Blogs by Peggy

I often precede a blog with the statement, "It's a good thing I'm not in a popularity contest because I'm not going to win many votes on this one!" And yet, my heart's desire is always to speak the truth, rather it is popular or not.

If you look up the word "tongues" in that verse, the word means "languages." They spoke different languages. It was not Peter's mouth alone that was touched — people of all nations had come to Jerusalem for the Passover. Peter spoke and the people of different nations heard the message in their native tongue or native language.

"Tongues" did not mean speaking in gibberish. It was an understandable message that brought many to the Lord.

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: Context, context, context. Keep Bible verses in context. Look at it like you would another book, knowing the Bible is our final authority.

Who is the author of Romans? It is Paul, formerly called Saul of Tarsus.

When was it written? Romans was written in about the year 57 or 53 AD near the end of Paul's third missionary journey.

To whom was it written? The church or non-believers? Paul wrote Romans in the Greek city of Corinth. It was written to the Christian church in Rome.

Keep it in context.

To my dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

This letter is not to the unbeliever who has no interest in our affairs. I am writing to the Church of Jesus Christ in America.

I do not have all the answers to life's problems. What I do have is a love for Jesus and God's people and a desire to obey His word. Therefore, I cannot remain silent.

I repented and surrendered my life and my will to God on January 1, 1980. In my walk with him, I have witnessed the erosion of the Church from the beginning. This is not a new concern as Paul and the apostles addressed this problem in great detail. This letter would be much too long if I were to include every reference.

CHRISTIANS, THE GOSPEL IS BEING ALTERED IN AMERICA. It's being whitewashed, watered down, diluted and perverted into something it is not. Christ did not die to this end. Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, died on a cross to take the sins of the world upon himself as payment in full for what we rightly deserved so that we can be forgiven and be restored to a personal relationship with the Father. There is no greater love than this.

Ever increasing are the number of preachers in America who compromise the Gospel to satisfy their own ambitions. Pride makes them seek large numbers of members. The mega churches are multiplying as people are drawn in by secular gimmicks to attract crowds. And beware, once these worldly methods of increasing attendance begin, they must continue to satisfy the congregation.

God warned us this would happen. It has become more widespread than ever in these last days. It is difficult to even find a church with a dedicated, bold preacher who will stand on the word of God without watering it down to please the crowd. Instead of the Gospel being preached, events become the emphasis. Members expect entertainment, accompanied by a "feel good" message instead of solid Gospel teaching. The messages lack conviction and hinder Believers from becoming spiritually mature. It is the duty of the shepherd to feed his sheep.

"If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing…." 1 Timothy 6:3-4(a) ESV

As Christians, if we are to be faithful to God and His word, we cannot ignore such a clear warning. We cannot rationalize nor tolerate false doctrine within the Church. There is always false doctrine in a church where the Gospel is being altered.

The Bible is explicitly clear on this issue which is critical to the preservation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The warnings are throughout the Old and New Testament. These are just some of the many verses that demand our attention:

"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." 2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV

"And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray." Matthew 24:11 ESV

"For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." Matthew 24:24 ESV

This warning is not subject to interpretation as some verses may be. The message is extremely clear. As devout followers of Christ, it is our obligation to protect the true Gospel by calling out false teachers.

ANY GOSPEL THAT IS NOT THE FULL GOSPEL, IS NOT THE GOSPEL AT ALL.

This is not "judging" others (unto condemnation). To the contrary, it is a matter of DISCERNMENT and WISDOM and BOLDNESS which we are instructed to possess and seek after as Believers in Christ. We are not called to be uninformed of God's word, to be meek and fearful of leadership, nor to please others at the cost of compromising the truth. It is entrusted to us to protect the Gospel and see that it is not distorted. This is the duty of every Christian.

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ." Colossians 2:8 ESV

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons," 1 Timothy 4:1

"Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them." Hosea 14:9 ESV

DISCERNMENT — "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." 1 John 4:1 ESV

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2 ESV

"But test everything; hold fast what is good." 1 Thessalonians 5:21 ESV

"And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment," Philippians 1:9 ESV

WISDOM — "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." James 1:5 ESV

"They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." Acts 17:11 ESV

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!" Psalm 111:10

"Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding," Proverbs 3:13

"The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight." Proverbs 4:7 ESV

BOLDNESS — "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 ESV

"Since we have such a hope, we are very bold," 2 Corinthians 3:12 ESV

I hear Christians say, "We're not supposed to judge. Judge and you will be judged." They are misunderstanding the difference between judging and discernment. They do not have the same meaning.

Who else judged false teachers? JESUS was our example as he called the false teachers of his time, the Pharisees, "a brood of vipers," and publicly called them "hypocrites." That's pretty bold! If you have a red letter Bible, you'll see that these BOLD words came from Jesus as he addressed these religious leaders:

"You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:34-37 ESV

Are we not to do the same? It may not make us popular, but that is not our aim. Our aim is to be obedient to Christ and preserve the Gospel which is this: We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone for God's glory alone.

Anything added to or taken away from this message is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is NOT: Christ + baptism, Christ + good works, Christ + tongues, Christ + church attendance, Christ + tithing, Christ + ministry. No, salvation is CHRIST ALONE.

Brothers and sisters, we must submit to the word of God if we are to call ourselves followers of Christ. The Bible is our final authority. It is God speaking to us and instructing us on how to live a life in the power of the Holy Spirit that is pleasing to Him and that glorifies Him. God's word is not for us to debate among ourselves. We cannot pick and choose what we will accept and what we will set aside. If we set aside particular verses, we set aside the entire Bible.

"For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough." 2 Corinthians 11:4 ESV

"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:8 ESV

Paul wrote, "let him be accursed." This is strong language! We have to pay attention to what's going on in the American Church and boldly condemn it.

AMERICAN CHRISTIANS, WAKE UP. Jesus is coming for his Church and we must be prepared. America was founded on Christianity. How, in these last days, can we abandon the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who has blessed our country with freedom and abundance?

"Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." 2 Timothy 4:2 ESV

"Command and teach these things." 1 Timothy 4:11 ESV

My dear brothers and sisters, I write this in love out of deep concern for what is happening in the Church. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, heed this warning!

Let there be unity among God's people.

Peace and grace be with you, — Peggy Knoth

Note: If you are interested in pursuing the truth, an excellent documentary that addresses what has happened to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, particularly in the United States, watch AMERICAN GOSPEL (available on Amazon, etc.).

In our younger days, being RELIGIOUS was obeying the Ten Commandments, because we were afraid God would punish us if we did not obey. It's mouthing words like, "Sure, I believe his son is Jesus, but I don't want to be criticized by my friends, so I'll keep my beliefs to myself."

We can be religious about anything... exercising, eating healthy after working out or the habit of returning to church and meetings after a relapse. We can even be religious about our addictions. It helps to understand what the word really means. Religion is not a bad word.

The word religion comes from the Latin word re-ligare. Ligare means "to bind" or to "connect". Adding the "re" before "ligare" causes the word to mean "re-bind" or "re-connect." We can re-connect to recovery or to our addictions, to good or poor healthcare.

On the other hand, being "spiritual" is having that personal relationship with Jesus... not knowing about him, but knowing him personally.

The reality is that we have sinned against a holy God. We have done things that truly deserve punishment. We were serving the enemy and were rebellious toward God. It is knowing that Jesus took the bullet for us. We want to obey God because we admitted and confessed we were a deplorable sinner, saved by grace alone, not because there was anything good in us or because we somehow deserved the right to be forgiven. We were doing life OUR way instead of surrendering to him and His will for OUR lives.

When we finally came to the end of ourselves and knew we had no will power, we let go of all that pride and arrogance to think that we knew best how to run our life. What we'd done was run our life into the ground.

Satan is a liar and a thief. He came to kill and destroy us. The last thing he wants is to see is that any of us be set free from sin, love and serve God, to have faith in Jesus Christ.

Street friends, I'm heartbroken that a homeless brother died this past week. Heroin didn't kill him... Satan did. And I'm furious that he had another victory. We call it drugs or heroin. But I call him for the liar he is... Satan.

He tried to destroy me too with smoking, drinking, popping, snorting and shooting. Not today Satan! I'm way over being quiet about this.

How can military troops win a war if they don't know who they're fighting? We have to know our enemy. And we have to know how to fight him. We put on the full armor of God.

During a war, we have to know the enemies plans and come against him with a greater plan. We will not allow fear to stop us from moving forward. We will be strong and courageous because we know the truth.

So we stand firm in our faith in God. We are not ashamed to say that Jesus is our Savior. We would be in prison, insane or dead if He had not saved us.

But God will not force us to love him. We try to fill that void in our lives with everything but Him.

We must own up to the mess we have made of our lives. God will turn our mess into a message... a message of hope for everyone who has no hope.

When we were drowning in sin and self-destruction, only God could have pulled us out of those deep waters.

If you hear a soft whisper in your ear (sometimes a shout!), saying, "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest," Jesus is calling you to salvation. He will make you into a new person, wash your sins away with His blood and give you wisdom, courage and strength to be more than a conqueror.

Surrender now for no one is promised tomorrow.

Sarasota has been called "The Meanest City in America" for 14 Years. Why is this true?

More than all previous attempts in the past, the City of Sarasota has been trying to force the homeless to leave Sarasota County. We have witnessed a number of things the City of Sarasota and the Board of County Commissioners have done to force the homeless to leave the area. We should not "starve them out."

NO AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Because of our current economy, there are people who are homeless because they could not afford to pay the inflated rental prices for an apartment or home in Sarasota or Bradenton.

We are well aware of the housing crisis that began during COVID. Landlords of low-income housing either sold their property when real estate boomed or they literally doubled the rent. So even if a homeless individual, couple or family receive a voucher for $800 per month to pay their rent the first year, they cannot find a landlord to accept that small amount of rent.

Many of the homeless did live on the sidewalk next to and behind The Salvation Army of Sarasota County (TSAS) located on Central Avenue and 9th Street. In years past, TSAS was very helpful to the homeless. However, we have seen them add, take away and change their criteria to help the homeless in major ways in connection with the will of City and County leadership.

NO FOOD

Until the summer of 2022, the homeless who are not in one of TSAS's recovery programs were provided a free bag lunch and were permitted to go into TSAS for a take-out dinner. Because this service was terminated, the homeless person's only source of food depends on the kindness of people who regularly stopped their car to provide food for them.

NO WATER

The Salvation Army formerly distributed water bottles to the homeless who lived on the sidewalk. They allowed them to come inside the locked gates and onto the back lanai where there was a water fountain. This service has been discontinued. There are no other public water fountains available. The only source of water, once again, is totally dependent upon the kindness of our community who drops off cases of bottled water. CMI always brings a case of water, and snacks when able, to the homeless during our weekly Bible study on the sidewalk.

NO MEDICAL TREATMENT

There are people too sick with mental and/or physical illness to go to missions that offer food to the homeless. They remain on the sidewalk day and night; or their black garbage bag of personal belongings is too heavy and cumbersome to carry and cannot be left behind.

BELONGINGS CONFISCATED

Most of the homeless in Sarasota do not have a suitcase because they would have to carry it with them everywhere. The city picks up things on the sidewalk that are unattended; therefore the homeless need to stay with their belongings at all times or they will be considered trash and disposed of.

NO BATHROOMS

Until last year, the homeless were permitted to use the bathrooms at TSAS. The service was discontinued.

NO SHOWERS

Until last year, the homeless were permitted to use the showers at TSAS. This service was discontinued.

NO CLOTHES

Due to the "No Parking, Stopping or Standing" signs on Central Ave. and 9th Street (around TSAS; described below), it is difficult or impossible for the community to drop off bags of clothes for the homeless.

NO LAUNDRY

Unless a homeless person packs up all their soiled clothes and blankets and takes them to a mission, they have no means to launder their clothes.

NO CELL PHONES

If a homeless person is fortunate to have a cell phone, there is no place to charge the phone. They cannot use the phone unless they are connected to a nearby wi-fi. Cell phones are easily lost but are most commonly stolen while they are sleeping.

NO BEDDING

Unless someone in the community "Stands" (engine running while in park) and drops off blankets, pillows, they lie on the bare concrete. If law enforcement sees the bedding, they often write the homeless person a warning or ticket for "Outdoor Lodging."

NO BENCHES

There is literally no place for a homeless person to sit except on the concrete sidewalk. They sit and sleep on the concrete, most often without a blanket or pillow.

NO PARKING, STOPPING OR STANDING SIGNS

Signs have been erected around TSAS to prevent the public who have compassion for the homeless and stop to feed them or deliver clothing, blankets, etc. There are quite a number of people we know who have already received written warnings or tickets for stopping their vehicle to help the homeless.

Most people who formerly dropped off food, water, clothes or other items to help the homeless have discontinued doing so for fear of receiving a ticket and having to pay a fine. The Board of County Commissioners approved the extension of an existing Ordinance which allowed the Parking Permit Department to place "No Parking" and "No Stopping or Standing" signs along the section of Central Avenue and 9th Street around TSAS.

Our county and city believe that the public helping the homeless is "ENABLING" them to remain homeless. Therefore, they have made it illegal, in a sense, to help the most broken people of our society.

NO SHELTER

Until recently, if a homeless person had $12, they could sleep at TSAS on a night by night basis as a guest. This service has been discontinued recently. They were awakened in the early morning hours, fed breakfast before those who are living there and are in a program, and sent back out on the street immediately after breakfast. They remained outside until the iron back gate was unlocked at 7 p.m. If they had another $12, they repeated the system.

Now, overnight guests are not permitted to sleep at TSAS even if they have $12. The only people permitted to sleep inside TSAS are those in an accepted work- or faith-based program. All other homeless individuals must sleep outside.

SARASOTA POLICE DEPARTMENT (SPD)

Many of the homeless were angry with SPD for enforcing the laws of The Twelfth Judicial Circuit. However, SPD must follow and enforce regulations as they receive them. If there is a law that states something is illegal, SPD officers must enforce them. Do not blame them for doing their job.

CMI has had many occasions to call 911 for assistance. SPD officers have always responded quickly and efficiently.

On one occasion, a homeless man engaged in an argument with an elderly homeless man. Things escalated until the larger, younger man pulled out a knife. Members of CMI Street Team asked him repeatedly to put away his knife and he would not. We called 911 and the matter was resolved.

CMI SEEKING RESOLUTION

Desiring to comply with the law, on April 13, 2023, CMI sent an email to the Operations Manager, Parking Permit Department at City Hall, Sarasota, requesting an exemption from the "No Stopping or Standing" signs. We sent a follow-up email a week later. To date, they have not replied.

SPECIAL NOTICE FROM CMI

The information contained in this blog is based on personal experience and is no way written to slander or malign the SPD, TSAS, Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness, our former mayor Kyle Battie, the Board of Sarasota County Commissioners, Erik J. Arroyo, the current District 3 Commissioner of the City of Sarasota or any other government or non-government agency. COAST Ministry, Inc., is a non-profit religious organization and does not represent Sarasota officials, nor does CMI intend to falsely represent any government agency.

© Copyright COAST Ministry, Inc.

Obviously, from the statement made below, this person does believe that God exists. You must believe something exists in order to not believe in it. Thus, there is no such thing as an atheist.

Q FROM A FEMALE CLIENT: Please explain "You must believe in something in order to not believe in it". That has me confused.

Are you a Reformed Christian? Do you believe that you are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to scripture alone and to the glory of God alone? Do you believe the Bible is our final authority? If you do not, none of this reply will make sense to you. If you do, you already know the answer!

#1. You see a chair with one leg broken. You pass it up and go to one that looks better to you without even pausing. In a flash, you'll think, "That chair won't hold up if I sit on it." You don't believe the chair is reliable or trustworthy. But you have to acknowledge that you saw the broken chair to believe it's safe and you can't trust it.

#2. You're test-driving a car at a Toyota dealership. You're not sure you like the car enough to buy it. Suddenly, you smell rubber burning. You might think, "Something's wrong with this car! I won't buy it, for sure!" You make the decision, "I won't buy it!" You don't know WHAT is wrong with it, but something isn't right. You move on to another car lot and test drive more cars. You can't deny that you were in a car that smelled bad but you don't buy it.

Now I'm the Christian — I've been saved 47 years and am still learning more about God every day.

Apply the same logic to God. We want to say we don't believe God exists. Unfortunately, human logic and thinking is limited. We can't fully understand the truth about God without the Holy Spirit teaching us truth. If we're not a born-again Christian we don't have the Holy Spirit living within us and we're incapable of understanding the truth about God, life, the Bible or any spiritual truth.

But God does exist and we all know it. The Bible says we're without excuse because God has shown himself in everything he created.

I hope this answers the question — Atheists do not exist.

Times are getting more and more difficult for everyone to survive. People are becoming desperate. Many who have never been homeless before, now find themselves without a home.

Housing, groceries, paper goods, toiletries, the prices of automobiles, gasoline, clothing, shoes, literally everything has gone up in price. Families with children, single parents and the elderly are especially feeling the crunch.

If you are wealthy, count it a blessing. Please read this article so you understand what others less fortunate than you are experiencing. Share your wealth with your local church first, and then give to the poor, the sick, hungry and to the homeless.

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." Romans 8:18 ESV

COST OF LIVING

RENTALS: Anyone renting has seen the rent nearly doubled in the recent past, beginning when COVID was at its peak.

"While many people continue moving to the area as outlined by the Sarasota Magazine guide on relocation trends, some residents are choosing to leave due to a rising cost of living, extreme weather risks, and heavy traffic congestion." — YouTube, Living in Sarasota (Jannette and Jeff Scholl)

Soaring Living Costs and Taxes: Higher expenses — Post-pandemic demand caused home prices, rent, property taxes, and utility bills to spike dramatically. Insurance spikes: Homeowners insurance rates in coastal Florida have skyrocketed, doubling or tripling for properties near flood zones or older structures. Fixed incomes: Many retirees on fixed budgets find the monthly cost of maintaining a home in Sarasota unsustainable.

Infrastructure and Overcrowding: Traffic gridlock — Rapid population growth has strained local roads, making I-75 and main thoroughfares heavily congested during peak seasons. Loss of quiet: Long-time residents report that the traditional "season" feels longer, turning previously quiet neighborhoods crowded and busy.

Climate and Environment: Extreme heat — Summers are long, intensely hot, and humid from late May through September, driving high air conditioning costs. Storm risks: The constant threat of hurricanes and severe coastal flooding worries homeowners, especially regarding safety and repair expenses.

Job Market Limitations: Lower local wages — The local economy leans heavily on tourism and service industries, offering fewer high-paying career options compared to major metro areas. Remote work shifts: Some remote workers who originally relocated to Sarasota during the pandemic have faced return-to-office mandates.

"Average rent in Sarasota County has increased by roughly 17.7% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic up to September 2026, though recent year-over-year trends show a cooling market with prices dropping over 4% from last year." — Sarasota Herald Tribune

While doing street ministry for the homeless, a woman I've known for years came to tell me that she lost her housing and is homeless once again. It's not just her, but her husband and adult daughter who is handicapped.

I met them a few years ago when all three were homeless. They finally were placed in low-income housing. Now the landlord sold the property without telling them until the last moment.

Meantime, until the sale is finalized, he nearly doubled the rent. It went from $1,500/mo. (remember, this is subsidized housing) to $2,700 in one month. No one could afford another $1,200 suddenly tacked on to their rent or mortgage. I could not. Could you?

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me." Matthew 25:35-36 ESV

HEALTH INSURANCE: Individuals, families and seniors pay high premiums for health insurance, yet the coverage is not sufficient, the networks are sparse, co-pays for specialists, procedures, surgeries and hospitalization are far above what the average person can afford. Americans are filing for bankruptcy because of medical expenses.

There is no easy answer to the housing problem. We cannot rely on our government to provide affordable housing. The bottom line is be grateful for whatever you have and know that the Lord will provide in his perfect timing.

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 ESV

"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all." Matthew 6:31-32 ESV

"The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." Psalm 34:10 ESV

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV