Journal – Page 6 – The Journal Of A New Creation

The Power Of Joy And Laughter

Author: Randall Daluz December 11, 2015

James 1:2-3 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”

Dear Readers, When I think of the passage above, I see an even deeper meaning, especially due to my current circumstances. Now James is telling us that when we suffer for Christ, we should take pleasure in it. He is explaining that it is wonderful and honorable to suffer on earth for the Lord. But, I believe there is more to it.

I am now in my fifth month of solitary confinement. The S.M.U. [Supermax Unit] is divided into sections. I am housed on what is known as the programs corridor. There are 14 men altogether on this corridor. Seven on one side and seven on the other. Our cells face each other, so we can yell through the cracks of our cell doors and conversate. Every day, I find a way to make these men laugh. (more…)

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2 Corinthians, James, John, Luke, Psalms

The Discipline Of Fasting For The Lord

Author: Randall Daluz December 3, 2015

Matthew 4:4 “But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Dear Readers,
Hello, my brothers and sisters. May the Spirit of the Lord fill you and make you complete. Amen! Today is the day after Thanksgiving and it is as good a day as any to fast. I have not eaten any food since consuming the Thanksgiving meal provided by the prison, which by the way, is a very good meal as far as prison food goes. The kitchen workers did an excellent job! It was the best meal I have had in my three-plus years of incarceration.

Fasting is the act of denying oneself that which is either necessary or desirable to you. When you go without, in the name of the Lord, it strengthens the bond between you and God. It also gives you great discipline and strengthens your ability to resist temptation. We should not fast and brag about it to others. Fasting is between you and God. I have fasted many times, but this is the first time I have shared the experience with all of you. Matthew 6:16 tells us “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” I am not writing this to boast. Rather, I am using this experience to share the importance and the benefits of fasting. (more…)

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Isaiah, Matthew

Dear God, Thank You!

Author: Randall Daluz November 25, 2015

Psalm 95:1-3 “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, And the great King above all gods.”

Dear Readers, Grace, love, peace and joy unto you, my beautiful brothers and sisters. To all my American readers, Happy Thanksgiving. Though I am serving an unjust life sentence for crimes that I did not commit, and though I have been in solitary confinement for four months now; I am never-the-less thankful. I have so much to be grateful for… my salvation, my family, my peace, my joy, et cetera, et cetera. This year, I am especially thankful for two of my very best friends, Tom and Terry Shuford. They are both amazing people, though they are too humble to realize that themselves. God has done so much for me, not the least of which was putting Tom and Terry in my life. I am so thankful for them, Father. Praise Your Name, Lord!

I first met my buddy, Tom, in April of 2014, just before my trial started. Terry wrote me letters back then and she began visiting me a few months later. That was a very stressful time in my life. If it were not for the Lord blessing me with Tom and Terry, as well as my good friend, Deborah, I don’t know how I would have made it this far. The Lord did most of the work, but their support was and is crucial to my stability. (more…)

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2 Thessalonians, Psalms

The Comforter Of The Lord

Author: Randall Daluz November 21, 2015

John 14:25-26 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

Dear Readers, Peace, love and joy unto you, my brothers and sisters. I want to talk to you about a ghost. I’m not talking about haunted houses or Poltergeist. Nor am I referring to Casper the friendly ghost. I am talking about the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Ghost. It is that Spirit which leads us and guides us. It is that Spirit that helps us unravel the meaning of the scriptures and reveals the truth to us. That is, if we are receptive to it. It is then and only then that the Spirit can do God’s work in and through us. There are times when I read the scriptures and suddenly warm tingly shivers run through my body, as if an electrical current were flowing in me. That is the Spirit. Your conscience is a manifestation of the Spirit. Your joy, your peace, the true love you feel are all manifestations of the Spirit. I love the feeling of the Spirit. It courses through my veins and electrifies my soul. I feel so in tune with God, nature and my fellow Christians. The sense of peace and joy I get is unexplainable. (more…)

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John, Matthew

Wage Peace, Not War

Author: Randall Daluz November 12, 2015

Luke 1:77-79 “To give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Dear Readers, May the peace of Christ be ever upon you. I want to tell all of you, everyone who reads my posts, that I love you in the name of Jesus. Praise His Name! Shout Hallelujah! When I say, “everyone”, I mean even those who hate and despise me. Even those who return evil for good, and especially those who mean me harm, the ones who think of me as their enemy and wish to take down this site. I want you to know that I love you most of all. Even the M.D.O.C. and the prison administration, who have begun to threaten me weekly, and who only last Friday told me that I will remain in solitary confinement until I stop writing. I love you! That love has been hard won within my spirit. Like any normal human being, my first thoughts upon being attacked are often those of indignation. But, like any true Christian, the love of my Lord Jesus Christ and His Spirit which dwells within me has led me to the ways of peace and forgiveness. (more…)

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Luke, Matthew, Philippians, Romans

Not Of This World

Author: Randall Daluz November 8, 2015

I Corinthians 2:12 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”

Dear Readers, Greetings, blessings and grace to you, my brothers and sisters. I would like to speak to you about things and people which are not of this world. Now, I’m not talking about little green men or martians with ray guns; Nor am I speaking of alien abductions. This is not about close encounters. No, sir. I want to talk to you about things which are supernatural. Things like the love of Christ, the grace of God, true salvation and the Holy Spirit. I want to talk about joy, peace and love – the kind which is completely out of the realm of understanding to an unsaved person. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Now, it is important to note in this verse, that Paul [the author] is not speaking of our beautiful planet earth per se; Nor is he suggesting that we not get along with the people on it. What he is talking about is the sinful nature of this world; the corruption which has taken over the vast majority of this world. It is the evil, greedy, lustful temptations of this world that lead men and women to darkness. The sinful nature of this world has become as a bottomless pit, a black hole, an evil abyss which swallows non-believers whole. Be you not conformed to it. Be not given to its temptations. Beware the sinful wishes of this world; For they will devour you. (more…)

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1 Corinthians, Romans

The War On God, Freedom & Human Rights

Author: Randall Daluz October 28, 2015

John 15:20-21 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.”

Dear Readers, Greetings. May God’s blessings, peace, joy, love and grace be ever upon you, my beautiful brothers and sisters. As always, my thoughts and prayers are with you all. Being persecuted is part of being a Christian. Sadly, it is increasingly becoming part of being an American as well. Paul warned us in 2nd Timothy 3:12, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” Once again, this site is under attack, my brothers and sisters. Once again, the attorney general of the State of Maine, as well as the D.O.C. [Department of Corrections] are trying to stop me from spreading the gospel and speaking about my Lord. Once again, they are trying to prevent myself and others from writing about our personal experiences and treatment. Once again, they are trying to bury the truth. The honest fact of the matter is, the State of Maine has a largely corrupt justice system. I would not say that it is entirely corrupt. However, corruption runs rampant within the police departments, courts, attorney general’s office, district attorney’s offices and even parts of the political factions. That’s the truth and they do not want you to know it. This situation is not only taking place in the State of Maine, but is nationwide. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth and they don’t – want – you – to – know – it. The “powers that be” are eroding the moral fabric of this country. They are making immorality the new norm. You see, by doing so, they in turn justify their own behavior. They are trying to create an over-medicated, fearful and complacent society. They want our minds to be malleable and pliant to their will, not God’s. That is the truth and they – don’t – want – you – to – know – it. If we are not careful, we will eventually lose all of our freedoms. Take a look around you, folks. I am not a kook. People are being jailed and fined for expressing their religious beliefs. They are ever encroaching and infringing on our constitutional rights. (more…)

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2 Timothy, John, Psalms

Meaningful Labor

Author: Randall Daluz October 24, 2015

static.pexels.com/photos/6003/man-hand-car-black-medium.jpg Mark 10:43-45 “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Dear Readers, Blessings, peace, love and joy unto you, my brothers and sisters. Not many people enjoy hard labor or what they consider menial work. I used to be one of those people. Sure, I always worked hard, like I was taught by my earthly father; but I seldom enjoyed it. I always worked my way up to management. The work was still hard, but mostly mentally so, unless someone called in sick or the business was booming. At that point, I would have to jump in and get my hands dirty. I always liked working, but I never stopped to really appreciate my labor.

As you know, I am in solitary confinement. Today is my 82nd day. When you exhibit good behavior, you can volunteer to work. Of course, there is no pay involved at all. If you have a release date someday, you can earn one day per month off your sentence. I have three life sentences, so without winning my appeal, I will more than likely die in prison. Thus, good time is meaningless to me. Still, a week ago, I volunteered to come out and clean. Only three of us, out of fifty men, ever volunteer. Everyone else is either not allowed due to their behavior or they feel that cleaning showers and floors is beneath them. A wonderful thing happened while I was cleaning. I found joy, meaning and purpose in it. Praise God! It felt so good that I asked the guards if I could scrub the floors with a brush before I mopped. The floors were a mess. Often times, the men throw food, condiments, paper and even urine out of their doors. They do so out of anger and frustration. (more…)

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Mark

You Are Not Alone

Author: Randall Daluz October 17, 2015

gratisography.com/pictures/118_1.jpg Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Dear Readers, It is easy to feel lonely in this world. Some of us may go through times of despair when we feel no one cares about us. I have been there before; before I was saved. You get the feeling of being lost, and you feel down and out. That is the devil doing that to you. He wants us to feel disconnected from love. It makes it easier for him to lead us astray. I was put in solitary confinement the first time two years ago, but I was never alone. I had Jesus with me. Once they gave me a bible, I was all set. I had everything I needed. I had never in my life been so isolated from the physical world before. Yet spiritually, I had never felt better. [until recently] God is so awesome. Praise His Name! Hallelujah! In our darkest hours, on our coldest nights, no matter how great the adversity we face; Jesus is there with us. (more…)

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Psalms

The Meaning Of Life

Author: Randall Daluz October 10, 2015

gratisography.com/pictures/125_1.jpg John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Dear Readers, Greetings and salutations to you, my brothers and sisters. May the God of peace and love be ever present in your life. As always, my love and prayers are with you. Yesterday I was pondering the meaning of life. The Lord our God has revealed to me the meaning of life in this world and even the ultimate meaning in the next. It is no secret. He reveals it all to those who read scripture; those whom seek knowledge, meaning and wisdom. As I meditated, prayed and pondered the meaning of life and what it means to mankind, I could not help but realize how many people feel life is meaningless. There are many more who have been misdirected or misguided. Some pray to false gods. Others worship money, power and instant gratification in the form of sex, drugs, material luxury or even violence. They are driven only by lust. This is why our world is so sick. It is maddening to me because so few of us realize what the truth is.

I am currently surrounded by men who lack meaning. I pray to my Lord often to help me to help them. “Give me the strength, Lord.”, I pray. “Open their ears and soften their hearts, please, Father.”, I beg. Yea, though I know that more souls will be lost than gained, still I continue to do my best to lead people to the path of salvation. For that is my purpose; That is my meaning here on earth. (more…)

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John, Matthew, Romans

Why Me, God?

Author: Randall Daluz October 3, 2015

RyanMcGuirePhoto_cc0_145_1 I Peter 1:3-7 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,”

Dear Readers, How many times have you found yourself asking, “Why me, God?” Now, that question is a double-sided coin. You see, sometimes we ask that question out of gratitude and that is the only time we should. It’s okay to ask that question if we are doing so with praise. For instance, if we receive some wonderful blessing – of course, all blessings are wonderful – and we say “God, thank you Father; but why me, Lord? I am not worthy.” That’s proper. That is being humble. Now, on the flip side of that coin, there are the times when we face great trials and during those times we say, “God, why me? What did I do to You to deserve this?” When you put it in that context, you’re not being humble. You’re being haughty and prideful. When we feel that way, we need to ask ourselves, “Why not me?” (more…)

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1 Peter, Romans

Spread The Word!!!

Author: Randall Daluz September 26, 2015

pexels.com/photo/marketing-man-person-communication-362/ Dear Readers:

I Thessalonians 1:8 “For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.”

Greetings and blessings to you, my brothers and sisters. I pray that the Lord’s peace and prosperity are presiding over you. I send my love to each and every one of you. You are all in my prayers daily. I am overjoyed today because I have just realized that the site has been up for 13 months now. Praise God! As I ponder this, I am reminded of Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.'” and Psalm 67:2 “That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.” That is the mission that God has given to all of us. We must preach the gospel to the whole world. And, with this site, I and my brothers and sisters are doing just that. Hallelujah! I thank all of you and I ask you to join us in spreading the gospel. Tell everyone you meet about the Good News Gospel. Spread the word! You can even do so online by sharing this site with others or messaging and emailing scriptures. I try to incorporate the Good News into every conversation I have. Sometimes we do so just by our actions. When we walk upright, people can see the glory of God in us. (more…)

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1 Thessalonians, John, Mark, Psalms