Each of Us is Special in His Eyes, Loved as We Are

Each of Us is Special in His Eyes, Loved as We Are 

by David Brenneman 

"The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" Exodus 4:11.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5.

"For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You." Psalms 139:13-18.

"As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him." John 9:1-3.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:10.

My life might be personified in these passages by way of defining what my life has been and quite literally what it was defined to be. A life in Christ because of Christ and for Christ. Unique in its inception throughout its days and culminating in that day that I stand before Jesus to give an account of my life before Him.  

I was born with both visible and invisible birth defects. No one, not my parentage, not my genes, not anything of this world is at fault for the conditions under which I find myself living.  

The Scriptures that we shared this morning I likely will use at some of the opening portions of my book..

because they're about me.  

They might just be about you too.

How you are, why you are is wrapped up in the life you were given to live in this here this now in human history for Jesus's plan and purpose to reach the lost among you in a way that you, my Dear Reader, were uniquely made for.

You weren't made in any way, shape, or form, a mistake. 

You are beloved of God in Christ Jesus. He loved you so much, loves you so much, that He came and lived a sinless life then after being cruelly mistreated died on a cross to rise again 3 days later to grant you eternal life in His Name. 

Not a day has gone by that you have ever been forgotten by Jesus. 

The same wonderful Scriptures say that our names are written on the palms of His hands. The very thoughts of us are ever before Him. 

Perhaps, and I know that I was lead to bring this up before now and must say it again, the worst thing taught in schools is our comparison of ourselves to others.  

It should never cross our minds to compare ourselves to others in Christ. We and they are at different places in our growth in Christ. We have differing gifts as the Spirit saw fit to bestow upon us. We are at different places in our walk with Jesus. We are to support and uplift each other in Christ...but we are not all the same in Christ. 

You are not defective. 

You are not defined by the world. 

You are not the sum of your past mistakes. 

Just because you aren't like others that in no way diminishes your life in the eyes of your Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. 

The truth is Satan's schemes include berating, belittling, harassing, and in every other way, your value in your eyes. 

Read that last sentence again. 

Your value in your eyes. As long as we allow him to get us to devalue ourselves we won't try to accomplish that which is ours to do in Christ Jesus. There's your reason as to why others and perhaps your views of you are what they are. 

Speak truth to all that is against what the Bible says you are in Christ. I went through DECADES of being immersed in Satan's negative attacks upon my heart and mind to the point that in 1999 he tried to push me to the brink of committing suicide. But in that moment, my Savior Jesus Christ, said enough was enough and reached down and pulled me out of that abyss. He showed me that my ways weren't working and that my life had to be unconditionally His...not just part of me. 

When He set me back on solid ground He healed me of the wounds that were inflicted upon me. He did it. I regret nothing of turning my whole life over to Jesus. He's been my assurance that I am loved by Him. My Dear Reader He wants to do the same in you.

We lose nothing that wasn't worth losing by coming wholeheartedly to Jesus to be His. I don't miss anything that His Spirit had lead me to give up. His grace and mercy every day are a wonderful sight to see and experience.  

Throughout these unemployed months He's kept me from the fears that grip most during such a storm. He is in full control of this storm. He takes away my fears and has replaced them with a peace that passes all understanding. Just as He said He would. 

You have nothing to condemn yourself in the way you were born. Many a vibrant Christian person have physical affirmaties that live fully vibrant lives in Christ unlike any others.  

I am half blind in one eye. Need glasses to compensate as well as to correct the vision I do have. I am not without joint pains now and again. I have unique food allergies. I have a metabolism that isn't normal. Yet I am exactly who Jesus made me to be to accomplish His work for me in this point in human history for His plan and purpose.  

My hope and prayer is that you too might see that you are loved in Christ in a way that surpasses your understanding. We will spend eternity and never fully grasp how much Jesus loves us. 

Don't look down on your condition. 

Ask Jesus to still use you as He desires and give Him the glory great things He has done and will do in your life. 

Ask Him to use you and show the fruit of His love to you in the lives that you are here to touch. 

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. 

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org

Finding Your Secret Place

Finding Your Secret Place 

by David Brenneman 

“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you." Matthew 6:5-6.

"O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You." Psalms 139:1-18.

Where do you go to be alone with your Savior and Lord Jesus Christ?

Do you have such a place? You should. A place where you're comfortable and free to open up your heart and mind and soul to whom you gave your life to.

Mine is an ever improving room where I can do most of my thinking. It's in pretty much the center of our home from all directions. We live on a pretty quiet street. So there's times when napping in here is easy to do. 

I write to you this morning from this very room. I have my coffee and have read my Bible and morning devotionals. Then I wait on God to know what it is that God's wanting for me to write to all of you.  

We all do need a special place to read and pray. To be able to pour out our hearts to whom can and will make our paths straight when we trust in Him with all our hearts and minds and aren't leaning on our own understanding.

To some who used to be in my life, what choices that I have made they don't understand. They have allowed other emotions and their ideas dismiss what was obviously a choice to listen to God. You can't just rush into things if you don't know who you're supposed to be listening to. In regards to our quiet place we begin to know the voice of truth. The voice whom speaks throughout our day. Our days and nights aren't our own after we come to Christ. There are those in the professing Church who aren't fully grasping that truth. We're to be listening for the teachings and the directions to follow that the Spirit is saying to us. Whether or not it makes sense in the moment.  

We need our time-out place. We need to be refreshed. We need to be undisturbed in our one-on-one time with Jesus.  

Many of the Psalms speak to David's times where it was just him and the Lord. Psalms 23 shows us much in what kind of personal interests the Lord has in each of us. 

You are in a personal relationship with Jesus. Not an isolated work relationship. Not a standoffish relationship. Not a casual relationship. A personal relationship. An intimate relationship.  

You are to treat your relationship with Jesus as your highest priority. 

More than your wants and desires, more than your dreams. More than the worldly successes you aim to achieve.

It begins with your being intentional about your relationship with Jesus.

Personally I wish I had done more at the very beginning of my walk with Jesus to cultivate a personal relationship than what happened. Perhaps much of the disasters of my life wouldn't have happened. Perhaps my reactions to temptations would have been different.  

I, like you, can't don a time machine and go back to set things right. We can, however, choose how to do better going forward.

Just realize my Dear Reader that there is going to be people who won't get your relationship with Jesus. But that's not a thing to consider as a problem. We are to share our experience with Jesus with others. Let them see that we've been with Jesus. Show them that still better way.

My choice to listen to the Spirit in the middle of last year cost me. It impacted my family. But I wouldn't change a thing about going through with it.  

We've seen our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ provide in fully unexpected ways. We've seen people be the hands and feet of Jesus.  

We've grown in our faith because of our perceived adversities. We got to this place because of our personal relationship with Jesus.  

We arrived here in this time and place in our lives because we do take time to be alone with Jesus.

Others outside of our circumstances are praising God for what they see Him doing in our lives. It begins with a right relationship with Jesus. God will never bless a disobedient child of God. We do reap what we sow, more than we sow and much later than we sow. We should always be sowing a deeper relationship with Jesus. Making the most of our time for the days indeed are evil. 

"Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5:15-17.

So my Dear Reader take time to be alone with Jesus. It isn't always that we're to speak when we do.

"In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." Romans 8:26-27.

"The Helper sees the depths of your difficulties. He translates your feelings more accurately than you could articulate them yourself. And He comforts you with the knowledge that He understands what you need." - from the In Touch Ministries desktop daily calendar. 

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. 

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org

Your Story is Important

Your Story is Important 

by David Brenneman 

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14.

We are mostly either prone to over think our own importance or under think our own importance. Some of the rest are likely there in the middle. 

Yet in Christ, we have become His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them. You are a work in progress in the Lord if you've indeed come to Him for salvation. 

You are among the cherished in the eyes of God. Our prayers are so quickly listened to by our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ that He often answers before we are through. 

Our story isn't to be kept to ourselves. We were born exactly where, exactly when, and exactly at the moment where our story will do the most good for the kingdom of God. 

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5.

"And now says the Lord, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the Lord, And My God is My strength)," Isaiah 49:5.

"For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." Romans 8:29-30.

"The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" Exodus 4:11.

"For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You." Psalms 139:13-18.

"but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9.

As we have read, we too must come to understand, that we are just as unique a son or daughter of God as Jesus is described as in that most famous passage John 3:16. Some translations say Only Son of God, some say unique Son of God.  

Jesus was and is unique. Different. Born at just the right time. Dying at just the right time. 

"For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6.

When Christ was born it was at exactly the right time and place in human history. Exactly when His story would do the most good for the Father’s plan to come to fruition. Both at the moment that it happened and all throughout the rest of history. 

You too aren't meant to be silent about God's work in your life. You both have a wonderful story to tell of the faithfulness of God in your life but also an audience that is ripe to hear it.

I do struggle at times with the magnitude of that revelation. With the goal set before me to write a book of the memorial stones part of me thinks on all the countless other books from others that exist. If I let it, it's discouraging. But I shouldn't let it. Our life experiences are ours, and the gracious answers to prayer are ours to tell. To give others a future and a hope...but if we keep silent...they will gain neither. 

Others in your world in your time in your place...need to hear the voice of God in you that's the result of a life lived trusting in Jesus.

Don't give up on your living all-in for Jesus. Don't remain silent when the opportunity presents itself by the Spirit’s direction. You indeed may lose friends and family at times but it's still for us to represent Jesus to those in our world. 

You may endure things that you don't understand. That's perfectly fine. Job, Daniel, Ezekiel, John, Joseph, Joshua, Peter, Paul...we're in great company with those who endured things that they didn't understand why they were going through them.

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. Run the race set before you. Lean not on your own understanding. Perseverance with all the saints in Christ Jesus. 

Pray before speaking, pray while speaking, pray after speaking. The thing is to let the Lord Jesus Christ be seen in and through you to the glory of God the Father. 

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." Colossians 3:17.

As long as you know that you know that you know what you are saying and what you are doing is exactly what Jesus has for you to be saying and doing, press on. Keep going. Don't let up. 

Your unique story is for you to tell for such a time as this. 

There are NO unimportant parts of the body of Christ. There are NO members of the body of Christ that don't have a purpose in Christ. The Spirit places you in the body of Christ as He saw fit. Glorify God in your body.  

Pray on, Pray over, Pray through. 

Let your world know of the great things that God has done for you and through you.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. 

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org 

What Great Things He Has Done

What Great Things He Has Done 

by David Brenneman 

"Call on Me in a day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me." Psalm 50:16

      Did you know that you bring glory to God by calling upon Him when you are in distress? God promised He would deliver you if you turned to Him. You deny the Lord honor that is rightfully His every time you find yourself in difficulty and you fail to call upon Him for help! There may be times when God allows you to reach a point of need so that you can call upon Him, and thus let Him demonstrate to a watching world the difference He makes in the lives of His children. If God never allowed you to experience need, people around you might never have the opportunity to witness God's provision in the life of a Christian. If you never faced a shortfall, you might be tempted to feel self-sufficient and without any need of God in your daily life.

      Pride will tempt you to think that you do not need to seek God's assistance. Self-regard will seek to convince you that you can handle your dilemma through your own wisdom, resources and hard work, Pride will also rob glory from God and seek to give it to you. Don't allow your pride to take what rightfully belongs to the Lord. Call upon your Lord and wait exclusively upon Him to rescue you. Then give Him the glory that He deserves.

      Self-sufficiency can greatly hinder your ability to experience God and bring Him honor. The next time you are in distress, turn to Him!

-Experiencing God Day-by-Day, Blackaby and Blackaby. 

"I got this" is an oftentimes used thought or phrase used by all of us at some point in our lives about something that we're going through. 

We likewise push the notion of "pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps" as the saying used to be. 

We think it's on us to do everything we can THEN go to God after those things are exhausted. 

Much of what we're going through, if not all of it, is to showcase the power of God in Christ Jesus in our lives towards ourselves and the people in our lives albeit the saved and the as yet unsaved. 

The entire world at large at the time was impacted by Moses and Aaron going to Pharaoh to get him to let the people of God go out from among the Egyptians. It wasn't just to rescue the children of Israel, it wasn't just to punish Pharaoh and his followers, it was showing the world that there is a God in Israel that they too should take serious notice of.

What we do or don't do in accordance with the life we are to live in Christ impacts not just ourselves but those in and around our life. We are to do whatever we're called to do as unto the Lord. We're to live our lives in Christ in such a way that people see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven.  

When we do as they wrote in the devotional, we are the ones who might get the glory, not God, certainly not Jesus. 

We were taught how to pray, and what is important to pray for and about. We were told in advance that only through various trials and tribulations that we would enter into Heaven. It is the life we're given to live that is to showcase Christ both to ourselves as well as the world. 

We are also very good liars unto ourselves. We like to convince ourselves that we're not concerned or anxious or worried by the plans we make in the moment.

Yet we are. 

I have never met anyone who, when it comes down to it, has ever been truly ok with facing the unknowns of the future without Christ leading the way.   

We want someone more knowledgeable than us leading the way let alone making the hard decisions for us. There's levels of accountability that we want no part of...if we're truly being honest. 

Yet right there before us is Jesus, just waiting for us to call on Him in our day of trouble, ready to save.

Much of the last 9 months has been wondering when this employment gap is going to end. Yet in it all my goal has been to persevere in staying committed to my times with Jesus. Both in the morning and evening. I am eternally grateful for His abundant provision of food for my Wife and I as well as our cats. He keeps providing, through various ways, the funds needed to pay our bills and mortgage. We, as well as others, continue to pray for the new job that He has for me.  

Through my continued time both in His Word, various devotional readings, prayer and counsel with others I know that I will only be able to go through the door of the place He wants me working at.

Until He hands me the keys to a particular door of opportunity I won't be going in.

How I react to this as well as everything else is supposed to be a testament of His work in our lives. Of what He has done and is doing because He is our living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

I know full well that I certainly am not to just do nothing until He provides my new job. Each day He has things for me to do, has places for me to check for new jobs. Regardless of how big or small, engaging or mundane, I am to do everything as unto the Lord. Truth be known I have never had an earthly employer. While there's been several companies that I have worked for, my work has always been done as if I were working for my Savior Jesus Christ. Colossians 3:22-24. 

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." Colossians 3:23-24.

How I handle life is supposed to be as though Jesus were right there with me...because He is!

How I show others how I react to life is showing them how real I take being a fully devoted follower of Jesus.  

I don't always get it right but that is my aim in life.  

I am not reacting the same way today that I would have 10 years ago. A testimony to the work of God in me. 

Jesus said through Paul "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7.

We are on display for all the world to see in how we live our lives in Christ. 

We do have Godly responsibilities in meeting certain needs but we also have to be sure we aren't overstepping by trying to do what we need God to be doing. We are indeed to be praying, but before we act we should be sure we're supposed to.  

As the great hymn says "To God be the glory great things He has done, so love He the world that He gave us His Son. Who yielded His life an atonement for sin. And opened the lifegate that all may come in! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the Earth hear His voice. Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice! Oh come to the Father through Jesus the Son and Give Him the glory great things He has done!"

Let your light shine in such a way that people see your good works, that is your life, that they glorify your Father in Heaven.

He has never failed us yet and never will. Do what's yours to be doing but be mindful of what's your Savior's to be doing in your life. 

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. 

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org

Shields Up! Incoming!

Shields Up! Incoming!

by David Brenneman 

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints," Ephesians 6:12-18.

Have you ever wondered what these were: "the flaming arrows of the evil one"?

These are the lies spoken, the loud verbiage as well as the softly uttered.  

Those things that are meant to dissuade you from following through with anything that the Spirit is teaching you about obedience in.

You are going to hear them and sometimes they sound just like your supposed conscious. They aren't words of encouragement, they aren't uplifting. They aren't going to direct you to stay in step with Jesus. They'll try to convince you to back off, back down, to give up, to take the easier road. The road that 'everyone else' is traveling and that is what 'success' looks like. 

Flaming arrows, by the physical definition, hurt. They're obviously doubly painful. Both in the point of contact as well as the flame they carry to cause collateral damage. 

Spiritually flaming arrows are meant to be doubly damaging to a mind and heart.

Left to our own understanding we will try to figure things out and actually avoid asking God for help or for clarity. 

We sometimes do get into a storm and just don't consider it bad enough to ask for God's help in getting through it. 

We don't see the true danger of what the little flaming arrows are doing to us.

A very poignant example is how altering the very head of a mighty river WILL change its course down the way. A few stones of what seems to be something insignificant will change it long after they're planted. 

If we let the lies persist without going to God for help in dealing with them we'll soon discover an insensitivity to them and an absent minded acceptance of them either in whole or in part.

The shield of faith isn't a partial shield. It's about as big as what you can see if you Google 'riot shield'. Interestingly enough one of those is meant to physically stop similar things. The big and small things aimed at Police Officers in very harrowing situations. 

We are prone to be self-sufficient in living life. We're prone to thinking we are capable to deal with this life. Truth is we need the whole armor of God at all times, throughout the whole day. 

It's not an option. It's not up for debate. 

Lies both small and large await us every step of the way in life. By being in step with Jesus, by being in the Word daily, by being in communication in prayer, we're keeping that armor of God on and in place. 

The lies of the serpent weren't all that impressive yet they were effective in leading Adam and Eve to sin. What troubles Job brought upon himself by not considering asking God vs his own self assessment of his struggles caused some rather strong rebukes from the Lord Jesus. When considering battles of the spiritual forces an obvious one is the short life of Judas Iscariot. At no time did he really question the lies of Satan. He very much was convinced in his own mind that his actions weren't bad. Not until he finally saw what was absolutely going to happen to Jesus and even then all he had was remorse and not repentance.  

Peter's own understanding had him dropping the shield of faith and he betrayed Jesus. Later Jesus showed him how to pick it up again to continue on. 

My Dear Reader we are in good company, for the most part, in living life without considering what we should about living it in light of the whole armor of God. 

My mind is most often prone to wander when I don't feel like there's any danger. When I am at ease. Then little arrows start to come and I don't see them for what they are. 

All storms don't just turn on at full power. They start from a few drops and move on up into the heavy rains we experience. 

We can't afford to go through life, through all that we are being LEAD through (Psalms 23) without realizing the spiritual implications of our daily life. We need to realize that there's nobody exempt from these flaming arrows of spiritual warfare. We see lives changing in an instant from infancy to old age because of the lies of Satan. 

But the truth of God says that He has overcome. That we can be victorious in Christ because of this whole armor of God. We will indeed be facing various trials and tribulations and are to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world. Jesus faced every type and kind of flaming arrow Satan could come up with and defeated every single one. 

We are only alone in this war when we choose to be ignorant of it and try to deal with it ourselves. Inevitably we learn the hard way, every...single...time.

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.  

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit. 

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. 

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:1-3.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. 

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org

Bringing Out the Best and Whatever is Ours to be Doing

Bringing Out the Best and Whatever is Ours to be Doing 

by David Brenneman 

"The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests hearts." Proverbs 17:3.

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:8-9.

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13.

"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14.

It was an interesting devotional, actually several, this morning.  

One had to do with having too much on their plate to be doing, even though those were considered 'good' things to be doing they weren't a part of the goal for them in Christ Jesus. I can relate to what the writer of the devotional was saying in that they can be a part of many good things yet feel worn out for lack of accomplishing much. 

Part of the first passage talks about the refining pot. The testing of our hearts by the Lord.  

Not everything we are presented with in regards to ideas, food, activities, thoughts, are ours to pursue.  

Rightly put is that statement that we don't have to attend every argument we're invited to. Such is the same about all those other areas I just mentioned, from food, to thoughts to activities. 

We have a goal in this life and it's that upward call for each of us in Christ Jesus. 

We sure will have other thoughts and actions, dreams even, ever before us that all will look great on paper but the reality is far from the truth. We get overwhelmed and as someone once said "we have too many irons in the fire".

We, like toddlers, think nothing of the true mental, physical and emotional energies required to do all that crosses our minds. Some of those things probably have considerable merit. Probably are great for ourselves and others. Problem is: they weren't meant to be for us and maybe for others if we're not trying to achieve that upward call in Christ. 

We can't keep up n will eventually collapse from the weight of trying. 

Listening to the Spirit is part and parcel with walking with the Spirit. 

I know that I have done the following and I am convinced most all of you have had a similar experience or conversation with God.

As I am pretty much collapsed in a heap, I try to speak up after failure after failure "But God! I'm doing what you wanted me to do!" And at last the response is "Really? Who told you?" What I thought was right, good and true to be doing wasn't for me to be doing or even pursuing. 

Leaning into previous posts, we were placed in the body of Christ as the Spirit saw fit. He has assigned us our goal in Christ.  

It was on us to create something for us to be doing based on our talents and abilities.

Regardless of what most of the business world tries to teach us to believe, not everyone is meant to be a leader. Not everyone is meant to keep on accepting promotions. Not everyone is meant to be more than God made them to be because what He made them to be was always already enough in Christ. 

I have aspirations but in my walk with Jesus He's shown me enough that those things, those thoughts and actions, will not work with His Father’s plans for myself and this world.  

I have an inventor's mind. I have a creative mind for writing although I struggle with word placement for a flowing story. I can be creative in building things, with merging other thoughts and things together to create or recreate things or ideas. 

But that's not my upward call in Christ Jesus. It's writing in such a way in these posts to point people to Jesus for the first time or to show them how to return to Jesus or how to look at life through their own true upward call in Christ.  

We have a spiritually assigned goal for each of us. What it is for me is different for you. While we get fed from the same source, the Spirit of God, what He is after us to be doing will be different.

But in everything He's about teaching us obedience and trusting in Jesus and not of ourselves lest any of us should or could boast. 

Our lives are still being lived in order to point people to Jesus, get them pointed in the right direction back to Jesus, and for ourselves to grow in Christ to be more like Jesus. 

That refining pot is to get rid of impurities. To bring about God's best in each of us who are in Christ. Life might not look like what we expect it to when we are pursuing that upward call in Christ but it IS for us to pursue. 

Stop and ask the Spirit what is it you're to be doing...is it really what you have been doing or is it something else?

What's been funny to me is how much of and how many of my thoughts have been refined, slowed down, or simply I have been shown they weren't that important in the last 9 months.  

As the writer of that devotional said, while yes I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me...my priority is that upward call for me in Christ Jesus. When we try to focus on every 'good' thing we wear ourselves out and really don't accomplish much. 

What I think is a great idea just might be for me to pass along to someone else in Christ that it IS for THEM to be doing.

As I close this post out...consider this: bloom where you're planted. Be who YOU were meant to be in Christ. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. 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. 

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

"Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary." Isaiah 40:31.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. 

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org

Ordinary But Not

Ordinary But Not 

by David Brenneman 

We can easily think that we're not all that important in the scheme of things in the body of Christ. That our particular body part that we are isn't as crucial as others we know in Christ.  

My Dear Reader, if we accept that we were known before we were even born, if we accept that our lives even today are under His watchful eye and care, then we do have an important roll in this exact day and age in the present Church of Jesus Christ.  

We do have the opportunity to be a meaningful contributor to God's plan for His Church until He returns. 

In reading what Paul was saying in his letter to the Corinthian church...we need to take much of it to heart with regards to our own part in His plans.  

Quite often people in the professing Church don't do what they're called to be doing for whatever reason. Beit they don't think much of what the calling is or they don't want to do it or some other excuse. Then it falls upon others to fill the gap to keep order in the body of Christ. 

There's those as well who are intentionally doing what they want to be doing in the Lord only they weren't call for that purpose. 

While what we do might not be wholly visible to others, only known unto Jesus...that's ok.  

The call to all in Christ Jesus is to be obedient in our calling. Just do what you're called to be doing to the best of your ability. Scripture says that he who knows the right thing to do and does not do it sins.

Therein we have the caution of thinking too highly of ourselves. We shouldn't look at what we're called to be doing for the recognition that might follow. The only place where recognition should be sought is when we stand before Jesus to give an account of our lives. 

We are to trust and obey. Even if others don't get it or understand it.

Think of the plight of Ananias. Had he decided to stop and be concerned about what other's thought of this calling placed upon him to go to this Saul of Tarsus he probably wouldn't have gone.  

We're to only consider what it is that God's wanting for us to be doing and leave the consequences to Him. Regardless of what anyone thinks of whatever it is. Beit something huge or something seemingly insignificant. We're to do all things that we're called to do as though it were Jesus Himself we were doing it personally for.  

The more I read of that study book of John MacArthur on Job the more I see that friends and family can have all kinds of good intentions and can offer what they think is the right advice however these cannot replace obeying in faith. MacArthur's comments so far on the 4th guy making comments...at least in my opinion...are a bit off base. Elihu wasn't reprimanded by the Lord Jesus for anything he had to say to Job. Further, the Lord’s anger was kindled against the other 3 specifically.

We too can look to be in the minority when we look to obey God. 

We might even lose out on things in life. 

We might even have people mad at us because we obeyed. 

We don't answer to anyone in this world more than we answer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

We may not see what we've been called to be as all that important but in God's eyes we are where we are doing what we're to be doing with our everything for His honor and glory not our own. 

We are to grow in Christ at every opportunity. We are to keep pace with Jesus and join Him in what He is doing.  

Think about your activities in your walk with Jesus. Are you pursuing what He's wanting of you or are you after what you want in hopes that it might look like what He wants. It's never about is praying for Him to join us but rather our joining Him.

We, all who are in Christ, have a Godly ordained plan and purpose to fulfill while we have the breath of life in us.  

We are to expect rough waters because of our living out that plan and purpose. 

We are to give of our best in whatever we're called to do. Whether it's cleaning or preaching or anything else. There's no bench warmers in God's economy of the body of Christ. There's nobody who's come to Christ for salvation who then have nothing important in Christ to accomplish for Christ. 

Dead cells and cancer cells and anything the like are the same as those who are actively trying not to be or do what they're called to be doing. We're here to glorify God in Christ Jesus. To make His Name known. That people would see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven. Anything else should be considered a waste. 

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness means whatever He wants, desires, needs done or said, comes first.  

Quite often my mind is cluttered with all sorts of things that aren't necessarily sinful but they are a waste of time and resources if I pursue them because they will do none of what I am here to be doing in Christ.

Obey God and leave the consequences to Him. 

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.

Don't expect to either understand in part or in the whole, just obey.  

You, my Dear Reader, if you're truly saved, were gifted by the Spirit, placed by the Spirit, for the glory of God in Christ Jesus. 

Keep that in mind, pray over that, obey in whatever it is.  

We may look to all the world as ordinary but in Christ we are anything but ordinary.  

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. 

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org