Good evening to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you. Catawampus. That is my word of the day. Catawampus. It is a beautifully weird word that can be used in a myriad of ways to describe the perfect blend of chaos and dumbness in any given situation. The definition actually is: going badly, awkwardly, or in the wrong direction. Most Mondays are, by definition, catawampus. As you read from last night’s post, mine was extremely catawampus. Today tried to slide sideways but quickly smoothed out. Another vibrant way to describe something going haywire is “off-kilter”. The actual definition of this word is: out of balance. So, if your catawampus is off-kilter … is that good or bad? The purpose of this paper today is to make you laugh with the playfulness of words. We make up words every day depending on how our brains and mouths communicate. Sometimes real words come out; sometimes weird syllables that formulate a weird concoction of letters into a word come out. Most of those situations result in gut-filled laughter and a sense of relief because of the guffaw. What if we approached our off-kilter moments in life in the same manner? Throwing off the stress of the catawampus event and finding the hilarity in the guffaw. If we look, most any stressful situation can find some humor or light, even if it is deemed ‘inappropriate’. Such as, a friend of mine had a falling-out with their dad. They got sick, and when asked if the dad had been notified, I was promptly told no. For whatever the reason, I simply stated that had they called the dad, my friend may have just died on the table, to prove the point that they did not want to speak to him. Dark humor, yes. Somewhat funny in the moment, yes. Appropriate, not really. However, the levity of looking at something bad in a light that can bring a smile … totally worth it. A business deal is heating up. Everyone involved is losing patience. Someone sneezes softly. Another person belts out, “No need to bring in biological warfare.” Inappropriate, yes. Funny, yes. Mowing the yard with my borrowed mower, I missed a stump. Yes, a stump. Did not know or see it there. When the mower locked up and stopped mowing, instantly I saw my retirement check fly out the window. This mower was in my care; I was not careful enough, and instant panic set in … when explaining to the owner, he laughed and said he would like small bills. (FYI the mower was fixable) There are going to be times in life when the situation or circumstance is not good. It is the habit that we have formed to always go dark and negative. That is fine if you only stay there for the moment, but immediately you should be searching for the bright side, the humor, the sarcastic satire. Something that shows you, in your heart, that God is in control and it will all work itself out. Catawampus and off-kilter moments are a part of life. Do not allow them to remain permanent residents in your lane; find that inappropriate giggle line, and give it back to God. You will find that it helps alleviate your stress level and replace it with His love. Be blessed. **Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. – Colossians 3:2

August 19, 2026 (day 231/365) WEDNESDAY GOD'S WORD FOR THE DAY “Faithfulness in Small Things” Judges 12:14 “And he had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys.” This is the Word of God. Judges 12:14 gives us a brief picture of Ibzan’s life and family. Though the verse seems like a simple historical detail, it reminds us that a life is measured not only by great achievements, but also by the people we influence and the legacy we leave behind. We may never accomplish something that attracts worldwide attention, but our faithfulness in our families, churches, workplaces, and communities matters greatly to God. Every day gives us opportunities to influence others through our character, words, and example. Let us not despise the ordinary responsibilities God has entrusted to us. Faithfulness in small things can become a lasting legacy in the lives of others. May God help us to live faithfully each day and leave behind a godly example that will bless those who come after us. Amen. Have a blessed day with the Lord. -- Pastor Emmanuel Serto

come a step closer to to God.

***The Mark of the Beast*** This is what I see the Bible says of the mark of the beast: Revelation 13:16-18 KJV And *he (the beast of Revelation 13:11) causeth all*, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, *to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads*: [17] And *that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name*. [18] Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding *count the number of the beast*: for *it is the number of a man*; and his number is *Six hundred threescore and six.* Here the beast of Rev 13:11 causes all but those whose names are written on the Lambs book of Life to receive a mark on their hands and their foreheads. Revelation 13:8 KJV And *all that dwell upon the earth shall worship* him, *whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world*. Now where else in the Bible does it speak of receiving a mark on the forheads or in the arms? If this mark is spoken of in the Bible, then the Bible must provide the answer as to what this mark is. When we examine the scriptures it points us to these scriptures: Job 10:14 KJV *If I sin, then thou markest me*, and *thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity*. Hebrews 10:26-27 KJV For *if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins*, [27] But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. We find that Job says that if a man sins, God will mark him and shall not aquit him of his iniquities. Paul later says that if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for our sins. Does the Bible give evidence of someone who sinned wilfullyagainst the Lord and received a mark? Yes, it does. Genesis 4:5-16 KJV But* unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect*. And *Cain was very wroth*, and his countenance fell. [6] *And the LORD said* unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? [7] *If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door*. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. [8] And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that *Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him*. [9] And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? [10] And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. [11] And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; [12] When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. [13] And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. [14] Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; *and from thy face shall I be hid*; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. [15] And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And *the LORD set a mark upon Cain*, lest any finding him should kill him. [16] *And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD*, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. God warned Cain and told him that if he doeth well, he would be accepted and if he did not do well, sin lies at the door. Cain did not take heed to God but rose up against his brother, who had the better sacrifice, and slew him. He sinned willfully after he had received the knowledge of the truth. And God put a mark upon Cain. And after Cain received that mark, it says that Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and that He was hid from the face of the Lord. In other words, the Lord had turned His face from dealing with Cain. Now, here is an interesting fact, the number of the beast is 666. There is only one Scripture in the Bible with the number 666: John 6:66 KJV _From that time *many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him*._ It speaks of those disciples of Jesus who, having come face to face with the Truth, chose to walk away from Him and to disbelieve Him. Like Cain, they went out from the Presence of the Lord and were hid from the face of the Lord. I do not think it a coincidence that the verse that speaks of this occurrence is the verse that bears the number of the beast. I believe this is God vindicating what the mark of the beast really is.

As the days passes by we draw near to his coming, THIS IS AN ARK, it is revealed and built with the wisdom of GOD just like the days of Noah, but this ARK is only for the sake of the new earth, the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven, an open heaven, and THE RAPTURE, GOD is looking for the true church to come for it! the ARK awaits

Good evening, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. ED.i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* TUESDAY 18TH AUGUST 2026. *SUB-THEME:* YOUTHS: VESSELS OF GOD’S GRACE. *TOPIC:* EMPOWERED FOR UPRIGHT LIVING. *TEXT:* TITUS 2:12–13 12 It trains us to renounce ungodly living and worldly passions so that we might live sensible, honest, and godly lives in the present age Eph 1:4 Col 1:22 2Ti 1:9 1Jn 2:16 13 as we wait for the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus the Messiah. 1Co 1:7 Phi 3:20 *TOPIC:* EMPOWERED FOR UPRIGHT LIVING. *THE MESSAGE:* Upright living refers to a lifestyle characterized by moral integrity, righteousness, and adherence to God’s commandments. God created us to live extraordinary lives without struggle - a life above the power of sin, a product of grace. Man failed by disobeying and could not live an upright life. The salvation Jesus wrought restored man to the life he was expected to live. As recipients of God’s grace, we are empowered to live in a new way. Have you received the power to live this new life, or are you still entangled by sexual immorality, lying, and deception? The grace of God is potent to train you to renounce impiety and worldly passions. You must lean on Jesus to live a self-controlled, upright, and godly life in this present age. *REFLECTION:* You are empowered to live an upright life. *PRAYER:* Lord, help me to display this enabling grace daily. *MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:* 2 TIMOTHY 2:21. "If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be instruments for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work." *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* EZEKIEL 7-11. ED.ii. LOT'S FATAL DECISIONS "Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah — from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus He overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land." - Genesis 19:24-25 Abraham was blessed by God and because his nephew Lot was with him, Lot was also blessed. Both had large flocks. At one point the shepherds of both flocks started to fight because there was not enough space. Abraham then let Lot choose to go either to the left or to the right. Lot saw that the Jordan area was good and made his first fatal choice. Lot chose the best for himself. It was his first step towards Sodom. It did not occur to him to consult the Lord first. So many Christians today do the same and make their own choices based on what they see, instead of asking for the Lord's guidance. Many follow the money. The evil one mainly whispers to young people: 'If you go for the money, you can achieve everything.' However, God's way is always the best way. Lot's second fatal decision is to pitch his tents nearby Sodom. 'Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord' (Genesis 13:13). Once you take one step in the wrong direction, it will not be long before you are completely on the wrong track. Lot's third fatal step is in Genesis 14:12, it says that 'he was living in Sodom.' So, it did not take long before Lot lived in the city of Sodom. God had to destroy Sodom because of the wickedness. It was because of Abraham's prayer for Lot and his family that God gave them an opportunity to flee the city. Dear reader, one day God will destroy this world as He did with Sodom and Gomorrah. Do not make fatal choices. Do not join the sinful practices of this world. Always choose to go the way of Jesus. https://www.theblessingdevotional.com 2. Evening Prayer for today. EP.i. Evening Prayer But the mercy of the LORD [is] from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; ⏤ Psalm 103:17 There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still. ⏤ Corrie ten Boom We come with grateful hearts to You, O God, our Father. We will praise You as long as we live. We call on our souls and all that is within us to bless Your holy name and never forget Your blessings. You forgive all our sins. You heal all our diseases. You redeem our lives from destruction. You crown us with love and compassion. You satisfy our needs with good things, so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s. You, Lord, are merciful and gracious, slow to anger and full of mercy. You won’t stay angry forever, nor will You hold our sins against us forever. You have not treated us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is Your mercy toward those who fear You. As far as the east is from the west, so far have You removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so You have compassion on those who fear You. For You know how we are formed; You remember that we are dust. Our days are like grass; we flourish like a flower of the field. The wind blows over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But Your mercy, O Lord, is from everlasting to everlasting. We rejoice in Your eternity. We rest in it, knowing that our trust in You will never be shaken. The mountains may depart, and the hills may be removed, but Your kindness will never depart from us, nor will Your covenant of peace be removed. Grant us Your peace now, our Father, and keep us safe in the secret place of Your presence throughout the night. Bless us with Your tender love, we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/44/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion.

Matthew 11:28-30: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Isaiah 40:31: "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint." ....... Lord, I pray for a renewed strength today, as I hope in you; make me soar on wings like eagles, make me run and not grow weary, make me walk and not faint, in Jesus name, Amen!

Work Out Your Own Salvation - Part 1 of 3. Be sure to watch all 3 parts! Welcome to another video of Misunderstood Texts of the Bible. This time I am returning to the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians and to the oft mentioned verse “Work out your own salvation...” oh, and with “fear and trembling”. This verse is, as is almost always the case, has been pulled out of context to justify the argument that salvation, eternal life, is to be worked for and that salvation is not based on faith by is obtained by works. Well, if you just read this verse, out of context and ignore the rest of Paul’s epistles, then I can see how you can certainly come to this conclusion. The problem is that we cannot ignore the rest of Paul’s epistles on the subject of how salvation is obtained and when scripture seems to contradict scripture we must examine the contradiction much more closely. For God is not double tongued, He doesn’t speak out of both sides of His mouth. First, let’s set the matter of how salvation is obtained in Paul’s epistles. Since Paul wrote this verse in Philippians, I will focus on what Paul has to say on this subject. In many of Paul letters, he makes it abundantly clear that salvation/eternal life is a gift from God and is not granted on the basis of works or merit on our part. Let’s see, here’s a few. Rom. 3:28, Rom. 4:5, Rom. 6:23, Gal. 2:16, Eph. 2:8-9, Titus 3:5 #misunderstoodtextofthebible #philippians #salvation #workoutyourownsalvation #faithvsworks #sacredwisdom #godisgood #faith #love #godisgoodallthetime #christian #god #bible #christianity #jesus #jesuschrist https://youtube.com/shorts/ADOfK9MzXNk?is=mzqWr25EIL-O6V2L

Mark 3:10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. What would you do? If you were in a crowd that was listening to Jesus. You had heard the stories that Jesus healed a leper, a man with a shriveled hand who was made whole, a demonized guy now with a sound mind, the woman with the issue of blood for twelve years who was healed after touching the hem of his garment, story after story. Would you be so rude to push your way towards Jesus to touch him and ask for forgiveness later? Why did the Father send Jesus to the earth? Jesus said I come to do the will of the Father (John 6:38). For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17) Jesus went around teaching, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:23) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) This would mean what He did then, He still does today and tomorrow. So, what are you doing today to push your way to get closer to Jesus? Read your Bible, think about the verses you read. Jesus frequently said "Your faith has made you well".

Tuesday Night Virtual Fellowship @ 6-9pm EST You’re invited to join our weekly It Ain’t Over Ministries Virtual Fellowship Meetings! Come and experience a supportive Community where we uplift one another through worship, prayer, and meaningful discussions. Whether you’re seeking encouragement, spiritual growth, or simply a place to connect with others, our virtual gatherings are designed and waiting for you. Everyone is welcome to join us. https://iaom1.com/portal/event/it-aint-over-virtual-fellowship-meeting