The Intentional Life

The Intentional Life 

by David Brenneman 

"Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life and loves length of days that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the Lord hears And delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." Psalms 34:11-19.

"Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. " Colossians 3:2-3.

Was considering the notes of the various study Bibles last night concerning John 12 talking about Mary (Martha's sister).  

How often do we shut out the world and sit at the feet of Jesus? 

What are we being intentional about to further the Gospel in our hearts and minds?

How important is it to each of us that we finish well the life in Christ that we've been given to live for Jesus?

Are we taking the time to listen to Jesus when He speaks to us? 

Because He very much is speaking to each and every single Believer. The onus is on all to pay attention in class. 

Right now is a generation of the most intellectually laziest high school and college students ever. Both seeking ways to use AI, artificial intelligence, to get out of the most mentally beneficial aspects of learning. There's a lucrative business in providing cheats that disguise the use of AI.

People who will someday really need to have that information they didn't make an effort to learn. 

Now apply that to your Spiritual life. What are you being lazy about? What aren't you doing that you know you should be doing?

Indeed we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them...but...we must be intentional on walking in them. 

Our world, as Satan's schemes have proven, is all about getting people to stop any form of critical thinking. Go with the flow. Do what feels good. Don't think, just do. Make your own way that gets you all that you want without regard to the consequences. 

Setting your mind on the things that are above and not on the things that are of this world isn't a suggestion. It's a survival trait.

You can't begin to understand the things of God unless you are intentionally in the Word of God. You can't truly get beyond providing a grocery list to God in prayer unless you start making it personal. Personal to you and to your desire to be like Jesus. 

Cheaters never win and winners never cheat. 

We rob ourselves when cheating becomes a viable choice. We rob ourselves when we don't embrace our relationship with Jesus in the way He desires to have with each of us. 

What are you doing that you really know you shouldn't be doing? What thoughts do you entertain that you aren't even attempting to stop having? These are negatively impacting your relationship with Jesus. This should bother you!

What of this world are you elevating above your relationship with Jesus? These things in this world are going to fade away. You're going to either watch them fade away or you'll suddenly find yourself facing eternity and everything and everyone will be behind you. Only Jesus will be before you. 

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit. This too wasn't a suggestion. This is very much a part of what the Disciples were to teach all new Disciples. This was part of "everything that I commanded you".

You're never going to realize the rewards of being intentional in your walk with Jesus until you just do it. 

You're not going to realize how much you've been trapped inside worldly thinking and desires until you intentionally set things aside in favor of enriching your life in Christ. 

You will never know the benefits of being intentional until you do it. 

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

The Accounting to Come

The Accounting to Come

by David Brenneman 

"According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are." 1 Corinthians 3:10-17.

What do you think of concerning your choices and decisions in your life? Are you aware of what we just read that is going to come upon everyone?

A Christian can only build upon the foundation of those firm standing Believer's who came before them. We have that as our starting point and it's our obedience to God's Word that increases to our account. 

The Gospels contain various parables of the talents. The King entrusting talents to various people and on the day of his return exacts an accounting of what they did with what they were given.  

This passage here works with those parables. 

We can choose the selfish road or the selfless road. We can choose to rightly pursue a life in Christ or we can pursue our own goals.  

While it says plainly that we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them, it's our obedience to God's Word that brings these things to light. 

Our world inundates humanity with thoughts of how to live for self. It's everywhere. How you neeeed this or need that if you are going to be the best you that you can be. 

This world also teaches that there's more than one way to Heaven. That it's ok if you're good enough by your own standards, by your own estimation.  

The world teaches that sin is too harsh of a word, that its best to just call those things mistakes.  

These types of things are all a part of Satan's schemes.  

Realize that this world is at odds with the Creator of all things. Satan's against God in everything and uses his influence wherever he can to keep people from following Jesus Christ. If he loses that battle and those people do find salvation in Christ Jesus, he then switches tactics to get them to not take it seriously.  

A quote that I saw again the other day says "Everyone thinks that I am crazy. That I take this Jesus thing too seriously. I don't know, but I do know He took me pretty seriously when He died on the cross.".

Seriously. That's the idea. That's what those in Christ Jesus should be taking life. We should be recognizable as followers of Jesus Christ. We shouldn't be blended in so well with the world that we have no distinction as being a Christian. 

We should take time to be in the Word of God daily. We shouldn't solely take someone else's word as to what it says and should be investigating it ourselves. We should be working on our relationship with Jesus, on how we interact with Him. Our prayer life shouldn't be stunted. When we pray it shouldn't be as if we're simply contacting Customer Service. It shouldn't be that we treat talking to Jesus as if He were our butler either nor some genie to do our bidding. 

The seriousness of the Apostle Paul is everywhere in the books he wrote about living out the Christian life in such a way that honors God in Christ Jesus.  

Will the content of your life go up in flames or will something come of it that can be given back to Jesus for all He's done for you?

Paul describes it as running the race with the thought in mind to win the race. Running with endurance. Running with persistence. With intentionality. For the right reasons. 

We are all given the same amount of seconds per day. The same amount of minutes. What are you going to be doing with your allotment? 

What will you do for Jesus today that you didn't yesterday?  

The choice is yours and the consequences are real. If we aren't being transformed by the renewing of our minds in Christ Jesus we face a world that's more than eager to conform it to their way of living. 

When your life's reviewed before Jesus what will it show? Commitment or compliance?

That's for you to decide. 

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

What We Don't Want, He Sees

What We Don't Want, He Sees

by David Brenneman 

"For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He watches all his paths." Proverbs 5:21.

“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. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

John 3:16-21.

We really do appreciate it when life certainly looks like God is watching over us and if we're being honest, we really don't like some of those times. 

We sin, and in spite of our best efforts to call it something else, it's still sin and inevitably gnaws at us.  

The reality of life is that there are indeed those around us every day who love the darkness rather than the Light of Jesus Christ. There's even Believers who love aspects of the darkness rather than the Light. Scripture say that it's a daily battle to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus. When Believers don't see the fight for what it is then they're willing participants of these things. They might even do as the world does and begin to redefine words in order to feel better about the sins that so easily entangle them. 

Satan's schemes include redefining whatever he can of any and every single thing possible to weaken those in the faith as well as keep the rest from finding salvation in Christ Jesus. 

We either are fighting the good fight as Paul wrote of or we aren't. In all cases, The Lord Jesus Christ sees it all, knows it all, and nothing escapes His notice. 

He knows when we choose to do something else rather than spending time with Him. 

He knows why we chose to do something else rather than spend time with Him. 

Nothing escapes His notice.  

We read the other day of a chief reason why the world hates Jesus is that He testifies that their deeds are evil. "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."

My Dear Reader you always have it before you to do right by God's word or to go your own way. Scripture says of itself that the Word of God is able to know your reasoning. 

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Hebrews 4:12-13.

Before you rush out and jump into whatever is crossing your mind...stop.  

We shouldn't just rush into thoughts and intentions without considering the consequences. There's a whole world out there that isn't and refuses to believe it's necessary.  

To take every thought captive requires intentionality on our part.

Praying for help in this before we step out of bed, let alone before we get dressed, for the day. Until we get to Heavens gates, we shouldn't trust ourselves because we are at war with our inner man(or woman). As one put it, war is Hell. In physical war you cannot afford to let your guard down.  

When we aren't focusing on our Great Shepherd's voice then we aren't listening for His instruction. 

What are you avoiding by choosing your ways first? Might you be avoiding the truth that you're holding onto sins that the Spirit is really trying to get you to acknowledge and repent of?  

Might you actually be taking what passions you have that belong to your relationship with Jesus and are in fact giving them to other people or things?

Are you wasting your money, time and energy on what is useless instead of investing in your new life in Christ?

The choices we make in this here this now, we will give an account of some day before Jesus and there will be no hiding from the truths of our intentions. He was with you throughout all your life and will already know why you did your own thing rather than what you could have done with Him. He will know why you did, at times, truly follow Him. 

Look at the Gospels. Look at what the Disciples submitted to in following Jesus. 

Jesus, at the Great Commission, told them to go, make more disciples, teaching them all that He commanded them. Teach them to be and to live as He taught them to be and had lived with Him. 

In doing this they would indeed be lights in this world. They would indeed expose them.

"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.” Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. " Ephesians 5:6-17.

We should really be considering that we do not walk this world alone. Those saved by the blood of Jesus Christ always have Him with them. We shouldn't remain in the sins we have been forgiven of. We should seek out what the will of God is for us, which we read the other day as being our sanctification.  

Ask Jesus what you need to change in your life. Ask Him where you're not truly living life in a God honoring way. Ask Him for help in becoming the Disciple of Christ that you're supposed to be. Give yourself less of a reason to be embarrassed, mortified, before Jesus on that day you stand before Jesus to give an account of your life. 

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

He Knows All About You

He Knows All About You 

by David Brenneman 

"and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man." John 2:25.

"For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God." 1 Corinthians 2:10-11.

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

"O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!" Psalms 139:1-17.

So many people have chosen to believe that "if God only knew about my past, He wouldn't want anything to do with me!".

Did you not read everything through a moment ago? My Dear Reader there's nothing in your life that Jesus hasn't been intimately aware of. Every thought, every single individual intention. He knows and yet...and yet...in spite of everything...He still wants to have an intimate relationship with you. He still wants to save you. 

Jesus wants to be the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life. It doesn't matter what your eyes see or your heart and mind feel. Salvation is in Christ Jesus alone. He did everything necessary to make a way where there was no way in order to save the likes of everyone. 

There's no door of anyone's heart ever created that Jesus won't come knocking at, asking to be let in.

It's Jesus's job to clean up people. It's what He does after we say yes to His free gift of salvation. It's not based on whatever works we do or try to do. When Jesus said "It is FINISHED!" on the cross He meant it. Everything required by God to save you was accomplished and completely acceptable to God. Done and Done.   

Quite often Jesus does find us at our worst. He does not care about that. It doesn't matter to Him. It's saving us that matters to Him. 

The whole reason that He hasn't returned yet is because there are yet still people whom haven't said yes to His free gift of salvation.

Jesus doesn't look at all you see. Jesus looks at what's possible inside of you.  

"The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness." Jeremiah 31:3.

And as if that weren't enough...just so you know...even after people come to Christ for salvation...they still don't get it right all the time. 

People still sin after coming to Christ. Yet we aren't defined by our sin anymore. We are those saved in Christ Jesus who have forgiveness of our sins possible through the blood of Jesus Christ. We can be forgiven, washed clean again, just by asking for Him to forgive. It's then on us to live better, turning away from those things that brought about that sin.

Jesus could be waiting for you before coming back to gather up every Believer among the dead and the living.   

Jesus isn't willing that any should perish but that all might be saved through Him. But, my Dear Reader, He isn't going to force you...you have free choice. The alternative isn't what the world would have you believe. Eternal separation from God is the result of rejecting God's free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Coming to Christ, He takes all the punishment of your sins upon Himself. That's what happened back over 2,000 years ago on the cross. We put our faith and trust in His finished work on the cross. Any who say no to this will spend eternity paying the price for all of their own sins in extremely painful torment and misery in a place that originally was for Satan and his demons. 

While anyone yet breathes, there's hope unto salvation in Jesus Christ.   

You may not escape the consequences of your choices in your physical life after coming to Christ for salvation, or He may rescue you from some or all of that. We who come to Christ for salvation are a new creation, old things have passed away and new things have come. That's a promise from God the Father in Christ Jesus through His Spirit to everyone who Believes.

There's coming a time when Jesus is coming back. He kept His promise to come the first time and He will keep His promise to come again. 

Please stop and think about this. Your eternity is your choice to make. Nobody escapes that decision. When a person dies the choice is sealed in blood. Either their own blood or the blood of Jesus Christ. The unbelieving die with sin tainted blood. The believing die with the holy blood of Jesus Christ that is free of all sin.

The Bible says that blessed is he whom the Lord takes away their sins and remembers them no more.

(Paraphrased).

More specifically...

"How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!" Psalms 32:1-2.

The Angels in Heaven are always rejoicing with great joy when someone down here says yes to His free gift of salvation.  

Think about it. Jesus is waiting for you to ask Him to come into your life to be the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life.  

There's a line from a song that's very appropriate. "While He was on the cross, I was on His mind.".

Truer words probably were never spoken. 

What do you do?  

"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.

It really is that simple.  

It really is that easy. 

Really.

Everyone will stand before Jesus one day.  

They either stand before Jesus as someone who put their faith and trust in His finished work on the cross, pure and holy, sin free or they stand before Jesus condemned for their own sins. 

He knew you before you were born and knows everything about your entire life...and still wants to save you. When He was on the cross He looked into the future to your life and mine. All your sins were yet future to the cross. You were on His mind. 

There's room at the cross for you. 

If you want to know more...text the word JESUS to (330) 264-9459. That's the number of the Church we go to. There will be someone to respond to you and show you how you too can be saved. 

The offer is free. Salvation is free to all who would receive it. 

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

A Day in the Lord

A Day in the Lord 

by David Brenneman 

"Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: Let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. Shew me thy ways, O LORD; Teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: For thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day." Psalm 25:1-5.

Many years ago we were taught a song based on Psalm 25. The version I used today is the King James version due to the wording used in the chorus. 

Unto thee oh Lord, do I lift up my voice. 

Unto thee oh Lord, do I lift up my voice. 

Oh my God, I trust in thee

Oh my God, I trust in thee

Let me not be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me.

We would repeat that another time through. What was interesting to me years later was my problems with memorizing the Scriptures didn't crossover to music versions of Scriptures. It was because of songs such as this that I sought out other Scriptures set to music. There's several praise and worship CD's available that the whole album was Scriptures set to music.  

Suffice to say God made a way where I needed a way. Not that I can arrive at where a passage is but once I hear parts I have at least a general idea of where to look.

Then there's Google. I often look up phrases there whereas I use the search function of my Bible app for specifics. 

God does make a way when we rely on Him. 

Our lives need a daily intake of the Word of God. We need to trust in Jesus. Have I enemies? Oh more than likely. Have I had ones in my past? Most assuredly. What became of them? Oh my Dear Reader God took care of these in ways that I could never imagine. 

It's on us to trust and obey its on Jesus to keep His promises when we do. 

What is your day like? How much of it do you include Jesus in?  

My morning's begin with coffee, catching up on a few things then time in a Bible plan on my phone in my Bible app. For me, I give up some sleep to be here with Jesus to write what you read. This is when and where He wants to meet me. Daily at around 5 to 10 til 5 AM the writing stops. Then I post, and finish getting ready for work. On my ride to work I talk with Jesus all the way there. We go into work together. Sometimes during the day I send up Nehemiah prayers. Short and to the point. After work on the way home I thank Him for the day. After dinner I am now up to just over an hour of Bible study. I challenged myself to two Study Bibles and all the commentaries on both each evening and the Spirit challenged me to double that. So I did. Plus I read 2 short devotionals.

Truth be known I don't miss television or movies. I, like an old gospel song, would rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

A few Disciples, after the resurrection, were taught by Jesus of every place in the Old Testament that mentioned Him. So I look for these when I read.  

Since the beginning of the year I have read from Daniel to now the book of John. Daniel and the book that followed I read only 2 study Bibles worth, but after that it's been all 4. Two of the NASB, one of the Christian Standard, one of the New King James. All by Godly men of my lifetime.  

You can't afford to spend no time in the Lord. Your days will not be fulfilling. Your mind will be pushed towards conformity to the world. Your mind and heart will not experience the transforming power of the Word of God. You will cave to temptations. You will inevitably have a life of practiced sin that we are warned about in the book of Romans. You will be quite deceived by your own sin nature as well as the world. You will redefine words to appease your conscience. You will see nothing wrong with the things that the Word of God says are in fact sin. When you hear God's truth you won't recognize it as that so you will dismiss it. Then the inevitable will fall upon you as is promised to everyone. You will stand before Jesus one day to give an account of your life. What will you say? You were too busy? You think that's going to hold up in the Courts of God Almighty?

My encouragement today is to get down and dirty with some serious Spring cleaning of your soul.  

If your days aren't spent honoring the One who saved you then you aren't honoring the One who saved you. Nothing in this world in which you live is more important than the life you could be living with a right relationship with Jesus. 

What you read of my routine...I had been praying about learning how to study. I am not saying that I am a genius or anything, depending on the testing my IQ is around 140. School work most of the time wasn't challenging. One of my hobbies are instructional videos. Sometimes physical books. I love troubleshooting problems. God's given me that ability. I like figuring things out. I am looking to the Scriptures to figure out some things in there as well. My list of questions to ask Jesus when I get to His Heaven grows. 

If you are honest with yourself do you think that Jesus would be happy with the amount of time you spend with Him daily?   

We just went through a celebration of the last week He had on Earth. The brutal beatings, scourging, being nailed to the cross to save us. 

Doesn't that warrant more than "God is great, God is good, thank you for this food. Amen."?  

Doesn't that warrant doubling down on getting to know the One who took your place on calvary?

What will you change today to honor His sacrifice to save you?

KJV is public domain. 

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

The True Reality

The True Reality 

by David Brenneman 

"The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil." John 7:7.

"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:15-17.

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 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 12:1-2.

If the deeds of the world are evil...why are we trying so hard to fit into it?

Why should those who follow Jesus look like everyone else in the world in our thoughts and actions?  

The reality is that we are to be lights in this world. The light in any physical place illuminates everything it touches, whether good or bad. 

"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.” Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5:6-17.

We will never show ourselves different to the world if we continue to try to fit into a way of life we were to depart from. How will people see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven if we don't stand out in a way that we look differently in our words and deeds?

We can make good spiritual use of the things that this world has. We must still take great care that these things we do grab ahold of aren't hurting our witness to the world. 

A sober question is: Should Christ-followers ever mention that they love this or that that the world provides? Isn't that how the world describes such things?  

If the Scriptures say that the man of God should be free of the love of money, shouldn't that go beyond that as well to other things that the world battles and wars to own?  

Satan's schemes are sculpted to each person in order to trap them. 

To keep them from achieving their potential in Christ. 

You, my Dear Reader, are in the midst of a world that absolutely does not have its best in mind for you. This world wants you to leave any and all parts of your walk with Jesus behind. Even if it's in some small thing. 

Jesus testifies that the deeds of this world are evil. If indeed we are followers of Jesus Christ then the world is going to hate us just as it hated Him. Jesus follows up this by encouraging us that we should be of good courage that He has overcome the world. 

When the world doesn't get us not participating and ridicules us we are to be of good courage. 

When the world points a finger at us because we don't compromise and wants to punish us we are to be of good courage. 

When the world refuses anything to do with Jesus and their need for Him as their personal Lord and Savior we are to be of good courage. 

Our lives...are not ours...

"But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:17-20.

It's not about us getting what we want or think we deserve. It's us being a disciple of Christ and showing a lost and dying world that there's room at the cross for them. 

It's living a life so different from the world that people want to know the reason for the hope we have. 

This is a transformed life not a conformed life.  

A conformed life is absolutely no different than a person who never came to Christ in the first place. 

The world will be relentless in trying to get a Believer to conform. To water-down what love's meaning is. Love not the world nor the things of the world.  

They are at odds in our lives until the day we die.  

Love this, love that. Love this team love that food. Love this car, love that place. Take the meaning of love and make it mean something else and be accepting of it.

That's a scheme of Satan. 

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

Love your neighbor as yourself. 

“You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be sanctified among the sons of Israel; I am the Lord who sanctifies you," Leviticus 22:32.

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification; " 1 Thessalonians 4:3a.

Sanctification: the action of making or declaring something holy.

To be holy is to be set apart.  

Take a look at all the compromises you have allowed in your life. 

Take a look at what you do, say or think that isn't holy. 

Take a look and my Dear Reader...turn away from such things. 

We should be living examples of Christ to a lost world. The world may hate you for it. You may take a financial hit for stopping something you've paid into. You may lose some relationships born of these compromises. You may lose your status among people.  

Jesus did too.

Be holy as He is holy. 

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

Walking Worthy

Walking Worthy 

by David Brenneman 

"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." Philippians 2:12-13.

"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. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?" Romans 8:28-31.

What we do...matters. 

What we think...matters. 

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

What we do...matters. 

What we think...matters. 

So many, oh so many, people don't think there is or should be consequences to their actions. These days you do not have to look far to know that that is true. 

As Christ-followers we should be recognizable as such. We should be different from the world. We read of all that the Disciples did and should see and understand that their lives were not their own. Jesus lead, commanded, they did.  

Chosen of God the Father they followed Jesus while He taught them.

They indeed gave up everything to follow Jesus. Which included what they did and what they thought. 

What degree of seriousness do you have concerning your walk with Jesus?   

You should be taking time to be with Jesus every day. Not just a couple minutes but serious time. 

How else do you plan on living a life approved by God? How else will you show Jesus appreciation for all that He did for you to save you?

The day after His crucifixion, several thousand years ago, Jesus was down in the heart of the Earth with all the saints who had died. He finally arrived, their joy and jubilation was off the charts. King David, Moses, Adam, Daniel, all who had gone on before. Their salvation had arrived.

I believe that there was also those who'd recently died who saw Jesus and lamented their rejection of Jesus. The other thief was one such person. 

Those saints we read of in Hebrews 11 all gathered around Jesus. By faith they lived lives worthy of their calling in Christ Jesus. 

"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift." Ephesians 4:1-7.

Are your thoughts worthy of your calling in Christ?

Are your interests worthy of your calling in Christ?

Are your deeds worthy of your calling in Christ?

Are you living an approved life worthy of your calling in Christ?

If you indeed are saved in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of sins, you my Dear Reader, have a divine calling in Christ Jesus. 

You are to live your life in Christ in such a way that people see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. 

If your life mirrors the world what could the world possibly see in you that's different?

Do you really want to scrape by in entering into Heaven? Having done only the minimum for He who died the death you deserved for your sins?

We can do more and should be doing more to show our appreciation for all that Jesus did for us.  

We should be walking worthy of our calling in Christ Jesus. 

We should be different from the world and should be a light not hidden under a basket.  

"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.

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

Matthew 22:37.

"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." Colossians 3:23-25.

Being different in the Lord is what we are to be. We have been saved in Christ. We are approved for entry into His Heaven based on the finished work of God in Christ. We have work to be done for the Kingdom of God while we are yet still here breathing the air of this world.

"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved."

1 Corinthians 10:31-33.

Do you live a life that really shows Jesus that He means everything to you?  

Are you going to be one of those who's works are burned up?

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." 2 Peter 3:10-18.

"According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.

You, in how you live your life, show Jesus just how important what He did to save you, really means to you. 

"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:15-17.

There's probably not a worldly sales person out there who wants to hear people getting told to turn away from those things that grab the eye or tug at the heart, that pull people away from a life approved in Christ.

Satan's schemes are formulated for you. He doesn't sleep. His minions are as aware of everything about you as your Guardian Angel is.  

His schemes are designed to do anything he is approved of to disrupt your walk with Jesus. To ruin your calling in Christ. To get you to get you out of the game.

If all of your posts are about things then that's all people will see is important to you. 

If all you talk about is anything but what God's doing in your life then that's all you are showing anyone that is truly important to you. 

If what you do, say or think gets more of your passion and love than Jesus does then you are showing yourself and others just who is more important in your life. 

Walk worthy of your calling isn't just words on a page. 

The Words of God jump off the page to turn lives around and beyond. 

When was the last time you really had a heart-to-heart talk with Jesus since coming to Christ for salvation?

Are you walking worthy of your calling in Christ or are you walking in an unworthy manner?  

The calling of God is revealed in your obedience. The gifts and calling of God in Christ Jesus is irrevocable. You ARE imbued with gifts from on high in Christ and you WILL give an account some day as to what you did with them.  

Walk worthy of your calling in Christ. 

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