How Quickly We Sometimes Forget

How Quickly We Sometimes Forget 

by David Brenneman 

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,

grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt,

yonder on Calvary's mount out-poured,

there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.

Grace, grace, God's grace,

grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God's grace,

grace that is greater than all our sin.

Sin and despair like the sea waves cold,

threaten the soul with infinite loss,

Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,

points to the refuge, the mighty cross. 

Grace, grace, God's grace,

grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God's grace,

grace that is greater than all our sin.

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide,

what can avail to wash it away?

Look! there is flowing a crimson tide;

whiter than snow you may be today.

Grace, grace, God's grace,

grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God's grace,

grace that is greater than all our sin.

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,

freely bestowed on all who believe;

all who are longing to see His face,

will you this moment His grace receive? 

Grace, grace, God's grace,

grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God's grace,

grace that is greater than all our sin.

Author: Julia H. Johnston (1910) "Grace Greater Than Our Sin"

My Dear Reader, do you remember that day when Jesus came and took away your sin? 

Do you remember the grace, that unmerited favor, He bestowed upon you?

Do you remember to bestow that upon others?  

There's the 'ouch' for most of us.

Remembering to show grace to others for the same reasons we needed it, just as Jesus said "forgive them for they know not what they do".

We, as Children of God, are supposed to be putting this ahead of all other considerations in dealing with others in this world. 

Grace and mercy were bestowed upon us, by God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  

"But I deserve..." you might begin to say. No. Don't go there. You've likely read the Scriptures. You know what you deserved, but through the grace and mercy of God you didn't receive nor will you receive what you deserve. 

It matters not what it is in this world. Judgment belongs to God. 

We're to put on Christ. Daily.

As Paul wrote, so what if we're wronged. So what! Isn't the life of the person who wronged us more important than whatever our issues are?  

The treasures we have in Christ are people. These are the treasures we store up in Heaven where moth and rust do not destroy. 

We can easily damage our testimony in ways that it may not recover by leading with our mouth and not our hearts in Christ. 

You may burn bridges that you'll later need by forgetting your place in Christ.  

We don't want to ever say as David did of how he USED to lead people into the house of the Lord. We don't want to be of a mind that we used to remember the unmerited favor of God towards us when we deal with others.  

Open shame and guilt are ours if we neglect to remember such grace towards us!

We are to be Christ's Ambassadors no matter what our circumstances. 

Let our next hymn be:

To God be the glory, great things He hath done,

so loved He the world that He gave us His Son,

who yielded His life an atonement for sin,

and opened the life-gate that all may go in.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

let the earth hear His voice!

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

let the people rejoice!

O come to the Father through Jesus the Son,

and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,

to ev'ry believer the promise of God;

the vilest offender who truly believes,

that moment from Jesus a pardon receives. 

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

let the earth hear His voice!

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

let the people rejoice!

O come to the Father through Jesus the Son,

and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.

Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,

and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;

but purer, and higher, and greater will be

our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see. 

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

let the earth hear His voice!

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

let the people rejoice!

O come to the Father through Jesus the Son,

and give Him the glory, great things He hath done.

Author: Fanny Crosby (1875) 

"To God Be the Glory".

Show all who cross your path the grace that is greater than all our sin today. 

You either allow the light of Jesus Christ to shine or you'll put it under a basket. You choose. There's no in-between. 

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 Are We Doing?

What Are We Doing?

by David Brenneman 

“Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

An angry man stirs up strife, And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression. A man’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor.

The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.”

Proverbs 29:20, 22-23, 25.

“This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. ” James 1:19-20.

It often can take days, months or even years for the seeds of God's Word to take root in a person's life. 

What's unbeknownst to everyone is that it can take seconds to pull them free of the spiritual ground they are in.

We can be very forgetful in living our lives that much more is going on in our lives and the lives of those whom God has put into our life's path than we see.

“Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.” 1 Corinthians 6:7-8.

It grieves me at my own loss of consideration as much as seeing others in Christ forgetting what graces have abounded to us from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

We forget the work of the Spirit of God in our lives and the lives of people we were meant to influence for Christ.  

Paul said it oh so well. We take it way too personally when we forget who's we are and who's plans we are a part of.  

That His plan is to seek and save the lost, which is by far more important than being wronged by another. My Dear Reader, what if your Godly reaction is precisely what someone needs to see in order to come to Christ for salvation? What if, perhaps, that person is THE last person to be saved before Jesus Christ returns?

What of our testimony before men and women of this world? Do they hear the words of God from you or do they hear of what doesn't matter in the plan and purpose for you and I in Christ?

We do so much damage to our testimony by forgetting to guard our hearts.  

We do oh so much damage by forgetting the Word of God concerning the power of the tongue for good and for evil. 

We show the world what's most important to us in a myriad of ways with our speech and conduct. 

Consider your ways is what the Lord has said to us all. 

Are you ruining your testimony as a Believer in Jesus Christ because of things? Are you ruining your testimony as a Believer in Jesus Christ because of your priorities that don't align with His for you?  

Is being right in your eyes more important than someone not going to Hell?

The saying "know your enemy" should be one of the first things taught to those in Christ. We need to know and to prepare for the ways in which the devil is going to try to sway our thinking away from the righteousness life that God desires for us.   

He can't touch our salvation in Christ but he can get us to damage our ability to point people to Jesus Jesus.  

It only takes a single smidgen of selfishness to ruin something the Spirit has been working on in someone's life. 

So my Dear Reader, guard your hearts. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit. Love your neighbor as yourself. Quickly forgive unconditionally as you have been forgiven by Jesus Christ. 

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16.

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 

The Importance Thereof

The Importance Thereof 

by David Brenneman 

“ For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” Matthew 6:14-15.

“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.” Mark 11:25-26.

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31-32.

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. ” Colossians 3:12-14.

Yes, forgiveness. Perhaps one of the most difficult things we've ever been commanded to do. Take special note of that my Dear Reader, it's a command from the Lord Jesus Christ, not a strong suggestion.

We will run into people whom we will wrong as well as ones who've wronged us. It's in the nature of mankind due to our sin nature and its negative impact on our relationships with other and especially with our Lord Jesus Christ. 

"I'll probably forgive him someday" is as wrong a statement as one can give about another who is a Christian as well.

This isn't obeying the very words of Jesus Christ as we read earlier. 

Jesus put a very significant, special, set of conditions on our command to forgive.

If we did not obey in this, do not expect to be forgiven by our Father in Heaven. In fact, be prepared for what's to come from that lack of forgiveness on our part.  

What will come next for those who choose not to forgive is a separation, a breakdown, of their relationship with Jesus.  

Any praying will be met with a reminder to go and do what we're commanded to do then come back. 

It can be hard only with respect to our pride getting in the way. 

We don't like to be humbled before others. We don't like to admit we were wrong.

Sometimes even the lack of forgiveness is tied to a person actually being mad at God, but rather than admit this to God the person takes it out on the messenger of God. 

Being mad at God will never get anyone anywhere. We don't know what He knows. We don't have His understanding of everything. We don't know what He knows of the hearts of all who are in our lives. 

What He also knows is its a painful thing to be separated from Him because of our stubbornness of heart.  

We don't, especially in the heat of the moment, realize what our momentary anger is doing to our relationship with Jesus. 

We cannot ever have a mentality of "getting around to" forgiveness. 

We, in doing so, do way more than give the enemy of God a foothold, we give him reasons to celebrate. We give him cause to celebrate our broken relationship with Jesus. 

Several things are his aim in the lives of Believers. Among them are a disruption of our relationship with Jesus, another is to get us to doubt our identity in Christ.  

Realize what the Scriptures also say “ This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. ” James 1:19-20.

With your words you will either build up or tear down.  

With your heart attitude you either show Christ or you show you.

You either are living in obedience or disobedience. In Christ there is no middle ground.

So my Dear Reader, especially in the area of forgiveness, obey God and leave the consequences to Him.  

Listen to the Spirit of God and obey.

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. 

Forgive others so that your Father will forgive 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 

It Won't Be You, But Will Be

It Won't Be You, But Will Be 

by David Brenneman 

“And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 2:1-5.

     Do you ever have difficulty deciding what to say when you share your faith? There are so many approaches to evangelism that it can be confusing. What questions should we ask? Which Scripture verses are best to use? However, Paul clearly teaches us that sharing the good news of salvation has nothing to do with clever or eloquent presentations

     Paul's chief concern was not to obscure the simple truth of the gospel with cunning speechmaking, which would only draw attention to his own skills. Rather, he wanted the emphasis to be on Christ. This is because success in evangelism isn't based on formulas or methods but on the powerful message of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection, which alone can save.

     So when you witness to others about your faith, don't worry

about what you will say, Instead, just be faithful to tell others about

Jesus. Then, depend on the Holy Spirit to convict others concerning

the cross of Christ and to draw people to Himself. Because the hearer's faith does "not rest on the wisdom of men" -or your delivery

for that matter- -"but on the power of God" (1 Corinthians 2:5).

Jesus, please draw people to Yourself as I testify about all

You've done for me. Amen.

- Dr. Charles Stanley, "Trusting God with Today".

Not everyone has the eloquence to speak or ability to memorize Scripture. Many, like myself, for the longest time thought there was something wrong with us that it proved to be so difficult.  

I know in my case after much prayer in this, I believe that Jesus told me "well, I did give you Google". Which sort of made me laugh and look at my situation from a different direction. Within the YouVersion Bible app is a very good search function. This was my first big hurdle.

My next big thing, almost a fear, was speaking about Jesus in public. I knew what was in my heart and mind, but was pretty fearful of speaking it out loud to others for fear that I would mess up and be the reason someone didn't come to Christ for salvation. 

Then came passages like this one leading today's post. Then came the truth that we don't win souls for Christ. We don't save anyone. It is only Jesus who saves. It is on us to trust that when the moment arrives for us to speak about the wonderful life we have in Christ that the Spirit will guide our speech, love and conduct.  

99.9 percent of smartphone owners keep their phones on their person.  

100 percent are capable of finding, downloading, using things such as the YouVersion Bible app.   

You can both show them, even through searching it on your phone or theirs how to know for sure that they are saved.

While it's incredibly difficult for me to memorize Scripture it IS happening. It is never an impossible task in the Lord. 

We can very easily withdraw from trying to talk about Jesus because of these fears, and perhaps others, but we shouldn't let this happen.

God will always direct a willing heart in the way it should be going when that heart is striving to obey God.

We don't need, just as Paul wrote, to have some grand special education or training in order to talk to people about Jesus.

What was Jesus simple instructions? ""Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.” Luke 8:39.

Right there is simplicity itself. 

Right there Jesus is telling us that we don't need to have everything memorized to be useful to Him. 

The thief on the cross whom Jesus had proclaimed would be with Him in paradise didn't have any formal experience or education in the Word of God...yet he made it.

This guy whom Jesus healed didn't have any either. He just had what he knew of what Jesus had done for him. 

Nobody can mount a successful defense against you for what you know God has done for you.

So be who God made you to be in Christ, tell others of the great things that He has done for you and Jesus will take care of the rest.

You see, a foundational thing about this blog is my prayer that it either draws people to Jesus or shows them how to return to Him. Just by writing from either His inspired Word, the experiences or writings of others or my own experiences. 

This is me being me for the Kingdom of God in Christ Jesus. 

You, my Dear Reader, need to just be you for the Kingdom of God in Christ Jesus as well.

When you step out and do that...it won't really be you speaking but it will be the Spirit talking 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 

God's Promises Are More

God's Promises Are More 

by David Brenneman 

“If the Lord had not been my help, My soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence. If I should say, “My foot has slipped,” Your lovingkindness, O Lord, will hold me up. When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul. Can a throne of destruction be allied with You, One which devises mischief by decree? They band themselves together against the life of the righteous And condemn the innocent to death. But the Lord has been my stronghold, And my God the rock of my refuge. He has brought back their wickedness upon them And will destroy them in their evil; The Lord our God will destroy them.”Psalms 94:17-23.

My Dear Reader, God's promises in Christ Jesus, aren't just for your daily life, your daily needs. 

His promises are throughout the Scriptures that cover all aspects of your life. Some indeed you will see the fruits thereof, some may come after you or after you've moved on. But they will happen. 

It doesn't take long for some unfortunate atrocity to happen and people grab a soapbox to rage on someone's behalf or if it's personal their own behalf. 

For the Believer in Jesus Christ, who counts Him as their personal Lord and Savior...leave such at His feet and walk away. He will keep His promise to you and, in His time, will indeed deal with such people. It's not for me or you to plot, plan, determine a course of action, for revenge, for payback.  

Whether it's in our lifetime or at the Final Judgment seat, justice will be served.

Ours is to trust the Lord with all our hearts and to not lean on our own understanding. 

All too often we can throw our testimony in Christ Jesus right out the window because of our reactions to injustice or inequities we perceive.  

Pray about it, pray often if such thoughts won't leave you be, but pray. What does it say? "“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 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 4:4-7.

The non-option is this: "“Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:17-21.

It's not about you being His instrument of wrath. It's not about you seeing, observing, participating, regulating, any aspect of what's to come. 

It's for you to pray, and leave at the feet of Jesus.  

My Dear Reader I speak from extreme experience when I talk of such things. Just as my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ has been extremely abundant in His providing for our needs, He has been extremely aware of and has dealt with those who chose to be our enemies in this life as well. 

I have seen the fulfillment of today's Scripture in my life many times over. 

Trust Him. 

Scripture cannot be broken, as it says of itself. God cannot break His word to you.  

But it hurts! The anguish! The tremendous grief! The rage I feel!  

My Dear Reader, He knows. He KNOWS! He knows what you are experiencing and tells you what to do. 

“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.

While your plans might bring short-term relief to you or might bring a few moments of joy, you forget God's plan for salvation that still applies to those who wrong us in any way. 

Jesus is still seeking to save even those who wrong us until they are taken from this world. 

The Apostles, the newly saved in Christ, were in fear of their lives of a man named Saul. People were living in great fear. Until that day when Jesus met Saul on the way to Damascus. When Saul became Paul. Ananias was fearful but obeyed Jesus and Jesus told Ananias that Paul would be shown how much he would suffer for His Name. 

Paul embraced what he knew was coming from the Lord. Even when it got rough, he wrote about running the race set before him.  

We are also in the race set before us. Regardless of how life is or how we are treated, we are to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and to not lean on our own understanding. In all our ways acknowledge Him and He will make our paths straight. 

Pray. Leave it with Jesus. You can and should tell Him how you feel.

Trust Him to take care of you and your situation. Continue to take up your own cross and follow Him. 

Don't tarnish your testimony among men and women. 

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 Life in His Hands

Your Life in His Hands 

by David Brenneman 

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day; Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked. For you have made the Lord, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent. For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down. “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With a long life I will satisfy him And let him see My salvation.””

Psalms 91:1-16.

For those who think that it's a lot to read Scripture...consider this: you just read a whole chapter. 

Why oh why would you make excuses to not spend time hearing from your risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

Look at what He's saying right here in this chapter alone about you and I!

While our enemy prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour...resting in this promise keeps him at bay. 

Yesterday evening we should have had cause to be alarmed due to not discovering til too late that a website my Wife went to was fake. Even I missed it right away but soon discovered that it was malicious. Thing is it was right there in the midst of all the legitimate website results. These people managed to register it with Google search.  

While normally a reason to panic, my God was already always watching out for us. He put me immediately on a path of whom to call, of what to say, and the danger was squashed. 

There's residual work to do today as well as the coming week for the free credit report stuff but the proof of this passage this morning is so reassuring! To think, had I not made the commitment to be reading God's Word, I would have missed it.

Your woes, your sorrows, your various stressful situations, consider going to God's Word for therein lies your assurances that your Savior and Lord Jesus Christ never slumbers nor does He sleep. 

He is always watching the whole Earth. Nobody gets away with anything against His sheep...be it immediately or at the Final Judgment...all who have wronged His sheep will be held accountable. 

“When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.”

Psalms 94:19.

“When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, You knew my path. In the way where I walk They have hidden a trap for me. Look to the right and see; For there is no one who regards me; There is no escape for me; No one cares for my soul. I cried out to You, O Lord; I said, “You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.” Psalms 142:3-5.

Would not it be a good thing to keep "“I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!””Psalms 91:2. In mind along with "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.

My Dear Reader...make the time. Give up whatever you must, but, make the time.  

We see it over and over as an abundantly used plot line in television and movies...the grand sorrow that envelopes the main characters when, after a significant character dies, they find a letter that fills them with regret. Never having heard in person the words on the pages before them now. 

The whole Bible is God’s love letter to mankind...to you my Dear Reader. Do you really want to admit before Jesus that you just didn't have the time to read His words of love towards you?

Do you really want a life only filled with your own thoughts on hope and love when Jesus has so much more to show you in what He wrote to you?

You're wanting hope, you're wanting relief. You're wanting peace. 

Jesus said specifically to come to Him who are weary and troubled and He will give you rest. 

As of this morning my troubles are at bay. I have a few minor inconveniences to address later but in this here this now...my God in whom I trust is watching over me now and forever more.

His Word says so.  

An I believe Him. 

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 

Be Grateful...Give Thanks

Be Grateful...Give Thanks 

by David Brenneman 

Oh what comes from the mouths of men and women!

Tis a sad sad state to see a professed Believer in Jesus Christ be in when they are abundantly blessed and yet find nothing good in it and find complaint all the day long! They're totally missing the joy of the Lord's provision!

This thought caught my heart almost off guard. A person I know really is a decent person who is doing this complaining. 

Charley Pride had a song called "Be Grateful" from 1976. 

Blind man can't see flowers

Growing in the garden

Crippled man can't walk places where

He wants to go

Man that can't talk things he will never say

And a man that can't hear

Words he will never know

So if you can see and if you can walk

If you can hear and if you can talk

Then be grateful be grateful

For what you've got

Cause for some folks these things

Would mean a lot

I once heard a man say all he

Wanted out of life was money

To be the richest man have

Wealth and fame untold

But he could see he could walk he

Could hear and he could talk

And for some folks this would

Mean much more than gold

So if you can see and if you can walk

If you can hear and if you can talk

Then be grateful be grateful

For what you've got

Cause for some folks these things

Would mean a lot

So if you can see and if you can walk

If you can hear and if you can talk

Then be grateful be grateful

For what you've got

Cause for some folks these things

Would mean a lot

Cause for some folks these things

Would mean a lot

What many don't see or get is that falling down this path leads away from the life in Christ that we are supposed to be living in. 

There's probably countless people who would love to have the "problems" this person whom I know has. 

What's worse is this person's "problems" all stem from the same thing as, again, countless trillions of people in the world. Coming to Christ for salvation yet are wanting their own image of what a happy, successful, life looks like. 

We who are among the saved in Christ Jesus are to put our all on the altar of God.  

There's, again, many many people who would love to have the problems this person whom I know has.

In the last few years recently married. Recently a father. New to them home. Plainly obvious that God's been providing for them. Yet from their lips is a almost seemingly endless list of what's wrong in their life...and this to unbelievers and Believers alike. 

My Dear Reader...when we come to Christ for salvation, it is then when we are taking up our own cross and following Jesus. It doesn't take much to read the 4 Gospels to see what it takes, what it means, to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said plainly to His Disciples that they must deny themselves take up their own cross and follow Him. 

Another great song on this thought was brought out by Don Moen, written by Henry Smith 1978.

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks to the Holy One

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks to the Holy One

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"

Let the poor say, "I am rich

Because of what the Lord has done for us"

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"

Let the poor say, "I am rich

Because of what the Lord has done for us"

Give thanks with a grateful heart (with a grateful heart)

Give thanks to the Holy One (to the Holy One)

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

Give thanks with a grateful heart (with a grateful heart)

Give thanks to the Holy One (to the Holy One)

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"

Let the poor say, "I am rich

Because of what the Lord has done for us"

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"

Let the poor say, "I am rich (I am rich)

Because of what the Lord has done for us"

Give thanks

We give thanks to You

Scripture backs up these songs well in "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; ”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19.

“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.

“speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” Ephesians 5:19-21.

Be very very careful my Dear Reader.   

"So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, ” Philippians 2:12-15.

What we say, what we do, what we think, shapes what our lives in Christ say to those in our lives see of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Be Grateful...Give thanks. 

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 

Turn Your Eyes

Turn Your Eyes 

by David Brenneman 

"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.” Psalms 139:4-5.

“Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.” Psalms 86:11.

“Give me your heart, my son, And let your eyes delight in my ways.”

Proverbs 23:26.

“Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.” Proverbs 23:23.

“Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way.”

Proverbs 23:19.

“Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge.”

Proverbs 23:12.

“Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the Lord always.” Proverbs 23:17.

     At times, the lessons of life will appear too much for us to handle. The Lord calls us to an impossible task, permits our dreams to be shattered, pinpoints something important in our lives that we need to relinquish, or allows such profound loss that it leaves us reeling.

     At that point, perhaps our instinct is to run away from God-

resisting His claim on our lives and escaping what He requires of us. We just cannot face it all. Our hearts are too weak, our fears too real, our suffering too profound. We don't want to yield to Him-to release our will to His. We say, "Lord, I know what You want me to do, but I can't. There has to be a better way." But how do we run from the presence of the infinite God, who is everywhere at all times constantly beckoning US to return to His arms?

     You cannot-and that's on purpose. Friend, Jesus does not

leave you alone, because He loves you. He knows this situation is

difficult for you, and He wants to help you. So don't be scared of

facing Him. There is strength, healing, and hope with Him. So

stop running. Go to Him and live.

Jesus, I'll stop running, Thank You for helping me. Amen.

-"Trusting God with Today" by Dr. Charles Stanley. 

You and I, my Dear Reader, are beyond any form or kind of special in the eyes of God our Father, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God. There's oh so much more to this life you're to be living than you can possibly imagine if only you put your whole trust in Jesus. 

We're not like the world whom wander aimlessly trying to make something of themselves in their spiritual darkness. We have the light of Jesus Christ within us to show us His still better way.

When we're trying to live lives apart from His will for us it's not going to work out so well. Perhaps you have already experienced the struggles and setbacks associated with that. I know that I have. Unfortunately I have all too many stories to tell of my attempts at living a lukewarm lifestyle in Christ.  

Jesus wrote of His profound love for us throughout the Scriptures. He wrote of things yet to come that He tells us to be excited about. 

He wrote of what this world doesn't have to offer that is found only through obedience to God's Word. 

He wrote about why the world won't understand.  

All too often, in our feeble attempts at seeking understanding, we go to the world rather than our Father in Heaven about the things we are facing in life. Only God knows what we are experiencing is of Him or not. Contrary to popular belief or thinking, quite often what befalls us is our own sin nature. It's not God nor is it the devil, just our poor choices and bad decisions. 

We get it in our heads some failing notion of what's important enough to pray about and what we think is ridiculous to bring to Jesus in prayer.  

Jesus made it incredibly clear to bring everything to God in prayer.

Nothing is petty to the One who loves us so unconditionally!

Your life, your relationships, your situations...all of it...bring it to the Lord in prayer. 

Doesn't say to seek first your own way then when that doesn't work then come to Me.

Doesn't say to ginormous amounts of time, energy and effort in your own understanding and estimation then after you're at your end then go to Him.

My Dear Reader these ways only lead to failure after failure.  

Scripture says that we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them.  

We quite often get it in our heads that we have a right to tell Jesus what that should look like. 

We attribute sadness, despair, disappointment, resentment, bitterness, anger even, at His rejection of His plans for us. 

“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity 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. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord,”

Jeremiah 29:11-14a NASB1995

Really really sink your teeth into that last portion of this passage.  

We came to Christ for salvation. We owe Him our everything. 

We should be trusting God with our everything. 

We should be loving Him with our everything. 

This absolutely must include the direction of our lives. 

My Dear Reader we have this:

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ”

2 Corinthians 4:7-10.

So when we're in pain, life not making much sense, we're a work in His progress. 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.

“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.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus. 

Look full in His wonderful face. 

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim...in the light of His glory and grace. 

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 

Refocus, Regroup in the Lord

Refocus, Regroup in the Lord 

by David Brenneman 

“How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. The bird also has found a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, My King and my God. How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah. How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion!

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!”

Psalms 84:1-5, 10-12 NASB1995

How often do your thoughts go to those of your new home in Heaven?

How often do you long to finally get embraced by your living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

King David was obviously meditating on this thought.  

We are often, and increasingly so each day it seems, to be more and more consumed by the things of this world. Be it this situation or that one, this breaking, that needs attention etc. 

Yet the lesson of Mary and Martha is often overlooked.

Jesus said what about Martha's question concerning her sister helping her with preparations?  

She has chose the better part and it will not be taken from her.

Do we choose the better part each day? Did not the Lord Jesus often make the Disciples stop, get away, and rest? Wasn't He making them to see: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Psalms 23:1-6?

We are in an ever increasingly busy world. Paper calendars can't keep up. We are being forced into a mode of living that has but one purpose: be too busy for Jesus. 

We are also being made to be too busy to think. For decades, between intentional over medicating and psychological thoughts, every attempt is being made to get people to push people to let others do their thinking for them. This spills into even the Church. People come in to church to listen then go their own way...not at all trying to apply what they've learned because of various things like not stopping to rest in the Lord. 

My Dear Reader we will become like Elijah's last days if we aren't careful.

We will live days where things overlap and collide. Where we don't have time to catch a breath let alone a break.  

We have to break that mold that society has us trying to conform to. 

There's something you need to remember and recognize. This is ENTIRELY a scheme of the devil. 

It's not just the pressures of keeping up. It's intentional busyness even in the pleasures of this world. Keeping up with other's who have more than we do. Spending time and money on worthless things rather than to be as intentional as we can be in growing in Christ as a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. 

We don't see nor attempt to comprehend what Jesus was meaning by storing up treasures in Heaven where moth and rust do not destroy. 

We are drowning in the thoughts of status. How well we look before others and not how we look before our Savior Jesus Christ. How well we keep up our home, what kind of vehicle we drive and how much bling it has. What clothes we wear. Is it the latest style. What stuff fills our house. What worldly interests are we keeping up on to honestly make us look appealing to others and increase our status before others. 

Stop.

Stop and rest with Jesus. 

Stop and get your intentionality on the right thing.  

Your world is supposed to be as much about the Father’s business as Jesus's was when He was here in person.  

Jesus said that the world would hate us because it first hated Him.

The world won't if we're unwittingly conforming to the world. 

So what if you have money to relax and be at ease or if you're living paycheck to paycheck.  

You, like what Jesus told Peter, need to recognize and understand that YOU need to follow Jesus. Not the world. Not so-and-so. Not this image or that image of success. 

Are you investing in your life in Christ or are you investing in your status in this world? One is the selfless action the other is the selfish action. 

The schemes of the devil are wanting you to convince yourself that you don't need to give Jesus all of your time, energy and effort. That it's ok since God's not stopping you from what you're doing, saying or thinking. 

Jesus said if anyone wishes to come after Him that they must deny themselves, take up their own cross, and follow Him. 

Is this a reflection of your life and life's choices?

Look at your calendar or at your week or even just today.  

It's up to you to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. 

It's up to you to choose the better thing. 

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 

HALT and Find Peace in the Lord

HALT and Find Peace in the Lord 

by David Brenneman 

"HALT! Halt I say!" Halt is one of those words in German that was brought over into English.  

H.A.L.T. is also a very apt acronym for Hungry Angry Lonely Tired. 

Elijah is a very good example of when someone doesn't HALT. In both respects he didn't HALT. Perhaps you too are in need of HALTing.

“Then the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel. Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.” He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat.” Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.” So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Then he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.””

1 Kings 18:46-19:1-14.

Elijah is one of the more powerful, in the Lord, people of the Old Testament. He is the one who was prophesied to come before the Lord. As Jesus told the Sadducies so we all must remember that God is the God of the living. Elijah is still indeed alive in the Lord.

But take a slower look at this portion of his life. Exhaustion was at his doorstep. He hadn't eaten in a long time. Anger, righteous anger, swelled up within him to slay the prophets of Baal. These began adding up and in comes loneliness whereas he leaves his servant behind for the wilderness a day separated from him.

Then we see him collapse before the Lord. Certainly not sounding very rational or composed.  

Indeed he wasn't looking beyond himself anymore at the time he began asking the Lord to take his life. 

How often is what we read, Dear Reader, a description of our life's experience?

We too need to recognize when we're cutting it close with not paying attention to when we are approaching being hungry, angry, lonely or tired. 

A tired body means a tired mind, a tired mind makes mistakes. Read that once in a book and never forgot it. 

So here we have the example and the warning. We really do add to our woes in life when we neglect to recognize our limitations.  

We take it out on others. 

We remove ourselves from others. 

We say things, do things, that we later need to apologize for.

We...really become more and more self-centered.

Then in a very real way give the enemy of God a reason to rejoice. Because we've become ineffective in our service to the Lord Jesus Christ and God our Heavenly Father. 

Now you know a bit more as to why you need a regular night's sleep.

Now you know why you need to pay attention to regular eating habits. 

Now you know why you shouldn't let anger get the best of you. 

Now you know you know why you shouldn't self-isolate. 

Now you know, with certainty, what happens when you don't HALT. 

Anxieties grip you. Words are said you can't take back. Relationships are bruised or broken. Decisions made might not be reversible. 

You might even believe that the Lord has indeed forgotten you or forsaken you. Both of which are impossible. 

Pray without ceasing. Conversational praying is possible throughout your day.

Priorities must be set. Letting go of things that rob you of your sleep. 

Eating appropriately. 

Not letting anger or any other emotions get a grip on you. 

HALT as often as these things get compromised and run to the Father, fall into grace, as the song says. 

God's mercies are new every morning the Scriptures say to us.

God's grace is ours in the fullest measure every day all day. 

We are ambassadors for Christ with a job to be doing. 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. My sheep hear My voice. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. Rest at the feet of Jesus. 

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 

Is He?

Is He?

by David Brenneman 

“The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the innermost parts of his being.”

Proverbs 20:27.

“Man’s steps are ordained by the Lord, How then can man understand his way?”

Proverbs 20:24.

“The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.”

Proverbs 16:9.

“Commit your works to the Lord And your plans will be established.”

Proverbs 16:3.

Ever have the thoughts of "It's not supposed to happen this way!" or "I know what I am going to do!". We all have. One is along a path of despair the other jubilation. But both are wrong in the eyes of our Creator.  

We are not the one who should be setting the path for the life we live if indeed we claim the Name of Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. This is what were we all get it wrong.  

We walk with Jesus. 

We sometimes run with Jesus. 

We oftentimes stand still with Jesus. 

But the leader of our lives is to be Jesus. 

Ours is to follow. 

Ours isn't to tell Jesus what we're doing or where we are going to go or do.

If Jesus sends someone into our lives then we're to accommodate them.  

If He so chooses to redirect our lives then hang on because it's Him who leads. 

If our lives take turns that we cannot comprehend...hang on because He is still the same Lord yesterday, today and forever. 

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 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 8:28-30.

What more is there to say?  

We are to lay it all down before Jesus. 

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.”

Matthew 16:24-27.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.”

2 Corinthians 10:3-6.

Making a bit more sense now? 

If even the Disciples made mention of everything they gave up to follow Jesus, should not we expect to do the same?

We don't dare take the lead in living the Christian life. 

Jesus is to be the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life. 

Yes it might mean giving up your plans and dreams. Isn't it also said by our Lord Jesus Christ that we are to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness?

Do you believe at all that your choices, your path, will be better than He whom knows you better than you do?

The workmanship He is doing in your life is there to bring about your sanctification...your becoming more like Jesus Christ. It isn't to get you your dream job your dream car your dream home. It isn't to give you a slice of paradise here on Earth. It's to put you in a position to grow in Christ and lead people to Jesus to be saved.  

So if you're not interested in His leadership of your life you need to stop and consider your foolishness. 

If you're making the decisions for the direction of your life without consulting Jesus stop and consider your ways. 

My Dear Reader He IS to be the Leader of your life...the question is...is He?

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

Instruction of the Lord

Instruction of the Lord 

by David Brenneman 

“Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the Lord will stand.” Proverbs 19:2.

“Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.”

Matthew 5:33-37.

“My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you. Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. 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 be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. Honor the Lord from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine. My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord Or loathe His reproof, For whom the Lord loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast. The Lord by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens. By His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the skies drip with dew. My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck. Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; For the Lord will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you. Do not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you. Do not contend with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways. For the devious are an abomination to the Lord; But He is intimate with the upright. The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. The wise will inherit honor, But fools display dishonor.”

Proverbs 3:1-35.

Will we be encouraged when we stand before Jesus to give an account of our lives or will we find shame instead? Will we have a life to be seen that sought His wisdom and guidance or one where we did not?

Will we be among those who invested the talents we were entrusted with or will we be as the one who buried it and showed nothing?

This chapter in Proverbs is becoming one of my favorites. In it is a lot concerning the instructions of the Lord. 

We, while we yet breathe, in any given moment of time, have a choice to obey or go our own way. 

We have the choice to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness or seek our own. 

Do you not see that there's no other option? We either are going His way or our way. 

We either are obedient students, disciples even, or we're not. We're either proving the truths of God in Christ Jesus or we're not. 

We either are making Him proud or we're making ourselves proud. 

While things, such as even this blog's viewership, are astounding in my sight, this is the work of God in my life. I take no credit that isn't mine to take. What is on me is to obey and do and leave the consequences to God. When it comes to doing anything we do we should always do it as unto the Lord. Colossians 3:23-24. When we are out in the public eye, in any social media platform, we represent Christ to the world. When we're cutting people down we're not being the light of Jesus Christ. It matters not if it's 'just a game' or not. Matters not if it's 'all in fun' or not.  

Wherever we go, whatever we do, do it all in the name of Jesus Christ.  

We, at all times, represent Jesus.  

Do you really stop to think what your statements and behavior is seen like to Jesus when you're casting aside your responsibility to Him as a child of God all because of your feelings?

Do you realize you're not showing Jesus in a positive light when you rant about inconsequential things?

Do you not see that you show yourself and others that when you're being that way that you've learned nothing about being a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ?

Jesus said if anyone wishes to come after Him that they must deny themselves, take up their own cross, and follow Him.

It means you give up wanting your way in favor of His way. You give up speaking as you would and begin speaking as He would.

It's not going to happen overnight.  

This is called the process of sanctification. This is to be our highest priority.  

Regardless of any worldview we are to represent Jesus Christ to the world. We are to be diligent in learning how to be more like Jesus. We are to be showing the world Jesus...not us. We are to take being a Disciple of Jesus Christ with all seriousness.  

When we make commitments be sure they are the right thing to be committing to. 

When we do these things, when we are putting learning and practicing righteousness first in our lives we've turned the corner towards growing in Christ. We're now glorifying God rather than ourselves. We're being the light to the world in which we live. 

Do not forsake the Lord's instruction. Don't give excuses for your departure from the righteousness life that God desires for you. 

Don't create exclusions for your behavior either.

One day you WILL either be giving an account of your life before Jesus. Do your best, while you are able, to live a life that Jesus says "Well done" to.

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

Goodbye Yesterday

Goodbye Yesterday 

by David Brenneman 

"Goodbye yesterday! I'm living in the light of a new day! I've got resurrection in my veins. Praise the Lord! I've been born again! He's rescued me out of the mess I was in. Praise the Lord I've been born again." A variation of the opening part of "Goodbye Yesterday!" by Elevation Rhythm and Gracie Binion, (c) 2025. The original being "Goodbye, yesterday. I'm livin' in the light of a new day. I won't waste another minute in my old ways

Praise the Lord, I've been born again. Goodbye, yesterday

I'm livin' in the light of a new day

I won't waste another minute in my old ways. Praise the Lord, I've been born again (yeah)".

Last night before going to bed I had been praying about some festering anxiety that was trying to keep its grip on me going into the night.  

“The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the Lord.”

Lamentations 3:22-26. 

Do you leave whatever is bothering you with the Lord before you head off to sleep? If not, why not? You who are in Christ are every bit as important to Him as that single sheep who was lost that He left the 99 to go find.  

You are important enough that you always get His undivided attention at all times. He can't be distracted nor can He ever be overwhelmed by too many requests by even the whole population of Earth if by some miracle all would turn to Jesus in faith. 

We're used to those in our lives being potentially overwhelmed but never our living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

My burden yesterday after was mainly intellectual. Some rocks upon whom I have been relying on for information at work have moved. One is on vacation the other retired. To be truthful it is a bit intimidating. The last thing that I want to have happen is to mess up something that I am working on there.

The truth is...my God has never failed me. Not once, not ever.  

While anxiety attempts to dig in, His peace, provision and protection are always there. 

We don't need to think for a moment that we are in the grip of loneliness. 

We should also not fear the unknown as those who have no hope.  

My Dear Reader we have this hope if indeed we have Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. 

“From my distress I called upon the Lord; The Lord answered me and set me in a large place. The Lord is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?” Psalms 118:5-6.

“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?””

Hebrews 13:5-6.

The perhaps most difficult part for all is the leaving of those things that so preoccupy our minds and hearts at His feet and walking away from them. 

We have generations who have been taught to do what needs done for yourself. To not rely on others if you want or need something done. Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. That if you aren't going through life this way then you're failing at life.

Ar the other end of writing this...I can attest that I got His message loud and clear...it's going to be ok.

I go back to that great passage that's been going deeper and stronger in my life. "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.

Where people sometimes get off the tracks is when we read "in everything give thanks" we stop at only the good things that we perceive that have happened in our lives.  

My Dear Reader give thanks for all the rest. The good, the bad and the ugly. For whatever goes on in your life whether you understand it or not. Whether you feel like it or not. Whatever we do do as unto the Lord. Giving thanks in everything. Whether it goes as we like or would like or not. Give thanks. 

So look at today differently. 

Start taking everything to the Lord in prayer.  

Start thanking God for everything He's doing in your life. Even when it isn't so pleasant. 

Start realizing that great truth that He's already in your today before you got here. 

Goodbye yesterday...today is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. 

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

Open Your Eyes, Jesus is at Your Door

Open Your Eyes, Jesus is at Your Door
by David Brenneman

"For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God." Romans 8:6-8.

What more could this mean than in and of ourselves it is impossible for us to please God, to be able to do enough 'good' to satisfy Him and allow us to spend eternity with Him?

Indeed it is entirely impossible.  It doesn't matter what feelings we have.  Does not matter how 'perfect' we believe we have lived our lives.  There's nothing anyone can do, can conjure up, to complete, that equals what the Son of God displayed was necessary and is necessary to please God.

My Dear Reader it is sin that must be acknowledged with each of us.  An not just to be acknowledged but to concede that there's no way we can deal with it in any acceptable way that would please God.  That we need Jesus to be the propitiation for us.  Our substitute in the eyes of God by faith in the Son of God who saves us by His shed blood on the cross, arising 3 days later conquering sin, death and the grave.

My most wonderful reminder is Charlie Pride's "He Took My Place".

We need someone to step in to be the hero who is the ultimate hero.  We need a perfect sacrifice that can only be Jesus Christ.

Ours isn't to spend our lives seeking some other way that will always lead to futility.  A lifetime of wasted effort.

Add to this...apart from listening to the call of the Spirit of God calling us unto salvation in Christ Jesus alone...there's absolutely no way for any human to understand the things of God because they are foreign to us.  That's directly from the Scriptures.  We cannot begin to understand God's holiness without the Spirit of God to teach us.  We cannot learn from the Spirit of God within coming to Christ for salvation first. 

Oh countless so-called scholars and philosophers and others throughout the ages have laid claim to having read and understand the Bible but without the Spirit of God all their so-called understanding is is rubbish. 

We just can't 'get it' without first acknowledging we need a Savior who is Christ the Lord.

No one's good will ever be good enough.  No amount of sweet talk will ever convince Jesus to allow anyone into Heaven's door who hasn't placed their faith and trust in Him alone for salvation.

Jesus said He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Him. 

It's a horrible thing to one day stand before Jesus to then be told no, you can't come in, I don't know who you are.

There are no if's and's or but's about it.

My Dear Reader you must first acknowledge you can't do it and that you need Jesus to save you.
That you want Him to be the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life.  This is the only way to the right relationship with Jesus that you need.

"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.

The path to salvation isn't complicated. It's us that make it complicated. We start with the what if's.  We start with fear of what a life in Christ will look like. 

My Dear Reader you can't know what it will look like until you actually come to Christ for salvation first. 

He opens up all His promises to you when you come to Him for salvation that you cannot fathom in a life without Him.

You must choose to accept the truth that you need a Savior.  You must choose to ask Jesus Christ to save you.  All the love of God awaits all who come to Christ to be saved.

There is this.  This is a limited time opportunity.  There IS a day fixed by the Father’s own authority when Jesus will come back for those who are saved in Him.  He will gather all of these people to Himself and take them to Heaven.  Then there will be 7 years of judgments upon both mankind and the Earth unlike anything humanity has ever seen.  Billions of people will die.  Billions more will rage against God for His judgments.  Among these will be people who have cried out for Jesus to come back to get them. 

These days are now one day closer.

You must choose to come to Christ to ask Him to save you.  You and you alone.  Nobody else can do it for you.

Jesus is at the door of your heart. He is knocking, asking you to let Him in.

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

Jesus is coming, Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming again

Jesus is coming, Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming again 

by David Brenneman 

"The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the Lord weighs the motives. Commit your works to the Lord And your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil. Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished. By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil. When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Better is a little with righteousness Than great income with injustice. The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:1-9.

"Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious. Say to God, “How awesome are Your works! Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You. All the earth will worship You, And will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your name.” Selah. Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men." Psalms 66:1-5.

"Bless our God, O peoples, And sound His praise abroad, Who keeps us in life And does not allow our feet to slip. For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined." Psalms 66:8-10.

"If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear; But certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer Nor His lovingkindness from me." Psalms 66:18-20.

Oh what we may wake up to one day! The promise was given, and the Promiser is True!  

This morning I woke up to a chorus of people, likely a small group of 3 or 4, singing "Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming again" over and over in my mind. 

Then to read the Lord's instruction in Psalms and Proverbs this morning about life and how we're to live it in the Lord. Because yes, Jesus is coming soon. 

With all the other promises He's made and kept in our lives this one might be the coup de grâce. The one that all Believers for over 2,000 years have awaited. 

We have a life in Christ to be living for Christ. It's this life in Christ that's supposed to be bringing Him much honor and much glory.  

Yet so many people are trying to tweak this life, hack this life to use the modern parlance, to get what they want out of life along with a supposed level of obedience to satisfy God in Christ Jesus. 

Yes you read that last statement. It does sound incredulous. 

But it's actually a canker sore rather than a right way to live lives in Christ. It's actually painful and exhausting even though people come back with "I'm ok!" when those who are more in tune with Jesus are seeing otherwise. 

Jesus is coming soon and as He said will He find the faith when He comes back?  

Will Jesus find YOU living your life to His purpose for you? Will He find YOU seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness? Will He find YOU engaged in the righteousness life that God desired for you? Will YOU be found by Him in a real right relationship with Him?

My Dear Reader we must live lives that daily are ready for us to step into eternity with Jesus. Lives that aren't our attempts at anything but a life that shows the light of Jesus Christ to the world.  

There's no end of professing Believers who go on rants and rage against others for absolutely no good Biblical reason. There is no excuse for such things. You are giving Jesus a bad name when what comes out of your heart through your mouth isn't what honors your personal Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus said that's where such things come from. 

When we lift up anything or anyone we are potentially in danger of idolizing them. Jesus said that we should be careful of loving anyone or anything more than we do Him. 

We do ourselves much harm in our walk with Jesus when we deny the reality of what we 'love' and it's impact on our testimony before the world. 

Truthfully why would an unbelieving person want what Believer has in Christ when they hear some of the things that can come out of their mouths!

Jesus is coming, Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming again.

 

Does the fact, the truth, that He's coming again soon not get you to be more aware of your life and to get your things in order? Jesus said that if the strong man knew when his house was going to be broken into he would have been more prepared. Jesus warned us all to beware we do not know when He will be returning. So that we would not be taken by surprise. 

Jesus is coming, Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming again. 

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 

Intentional Reflection

Intentional Reflection 

by David Brenneman 

"One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with

the Lord. Scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In

each, I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were

two sets of footprints; other times there was only one.

During the low periods of my life I could see only one set of

footprints, so I said, "You promised me, Lord, that you would

walk with me always. Why, when I have needed you most,

have you not been there for me?"

The Lord replied, "The times when you have seen only one set

of footprints, my child, is when I carried you."" - Footprints Mary Stevenson Copyright (C) 1984.

This has been a very powerful poem to a great many people.

There's been days where I sit and take a moment to reflect on the year and indeed follow the premise of this poem. Noticing, in light of Psalms 23, where my Savior has lead me.  

We really aren't living in a society anymore where people slow down to reflect much anymore. Even our roadways are being designed to keep people moving. Our streaming services, television shows, sports, news outlets all design their content to keep people from taking a break to reflect. They want to be the ones to shape our thinking to be what they want it to be.

There's really quite a battle for what you think, how you think, and everything that goes with it.  

Satan's schemes are wrapped up, intertwined, into all of that.  

Getting words redefined so that they're less obtrusive, less offensive, more inclusive and in the end those in Christ will be suffering for it. Which is his endgame. 

How well do you guard your thoughts? How often do you reflect on what all the Lord has done in your life? How well do you recognize the schemes of the devil and furthermore how often are you calling on the Lord to help you navigate these?

We aren't to be engaging the enemy of God on our own. Plenty of examples in the Old Testament prove the folly of such things. 

Do you ever contemplate your faith history in Christ?  

Do you really stop to consider all the marvelous benefits afforded to you in your relationship with Jesus?

Have you checked your heart for areas where you have become insensitive to the dangers in your life? 

When we aren't reflecting at all on where we are and where we have been we aren't going to notice all the small things adding up to being diverted from the righteous life that God desires for us.

Scripture says "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2.

Are you dedicating time with Jesus as well as you do the other things that you include in your life?

If you aren't feeding on the righteousness of God how do you intend to be fed spiritual things?

If you're excusing your behavior on behalf of what supposedly makes you happy and in turn are oblivious to how you have tarnished the Name of Jesus...you have a problem. 

Reflect on your life in Christ. 

End the excuses for your departure from the righteousness life that God desires for you.

Turn back to walking with Jesus as you're supposed to be doing. 

Note the great things that He has done in your life.

Check your thoughts and intentions to be sure you're not harming the great Name of Jesus Christ.

Our choices now will directly impact our feelings when we stand before Jesus to give an account of our lives before Him. 

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 

Being Ready for Jesus

Being Ready for Jesus 

by David Brenneman 

Being ready. Seems easy enough in most cases. But do you prepare for the unexpected? Would you be really ready to, in an instant, stand before Jesus?  

My Dear Reader, that's exactly our expectation in Christ. 

That 1 moment after death we who are saved are in the very presence of God our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

Would those you leave behind be prepared for your departure from this world?

Some may say "these thoughts are so dark! So morbid! Who can listen to them?".

My Dear Reader...death is as much a part of living as living is.

We can keep packing our calendars with all kinds and forms of busyness but the inescapable is around the corner. Everyone who has ever lived has a destination...to stand before Jesus to give an account of their lives. Some to everlasting joy in Heaven because of putting their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation...everyone else to everlasting pain and torment because they rejected the free gift of salvation that was offered to them.

Jesus has sent, the Father has sent, the Spirit has sent NO ONE to Hell. All who are there are there by their own choice to reject God's plan for salvation. Hell WAS a place reserved for Satan and his demons. When Adam and Eve sinned, when Cain killed his brother Able, it began to be the place of torment and pain for humanity. 

Being "good" isn't enough to get into Heaven's door.

Being "a wonderful person" isn't enough to get into Heaven's door.

Being ANYTHING isn't good enough to get into Heaven's door outside of receiving the free gift of salvation available ONLY through Jesus Christ's sacrificial death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. 

You can be one of the best helpful people in the world, have devoted your life to helping humanity, and without salvation in Christ Jesus you're not going to go to Heaven after you die.

You can be one of the sweetest people and that's not enough. 

What's worse of all things is to know what the Bible says about sin, death and all that that means about the separation between God and mankind and still choose to reject Jesus. To still say no to His free gift.  

Many countless people have rejected Jesus out of fear of what they believe He might do to their lives.  

My Dear Reader...what Jesus wants to give you after coming to Christ for salvation is the best life you never could know you're missing!

It won't matter what things you might lose after commiting your life to Christ. What you gain will be beyond your comprehension in this time in your life.

Our lives in Christ can't be understood without the Spirit of God who comes into our lives AFTER coming to Christ for salvation. The Spirit explains the things of God that we never could truly understand before coming to Christ.

My Dear Reader this is why it's written in more than a few places in the Scriptures to all who read it to be sure of your salvation in Christ. 

You do NOT want to find out the very next moment after you die that you never had a right relationship with Jesus Christ. 

There are no second chances. 

Countless trillions of people in Hell are crying out to God for a second chance and none will be given to them.

The Bible is extremely explicit about who will never see Heaven. 

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.

"For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience." Ephesians 5:5-6.

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:31-46.

You CAN know. There's evidences in what the Bible says are fruit of the Spirit of God that happens within those who are saved. 

Read on..

"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.

My Dear Reader one key purpose for this blog is to point people to Jesus.  

I want all who read this blog to come to the same salvation in Christ that I found in 1975.  

Jesus is returning soon. Will you be among those screaming for Him to come back before the events of the book of Revelation take place or will you be leaving with Jesus to forever be with Him?

You are the decider of your destination...be it Heaven or Hell by your choice to accept the free gift of salvation or your choice to reject it. 

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." 

John 3:16-18.

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