operate on legalism?

The Deception of Legalism

Legalism is grace’s ancient enemy. It disguises itself as maturity, as “preaching hard truths,” or “not compromising.” But legalism isn’t strength—it’s rebellion against God’s plan of salvation.

When we insist that people must earn their way to God, we deny the finished work of the cross. When Jesus said “It is finished,” He meant it. The debt was paid, the chasm bridged, salvation accomplished—not by our hands but by His.

Legalism whispers, “Yes, Jesus died for you, but…” That “but” undoes the Gospel.

The False Authority of Harsh Teachers

Many churches reward harshness. The pastor who pounds the pulpit and catalogues sins is often deemed “biblical,” while the one who emphasizes love is seen as soft. Yet Jesus reserved His harshest words for the religious elite—the Pharisees—because they piled burdens on others while missing the heart of God.

To the woman caught in adultery, to tax collectors, to sinners drowning in shame—Jesus offered grace. Not approval of sin, but unearned love that transforms from within.

God is holy and just, yes, but His holiness and justice are revealed through grace, not against it.

What Legalism Really Does

From Heaven’s perspective, I saw what legalism accomplishes on earth:

It makes salvation about us instead of Christ. When we add conditions to grace, we make ourselves co-saviors with Jesus. This is both theologically heretical and spiritually disastrous.

It produces either pride or despair—self-righteousness or hopelessness. Those who think they’re “measuring up” become self-righteous Pharisees. Those who know they’re failing become hopeless and distant from God. Neither response leads to genuine transformation.

It misrepresents God’s character, painting Him as a scorekeeper instead of a Father. 

It prevents the very transformation it claims to produce. Paul asked the Galatians, “After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3). We cannot produce spiritual fruit through human effort and religious rules. Transformation comes through grace, received and believed.

Grace Is Not Permission to Sin—It’s Power Over Sin

I anticipate the objection from sincere Christians and legalists alike: “But Randy, if we emphasize grace this strongly, won’t people use it as license to sin? Don’t we need to teach people to avoid sin and live God-honoring lives? Aren’t you removing the motivation for Christians to pursue holiness?”

I understand this concern. It comes from a genuine love for God’s holiness and a desire to see believers live righteously. But here’s what I must tell you: this objection reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of both grace’s power and God’s design for transformation.

Paul himself anticipated this exact question: “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1-2). Notice Paul doesn’t say, “Well, let me add some rules to make sure you don’t abuse grace.” He says the very nature of what grace does to us makes continued sinning incompatible with our new identity.

Let me be absolutely clear: I am not removing the call to holy living. I am relocating its source.

The Fatal Flaw of Legalistic Motivation

Legalism believes that fear, shame, and threats are necessary to keep Christians from sin. It operates on this premise: “If we don’t keep people afraid of judgment, if we don’t constantly remind them of their failures, if we don’t maintain harsh standards and harsh teachers, they’ll fall into licentiousness.”

But here’s what I witnessed in Heaven and what Scripture confirms: this approach doesn’t work. It never has.

The Pharisees had the most rigorous system of rules and accountability in human history. They were meticulous about external compliance. And Jesus called them “whitewashed tombs”—clean on the outside, dead on the inside. Their legalism didn’t produce holiness; it produced hypocrisy.

Why? Because you cannot produce spiritual fruit through fleshly means. You cannot guilt someone into godliness. You cannot shame someone into sanctification. You cannot threaten someone into transformation.

Paul asked the Galatians, “After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3). The Christian life doesn’t begin with grace and then switch to human effort. It begins with grace and continues with grace, empowered by the Holy Spirit from start to finish.

What Truly Motivates Holiness

What drives believers to live righteously is not fear—it’s love. Gratitude. The indwelling Holy Spirit.

When I stood in Heaven and felt the fullness of God’s love, I didn’t feel complacent. I felt compelled to honor the One who loved me so completely.

“God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance” (Romans 2:4). Grace precedes obedience—it doesn’t replace it.

Consider the woman caught in adultery. The legalists wanted to stone her—to use fear and punishment to motivate righteousness. Jesus offered grace: “Neither do I condemn you.” But notice, He didn’t stop there. He added, “Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11). The grace came first, creating the motivation and power for the obedience that followed.

Grace Produces What Legalism Cannot

Here’s the truth that transformed my understanding: Genuine grace produces genuine holiness in ways legalism never could.

Scripture still commands holiness—“Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16)—but the power to obey comes from grace, not law. “For the grace of God has appeared... It teaches us to say no to ungodliness” (Titus 2:11–12).

These commands are not suggestions. They are not optional. Christians are called to live lives that honor God, to pursue holiness, to actively resist sin.

But—and this is crucial—the power to obey these commands comes through grace, not law.

Paul writes in Titus 2:11-12: “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.”

Did you catch that? Grace teaches us to say no to sin. Grace itself is the educator, the motivator, the transformer. Not fear. Not shame. Grace.

Why This Matters So Desperately

To the sincere Christian who worries that emphasizing grace will lead to license, I say this: Look at the fruit of each approach.

Legalism produces: Fear-based compliance, hidden sin, spiritual exhaustion, judgmentalism, pride in the “strong” and despair in the “weak,” churches full of pretenders, and entire generations walking away from a God they perceive as harsh and impossible to please.

Grace produces: Love-motivated obedience, honest confession and healing, joy in service, humility (because we know we’re saved by grace alone), authentic community where we bear one another’s burdens, and a witness to the world that compels them toward a God who loves unconditionally.

Which fruit looks more like Jesus?

The Test of True Grace

Here’s how you know if someone truly understands grace: they sin less, not more. They pursue holiness with greater passion, not less. But the source of their pursuit has changed entirely.

They’re not running from God’s punishment; they’re running toward God’s presence. They’re not trying to earn what they already possess; they’re responding to what they’ve freely received. They’re not white-knuckling their way through obedience; they’re being transformed by the Holy Spirit’s power.

If someone uses “grace” as an excuse to sin, they haven’t encountered real grace. They’ve encountered a cheap counterfeit. Real grace—the kind that flows from Heaven, the kind I witnessed in my life review—is so overwhelming, so transformative, so precious that the last thing you want to do is cheapen it with casual sin.

Paul put it perfectly: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1-2). True grace kills our desire for sin, even as it kills sin’s power over us.

The legalist says, “Behave, or God won’t love you.” Grace says, “God loves you, and that love will transform your behavior.”

One produces external compliance at best, internal rebellion at worst. The other produces genuine heart transformation.

I am not calling Christians to lower standards. I’m calling them to a higher power—the power of God’s grace working through the Holy Spirit to accomplish what our willpower never could.

The Myth of “Hyper Grace”

Some accuse grace teachers of “hyper grace.” That term doesn’t exist in Scripture. Paul faced the same charge from legalists who wanted to add rules to faith.

There is no such thing as too much grace. Grace is God’s nature, Christ’s work, and the Spirit’s power. You cannot have an excess of God.

The Rich Young Ruler’s Fatal Error

The legalists who coined “hyper grace” are making the same mistake as the rich young ruler in Mark 10. Remember him? He came to Jesus confident in his personal accountability, his record of obedience. “Teacher, I have kept all these commandments since I was a boy,” he declared.

He thought he was good enough. He believed his personal righteousness, his strict adherence to the law, his accountability to religious standards made him acceptable to God. He had checked all the boxes.

Jesus’s response shattered his self-righteousness: “Why do you call me good? No one is good—except God alone” (Mark 10:18).

This is the heart of the issue. The rich young ruler—and every legalist after him—operates on the premise that human beings can achieve enough goodness, enough accountability, enough righteousness to warrant God’s acceptance. They believe in personal merit as a component of salvation.

But Jesus demolished this foundation. No one is good but God. Not the rich young ruler with his perfect track record. Not the Pharisee with his meticulous rule-keeping. Not the pastor who preaches hard truths. Not you. Not me.

The rich young ruler walked away sad because he couldn’t accept grace. He wanted to earn his salvation. He wanted his goodness to count for something. Sound familiar? This is precisely what the “hyper grace” critics are defending—the right to add human achievement to God’s grace.

False Teachers? Look in the Mirror

When legalists call grace teachers “false teachers,” the irony is staggering. Let’s examine who’s actually teaching falsely:

False doctrine says: You are saved by grace, but maintained by your performance. Biblical doctrine says: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6).

False doctrine says: Personal accountability is what keeps you saved. Biblical doctrine says: “No one can snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28).

False doctrine says: We need to balance grace with law. Biblical doctrine says: “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).

False doctrine says: Too much emphasis on grace leads to sin. Biblical doctrine says: “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (Romans 5:20).

Who is teaching falsely? Those who proclaim the scandalous grace of God as revealed in Scripture, or those who add human conditions to divine salvation?

The legalists who warn against “hyper grace” are the spiritual descendants of the Judaizers Paul confronted—those who said, “Yes, faith in Christ, but also circumcision. But also keeping the law. But also your personal accountability.”

Paul’s response to them was fierce: “As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!” (Galatians 5:12). He didn’t mince words because the stakes were eternal. Adding anything to grace isn’t just wrong theology—it’s “a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all” (Galatians 1:6-7).

The “Personal Accountability” Deception

The “hyper grace” critics love to emphasize “personal accountability.” It sounds spiritual. It sounds mature. But here’s what they miss: true accountability in the Christian life flows from grace, not despite it.

When I stood before God in my life review, I wasn’t held “personally accountable” in the way legalists mean. I wasn’t graded on my performance. I was shown how grace had covered every failure, how Christ’s righteousness had been credited to my account, how the Holy Spirit had been working even in my weakest moments.

That experience didn’t make me less accountable—it made me more responsive to God’s love. There’s a profound difference.

Biblical accountability means:

Confessing our sins to one another in loving community (James 5:16)

Bearing one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)

Encouraging one another toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24)

Living in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:7)

The Scandal of Unearned Love

Grace offends our sense of fairness. We want to earn salvation, to contribute something. Grace says, “You bring nothing but your need. God brings everything.”

This is scandalous. It means the murderer on the cross enters Heaven based solely on faith. It means we stand alongside repentant prostitutes and tax collectors in God’s kingdom. It means our decades of church service don’t make us more saved than the person who turns to Christ on their deathbed.

If this offends you, good. It should. It offended the Pharisees too. But this is the Gospel.

Living in Grace

So what does grace-centered Christianity look like in practice?

It calls sin what it is—without condemning the sinner. Jesus was both full of grace and full of truth. We don’t ignore sin, but we point people to the Savior, not to religious performance.

It creates communities of radical acceptance. Our churches should be hospitals for sinners, not museums for saints. The broken should feel more welcome than the “put-together.”

It produces holiness through love, not fear. When we truly grasp God’s love, we want to please Him—not out of obligation, but out of gratitude and relationship.

It silences the harsh voices. We stop celebrating the condemning teacher and start celebrating those who lead people to the throne of grace.

My Message from Heaven

I didn’t return from Heaven to add to people’s burdens. I returned to remove them. The message from the other side is clear: You are loved beyond measure, and that love is not dependent on your performance.

Legalism says, “Try harder.” Grace says, “It is finished.”

Legalism says, “You’re not enough.” Grace says, “Christ is enough.”

Legalism says, “Maybe if you’re good enough.” Grace says, “You are already beloved.”

The harsh pastor who crushes spirits in the name of truth is not operating in God’s power—he’s operating in opposition to it. The legalist who adds conditions to salvation is not being more biblical—he’s being less.

Grace is the scandal at the heart of Christianity. It’s unfair. It’s unearned. It’s unlimited. And it’s the only thing that can truly transform a human heart.

Having stood in Heaven and experienced the fullness of God’s love, I can tell you with certainty: God’s grace is bigger than you imagine, freer than you’ve been taught, and more powerful than any religious system man can construct.

Stop trying to earn what has already been given. Stop praising those who add burdens to the Gospel. Stop operating in legalism when God has offered grace.

The question isn’t whether we’re good enough. The question is whether we’ll accept that in Christ, God has already declared us righteous—not because of who we are, but because of who He is.

That’s grace. That’s the Gospel. And that’s the message Heaven burns in my heart to share.

- Randy Kay

Depression and taking charge

 Biblical man substack

Some men turn their depression into a stage.

They get online and bleed all over the place for attention.

“Woe is me.”

“Bad hand of cards.”

“Pray for me, I’m really struggling.”

I don’t have time for that.

Depression is real.

But it’s not a brand.

It’s not a personality.

It’s an enemy. A tactic. A weapon.

And weapons are meant to be fought, not cuddled.

I’ve dealt with that gray weight most of my life.

Some days it creeps in like fog.

Some days it hits like a cattle stampede—no warning, just hooves on your chest from the moment you wake up.

If you’ve read me any length of time, you’ve seen me reference the “onslaught days.” Days where everything breaks at once, where your mind turns on you, where hell leans on every crack in your armor.

I’m not going to call that “my mental health journey.”

I call it what it is: war.

Louis L’Amour never wrote books about men journaling their feelings and waiting for someone to rescue them. He wrote about men who got knocked in the teeth, spat blood, and got back in the saddle anyway.

That’s the ethic I want my grandson to see.

Sometimes the enemy doesn’t just come straight at your brain. Sometimes he wears faces and bank accounts.

There are two people who know exactly who they are.

You gave what was supposed to be help for my grandson.

Then you filed chargebacks on it like cowards.

You didn’t ask a question.

You didn’t send an email.

You went around the front door and knifed from behind.

Same pattern now with Gumroad.

Buy. Consume. File chargeback.

That’s not confusion. That’s character.

So I did what any man on the frontier would do when he sees the pattern:

You’re blocked.

The gate is closed.

That’s not rage. That’s a boundary. And it’s final.

I’m not writing this to make you feel bad.

I’m writing this so other men know: you are allowed to draw a hard line and keep walking.

Depression loves this kind of thing.

It loves betrayal.

It loves loss.

It loves dirty hits from people who said they were “with you” until the refund window opened.

The enemy knows your soft spots. He knows how to stack the hits so it all feels personal and pointless and heavy.

You wake up already tired.

The bank account takes a hit.

The inbox has poison in it.

The mind starts whispering, “What’s even the point? Quit. Shut it down. Go quiet.”

This is where modern Christianity hands you a couch and a tissue box and calls it “self-care.”

The Bible hands you armor.

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

— Ephesians 6:11 (KJV)

“Stand,” He says. Not “understand.”

Not “process.”

Not “rebrand your struggle.”

Stand.

I’m fond of westerns because they understand something this generation does not:

Hard times don’t excuse you.

They expose you.

On the frontier, storms didn’t care about your feelings. Rustlers didn’t slow down if you were “having a rough mental health day.” There were men who rode anyway, bled anyway, did their job anyway.

L’Amour’s men aren’t perfect. They get blindsided, betrayed, shot at by people they trusted.

But they always do one thing:

They get back up.

“Tombstone” has its own ethic.

“I’m your huckleberry” is not a cute meme. It’s a man saying, “If this fight has to happen, I’m the one who will take it.”

That’s how I want to face depression.

Not as a helpless patient.

As a man on the line who already decided: If a fight has to happen, I’ll be there for it.

So no, I’m not writing this for sympathy.

I’m not interested in you feeling sorry for me because two people decided to act like cowards and use chargebacks as weapons.

I’m interested in this:

My grandson seeing a man who takes hits and keeps building.

Other men realizing depression doesn’t have to turn them into professional victims.

Grifters learning that there are still households where betrayal has consequences.

The enemy realizing that, stack the hits how you want, the work continues.

Some days I feel like hell scraped across gravel. I still have to write. Still have to teach. Still have to answer my kids’ questions. Still have to build this thing the Lord put in my hands.

That is not because I’m strong.

It’s because I don’t have the luxury of folding.

Men are watching.

My family is watching.

My grandson is watching.

If he grows up and all he ever sees is a grandfather who collapses when it gets hard, I’ve preached him a louder sermon than any study I’ll ever write.

If he grows up and sees a man who gets knocked down, blocks some people, buries some days in silence, and still shows back up the next morning with his Bible open and his hands on the plow…

That’s a different sermon.

Depression can show up when it wants.

So can cowards and grifters.

I’ll be here.

Standing.

To do list

 it is clear that there are a number of things that you are called to do:

1. Strengthen the weak

   We do this through good teaching, encouragement, prayer and building community.

2. Heal the sick

   Honour all those in the medical profession and all those involved in the healing of the sick. You can lay hands on the sick and pray for them in Jesus’ name.

3. Bind up the injured

   There are so many broken people in our society – in the prisons, homeless on the streets and even in the boardrooms of companies. The Spirit of the Lord enables you to bind up the broken-hearted as you pray for them, embrace them, listen to them and care for them in your community.

4. Go after the strays

   There are many prodigal sons and daughters who have strayed from the Father, like lost sheep. Help them come back to the Father’s arms.

5. Search for the lost

   At times, you may have to leave the other sheep to search for the one who is lost, to bring them back to repentance and cause more joy in heaven. (Luke 15:1–7).

6. Shepherd with justice

   Seek justice on behalf of the oppressed, the needy and the poor. We should rescue children, women and men from slavery, bring the perpetrators to justice, set the captives free and care for them.

Wiersbe - Nehemiah

Kudo’s to Bill for defending the TBF ministry. I want to encourage you, even though we are all disappointed and dismayed by one man’s innuendos and rumors.  But we are called to be affiliated with Christ, following His commands under the Spirit’s leading and power.  We must keep on, with unrelenting fervor to share the gospel, teaching all to follow Jesus, discipling as many as possible to become disciple makers.  The apostle Paul warns us for those who may distract the gospel.

God has given us warnings throughout Scripture that God’s work will be opposed. I’m reminded of Nehemiah’s leadership in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He was opposed by many, including Sanballat and Tobia.  Nehemiah's courage to keep working amid his critics emphasize was built on his call from God to do the work. (Nehemiah 4) His determination stemmed from his vision, faith, and practical strategy, but a hope and love for God.  

This is from Warren Wiersbe’s commentary:

• “Focus on the Divine Call: Nehemiah was a "person with vision who [saw] possibilities, not problems," and had faith that God could use him. This clear sense of being called by God to finish the job provided the determination to ignore critics who questioned his motives, ability, and authority.  

• A Balance of Prayer and Action: Nehemiah consistently met opposition with dependence on prayer, but he immediately coupled his prayer with wise, practical action. When his enemies ridiculed the work and plotted attack, Nehemiah "prayed to our God and set a guard against them day and night" (Nehemiah 4:9). Wiersbe often points out this balance between faith and works.  

• Refusal to Be Distracted: Nehemiah's critics used various tactics—ridicule, threats of violence, and later, subtle attempts to lure him away from the wall for a "conference." Nehemiah's famous response, "I am doing a great work and cannot come down," demonstrates a refusal to let the enemy's schemes distract him from his main mission. Wiersbe emphasizes that this focus is key to overcoming opposition.  

• Encouraging Others: True courage in leadership is not only personal but also communal. Wiersbe notes that Nehemiah was a leader who knew how to encourage others to serve the Lord, making sure the people were armed and motivated to work together as "workers and warriors" (Nehemiah 4).”  

Nehemiah's courage was not merely an inner feeling but a God-given determination expressed through prayerful confidence and practical perseverance in the face of all opposition.

Let’s be even more united with a passion for discipleship.  

e Porter - Peace Beyond Understanding

 “Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing.”

Beloved, have you ever felt torn inside?

Your mind pulling one way, your heart another.

Faith strong one moment… fear close behind the next.

You keep trying to hold everything together,

but deep down, something feels like it’s starting to unravel. 

The Greek word used here for “anxious” speaks of being divided in parts…and isn’t that exactly what worry does? It fragments the soul. It pulls us away from the single-eyed focus of trusting God.

But the Spirit whispers, “Don’t let yourself be pulled.” This is not a scolding…it’s a loving rescue. It’s the Father gently reaching into the tangled chaos of our heart and calling us back to stillness. To oneness. To wholeness.

He doesn’t say, “Try not to worry.” He says, don’t. Why? Because the One who holds you already holds everything that concerns you.

“Be saturated in prayer throughout each day…”

Oh, what a phrase—saturated. Not sprinkled. Not visited occasionally. Saturated. Like cloth soaked in perfume, or earth drenched in rain, your life is meant to be steeped in communion with the Father. This is not about formal language or religious routine…it’s about constant connection.

Imagine it, dear one…living your day as a running conversation with God. Not just in the morning and before meals. In line at the store. When folding laundry. In moments of joy and sorrow. He’s not distant. He’s near. Closer than breath. And He longs to saturate every corner of your day with His personal presence.

“…offering your faith-filled requests before God…”

This isn’t begging—it’s belonging.

It’s the child who knows the Father’s heart, climbing up with eyes full of trust.

Every word you speak carries weight in Heaven.

Your prayers aren’t weak or forgotten; they’re wrapped in faith, and that faith is beautiful to Him.

When you pray, you’re not tossing words into empty air.

You’re speaking to the Creator who placed every star in its place.

Each whisper from your heart reaches the King who leans close, listening with love.

So pray with confidence, not with fear.

Let faith breathe through your words.

Prayers born of trust rise like sweet fragrance—and they touch the heart of God.

“…with overflowing gratitude.”

Ah, now here is a key many overlook. Gratitude is not just an afterthought…it’s a gateway. Gratitude reminds your soul of what He’s already done. It shifts your gaze from the size of your problem to the size of your God.

And it overflows. It bubbles up and spills out when you remember how He carried you, healed you, saved you, comforted you. Gratitude says, “You were faithful then, and I trust You now.”

A grateful heart is never empty—it is always being filled again.

“Tell Him every detail of your life…”

What intimacy! What tenderness! God is not weary of the details—you are not too much for Him. There is nothing too small, nothing too insignificant. The same God who numbers the hairs on your head and catches every tear in His bottle wants to hear every detail.

Tell Him what made you smile. Tell Him what hurt. Tell Him what you’re afraid of. Tell Him what you long for but haven’t said aloud. He invites you to pour it all out…not so He can learn what you need (He already knows)—but so you can learn what it means to be known.

This is friendship with God. This is the kind of intimacy that heals the soul.

“Then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding…”

Then—then—after the surrender, after the saturation, after the telling—then comes peace. Not the fragile, fleeting kind the world gives, but His peace. A peace so deep it bypasses your intellect. It goes beyond logic. It makes no sense, and yet it steadies you.

You might still be in the same situation…but now you’re different. Because His peace has come. And when His peace comes, anxiety has no more room to live.

“…will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ.”

This peace doesn’t just comfort—it guards. It stands watch like a sentinel at your heart’s door. The word “guard” here is a military term, meaning to keep under careful protection. And oh, how our hearts and minds need guarding in these days!

Fear tries to sneak in. Doubt knocks. Confusion shouts. But peace answers the door and says, “This one is under divine protection.”

And the best part? This peace flows through Jesus Christ. Not through performance. Not through perfection. Through Him. He is our access. He is our assurance. He is our peace.

Dear one, the Lord is not looking for your strength—He’s looking for your surrender.

Don’t let the cares of life pull you apart.

Be saturated. Be grateful. Be honest.

And let His peace rise…not just as a feeling, but as a guard.

Let it rise until your heart is no longer divided… but held together in perfect peace, through Jesus Christ. Amen. 

With Love,

Steve Porter

Striving - Steve Porter

 

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May His nearness fill your heart as you linger in these words.

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LAYING DOWN THE BURDEN OF STRIVING

A Holy Call to Enter Divine Rest

STEVE PORTER NOV 12

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“So we conclude that there is still a full and complete rest waiting for believers to experience. As we enter into God’s faith-rest life, we cease from our own works, just as God celebrates His finished works and rests in them.”
(Hebrews 4:9–10) 

Let me share with you, dear one, a secret found in His presence. It is not obvious to all. Some never find it. Yet to those who press deeper…those who hunger tenderly after His heart, this truth unfolds like a hidden treasure in the quiet chambers of the soul.

It is the truth of striving.

When you begin to walk the narrow road…to truly seek Him…you will meet this unseen adversary. Striving. That inward push to make things happen. To fix it yourself. To manipulate outcomes. To achieve in the flesh what only heaven can birth. You strive to be closer to Him. You strive to see the dream fulfilled. You strive and strive and strive.  You strive to meet every goal by your own timeline. And all the while your weary soul just aches.

Because striving… drains the life out of you.

THE BARREN DESERT

There’s a place I’ve known…perhaps you’ve walked there too…where the heart grows dry. It’s that barren land of spiritual exhaustion, where prayers feel like echoes and worship feels heavy. You’re running on fumes, convincing yourself that you’re doing God’s work, yet your spirit is parched. The landscape stretches wide… hot… silent. Scorpions of fear. Serpents of doubt. The cruel whispers of the enemy saying, “He’s forgotten you.”

You try harder. Sweat more. Think longer.
But nothing grows there. Nothing.

And there, in that wasteland of your own effort, you discover a truth too precious for the proud: striving must die for rest to live.

THE SWEAT OF THE BROW

Remember Adam. After sin entered, God told him he would work by the sweat of his brow. Sweat was a sign of the curse, not the blessing. It was the symbol of man laboring apart from divine grace. Contrast that with the high priests in the Tabernacle. God commanded that their linen garments allow no sweat. Why? Because no fleshly effort was permitted in His holy presence. The anointing flows freely only where self-striving ceases.

Heaven’s atmosphere is peace. Stillness. Surrender.

Striving is a terrible taskmaster. It robs you of joy, fills you with anxiety, spins your thoughts into chaos. But oh… how gentle the Lord is when He whispers, “Come into My rest.”

DIVINE REST

Divine rest is not apathy. It’s not folding your arms and saying, “God will do it all.” No… it’s deeper than that. It is yielded trust. A posture of heart that says, “Abba, I don’t have to control the outcome. You are enough.”

There was a time I remember vividly…when I was burning the candle at both ends…trying to figure it all out. My father looked at me with love in his eyes and said softly, “Steve, you need to rest.” Those words… still echo. They became a voice crying in my wilderness. A father’s wisdom… and a Father’s heart.

Rest doesn’t mean quitting your post. It means ceasing from panic. It’s working with His wind in your sails instead of rowing against the current. It’s doing only what He breathes upon.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REST AND LAZINESS

Now hear me clearly, dear friend. Divine rest is not a license for laziness. There are some who’ve mistaken the revelation of rest for passivity. They sit idle, waiting for God to do everything. But divine rest is not sloth…it is Spirit-led stillness that moves when God moves.

Think of the pool at Bethesda. The lame waited for the waters to stir. They didn’t dive in until the right moment. That’s divine timing. That’s the rhythm of grace. The Bride of Christ must learn that rhythm…waiting at the edge of the pool, resting until He stirs the water, then running with holy passion the moment He says, “Now.”

No more human doing.
It’s time to become a divine being.

A CALL TO THE WEARY

Maybe you’ve been striving. Trying to make it happen. Trying to carry what was never yours to carry. Your heart is tired. Your prayers feel heavy. And you wonder why joy seems far away.

Lay it down, dear one. All of it. The plans. The timelines. The frantic need to fix and finish and prove.

Abba is calling you into the still waters. He is preparing a resting place for His bride. Not a life of inactivity…but a life of peace in the midst of purpose.

You were never meant to sweat in the holy place. You were meant to shine.

If your heart feels weary… if you’ve been striving in your own strength… this morning, come and rest. Right where you are, whisper it softly:
“Father, I surrender my striving. I lay it down. Teach me to rest in You.”

Let His peace wash over you. Feel His arms draw you close. You may feel disappointed in your weakness…He delights in your surrender.

And when you rise from this prayer, rise lighter. Rise free. Rise renewed.

The journey continues…but now… it’s no longer you striving for Him.
It’s Him living through you.

With Love,
Steve Porter
www.morningglorydevo.com

Refined by love

 “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.”

Malachi 3:3 (ESV)

The little shop was quiet except for the hum of fire.

Jon the village silversmith stood there, tongs held steady, holding an awkward piece of metal over the furnace. Jon moved it closer to the glowing heart of the heat and kept watching. Eyes fixed. Steady.

Someone watching asked softly, “How do you know when the silver is ready?”

Without lifting his eyes, the craftsman smiled. “That’s simple,” he said. “When I can see my reflection in it.”

Our Father in heaven does not turn up the heat in our lives for the sake of pain. He watches. He waits. He holds us steady in the fire until everything false melts away…until His image shines back from our lives. 

I love Christ’s Bride so much. The closer I draw to the Lord, the larger my heart seems to grow for His people. His empathy fills me. I so long to be a pure stream in these end times. That’s why I feel such a holy call to share truth…not to wound, but to heal.

I want you to know my heart. It doesn’t seek to condemn. These words come slowly, with wet eyes. If I love you…and I truly do…then truth must be spoken, for truth heals what lies cannot. I write under a holy awareness that the Lord Himself will one day weigh every word.

I don’t speak from a mountain above you. I speak from the same ground of mercy that holds us both. I need the cross just as much as anyone. I’ve stumbled. I’ve strayed. And yet, He came for me… the way the Father ran to the prodigal…arms open, heart full, ready to restore.

And oh, the beauty of restoration! It doesn’t just mend; it transforms. You come through the fire refined…stronger, humbler, softer, radiant. That’s the work of His love. Beauty for ashes. Always beauty for ashes.

The Holy Spirit, in His kindness, keeps searching my heart. He reveals what I’d rather hide…not to shame me, but to set me free. When the Lord turns up the heat, it’s not punishment. It’s purification. His refining fire is holy love at work.

Sometimes, truth makes us squirm. It’s easier to hear words that soothe than those that stretch us. But true love doesn’t flatter the flesh; it shapes the soul. We cannot become mature in Christ without letting Him confront what hinders His reflection in us.

Beloved, my heart aches for His Bride…yes, for you.

To glow with His nature.

Comfort never made a saint.

Surrender did.

Let the Word cut deep. Let the Spirit whisper truth.

That’s where transformation starts..

When I write these devotions, I always pray first. I ask the Lord, “Let these words carry Your fragrance.” My hope is that as you read, you’ll forget me entirely and remember only Him. I want you to hear His whisper between every line…gentle, loving, unmistakable.

So picture this, dear one…

We’re sitting together in a quiet living room. A soft fire flickers in the hearth. The light dances across the walls. Outside, the night is cold…but here, it’s warm. You can feel the nearness of His presence in the room.

We’re not rushing. We’re just sitting…heart to heart…talking about the things that matter most. About grace. About truth. About the beauty of letting Him have His way.

That’s what these devotions are meant to be… a fireside conversation for your soul. Words that comfort but also challenge. Words that make you think, weep, and rise again.

Because His love doesn’t leave us as we are. It refines us. It burns away the old so that His glory can shine through the new.

Let His fire do its perfect work. Let His truth reach every hidden place. Let His love transform you, until you bear His likeness in every glance, every word, every step.

That, beloved, is what it means to be refined by love.

When God’s fire draws near, don’t run from it…run into it. For that flame is not your enemy, it’s your making. It’s the warmth that melts away what cannot remain, leaving behind only the gold of His beautiful presence.

With Love,

Steve Porter

www.morningglorydevo.com

Was I stupid - Biblical Man

 I sold everything.

You said to.

The house. The career. The reputation.

Gone.

My family calls me fanatic.

My community calls me divisive.

My bank account calls me fool.

Was I stupid to love You?

You said take up your cross.

I did.

It’s heavier than the sermons made it sound.

Splinters. Blood. No one clapping.

You said the world would hate me.

It does.

But I thought You meant them—

Not my mother.

Not my friends.

Not my family.

Was I stupid to love You?

Peter walked on water.

Then sank.

Then denied You three times.

Then got crucified upside down.

Was he stupid?

Job lost ten children in one day.

Sat in ash scraping boils with pottery for six months.

His wife told him to curse You and die.

His friends called him secret sinner.

You never answered his questions.

Just showed up in a whirlwind and asked him where he was when You founded the earth.

Was Job stupid to fear You?

I gave You my twenties.

Purity. Mission trips. college debt.

I gave You my thirties.

Ministry. Poverty. Burnout.

I’m giving You my forties.

The years I was supposed to arrive.

And I’m still here.

Obscure. Broke. Misunderstood.

Was I stupid to love You?

Because the Instagram preachers who water You down

They have the platforms.

The passive men who call surrender “balance”

They have the churches.

The guys who turned You into a life coach

They have the book deals.

And I have... what?

Calluses.

Criticism.

Conviction.

You promised me a hundredfold.

I’m still counting.

You promised me life abundant.

Define abundant.

You promised me You’d never leave.

But there are nights—God, there are nights—

Where the silence is so thick

I check the tomb to see if You left again.

Was I stupid to love You?

The rich young ruler walked away sad.

He wasn’t stupid.

He was smart.

He kept his wealth. His status. His safety.

I walked toward You.

And lost all three.

So answer me:

Was I stupid?

SILENCE

No burning bush.

No audible voice.

No confirmation text from heaven.

Just this:

The same question You asked Peter after the third denial:

“Do you love Me?”

Not—

“Do you understand Me?”

“Do you agree with My methods?”

“Do you feel blessed yet?”

Just—

“Do you love Me?”

And I do.

God help me, I do.

Even when it costs everything.

Even when the math doesn’t math.

Even when the church calls me Pharisee

and the world calls me fanatic

and my own heart whispers fool.

I love You.

Not because it’s smart.

Not because it’s safe.

Not because it’s working.

Because You’re true.

And I’d rather be a fool for the true God

than a success story for a fake one.

So no.

I wasn’t stupid to love You.

I was stupid before I did.

Squash bugs

 A farmer can eliminate and prevent squash bugs from entering a pumpkin patch or gourd area by using a combination of cultural, mechanical, and chemical controls. The most effective strategies focus on prevention and early-stage removal.

🛑 Prevention and Cultural Controls

The best way to control squash bugs is to make your patch an inhospitable environment for them.

• Sanitation (Fall Cleanup): This is the most crucial step. Adult squash bugs overwinter in garden debris. After harvest, thoroughly remove and destroy all old vines, leaves, and other plant matter, as well as any nearby boards, rocks, or rubbish that could serve as a hiding spot. Do not compost infested debris.  

• Crop Rotation: Do not plant pumpkins or gourds (cucurbits) in the same area where they were grown the previous year. This helps prevent overwintered adults from immediately infesting new plants.  

• Row Covers: Cover young seedlings and plants with floating row covers immediately after planting. This creates a physical barrier to prevent the flying adult bugs from landing and laying eggs.  

• Crucial Note: Remove the covers once the plants start to flower to allow pollinators (like bees) to access the blooms for fruit production.  

• Companion Planting: Planting certain herbs or flowers near your cucurbits may help deter squash bugs. Nasturtiums, marigolds, catnip, and radishes are often cited as potential repellents.  

• Trellising: Growing vining types of pumpkins or gourds on a trellis keeps the vines off the ground, reducing the number of hiding places for the bugs.  

🛠️ Mechanical and Physical Controls

These are hands-on methods most effective for small to medium infestations.

• Handpicking and Drowning: Inspect the plants daily, especially the undersides of leaves and around the base of the plant.  

• Adults/Nymphs: Handpick or use a small vacuum to remove the bugs and drop them into a container of soapy water to drown them.  

• Eggs: Squash bug eggs are copper-red/bronze and clustered on the undersides of leaves. Scrape them off (a piece of duct tape works well) or simply crush the clusters with your fingers.  

• Trap Board Method: Place wooden boards, shingles, or pieces of folded cardboard near the plants at night. Squash bugs will crawl underneath to hide. Check the traps first thing in the morning and destroy the collected bugs.  

🧪 Chemical and Organic Controls

These methods target the bugs directly and are best used when infestation levels are high.

• Insecticidal Soap and Neem Oil: These are the most common organic sprays used by home gardeners and organic farmers.  

• They are most effective against young nymphs (the small, newly hatched bugs).  

• They work by contact, so you must spray the bugs directly and ensure good coverage on the undersides of the leaves.

• Diatomaceous Earth (DE): This fine powder, made of fossilized algae, can be sprinkled around the base of the plants. It kills bugs by scratching and dehydrating their outer shells. Reapply after rain or heavy watering.  

• Chemical Insecticides: For severe infestations, a farmer may need to use conventional insecticides.

• Look for products containing active ingredients like carbaryl, bifenthrin, or pyrethrins, depending on local regulations and whether you are farming organically or conventionally.  

• Timing is Key: Chemical controls are most effective on small nymphs and should be applied when bees are not active (late evening) to protect pollinators.  

Would you like specific recommendations for organic sprays or more information on using trap crops to lure the squash bugs away from your main patch?