What About Today?

What About Today?

by David Brenneman 

"Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.”  Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.  Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.  But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin." 

James 4:13-17.

You probably woke up to some kind of expectation about this today you find yourself in. 

You might have thought your day was planned out.  Then this didn't go as planned or that fell into your lap.  A snowball effect begins.

You are in a race and while turning a corner stumble over something or someone else in your path.

How do you react?  

Dr. Charles Stanley's Life Principle #20 "Disappointments are inevitable, discouragement is a choice." 

This has been on my mind a lot lately.  

Robert Burns is quoted as saying  "The best laid plans of mice and men oft' go awry...and leave us nothing but grief and pain, for promised joy!".

Oh do I have plans.  Mostly my plans do not come close to my budget on time or possible materials.  Work often is in the way of many things. 

What do you do when life is now throwing curve balls?

Even in these kinds of emotionally charged and difficult times Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." comes to the forefront of the mind...or at least it should be the practice of our lives. 

Disappointments are inevitable, discouragement is a choice." 

We can choose our reactions to things that aren't going our way. 

This is at least partially what is meant by "take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus". 

This weekend is a good example.  Sure I had other plans.  Sure my plans were in place for over a year.  God's saying to let go of those plans because He had other things in mind.  

Time is, regardless of what the song says, is not on our side.  We do have a certain, specific, set amount of time on this Earth. 

Our wants and desires tend to be more pleasant when they align with the wants and desires that God has in mind for us.

We really do choose to be discouraged or not to be discouraged.  The choice has to do with selfish desires.  We see how the situation or circumstance affects us personally and we get upset about it rather than react as Christ Jesus would react. 

The goal, after we come to Christ for salvation, is that we learn how to live life in the character of Christ. 

We can live in fear of the days ahead or simply trust the One who was powerful enough to overcome sin, death and the grave.  We can focus on all that our eyes see and ears hear or our bodies relate to or....or...we can trust in the One in whom holds all our days.  

Jesus said rather clearly and without any kind of parable what our expectations should be about today and tomorrow. 

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?  And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,  yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!  Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’  For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:25-34.

So many people over compensate on preparing for tomorrow.  So many people who claim to be Christians are truly worrying about tomorrow rather than praying about tomorrow. 

Are you leaning into this yet?

Jesus has something in your today for you to accomplish. 

Jesus has something for you to be doing for Him in your here and now.

It may not look like anything you've seen before. It may not make sense for you for sure.  Steps of faith can happen at any point in time for the Believer in Christ Jesus.  When we take those steps our faith in Jesus grows and our reliance on self diminishes. 

So things aren't going your way? Trust in the Lord with all your heart. 

Things going really good today? Trust in the Lord with all your heart. 

Someone did you wrong?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. 

Something unexpected happened?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. 

Do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. 

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.   

The Judgment then, the Same Now

The Judgment then, the Same Now

by David Brenneman 

Having rejected Jesus as their Lord and Savior, upon dying, seals a person's eternity.  

Deeds are shown in the writings of the book of Revelation to the effect that nothing we could ever do would be enough to escape the Judgment of the Lake of Fire.  

To be maybe a little bit more clear...anything and everything you could try to do apart from salvation in Christ...will net you the same fate now.  The only reason people are in Hell is because of their steadfast rejection of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Nobody is there because of their deeds save the aforementioned rejection.  

The judgments are the same and for the same reason.  

Whether a person has exhibited the most heinous of atrocities or was the kindest of people to all they knew.  Their deeds done in their lives, all that they did, amount to nothing.  

In the book of Revelation we read: 

"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.  Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:11-15.

Did you see it? Did you catch that part?  Every one of them according to their deeds.  If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life...

My Dear Reader, you must choose to ask for this free gift of salvation.  It's the only significant deed done in your life that has eternal consequences.

You could have billions of dollars and be the greatest philanthropist who ever lived...without Christ as your Savior and Lord you will exit this world and enter into Hell. 

Seems sort of obvious but bears saying, you could be the most evil of people who ever lived and will wake up in torment in Hell. 

You could be an average person living today.  The kind that takes good care of family and friends. The kind that cares for people and animals. The kind that has a great heart of giving.  Without salvation in Christ Jesus alone...it's worthless. 

These kinds of people and every single type in between will be judged by Jesus and after every single thing of their lives is examined...if their names were not written in the book of life...you read what happened next.

Salvation in Christ Jesus is free.

Satan and the world would have everyone believe that it costs you everything you are.  That's the greatest deception in your life. 

The greatest lie ever told is the one that gets you in the end. 

Coming to Jesus for salvation is so simple that children can understand it.  Adults overthink it.  

"But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”" Romans 10:8-13.

Your deeds, your accumulation of accolades and accomplishments, your possessions kept or given away, good deeds, bad deeds, nothing apart from salvation in Christ Jesus will save you.  

Were anything else be possible to enter into Heaven, then the Father would have accepted it.  The only path to Heaven comes through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of calvary.  Jesus said of Himself that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Him. 

My Dear Reader be sure in this moment of your life...be sure that you are indeed saved!  

My eternal hope in writing these posts for the last 5 and a half years is for either people to return to Jesus or for people to find salvation  in Christ my Savior. 

Jesus says this:

"“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.  Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’" Matthew 7:21-23.

When you come to Christ for salvation you begin a new relationship with Jesus.  This is what He's talking about here.  People doing life apart from Jesus claiming to do this good work or that with no foundation in Christ.  No relationship with Jesus.  

That book of Life?  Your name can only be written in it by the testimony of the Spirit of God when you come to Christ for salvation.  You are permanently sealed in the Spirit...permanently a child of God...from that day forward. 

My Dear Reader...please choose life in Christ.  

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.  

Your Heart, Not Your Stomach

Your Heart, Not Your Stomach 

by David Brenneman 

"After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” Mark 7:14-23.

In and of ourselves our hearts cannot be trusted. Having the mind of Christ is what reigns in the heart.

Our sin nature is extremely devious. 

Our sin nature will lie to us, tell us things to make our walk with Jesus far more difficult. 

We can and do provoke it at times with those things we desire. Those things we listen to and watch can often fan its flame. 

Look at what Jesus just said and now look at what Paul said to Timothy. 

"But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these." 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

And further, the Apostle Peter. "Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts," 2 Peter 3:3.

King David had this to say: "Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land."

Reading that from King David you might also see echoes of what Paul would later write.

What fills your heart? Is it important to you to grow in Christ?

Is walking with Jesus with your whole heart important to you? 

Either Jesus is in the driver's seat or you are. Either we run the race set before us with the aim being the prize at the end in Christ or we aren't. 

The writer of Hebrews wrote concerning sins that easily entangle in Chapter 12 verse 1.

Paul wrote this to Timothy and all of us: "Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything." 2 Timothy 2:3-7.

Are our eyes focused on what's in front of us in any given moment or are we looking forward to our face-to-face with Jesus?

If what you've got going on in your life, those things and situations that you embrace so closely to your heart, were to be your last moments on the Earth would you be embarrassed by these before Jesus?  

Are you cultivating a relationship with Jesus or your desires?

Our desires are often sensory motivated. Way more than you think. Smells can trigger powerful emotions to drive you to either eat or be repulsed by eating. Sounds can drive you to potentially enjoyable activities or away from them. A touch can either bring comfort or anger. Hunger can actually blind us to further dangers ahead. HALT. If you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired...you are in danger of going headlong down a slippery slope to sinning.  

“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds." Jeremiah 17:9-10.

My Dear Reader, you must choose daily who is the object of worship in your life. You or Jesus. It actually didn't dawn on me until now that the passage I just copied was entirely one statement from Jesus. The quotes were already there.

Pray that your eyes would be opened as to what the Spirit is trying to get you to clear out of your heart. Take great care to watch your thoughts and feelings to see if you're going to glorify God or yourself. Paul said to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus.  

Would you recognize those attributes Jesus mentioned or Paul mentioned in your life? Would you recognize and understand what idolatry is? Would you recognize anything else that the Spirit says is sin?

If we can be satisfied with saying "Oh that's not that bad" rather than to ask the Spirit if it is first...we're in trouble. Our understand of what's good and acceptable absolutely are not what the Bible says is good and acceptable. If ours was as good and acceptable as we think then Jesus died needlessly.  

As the prophet Haggai wrote twice at the beginning of that book "Consider your ways!".

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6.

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.   

All or Part of You?

All or Part of You?

by David Brenneman 

"You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”?  But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." James 4:4-8.

"And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6.

"You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;  so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:14-17.

It's rather interesting all the all's in just these passages. The all in the first section is heavily implied.

Enjoying life is one thing, but to do so with no regard to our relationship with Jesus isn't right. 

Jesus isn't just a confidant that we call upon once in a while when life is troubling to us.  

Jesus does not want conjugal visits when we feel like it.

Jesus does not want part time visitations either. 

You don't see any of that with the teaching of the Disciples in the four Gospels.  

They were being taught HOW to carry their own cross.  They were told after the resurrection to teach these things to others that they learned from Jesus.  "Go therefore and make disciples...teaching them all that I commanded you...".

Honestly? Missing out on what this world offers isn't the end of the world. 

Many hem and haw over what they feel they must give up in order to follow Jesus with their whole heart.  Oh what they'll have to give up! Oh what they will have to get rid of! Oh how they will need to behave like!

Really?  We came to Christ Jesus for salvation, the free gift that is offered in His Name.  Jesus took upon Himself the punishment of us all upon Himself on that cross on that day over 2,000 years ago.

And we whine about our sacrifices in living life for Him?  We are not as careful as we should be about living a life in Christ as we ought to be. 

We try to sneak in aspects of the world into our lives, thinking it won't be a problem, won't be a hindrance. 

We do this and do not realize we've given the devil a foothold. 

I have unfortunately given the devil a foothold in my life and it's an often daily struggle. 

My Dear Reader, take this life in Christ seriously. Jesus wants a full devotion, a real relationship with you.  

Pray and ask God to reveal any idols or ways of the world that cause temptation in your life.

Pray for strength to withhold temptation or desire to fall into the ways of the world.

This world isn't your friend.

Ask Jesus how you need to be and go for it.

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.

Our Internal Interests and the World

Our Internal Interests and the World 

by David Brenneman 

"Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Philippians 2:1-8.

"What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." James 4:1-4.

What drives you? What really gets your motor running? What ambitions do you have? Indeed are there some areas of your life where you do indeed love this world more than you do your relationship with Jesus? To look at this world of Christians and non-Christian people it's incredibly sad and difficult to tell them apart at times. 

The only thing separating both groups is the grace of God through Jesus Christ.  

Jesus said that for those who wished to follow Jesus each would need to take up his own cross and follow Him. 

Does your life show you taking up your own cross? Would there be, as it were, enough evidence to prove this about you?

Do your own personal desires take precedence over those of others?

Do you have intentional daily times with Jesus, both in prayerful conversation as well as time in His Word?

Do you actually try to do your best to balance living for Jesus and living peaceably with the world?

Thinking that you'll do enough to please Him and not upset your relationship with the world?

There's a common phrase known as burning the candle at both ends.  

People don't think about the things that the Lord told Moses in the 10 Commandments as being relevant today. That those were for a much more uncivilized time. Guess they missed the facts.  

Fact is, Jesus Christ said He's the same, yesterday, today and forever. 

Fact is, Satan is a liar and the father of lies. 

Fact is, pride took down Adam and Eve, still takes down people today.  

Fact is, sins still happen today that happened 6,000 years ago.  

Fact is, we've come to Christ for salvation, to be cleansed, washed clean. To not walk in those ways anymore.

Fact is...if adultery, idolatry and all the others mentioned in the Old Testament weren't still relevant, the Apostles wouldn't have still been writing about them in the New Testament.

Our sin nature is very crafty. Very cunning. Certainly very deceitful. It's almost limited by our own imagination. 

To take up your own cross...I have mentioned this before that you really can't carry anything else. It's estimated that the cross Jesus had to carry weighed around 300 lbs. 

Movies like "Back to the Future" made the phrase "that's heavy" popular again from the 1960's.

The weight of one world was on His shoulders on His way to be crucified. To take up our own cross...consider that the two thieves were probably carrying theirs right behind Him or in front of Him. There was nothing else they could carry. 

On my best day, in my prime, I might be able to haul 250 lbs, dragging it across my back. There's absolutely nothing else crossing my mind when focusing on not falling down with that kind of load. The focus being getting to my destination. 

What's your destination? Are you trying to carry the weight of this world with you as well as your own cross? Are you living for Jesus with all that you are? Striving to please Him in all that you do?

Look, this isn't about setting up people for a guilt trip. It's about the reality of the cross. The reality of the life in Christ that He desires for us. The reality that until we are letting go of this world we're going to struggle with our attempts at balancing a life in Christ and this world. He says to love not the world nor the things of this world. 

Set your eyes on the prize. A runner sheds everything to be as fast as possible to win the prize. 

Look around your 'kingdom'.

Do you see the vestiges of things of this world that conflict with His Word? Maybe it's time for the Spiritual Edition of "Hoarders". Time to clean up and clean out.  

To make the room for the real Will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.

What Does Life Look Like?

What Does Life Look Like?

by David Brenneman 

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6.

"For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13.

"So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.  But you did not learn Christ in this way,  if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Ephesians 4:17-24.

In the life of a Believer things are supposed to be different.  We have much entrusted to us in Christ. 

Taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus through His Spirit.  

We are easily fooled by ourselves given the opportunity.  Our sin nature is slick, sly, deceiving in ways we really cannot fathom.  To trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight...takes a commitment!

We are easily swayed by what sounds good, what looks appealing, what feels good.  Our enemy prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour by way of these things. 

We read between the lines of the four Gospels and we see a commitment that's more than being a fan of Jesus Christ.  

A fan does not pursue what the Disciples pursued.  A fan doesn't do what they did. 

The Disciples wanted what their Master wanted of them and for them. They committed themselves to the Lord. To His teaching.  To allow their lives to be changed by His perfect influence and direction. 

Did you skim over the opening passages?  Go back and read them again.  They're talking about you. 

If indeed Romans 10 is true of you, that is: "But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.  For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;  for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?  How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”" Romans 10:8-15.

Last week I was prompted by the Spirit to look at all the terminology in the book of 2 Chronicles that I had already been reading in to find all the descriptions of the state of the hearts of the Kings of Judah and Israel.  It further cemented what it says in the Bible that it is He who searches the hearts. 

He searches your heart all the time. Every single second of every single day.  Every single thought you have every single time you had one and are having one. 

He knows you intimately. David wrote of that in the book of Psalms. 

My thoughts, ideas, dreams, are useless outside of the will of God for me in Christ Jesus. 

Yours are as well for you.  We only THINK we know what we want. We don't see the dangers toils and snares of this world. Some we have added to our lives are choking out the full work of the Spirit of God and we can't see it nor understand why we aren't as effective as we could be for Jesus. 

The sin nature we struggle with is a disaster waiting for the opportunity to happen.  We don't realize the poison it brings to a life in Christ.  

We don't look for idolatry in our lives because of what it would mean to remove it.

We don't look for self-deception because we would have to face the fact that we were fooled.

We don't look for roots of bitterness or anger because we want to feel justified by our great thoughts concerning ourselves and others. That we know enough to make an informed decision about our views on ourselves and others. 

We don't really look for the plans that He has for us because we really didn't think to ask in faith in praying. 

When you look at your yesterday do you see His will being done in your life or was it yours?

Did you get dressed with the thought that He has something for you to be doing for Him today?

Did you not spend time with Jesus because you made something else more important than that?

Stop and pray for your eyes to be opened about the condition of your heart. Pray that Jesus would have all of you. Not the just the parts that you have been thinking He wants. 

He is searching your heart right now. This second. And this second. And the next.

You may have come to Christ for salvation, but are you committed to living that out?  

From personal experience I can very easily say that I could never fathom the great things that He has had in store for my life in Christ. 

I only THOUGHT I understood what I wanted.  I had to let go of these things to find my purpose under Heaven that He has for me. 

My prayer for you is to live the Christian life in the way that most honors God and not you.  It may take some embarrassing things to get back to Jesus and His plans for you but it's worth it.

For those who read this, this far, and aren't saved yet. Are you done with the struggle yet?  Trying to figure out life and are tired of a life without meaning or purpose?  Jesus is at the door of your heart knocking.  Waiting for you to open up and let Him in.

He already knows everything about you...and loves you anyway. He knew everything you would say or do and still died on the cross for you anyway. He arose 3 days later to be Christ and King to make the way possible for you to be saved. 

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.

The World vs Truth

The World vs Truth 

by David Brenneman 

"Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.  But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.  This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.  And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."  James 3:13-18.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.  But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.  To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.  A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”  This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.

So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.  All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.  I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.  He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.  For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” John 10:1-18.

"Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.  Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word.  You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.  But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” John 8:42-47

The tools of Satan, the minions of Satan are all around you and I. They are coming into our homes, our workplaces, our entertainment, our hobbies, our every single aspect of our lives. 

The only power that can fight these influences is the power of Christ Jesus through His finished work on the cross.  

It's easy to go with the flow of this world.  It's easy to allow things into your life that do nothing to grow you in the wisdom of God in Christ Jesus for you.  

You will find fake wisdom easily. You will find fake joy.

You will find fake success. 

You will find a counterfeit to every single good, perfect and wholesome thing from above.  These worldly desires will be twisted perverse things and ways that are just enough to keep you from the truth of God for you. 

Many times it will only be after you find yourself in a bind will you see how foolish the ways of the world really are.

Jesus said in that passage that His sheep hear His voice. Do you listen for it?  His voice that is. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.  When sheep hear their own shepherd's voice they run to him.  When Jesus speaks to you, do you run to Him?

We can be oh so easily fooled by ourselves and others.  Our sin nature isn't going to work together for good with us. 

We can be so good at bitterness and anger that we look like professionals.  Justification is something we inherited from Adam and Eve. 

The world draws you away from the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 

The world will never ever be overt in this.  Subtlety is in the ways of Satan.  Believe it or not, so is patience.  As someone once said "know your enemy".  Satan gets credit for much that we ourselves do. Our sin nature, in all reality, just needs encouragement to do that which offends our Holy God.  

The world has no lack of know-it-all people.  Within the Church and outside of it.  

You are responsible for you.  You who claim the name of Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord are going to give an account of your life before Jesus Himself.  He's not going to play 20 questions. He has nothing to need to ask of you.  

All your heart is laid bare before Jesus. All your life is an open book to Him. Every single thought and intendion.  Every single action and inaction you're doing or ever considered.  

Actually this is the same for those who are saved and those who have denied Christ Jesus and are now in Hell.  The same goes for those who have not yet chosen the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. 

The difference is the Spirit of God within the Believer.  

Without the Spirit who only comes by way of acknowledging the need for salvation, repenting of our sins, and turning to the living hope found only in Christ, there is no hope of escape from the tormenting fires of Hell.

The world cares not that you go to Hell or not.  The world wants you to stop living for Jesus.  The world wants you to stop believing in God. The world wants to silence Believers everywhere. 

And the world wants your help in doing this. 

It takes commitment to live life in Christ Jesus.  It takes seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness. It takes asking for God's wisdom rather than accepting the world's attempts at wisdom.

As you look at your life, are you saved?  Is Jesus Christ your Savior and Lord?  If not, why not? What's holding you back?  Please don't be fooled by this world any longer. 

Every good and perfect thing truly comes from above.  

"But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,  that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.  For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;  for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?  How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” Romans 10:8-15.

Until your death there's the chance for you to find the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ alone.  

Jesus IS the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Him. 

Tired of the lies?

Tired of the empty philosophies?

Tired of the world?

Jesus is waiting...just for you. 

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.