From the Home Place

March 27, 2026

Here’s a sweet weather forecast for you: At 4:58 a.m. it is 28 degrees headed for 48 as today’s high with wind gusts of 38 mph. Miss Deb and I will be on the road for today, so we would appreciate your prayers. Thanks!

I have to admit; it is a tad bit spooky to be living in America today. With all of the evil, division and distrust surrounding us on most days, life in America isn’t as easy as it once was. And then on top of all those issues, it seems that we could be going into a very serious season of war.

Because yesterday was Thursday, I was blessed to have our weekly zoom meeting with an amazing group of young me. Last night, our topic was “spiritual warfare.” It is a war that everyone is involved in. It doesn’t matter if you are a mercenary or a passivist at heart, you are daily under attack spiritually. If you are breathing, you are at war spiritually!

Most folks are not really aware of the war that takes place within, and for their lives every day. Yet if a person spends much time watching this thing we call life, you will soon recognize the constant conflict between good and evil. Even as a believer in Christ, Satan and his crew will do everything they can to entice you to commit sin.

Chew on this one for a moment, God the Father is the great Creator. Everything He has ever created is “good” according to the Bible. Satan is the great imitator. Everything that God has given us as good, Satan will attempt to imitate for evil. Have you ever wondered how things can be so good for a while and then turn 180 degrees south so quickly – the realm of light and dark?

God has breathed His life into your lungs, just like He did for Adam on his day of creation (Gen. 2:7). God has given you life so that you can have the opportunity to accept His free gift of love in the person of Jesus Christ. As a follower of Jesus, you can know: liberating truth, love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, self-control, humility, honesty, and undefiled love, Satan, the father of death, will do everything he can do to make your life miserable; filled with lies, pain, deceit, greed, hatred, pride, selfishness, unrest and self-gratifying love.

The Bible describes God as light, and Satan as darkness. You know, like the light of day and the dark of night. Isn’t it amazing how so many folks are drawn to the “dark side?” Darkness is the realm of cultic practices, ghosts, death, and all sorts of evil. Perhaps America’s infatuation with the dark side is because so few have ever lived on the light side?

As one who has lived on both sides of this coin, life is totally amazing walking on the light side! To walk out of the darkness, away from practicing many of the evils mentioned above, and to walk into the light is very much like walking out of pitch darkness into a well-lit room, everything changes.

However, just because a person chooses to walk in the light of Christ, it does not mean that there is never an influence of darkness. Ephesians 6:10 makes it very clear that as long as we live on this ‘ol ball of dirt, evil will attempt to draw us to the dark side. Read the rest of Ephesians 6 to learn how to “stand firm” against the schemes of the Devil. May I encourage you though, don’t just read about it, put the process described in Ephesians 6:10-20 into practice in your life – daily!

Please, don’t go John Wayne on me and think that you have the ability or power to deal with Satan and his crew on you own – YOU DO NOT! Only through a healthy relationship with Jesus Christ can you possess the real “power” to stand against Satan and his “forces of evil.”

Once again, I will remind you of the old Native American adage: “Inside of every person there are two dogs, a white dog and a black dog, which one is the strongest? The one you feed the most.” It is up to you my friend, you can either walk in the light of Christ, or remain in the darkness of Satan, the choice is yours. But please note, the one you choose to walk with today is the one you will spend eternity with!

Choosing to walk in the light, Neal