A Scribe on the Wall

Several years ago now, I believe that God gave me a message, He would be telling me things and it was up to me to tell others. To me, it's much like the Watchman on the Wall as described in the Old Testament. The Watchman was told that it was on him to warn others about any approaching dangers. God's apparently gifted me with being able to type and write. So I put the old definition of a writer along with the concept of a watchman together. Jesus is coming soon...are you ready?

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Holy Calling, Holy Service

by David Brenneman

As I was wrapping up my reading of the Gospel accounts and began into the book of Acts...one of Dr. Charles Stanley's comments was really interesting. The Disciples, now Apostles-sent ones, were each doing as lead by the Spirit. Even to the point made by Jesus to Peter after he was restored by Jesus, "What's that to you? You follow Me!"

We really do often struggle with the "next" in our lives as we progress in our time on this Earth. In school we look forward to being out of it. Some look to further schooling, some to careers, some to family businesses, some to military life. The world then shuffles most everyone towards an idea of retirement.

Yet, in the Bible, the only retirement program is when either Christ returns or we pass on from this life to the next. In the chapter I was reading in Acts, when the Apostles decided to appoint 7 men to oversee the distribution of things to the Church the comment that Dr. Stanley made was to the effect: do what the Lord has invited you to be doing. Don't get into what you were not invited by Him to participate in.

I was then considering the lives of the Apostles from the Gospels as well as what history records of how their lives ended. By no means did they ever consider leaving that which they were appointed by the Spirit to be doing in service to the Lord.

I have known quite a few very Godly Men in my lifetime. These men exemplify what I am talking about this morning. To keep on doing what it is you were called to be doing until God says otherwise. Our retirement program is only in Heaven. Jesus only sat down at the right hand of the Father when His work was done. The Apostles did not cease from their calling in Christ until they breathed their last.

The body of Christ, the Church, is to keep on keeping on in whatever capacity, activities, that the Spirit sees fit to assign to each member until or unless He alters that plan.

Is it those in the Church who sabotage the progress of the Lord within and without of the Church by pursuing their own desires of worldly retirement by ceasing on their own from what they were called to be doing? I do not know.

I only can go by what we can establish within the Scriptures.

It took decades to see the beginning of what this ministry that God called me to be doing with this blog. To write whatever He gives me to write when He wants it shared. I see the pattern of the lives of the Apostles...and believe that the only way this ministry for me will end will be when Jesus returns.

An example that I hold up as a profound encouragement is that of my Spiritual Dad. Mike Wingfield writes and distributes Prophecy Today Newsletter through Prophecy Today Ministries, www.ptnews.org.

Mike began as a Pastor and after leading at various churches felt that the Spirit was going to redirect his service to the Lord. Which is when the Newsletter was born. He's been completely faithful in keeping his assignment. He too plans on continuing until the Lord Jesus Christ returns or he is called home.

Other strong examples are Dr. Charles Stanley, Pastor John MacArthur, Dr. John C. Whitcomb, Dr. James Boyer, Dr. Herman Hoyt, who all continued in their calling until called home to be with Jesus. Dr. David Jeremiah continues in his calling. Pastor Alistair Begg continues to write and speak even though stepping down as Lead Pastor.

Our examples in the Lord show us to keep on giving our best as unto the Lord until or unless He says otherwise.

My personal point of view is seen throughout this post. I will have plenty of time to rest when I rest in the Lord after leaving this world.

For you, my Dear Reader, you need to do as the Apostle wrote.

“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ” Philippians 3:12-14.

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB1995

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

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Monday, October 12, 2026

David's Prayer For Deliverance and Guidance

by David Brenneman

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, Give ear to my supplications! Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness! And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no man living is righteous. For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead. Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart is appalled within me. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your doings; I muse on the work of Your hands. I stretch out my hands to You; My soul longs for You, as a parched land. Selah. Answer me quickly, O Lord, my spirit fails; Do not hide Your face from me, Or I will become like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul. Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; I take refuge in You. Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For the sake of Your name, O Lord, revive me. In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble. And in Your lovingkindness, cut off my enemies And destroy all those who afflict my soul, For I am Your servant.” Psalms 143:1-12.

The more you read of God's Word the more and more often you ought to begin to see things that you can claim as your own. Things that you relate to. Things that you desire for yourself.

There's much to unpack in these short 12 verses. To go verse by verse would take too long for a post, maybe not for a sermon but certainly for a post.

King David's prayers are yet another reason why he was considered to be a man after God's own heart.

It that a desire for you? To be a man or woman after God's own heart? Are you of those who only act Christian-like in certain circumstances or is it your life?

We either represent Jesus Christ or we're representing ourselves.

We either make it our ambition to glorify God or to glorify ourselves.

We are either all-in in following Jesus or we're not and fall among the lukewarm Christians Jesus says He will spit out of His mouth.

How are you doing with this in your life? Read David's prayer again.

How personal are your prayers to Jesus? How much of your heart have you truly exposed to God?

Many in the world want "their" "me-time" even from God. They run off on a vacation and leave even Jesus behind. They leave behind their Bible and the things they do with Jesus until they get home as if He were optional.

How much of your life would be part of your life if you truly desired to be a man or woman after God's own heart?

Would you be involved with this thing or that thing if you truly realized how it's affecting your walk with Jesus? Not how you've convinced yourself that it isn't, but rather how Jesus sees it.

We convince ourselves by our own standards of measurement what is right and good for our lives without ever seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness to find out what God thinks or says about it.

We rate additions to our lives based on our flawed sinful nature. Not by God's Word.

Think in these things and pray as David prayed...for God's deliverance and guidance today.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Sunday, October 11, 2026

Personal

by David Brenneman

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

Psalms 139:1-24 NASB1995

How personal do you take your walk with Jesus?

Is His presence in your life your first thought or somewhere down a list of people?

I read this passage this morning and began piecing together what we know of the Disciple's lives.

They were considered uneducated.

They were of various backgrounds as far as employment goes.

They were a mix of single and married.

They were from what was considered the 'just getting by' crowd to those who were from families that had money due to their family business.

In other words they were made up of people not too dissimilar to people in the Church today.

People like you and I.

There's meme's out there of the Disciples trying to get away for a day from being with Jesus that are and yet are not funny.

The truth is they never accepted the idea of being anywhere else.

Reread the passage from today.

How personal was David's thoughts of his relationship with his Lord and his God!

Do you really put things above your times with Jesus? Do you put things above your time with Jesus?

A great snare of the devil is how to get us to waste our time, our energy, our lives rather than counting the cost and living appropriately in the Lord.

I have perhaps 6 dozen movies yet really can no longer see a value in watching any again. I can't see a value in watching any new movies that don't have a solid Christian theme. I find no value in sports due to what it brings out in me which is nothing good. I find no value in berating people, belittling people, raging at people over a stupid game...and thereby ruining my testimony in Christ before others.

The Disciples were living a life that exemplified being with Jesus. Single or married they lived a life that was to have what Jesus said and taught as their highest priority.

Consider how deeply David felt a little such thoughts.

“I will give heed to the blameless way. When will You come to me? I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart. I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know no evil.”

Psalms 101:2-4 NASB1995

He set a standard and would not be moved.

The bar that I personally have set it seems the Lord, thankfully, adjusts in my life to make me more like Christ.

It was a personal choice to remove televisions from our home. That was one worthless thing. We still do have other things that we're more controlling of to try to curtail that are just as worthless.

It was a personal choice to no longer read science fiction novels for me. This was replaced with more time in God's Word. Something of eternal value.

We do more damage to our testimony and our life in Christ by holding onto whatever He says isn't beneficial to growing in Christ.

We lose out on the righteous life that God desires for us to be doing when we control rather than the Spirit controlling whatever is in our hearts and minds.

We cannot know what the Lord's plans are for us until our obedience is complete.

So my Dear Reader...just how personal is your walk with Jesus?

What are you keeping in your life that has no business being in your life for it serves no purpose in the Lord?

If you find yourself convincing or trying to convince yourself of what you deserve to have in your life...you're in trouble.

If you have reached what the world refers to as retirement and have given up on serving the Lord as you once did...you're in trouble.

All the Apostles gave their all until the day the Lord called them home.

Jesus, the epitome of the standard, gave His life in the fulfillment of the Father’s plan for Him.

Jesus would not let anyone or anything deter Him from His Father’s plan for Him.

Are you going to follow in their footsteps?

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Saturday, October 10, 2026

Prepare to Do

by David Brenneman

"“Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.”"

Luke 5:5

As a seasoned fisherman, Peter's professional opinion was that what Christ was telling him to do wouldn't work. Most of done in the Sea of Galilee was done at night in shallow the water, fishing not during the day in the deep, as the Teacher was insisting But it was Jesus asking, so he complied.

Maybe you're facing a similar situation. The Lord instructs you

to proceed in a way that, in your experience, makes no sense. But

it is the all-wise, all-powerful Sovereign of creation who is leading you, and trusting Him means looking beyond what you can see to what He knows and He knows everything. So the absolute best thing you can do is obey God and leave the consequences to Him. Peter did, and he drew in such an overabundance of fish that his

nets began to break.

Throughout your life, some of the Lord's directions to you will seem overwhelming, illogical, and even impossible. But when the Almighty tells you to do something, you should do it simply based on who's instructing you-trusting He will see you through. So set out into deep water and let down your nets. Do what God says. Because you don't want to miss out on all He desires to do for you.

Jesus, I will do what You say and trust You. Amen.

- Trusting God with Today

by Dr. Charles Stanley.

Are you prepared for what the Spirit would have you do today? Not your list, thought out list, half thought out list. Not what you think you'll be doing today.

In reading this devotional, and after listening to a man speaking on what became of his listening to the promptings of the Spirit, it seems that the Spirit would have me recall one such occasion in my somewhat recent past.

It was a day like any other. Got up and going, had things to do and was working my plan until I got a call from my neighbor who was crying. Now this neighbor wasn't your ordinary man. At the time he was an accomplished bodybuilder. But God had him stopped dead in his tracks.

His son of only several months old was chronically ill. He was running out of options as to what to do and the doctors were beside themselves. He asked me if I would pray over his son, he would bring him over. I told him absolutely. I told my Wife and she joined me on the back steps of our deck with them. I wasn't sure exactly how to pray and couldn't tell you what all that I said. I do know that God was going to do something wonderful through it.

He thanked us and went back home. A day or so later he called to tell of the remarkable set of circumstances that came about and he attributed it to that prayer. A nurse couldn't sleep and could only think about Arriah. She went in the next day and went through his records. There was a specific test that was talked about but not done. So they did it and discovered his B12 deficiency. They treated him for it and he's about 10 years old now.

My Dear Reader, make your plans, but always leave room for God to change them. The man in that video's story was very similar to the one I just shared with you. In his case of listening to God the miracle happened right in front of him and the child's family in the hospital.

Listen and obey.

You're very mistaken if you think this day is only for you to live out your plans and desires.

We are workers in the fields of the Father. This is our Father's world.

Listen and obey...God's looking to possibly use you today in someone's life.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Friday, October 9, 2026

Oh Where Oh Where Do Your Thoughts Go

by David Brenneman

“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. 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 4:4-9.

My Dear Reader...where do you allow your thoughts to go? Do you control them or do they control you?

There are times when learning discipline is easy other times its painful. But in the Lord discipline is always a good thing. We may not understand it but there's never been nor ever will be any bad lessons from the Lord in our lives.

“All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” Hebrews 12:11.

This combined 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, tends to change your way of thinking towards what honors your walk with Jesus.

Do you indeed wish to give your absolute best towards your walk with Jesus? I sure hope you do.

How seriously are you taking it that you're going to be giving an account of your life before Jesus? The level of detail in that account is down to our very thoughts and intentions we had during our lives here on Earth.

Are you now considering your ways as the Scriptures also say to us in Haggai 1:5 &7, Lamentations 3:40, Psalms 119:59, 2 Corinthians 13:5, Galatians 6:4, Proverbs 4:26?

Think that God's Word is telling us something about it? Looking at the prideful, arrogant, history of Israel we see that they were so full of themselves that they didn't.

Look at Jeremiah 17:10 “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.”.

For sure, pray this particular prayer "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalms 139:23-24.

The battlefield has not changed since Adam and Eve.

It's within.

It's the heart, the mind with the goal being the soul.

Are you going to draw a line in the sand in your mind and heart? Doing what is right in the sight of your Savior and Lord Jesus Christ to the exclusion of all else?

Taking it seriously this account we are GOING to be giving and it's depth into our hearts should shake us to the core of our being.

There's no good defense when we face the One who knows more about us than we do.

Pray for yourself with regards to taking back your battlefield in your mind and heart.

Pray for your thoughts and intentions to be right in the sight of our God. Leave off the love of the things of this world, the love of money or anything this world has to offer.

Be sure you're living the life that God desires for you and not your own selfish ambitions.

Oh where oh where do your thoughts go...are they towards the righteous life that God desires for you or away from it?

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Thursday, October 8, 2026

Prayer in Progress

by David Brenneman

I don't know if the saying "a prayer in progress" is being coined by me but it's how I described someone to someone else who's a Believer last night.

“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’ ” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge *said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”” Luke 18:1-8.

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 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 12:10-21.

“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; ” Colossians 4:2.

“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, ” Ephesians 6:18.

All who are alive today really are the result of someone else's prayers. All who are alive were, at some point, standing on the shoulders of someone's prayers.

The only point where prayer should stop is when such people are no longer breathing. Until that point there's always hope in the Lord for these wandering souls to see the light and come to Christ.

Truly...who really wants to use an excuse before Jesus of things or situations as to why they gave up on someone who eventually did come to Christ for salvation?

If things done to us stop us from being the light of Jesus Christ...then we need to review the Gospel accounts concerning all that Jesus went through, all He suffered, before going to the cross.

Nothing done towards us stacks up to that.

Praying within ceasing. How we are to treat those who persecute us. How we're to be the exemplary standard of Ambassadors for Christ in how we conduct ourselves in the world.

I have family who are a prayer in progress. Situations happened and they no longer speak to us. I have people whom I have not seen in days, months and years whom are on my mind...these are a prayer in progress. I go through life like all who were granted a today from the Lord do. I run across all sorts of people. These too should be a prayer in progress.

We, as part of denying ourselves to follow Jesus, must not put our feelings or emotions ahead of what we are commanded to do in the Lord.

We don't get to choose who's deserving of God's grace and mercy. We don't get to choose who's worthy of second chances. We don't get to decide who is worth praying for and who isn't.

The rules for prayer are rather easy and simple.

If God's allowing someone to at all, in any way, be involved with your life...then add them to your prayer list.

So what as to how they've possibly treated you badly. Your mission is to obey God in all your ways.

I am not a betting man but in this particular case I would easily win a wager that the Apostles prayed for those whom they encountered. Whether from persecution or from praise they prayed for those whom God brought into their lives.

Someone prayed for you and that's how you came to Christ for salvation. To someone else for that you were a prayer in progress. After coming to Christ for salvation you, hopefully, continued to be a prayer in progress to grow with respect to your salvation. To become more like Jesus Christ.

Christians who hold grudges aren't representing Christ. Christians who aren't practicing prayer daily are not obeying Christ.

Out treasure in Heaven is people. The harvest Jesus spoke of are people.

Jesus came to be born of a virgin, live a sinless life, die a horrific death on a cross, rise 3 days later conquering sin, death and the grave, only because of people.

People in your life should be a prayer in progress for you.

Jesus prayed for you in this.

Let go of whatever it is that's causing you to not pray for those who've possibly done you wrong.

Whatever your reasons they won't be acceptable when you stand before Jesus to give an account of your life.

Let those whom God has brought you be a prayer in progress for you to be praying for.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Representatives We Are

by David Brenneman

Yesterday was an exercise in trying to do the right thing more than I thought at the time.

Let's just say there was an incident whereby I truly believed that my Wife was being disrespected by employees of a business. I could have easily went off the handle and yelled, but, I didn't. Called the company and calmly explained what my Wife had said had happened. The nice secretary took notes, called the Supervisor and he later called me. We met later and had an extremely civil conversation. Those responsible were dealt with appropriately. On behalf of himself and his company he apologized to my Wife.

Scripture tells us several things in dealing with others. There's days I get it right, there's days that I don't. This just happened to be the day I am pretty sure that I got it right.

We're representing Christ wherever we go and in whatever we do. We aren't here to defend our rights as we see them. We always already have an Advocate in the Lord. We are never out of His sight nor are ever off His mind.

This incident is in sharp contrast to the various calls that I have had with another business who's procedures are frustrating me to no end. They claim one thing, assured me of it, and almost every 60 days claiming something else. Sadly, I haven't been no where near as calm with them at this point.

We, including me, can easily forget that there's no situation we will face that Jesus isn't already keenly aware of every thought and intention thereof.

In this moment I am reminded of how I felt after being very unceremoniously let go from an employer last year. My first reaction was to pray. My second was in making various phone calls to trusted men in the Lord.

We can either seek Him first or find ourselves wishing that we had.

Either way He is still one conversation away from being involved as He would have been beforehand.

Thing is that we're going to have situations to face that are more than us. More than we can handle. It's an extreme fallacy to believe that by simply coming to Christ for salvation means those go away.

We become "enemies of the state" that is of this current world system, when we come to Christ for salvation. Jesus said through Paul, wheras it be it all possible be at peace with all men. Which gives rise to the notion that there will be times when it's not possible. But we are to give it our best shot with all due diligence to represent Jesus in all things.

While the world is set against us, Jesus promises to work all things for our own good and His glory for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

We may not figure out how He will but that's not for us to know most of if not all of the time. That would be us leaning on our own understanding.

So going into today we go into another day of possibilities. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it as the Scriptures say to us.

Represent the Lord Jesus Christ well today my Dear Reader.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org