Something or Someone Gets Your All

Something or Someone Gets Your All 

by David Brenneman 

A song of praise starts out with a question...is your all on the altar?

We often don't think about where our all is going, who's getting it, or for how long they'll or it'll have it. 

But daily something or someone is getting our all. 

Colossians 3:23-24 says "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."

In Proverbs 3:5-11 we're told this: "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,"

Jesus said this about your all:

"And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”" Matthew 22:37-40.

It's a sobering thought to consider your all.  

Do you waste your all? Squander your all? Is your all going towards the will of God for you in Christ or is it honestly going down the drain?

We wastefully spend in this country and around the world. The whole of the business world is by and large service related to cause people to have to perpetuate needing to continuously buy because nothing is built to last nor do doctors try to cure anything. These things consume our all in trying to keep up. And within this all we get burdened with paying extra to fix those things in life to seek a peaceful life. 

When the world is working towards consuming so much it makes it all the while so much harder to spend time with Jesus. 

In your life you need to choose Christ as well as to say no to the world if Christ is going to get your all. 

You have to take a firm hold of training in righteousness if you are going to truly give your all to Jesus. 

It means saying no a whole lot more often than you do my Dear Reader.  

There's things fighting for your all. 

There's stuff that's just that...stuff...that really has no place in a life that belongs to God in Christ Jesus. 

In my life there's been times when, realistically speaking, the Spirit says this or that must go. That it's in conflict with whatever God has in mind, has prepared, for me to be involved with or to be doing. 

There's emotional triggers attached to things that He's purged from my life to make room for more fruitful things to grow in me.  

We are probably the most tempted generation since the days of Noah to be swayed from doing what's right in the sight of God vs doing whatever is right in our own eyes. 

We are a generation that is wrapped up in sensationalism. If it feels good you must pursue it. If it's causing you emotional discomfort treat it and avoid it at all costs. 

There's a war going on for your mind.

A life in Christ doing whatever is right in His eyes vs a life that's bent on selfishness. One or the other gets our all.

I have seen it written that you should live by your commitments not your intentions.  

The path to Hell is paved with good intentions. It's also paved with good deeds done not for God but for self.  

So who is getting your all?

Who do you give your all to?

Who do you have to give your all to?

Work n family consume a lot of our all.  

Priorities for a Christian ought to be God, Spouse then everything else.  

Sadly many many people are sucked into handing over their all to useless things that do nothing to help their calling in Christ. 

Some are unavoidable. Some certainly are. 

So where does your time go? Who's getting the time you have been given today? How much of all of your time goes towards your training in righteousness? How much of it literally is getting flushed down the toilet?

Jesus said that wherever your treasure is there your heart will be also. 

If what you value is more important than what God's wanting of you, don't expect it to last. 

Something or someone is getting our all. It's on us to be diligent in our pursuit of righteousness in Christ Jesus.  

A professional athlete turns away from things that will deter them from the prize, the trophy, that they seek.  

If you aren't being intentional in your life with Jesus you're squandering your life. 

Look at your priorities and your wasteful spending of time, energy and efforts...re-evaluate your life in light of the purpose and calling that you have in Christ. 

Something or Someone has your all...make sure it's the RIGHT someone and something. 

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

You Practice One or the Other

You Practice One or the Other 

by David Brenneman 

"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.

People practice either walking in the ways of life in Christ or people practice doing whatever is right in their own eyes. You are those people. 

When you get up, you may not be thinking about doing right or wrong but in the course of your day you will be faced with those decisions. 

We all face choice. Do we spend money or not. Do we go this place or that place. Do we splurge on ourselves or abstain. Do we obey the Word of God or go with the flow. 

Do we intentionally set aside time for Jesus or do we say maybe another day. Do we indulge into fantasy or sports rather than do what you know that the Spirit wants you to be doing. 

Choice is before you. You will practice one or the other. One way leads to a vibrant rich life in Christ, the other leads to always wanting more because it doesn't satisfy.  

There's much to be said at funerals...what would be said of you? Would your life show? Would there be those who would stand up and testify of your love for Jesus or would there be more talk of what all you did that did nothing for the kingdom of God?

I was reading in Joshua this morning and Joshua's and Caleb's legacy was not wrapped up in what they did for themselves. It's recorded for all time of what they did...they lived a life fully devoted to the Lord their God. 

We practice either deeds of righteousness or deeds of darkness. We either honor God or we aren't. We aren't going to be contributing to a crown of righteousness if we aren't living, practicing, a life in Christ as the Spirit directs each of us. 

The Spirit is to be your guide. Your Instructor. Your Teacher. Your moral compass. Your life in Christ is dependent upon your willingness and efforts to live a life in Christ Jesus for good.  

We are inundated with temptations to squander both our time and money and efforts. Subscriptions leach our finances. Sports and fantasy leach our time and money as well. Our time is among the greatest resource given to us and we aren't mindful of it. We can always devise ways to generate more money but there's nobody to go to for another package deal on another day to spend again. 

You have before you just what Moses said to the Israelites. Death and life. Choice. One way, the Godly way, leads to life. The other leads to destruction.  

Chasing a dream that God will never bless is what many people do in life n wonder why it doesn't happen. Jesus said people have not because they ask not. Said that what they do ask for they don't get because all they will do with it is spend it on their own pleasures. 

It's ok to chase a dream...just make sure it's really what God wants of you.  

I have several...that I cannot say what they are...that Jesus has told me that it isn't in His plans for me or humanity. It's sufficient for me to know that they would work. 

You are either going to follow God's will for you or you will follow your will for you. You will practice one or the other. 

Which will it be? A life in Christ that honors all He did for you to save you or a life apart from Jesus that will only be turned to ashes?

Anything we aquire apart from the will of God for you in Christ Jesus will turn to ashes. 

It's to be His will being done on Earth as it is in Heaven.  

Think about these things as you enter into your today.  

The choice...is...yours. 

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

Haste makes Waste

Haste makes Waste

by David Brenneman 

A while ago now there was a sermon series that had an element in it concerning how we spend our time.  

Some don't have an understanding that it is as precious as whatever we get in our paycheck or other income. 

We can easily run out of time, of money, often at the same time. 

Our days are numbered. Really they are. God only grants us so many times around the sun. So many opportunities to live life. 

Some rush through it thinking all sorts of things. Thinking that it's passing them by. Some think that they don't have enough of it. Some think they have too much of it.  

What value do you put on your time?

Jesus should have a very significant say in how you spend your today for you. 

If indeed He is your Lord and Savior then does He get the honor due Him? Or don't you go that far in your thoughts concerning Him?

Have you made, relegated, Jesus to just someone else in your life?

Jesus should have first place in the lives of Believers. 

The Bible says that we are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and spirit. An then to love your neighbor as yourself.  

Do you take this seriously or are you being so hasty with your life, the time you've been given, that you're wasting it?

In the book of Acts, at the beginning of the Church, there were people with a significantly different view on life in Christ than the Church shows today. They took it to heart to love their neighbor as themselves. Not caring about themselves more than the needs of their brothers and sisters in Christ. Selling off things to help others. Offering their time for others.  

Are there things in your life that you are truly wasting time and money on? Subscriptions are oh so commonplace today and are leaching the finances of people the world over. Convincing people that they HAVE to have these $5-$10 drinks to truly live life to the full.  

Years ago a song was out that had a lyric describing our world then and now. 

"I'm in a hurry to get things done, oh I rush and rush until life's non fun. All I really got to do is live and die, but I'm in a hurry and don't know why. Can't be late.".

Haste does make waste.  

Being in a hurry for even the plans for today that we have can come back to bite us.  

We can set our minds on living in a certain place, a certain city. Ideas are great, but before you invest in time, energy and effort, did you ask Jesus first? Are you going to be obeying Christ by pursuing this or will He allow you to have a purse full of holes inside? A purse full of holes...modern day description of a money pit. Time and time again rebuilding what God says He's not blessing.  

Are you pursuing things that do not have the blessing of God on them?

Haste makes waste. So does being stubborn about pursuing things that God refuses to bless.  

The people whom the Bible says are fools in saying there is no God...waste every single day of their lives pursuing things and status that are doomed to failure. 

What are you doing to do your best to live your life? Are you looking for self-approval or to hear Jesus say "Well done!"? 

Getting in a hurry in life, with no regard for what Jesus wants you to be doing in it, is going to end in waste. 

You who have been blessed with the means...do you pray about how you can help others or are you afraid of letting go of your blessings from God? Look again at the early Church's behavior. Look at what they did for each other. They shared the blessings of God to bring freedom to their brothers and sisters in Christ...so that they too could be in a position to do the same for someone else. 

Hoarding your blessings will invite that purse to have holes in it. 

Hoarding your time, spending it only on yourself, will in the end not be fulfilling.  

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

Love your neighbor as yourself. 

Understand what the will of God for you is. Your satisfaction isn't really it. Your personal happiness isn't really it. Your sanctification is it.

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.

Make sure that Jesus is the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life....then live it out loud. 

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

Faith...Without Excuse

Faith...Without Excuse 

by David Brenneman 

"However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.”" Romans 10:16-18.

"And Isaiah is very bold and says, “I was found by those who did not seek Me, I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” But as for Israel He says, “All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”" Romans 10:20-21

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures." Romans 1:18-23.

"For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith." Romans 12:3.

There are oh so many people in this world who scoff at the name of Jesus. They ridicule the faith that those who are saved in Christ Jesus have found to be true. 

"May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “That You may be justified in Your words, And prevail when You are judged.”" Romans 3:4.

A very Godly man that I knew and sat under for teaching often quoted that verse.  

There's many people in my world who mock at the very idea of having faith in Christ Jesus. They scoff at those who profess their faith. 

What's really true is their denial of the evidences that even nature itself shows in testifying to the Lord Jesus Christ's creation.

The very person of Jesus Christ fulfilled more than adequate proofs of the validity of the faith the saints of old held without seeing Him arrive on the scene. 

It's incredible beyond measure the hundreds of prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  

Nature points to the very Creator we read in the book of Genesis. 

In my infinitesimal life in the scheme of human history...there's too much evidence that my Savior and Lord has kept every promise He made even to the likes of me.  

I don't believe in coincidence.

I do believe in Godincidences. 

Jesus is always ahead of me in knowing all that is going on in my life. 

He proves to me daily that He's never surprised by anything.

Then there's the point of don't take my word for it. Read it for yourself.   

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.

And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect." Hebrews 11:1-2, 39-40.

Read all of Hebrews 11 for yourself.  

An denying it, rejecting it, casting it aside as foolishness, gains a person only a surefire ticket to Hell.  

I have mentioned this truth to a lot of people...as long as a person breathes...there's hope. 

I can't change a single person. 

However I do know that the Spirit of God can and will go places that I can't.   

I have never saved a single person. 

Only the work of the Spirit of God draws people to Jesus for salvation. 

We aren't soul winners, we are testifiers to the truth of God in our lives. We point people to Jesus and He does the rest. The Great Commission says to go and make disciples of all the nations. Teaching them all that He commanded us. Peter's testimony that lead to over 3,000 people receiving Jesus Christ as their own personal Savior...Peter didn't do anything...the Spirit did. 

We choose to accept or reject that measure of faith we are given...with eternal consequences. 

Those who reject have no excuse because the Spirit says they will have none. There will be no valid reasons for refusing the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ alone. None. No pointing to others as a reason that someone said no. No circumstances that would be acceptable as a reason to say no. Nothing.  

Hell gets more people every single second because of people rejecting that faith they were given. 

That passage that I referred to in the book of Acts where Peter stood to testify...the people were pierced to the heart. Scripture says that people will look upon Jesus whom they pierced. At His hands and feet. The Spirit will bypass every single defense anyone has to get to the truth of the matter. 

Jesus said that we must come as a child. Child-like faith. Adults screw everything up by over thinking about how to be saved. How this, why that. How come this happens or that happens. How could God allow this for those people and not for me. 

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

Within that passage is faith. 

Remove your need for understanding. Come with the expectation that Jesus is, was, is again and now will keep His word and save you. That He came, lived a sinless life. That He died for your sins. That He arose again 3 days later. That now He is both Lord and Christ. More than able to take our place. To save us if we but receive His free gift of salvation through faith.  

All religions lead to Hell. 

All who trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and have believed in Him have eternal life...only these will see Heaven. 

You, my Dear Reader, possibly have a choice to make. You possibly are arguing with God about faith. That you want more proof.  

Jesus is up to that challenge. Are you?

Take it to Jesus and you won't be disappointed.

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

Plans for Believers, Results of Fools

Plans for Believers, Results of Fools

by David Brenneman 

"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." Jeremiah 29:11-13

"The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good." Psalms 14:1.

"The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God,” They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice; There is no one who does good." Psalms 53:1.

"For a fool speaks nonsense, And his heart inclines toward wickedness: To practice ungodliness and to speak error against the Lord, To keep the hungry person unsatisfied And to withhold drink from the thirsty." Isaiah 32:6.

Just as it will be on the day of judgment...so in reality it is this day. 

There are only two kinds of people. There are those who believe and trust in what Christ did on the cross to make a way to save them. Then there are those who reject Jesus Christ either in full denial or through various levels of unbelief.

Various levels exist because of both the mind of man and the schemes of the devil, also known as Satan. 

Which are you?  

There is no fooling Jesus on the day of judgment. Consider it well that He asks nobody where they are with regards to guilt or innocence. 

His work on the cross bridged the gap between God and man. God the Father said such a connection would have to be a perfect sacrifice. One who would have to fulfill every single prophecy concerning the Messiah. The man Jesus is that One.

There was the Disciples after His resurrection who saw Jesus alive. There were the women who saw Him as well. There were the 500 plus people who also testified to His resurrection. Historically there are other people groups in this world who tell stories of meeting one who can only be described as the one and only Son of God that time-line wise completely fits the post crucifixion time-frame.

Countless examples exist of the work of God in Christ Jesus in our world today.  

Indeed millions and millions of people have lived and will live the truths of that first passage in Jeremiah. 

What probably scares all who enter into Hell every single second of every single day is the clarity of thought that they now have regarding the truth they fought so hard to deny concerning Jesus Christ. 

The parable of the Rich man and Lazarus. The Rich man completely understood why he was there. He denied God while he yet lived. He rejected righteousness in God. He rejected the plan of God for him. 

"For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith." Romans 12:3.

My Dear Reader...within you right now is enough faith for you to receive the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. 

You can and will either embrace it or you will cast it aside due to your human pride. 

Your potential fears of what God might want for you aren't excuse enough to not embrace your path set before you. 

Just as eternal torment is the future of that rich man, so shall yours be should you continue in your unbelief.

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." Matthew 7:13-14.

Quite literally, very frankly, it IS God’s way to Heaven or the highway that leads to Hell. It's His way or the highway.   

Nobody can ever be good enough, no amount of denial is acceptable.

Jesus said that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Zero exceptions. Hitler will confess. Stalin will confess. Herod will confess. Pilate will confess. Jezebel will confess. All politicians will confess. All who are mass murders throughout history will confess. All who breathe the breath of life in all human history will confess. Either willingly or unwillingly its going to happen. 

Even you.

Jesus isn't going to share the plans that He has for you until you come to Christ for salvation. Until He is the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life you aren't going to know.  

A life in Christ cannot be experienced or explained to someone who is dead in their trespasses and sins. Literally a dead man or woman is totally unresponsive to life. That measure of faith that is granted is there to give you the breathe of life in Christ. 

"For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.”" Ephesians 5:14.

Right now your sin nature, be it in the life of a Believer or not a believer, is scared, tainted, and lied to by our sin nature. 

Our judgment is clouded by sins and sinful desires. Pride is saturating our lives. Fears are driving people to continually stressful lives.

So...where do you stand? You're either before Jesus with arms wide open crying out for Him to embrace you or you've put up a hand telling Him you want something more and He's not enough. 

On that coming judgment day...all who have rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will forever be living in torment constantly reliving their regrets in their minds. With absolute clarity they will know of every lost opportunity they had to say yes to the salvation they dismissed. Spending eternity forever separated from Jesus Christ. 

All who have received Jesus as their Lord and Savior will not be without tears. Jesus said that He Himself will wipe away every tear. We will probably cry because of the opportunities we missed, the lessons we regret having had to repeat several times in our lives we lived. We will cry because of those we will never see again who rejected Jesus Christ. We will cry because we will really see Jesus as He truly is and not how we thought He was. 

Moses strongly desired to see the glory of the Lord. Any sinful man or woman would die if they saw the full glory of God in Christ Jesus. 

You, my Dear Reader, must choose yourself to accomplish much in a life in Christ, your next heartbeat after dying to step into Heaven or struggle through this world on your own only to end up in Hell. 

The choices are but two. 

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

The Kingdom

The Kingdom 

by David Brenneman 

"Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:4-8.

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’ 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 6:9-15.

"Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Luke 17:20-21.

The Kingdom of God. The Disciples, soon to be Apostles, spoke at length about it with Jesus for 40 days after His resurrection. 

The obvious statement Jesus made that we read in Luke must have been missed at the time that they spoke to Him now.

The Kingdom came and there was nothing that Satan could do to stop it. The beginnings we read here are of the foundation being laid. The Spirit comes and does indeed teach them all things. 

We soon read of the teachings of the Apostles. Their testimony turns the hearts of thousands in a matter of days to true life in the Living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

They became the hands and feet of Jesus and there was no stopping it.

The Lord's Prayer, after acknowledging the Father, is a prayer for the kingdom of God to come. On Earth as it is in Heaven.

No doubt this was part of what they talked about. But weren't yet understanding. 

We are doing kingdom work when we're being the body of Christ, which is the Church of God. 

Jesus is a runner, did you know that? He will run as far as it takes, do wherever He needs to, in order to catch every a single person to save them whom it has been appointed unto salvation. 

There sadly are some who will continue to reject the offer of salvation unto their dying breath.

The power that came then is more than alive and well today. It's alive and will remain in place until Jesus Jesus returns. Then the role of the Spirit of God will change. 

Last night I had the opportunity to talk to someone about kingdom things. Pointing them to Jesus, whom the Bible says is, the Author and the Perfector of our faith. 

We talked about many things to do with Dr. Charles Stanley's Life Principles.   

Our intimacy with God--His highest priority for our lives--determines the impact of our lives. 

Obey God and leave the consequences to Him. 

God does not require us to understand His Will, just to obey it, even if it seems unreasonable. 

Whatever you aquire outside of God's will eventually turns to ashes. 

Anyway you hold too tightly you will lose. 

The Kingdom certainly didn't come with physical signs to be observed. 

Just like last night's conversation, the kingdom was in the midst of the conversation.

Point people to Jesus get out of the way of Jesus.  

We talked about how much of the life of the Believer is indeed training in righteousness. A soldiers training. That we are often injured spiritually and require special triage to deal with it.  

These are kingdom things. These are God working in the lives of people.  

The next part is very important. 

His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. 

That's what became of the conversation in Acts. Now was the time for it to begin to be on Earth as it is in Heaven.  

You and I, if we are indeed saved, aren't to sit on our laurels waiting either to die or waiting for Jesus to come back. We, as part of the body of Christ, have a job to do. As parts of the body of Christ leave this world others are brought in to take their place.

No one who is saved should sell themselves short on their Kingdom impact. Great or small, any work for Jesus has an impact.  

If indeed Jesus is the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life...you have an assignment. You have a part to be completed in reaching others for Christ. 

Take this however you will...but I know that God DOES cause all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Why say that right now? My Dear Reader, it took a hurricane to bring someone to my home whom I would never have been introduced to otherwise, to have a particular kingdom inspired conversation. They were over 1,100 miles away several days ago with no other hope of being with me in my fireplace room apart from the work of God in Christ Jesus. 

In the Kingdom, it really is God’s way or the highway. Jesus said that the path to Hell is wide that leads to destruction. A highway to Hell. Narrow is the way that leads to life eternal in Christ Jesus. 

In Christ we are alive in ways those not yet saved cannot even begin to understand. We can see the hand of God in lives around us.

We can help those He brings into our lives to a better understanding of the love of God in Christ. 

The Apostles journey began with testifying to the wonderful love of God in Christ Jesus. Thousands who were dead in Christ were now alive in Christ. Old things are passed away, behold new things have come. 

Don't know what your part in the Kingdom is? Just be who you are to the best of your ability as unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians 3:23-24. Whatever you do, do as unto the Lord Jesus. Still another passage, He who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, sins.

Pray about your day before you step into it. You my Dear Reader, if you are saved, you are an Ambassador of God in Christ. Your Bible, by studying it, reading it, is making you adequate, equipped for every good work in Christ. 

Last night I didn't have to worry about how to have that conversation with this visitor to my home. The Spirit did the talking.  

Seeds were planted or seeds were nurtured. The Spirit causes the growth as the Bible says. 

All Believer's have a role in the Kingdom of God. Keep your priorities straight and He will make your paths straight. 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. 

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

Reality vs Perception

Reality vs Perception 

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." Proverbs 16:1-3.

It's oh so easy, in the heat of the moment, to say this or that. To promise this or that. To decide this or that.

Our either being humble in the moment or prideful in the moment isn't hidden from God. 

Possessions, places to stay, to see, things to do...great care must be taken to place any above our relationship with Jesus. 

As a runner, my Group Leader has often said, keep pace with Jesus. Don't get ahead of Him. Pay attention to what He's doing. Pay attention to where He's going. It's way more important than person's places or things. 

As some in my life have come to realize, even family should not come before Jesus.  

First place in our hearts is where He should be for all of us.

For many you'll know who's first place in their life by what they wear.

For them and others, you'll know who's first place by what proceeds out of their mouths.  

This passage in Proverbs matches perfectly with Colossians 3:23-25 "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. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality."

What is more important to you? Is Jesus first place in your heart or have you had Jesus sit down while other people or things have taken His rightfull place in you?

Some try to jump into the path of things that the Spirit is working on in order to look like the hero of the story. My Dear Reader...do not do that.

Dr. Charles Stanley's Life Principle 16..."Whatever you aquire outside of God's will eventually turns to ashes".

Number 19 "Anything you hold too tightly, you will lose".

Then we go to #24 "To live the Christian life is to allow Jesus to live His life in and through us".

Also do not forget number 28 "No Christian has ever been called to 'go it alone" in his or her walk of faith".

Please, my Dear Reader, don't fool yourself in what you include in your life. Jesus is jealous for the Spirit that resides within the heart of all Believers.

Jesus knows your thoughts from afar. Jesus knows your true motivations. Jesus knows your real reasons why regardless of what you say out loud.  

Reality is that we WILL give an account of our lives before Jesus for what we did in our bodies for Jesus. It will not have anything to do with personal accomplishments apart from Jesus or how much of this world we got to see. 

The world would have everyone believe it doesn't matter. 

The Spirit is at work 24/7 365...do you see that it really does matter?

Take stock of your life.  

It's time for a reality check. 

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