​A harnessed horse contributes much more to life than a wild donkey. Energy out of control is dangerous; energy under control is powerful. God does not discipline us to subdue us, but to condition us for a life of usefulness and blessedness. In His wisdom He knows that an uncontrolled life is an unhappy life, so He puts reins on our wayward souls that they may be directed into the “paths of righteousness.” That is what God seeks to do with us; to tame us, to bring us under proper control, to redirect our energies. He does in the spiritual realm what science does in the physical realm. Science takes a Niagara River with its violent turbulence and transforms it into electrical energy to illuminate a million homes and to turn the productive wheels of industry.

I believe that strange things can happen when you start to rely on God and begin to put your hope and faith in Jesus Christ. I've noticed that as my spirituality becomes strengthened, the greater amount of situations occur that give me reason to pause and then thank my creator, God, for his blessings and wisdom. I've decided to start documenting some of these strange happenings on my blog. Perhaps you will be inspired or maybe you just enjoy an interesting read. Either way, here is my first blog post of "Mysterious World."

This morning, as I was preparing to leave for work, I looked through the window and noticed the car battery sitting on the back floor board of my car in front of the rear seats. The reason it was sitting there was because I needed to turn it in for a core charge (a charge they impose when buying a car battery that is refunded when the battery is returned), but had previously lost the receipt for the new battery, so I was unable to get my core charge refunded until it was found. Interestingly enough, I saw 4 chalk marks across the top of the old battery, in the back seat, that looked a bit like slash marks. One of the slash marks was even on top of one of the battery posts. I thought it was weird considering nobody rides in the back seat and I pretty much use the car for just commuting back and forth to work. When I put the battery in my back seat, it definitely did not have chalk marks on it. I stood there for a few moments sort of confused by it, but then decided it was probably explainable.

I then turned and opened the front driver's side door and was struck by what I saw laying on the floor board near the gas pedal. I saw a receipt lying there with the name of the auto parts store's name on it where I purchased my new battery. It was folded in half so I picked it up, thinking how weird it would be if it was actually the battery receipt. I had been looking for that receipt for several months and was fairly discontent about the fact that I would not receive my core refund for it, but sure enough, I opened the receipt and realized it indeed was the battery receipt I had been looking for. I immediately thanked the Lord for his blessing and am excited now to get my twenty bucks back! It definitely wouldn't been quite as strange if it weren't for the battery having marks on it, followed by immediately finding the receipt. I can finally get that thing out of the back seat.

Author: Jason Cook
​Searchlight Christian Organization

There is a certain amount of sorrow involved in repentance that we don’t see much of today. That word means moaning and even groaning. I don’t mean that we have to have a great emotional experience, but I do believe that we need some tears of repentance. We need to be sorry for our sins, and to say, “Oh, God, I have sinned against You, and I’m sorry.” I am not an emotional person. I don’t know why, but I don’t cry easily. But of the few times I have cried in my life, some of them have been over sin that I committed many years ago.
The night I came to Christ, I didn’t have any tears. But later I went home and I looked out my window at the North Carolina sky and I cried over my sins. I said, “Oh, God, forgive me.” And the most wonderful peace swept over my soul. From that moment on, I’ve known that my sins were forgiven.

It is unfortunate in a marriage if there is an array of sordid memories of past sins on the part of either partner. If young people could only realize that a happy marriage depends not only on the present, but upon the past, they would be more reluctant to enter into loose, intimate relations with anyone and everyone. Many a marriage has been imperiled by the backlash of past sins, which were not just confessed, but “found out.”
As to the necessity of confessing past sins to one’s mate, I don’t think it is always advisable or necessary. I have known of homes that were wrecked by such confessions. The main thing is to confess any past wrongs to God, resolve to be true to your marriage vows; and absolve the black past by a spotless present.

Searchlight Words:
At first glance, these words appear to be a warning, however, from my perspective, they are just stating common sense. It is in the Lord we find peace, so when people are living on their own terms apart from the Lord, in whom shall they place their trust? In their earthly belongings that break, rust, and disintegrate? In people whom grow old and wither or die? In false idols, spirits, or demons that are innately corrupt? All things here on earth are subject to fail. Why would you want to rely on such things or anyone but He who CANNOT die or wither or fail? The Lord has been proving himself already for thousands of years.

Proverbs 3:5-6. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

More from Searchlight
Lord, I ask that you convict my spirit and allow me to see and identify the things that draw my attention from you. Give me the strength to put away all things that set myself apart from you. It is with you that I find ultimate peace and joy and therefore, all other things are made dim in your light. AMEN

The Apostle Paul once asked, “Who art thou, Lord?” That is a question each of us has to face. If Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, knowing He was not, then He was a deceiver, the greatest liar the world has ever known. If He thought He was God and didn’t know the difference, then He was a mental case. But if He was who He claimed to be, then He is rightfully the Lord of our lives. What keeps us from acknowledging this Christ, if He is what the Bible tells us He is?
Each of us has to face the question that Pilate asked, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called the Christ?” Pilate washed his hands and said he would have nothing to do with Jesus, but God does not let us off that way. We must say “yes” or “no.” We can make fun of Jesus, we can reject Him, we can neglect Him—or we can receive Him.

From Searchlight:
If we read the Lord's words and they move us to do what is right, what is just, what is kind, what is righteous, then how can we say He was not of our God? If any of His words move a mountain within you and you are moved to do God's will, then surely he is our Father's son and it is wise to follow His true example. If the Lord appears to you in a dream and moves you to do the right thing, is it not sensible to consider it?

Walter Knight tells the story about a little boy who had recently received Christ. “Daddy, how can I believe in the Holy Spirit when I have never seen Him?” asked Jim. “I’ll show you how,” said his father, who was an electrician. Later Jim went with his father to the power plant where he was shown the generators. “This is where the power comes from to heat our stove and to give us light. We cannot see the power, but it is in that machine and in the power lines,” said the father. “I believe in electricity,” said Jim. “Of course you do,” said his father, “but you don’t believe in it because you see it. You believe in it because you see what it can do. Likewise, you can believe in the Holy Spirit because you can see what He does in people’s lives when they are surrendered to Christ and possess His power.”

Words from Searchlight:
Heavenly Father we pray to you today to have eyes that consistently see and discern your works. Let us see the unseen and find hope in places where others cannot. Lord, fill us with your power and love so we may continue your work today, unhindered, and rise above the daily challenges we encounter. Help us to stay focused on you and be blind to all that distracts us from your will. In Jesus' name.  Amen.

​To know the will of God is the highest of all wisdom. Living in the center of God’s will rules out all falseness of religion and puts the stamp of true sincerity upon our service to God. You can be miserable with much, if you are out of His will; but you can have peace in your heart with little, if you are in the will of God. You can be wretched with wealth and fame, out of His will; but you can have joy in obscurity, if you are in the will of God. You can have agony in good health, out of His will; but you can be happy in the midst of suffering, if you are in God’s will. You can be miserable and defeated in the midst of acclaim, if you are out of His will; but you can be calm and at peace in the midst of persecution, as long as you are in the will of God. The Bible reveals that God has a plan for every life, and that if we live in constant fellowship with Him, He will direct and lead us in the fulfillment of this plan.

To some, it could seem unfathomable that with Jesus, that life could become stress free. I wish I could explain it, but I cannot because it is a supernatural and even paranormal situation. When we begin to read the Word, pray, meditate on that which is Holy, peace in all matters of your life WILL come to you. It is cannot be explained or even understood, but the peace of God tunes out all the noise that seeks to lead you astray and helps you keep a clearer path. Reading these devotions, reading some scripture, or one of my past favorites, doing a wiki search of the parables of Jesus; all of these serve to help us reach and plug into the true source of the universe. A source in which anxiety, fear, and oppression knows no existence.
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James 4:8 - Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts...

As God’s children, we are His dependents. The Bible says, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.” Dependent children spend little time worrying about meals, clothing, and shelter. They assume, and they have a right to, that all will be provided by their parents. Because God is responsible for our welfare, we are told to cast all our care upon Him, for He careth for us.
Because we are dependent upon God, Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled.” God says, “I’ll take care of the burden—don’t give it a thought—leave it to me.” Dependent children are not backward about asking for favors. They would not be normal if they did not boldly make their needs known. God is keenly aware that we are dependent upon Him for life’s necessities. It was for that reason that He said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”



Credit: Text and photo courtesy of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

What are you placing your hope in for the future? Your country’s government, educational system, some plan or organization? My hope is in a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, who sits at the right hand of God. I have hope and know that I’m going to heaven. And, right here and now in this present life, I have God’s presence to help me.
Suppose we had no Bible. Suppose there were no cross, no salvation, no empty tomb. Suppose we had nothing to hang on except, “Do your best, try to patch it up, do what you can.” Oh, but we have a hope. There is a plan of redemption, a plan for the future. The New Testament is an exciting Book to read, it is so full of hope and expectancy. And God is interested in you!

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Credit: Text and photo courtesy of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

​You have an ego-a consciousness of being an individual. Of course, you do. But that doesn’t mean that you are to worship yourself, to think constantly of yourself, and to live entirely for yourself. Common sense tells you that your life would be miserable if you followed that course. God is infinitely more concerned about your happiness than you could possibly be. He says, “Deny yourself, and follow me.” There is many a person in the insane asylum today who thought excessively about himself, to the exclusion of God and others. Hypochondriacs who have a fanciful anxiety about their health will never be well, regardless of their physical condition.

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Credit: Text and photo courtesy of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

​A great problem in America is that we have an anemic and watered-down Christianity that has produced an anemic, watered-down, and spineless Christian who is not willing to stand up and be counted on every issue. We must have a virile, dynamic, aggressive Christian who lives Christ seven days a week, who is ready to die, if necessary, for his faith. We need Christians who are ethical, honest, gracious, bold, strong, and devoted followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.


Credit: Text and photo courtesy of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org