Bring On The Pruning

Bring On The Pruning 

by David Brenneman 

"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit."John 15:2.

     When we serve God faithfully, we may be shocked and confused when He allows adversity in our lives. After all, we are obedient to Him-shouldn't He reward us rather than allow us to experience pain? But realize that He doesn't allow challenges in your life for harm. Rather, He permits them because He sees the immense potential for fruitfulness in you, and He wants you to rely increasingly on Him. If He didn't prune you, you would eventually fail under the weight of your own success.

     What can become especially disorienting, however, is how the

Lord prunes you. God may work through hurtful remarks, false accusations, people manipulating situations for their own benefit, and great challenges that seem potentially devastating. But remember that you don't choose the tools God uses; He does. And the tool will most likely be sharp, painful, and unavoidable. This is because loss is always a part of the pruning process. However, don't get

distracted by the method. Remember He is working for your good. Through it all, pray, "God, I'm Yours. No matter what happens,

I will trust You." Because He will make you fruitful if you`ll just endure.

Jesus, I'm Yours, No matter what happens, I will trust You. Remove whatever needs to go. Amen.

- Trusting God with Today, Dr. Charles Stanley. 

What IS your point of view when the unexpected happens to you? Of when out of an apparent nowhere your life abruptly changes?

Looking back over my life I can see the Lord's pruning. Can see where He removed things or even people from my life. Can see where my finite mind thinks it understood His reasoning. But then June of 2025 happened. That time the pruning sheers certainly hurt in the moment. To this day I can remember most of how that day started n the details of how the day went. Part of me hates it that there's those whom I know as friends believe a lie about me because there's no place for a defense to be offered. I was fired, falsely accused, from a job for the first time in my life.  

     This particular devotional of Dr. Stanley's I keep reading over and over year round. I did read this last year during my unemployment period. The most that I have come to understand is that my Savior was keeping me from something that He didn't want me involved with and at the same time needed to prepare me for what was to come: more growing in Christ. Learning more about relying on Him to provide "our daily bread" and everything in-between. 

     Our lives were enriched greatly by this apparent adversity. Just as Job's was. Just as Joseph's was. Just as it was and has been throughout the Scriptures. Hebrews 11 is a good place of recorded prunings.

     My Dear Reader...are you bold enough to pray that suggested prayer that Dr. Stanley included?

     Are you more interested in growing in Christ than you are of anything or anyone else in your world? This, my Dear Reader, is the difference between taking up your own cross and not taking up your own cross. Being all-in with the growing in Christ process, prunings and all.  

     Can you wrap your arms around "Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God." Proverbs 30:8-9?

     Are you spending or have you spent your time, energy, effort and money on worthless things that aren't beneficial to your growth in Christ? King Solomon is a great example of wisdom as we see written but we also see how riches and wealth can produce the opposite of Proverbs 30:8-9.

     

     I would that you indeed pray that prayer. That you persevere and stand firm in the Lord when the pruning comes. He's never done any harmful thing in my life but only what's been necessary for my growing in Christ. Trust His process. Trust His promises. 

     Be prepared because it's certainly going to be for your good and His glory. 

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

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

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org 

Starting Right Now

Starting Right Now 

by David Brenneman 

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’" Matthew 7:21-23.

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

"So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God." Romans 14:12.

"So take care how you listen;" Luke 8:18a.

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds." Matthew 16:24-27.

A lot to read, but as with all Scripture, all truth to take in.

What we read throughout is that a life in Christ isn't lived for self. A life in Christ will show Christ to all who see and interact with such a life. A life in Christ will be evident as will a life that is not when all stand before Jesus to give an account of their lives.

All who have ever lived will be standing before Jesus and all will either be among the saved by Him or among those who rejected Him. 

What has your life looked like? Are there only sporadic moments of Christ revealed in you or is it non-existent, or is your life a shining example of one all-in living for Jesus?

We need to be careful how we listen because of what Jesus said in another passage. What enters the ears affects the heart and mind. In recent decades we can apply a saying "garbage in garbage out".  

None of us in Christ are going to get it right every time but it is on us to strive for living for Jesus in all that we do. Doesn't matter if it's doing the dishes or being the CEO. Jesus said in everything we do. Read Colossians 3:23-25. 

Would that we could see a visual representation of two piles. One of what we've done thus far in obedience to God and the other of what we did not. Then to see the fire of His Truth applied to both. Would such a sight change your way of thinking going forward?  

It doesn't matter what we think or our opinions thereof. What matters about the life we lived is what it will look like when we stand before Jesus to give an account of our lives. Did we love God with our everything and love our neighbors as ourselves? Did we do everything as unto the Lord? We we hoarders vs people blessed and in turn blessed others? Were we rich in our lives towards our relationship with Jesus?  

The reality is, Scripture says to treat each day as if today were the day when Jesus would return. Live with that expectancy. Live with that thought in how we live, living generously, living with forgiveness in mind towards others. Building upon our relationship with Jesus, remembering our first love with Him. 

What indeed would your life reveal if today were that day you give an account of your life before Jesus?

In 1917 Thomas O. Chisholm wrote "Living for Jesus". Here's the first verse and the chorus.

"Living for Jesus a life that is true,

striving to please Him in all that I do,

yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,

this is the pathway of blessing for me.

O Jesus, Lord and Savior,

I give myself to Thee;

for Thou, in Thine attonement,

didst give Thyself for me.

I own no other master;

my heart shall be Thy throne.

My life I give, henceforth to live,

O Christ, for Thee alone"

Think about what you feed your mind and heart with. Think about those two piles. The day we stand before Jesus there will be one pile and after the fire of His Truth touches it each person's work will be made known. Will you be giving any kind of crown back to Jesus for how you lived your life or will you be left with nothing?

Live for Jesus with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit starting right now. Love your neighbor as yourself right now.  

Live for Jesus in all that you do starting right now. 

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

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

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org 

What You Take In

What You Take in 

by David Brenneman 

"If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?" Proverbs 24:12.

"Do not say, “Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”" Proverbs 24:29.

Where do your thoughts go during the day? Do you stop yourself before they go places where a child of God ought not to go? Do you try at all to follow the Scriptures when it commands "stand firm!"?

Raging against others isn't a sign of a life that is lived in the character of Jesus Christ. A loose life that chooses to listen to content that is in direct opposition to the Word of God isn't displaying the character of Christ. 

We must choose, as Joshua said in Joshua 24:15 "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

We must choose to obey Christ Jesus our Lord when He commanded "be careful how you listen!". What you take in will shape your mind and heart.  

To go to Church at the beginning of the week and then turn back to worldly thoughts and ideas until the next Sunday isn't good.  

To know more of this world, willingly, than you do the Holy Scriptures isn't good.  

To revel in worldly music rather than what glorifies God isn't good for anyone. Not that all the music of the world is bad for the heart and mind, but if it has words, be careful of what you listen to! It's impacting your way of thinking because Jesus said it would do that. 

What we take in impacts our desires. If our initial desire is to grow in Christ yet we continue to take in content that has nothing to do with this, we prove ourselves disobedient. If we aren't serious about our relationship with Jesus what will that be seen as when we stand before Jesus to give an account of our lives?

What we take into our hearts and minds will impact how we react to those around us. Will alter how we as Believers are seen by those still in this present darkness. 

It's a struggle, a grand struggle, to fight against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places as well as within our own hearts and minds.  

Satan nor his minions the demons, can inhabit a Believer, however he can sway our thinking in order to sway our behavior if we are not careful and are not practicing awareness of the same. 

We really are practicing being being naive when we just go with the world rather than practicing standing firm in the Lord. When we aren't even trying to be careful of what we take into our hearts and minds. 

Our words reveal our character. 

 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:33-37.

Are you feeding your heart and mind what will produce the character of Christ in your life or are you feeding it the stuff of the world which only, inevitably, leads to disobedience?

Really consider what Jesus commanded. "Be careful how you listen!" As written, He was being extremely emphatic.

Consider this as well in closing. 

“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:46-49.

"Be careful how you listen!"

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

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

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org

To Not Profane the Name of Jesus Christ

To Not Profane the Name of Jesus Christ 

by David Brenneman 

"Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens." Proverbs 23:4-5.

"Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar. Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die: Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God." Proverbs 30:5-9.

Being satisfied...Being sanctified. 

Our world's economy is largely based upon you not being satisfied with what you have. In truth they build it into every commercial from band aids to trucks. From television to movies. They want you to not be satisfied, but to spend, spend, spend in your vain effort to maybe achieve it.

Christians can and do fall into this trap and it's a big one of Satan's schemes.  

We all, the Believing and unbelieving alike, blurr that line between a need and a want. 

For the Believer it's a blurriness that can lead to giving in to temptation that can lead to sin.

We can desire stuff but when we allow that to impact our lives to the end of all else then we sin.

I have desires and it's been a long arduous process of learning to pray about them and to leave those requests with God. I don't always remember to pray before leaping but it is something that I am trying to learn to be doing. 

The character of Christ Jesus is what we're to compare ourselves to. It's way more than that slogan from a few decades ago of WWJD (What Would Jesus Do).

In our heart of hearts, in Christ through the Spirit of God within us, we know. We know and are left with choosing His way or ours.  

Certainly some things are no brainers. Others are so easy to see that prayer is an absolute requirement and still others are somewhere in between. 

Like my desire for a newer vehicle. While the desire is there, it's a foolish notion in the Lord to run out n sign on a line when affordability isn't considered first. 

You may put off operational costs but before you ever pay it off you'll incur heavy maintenance costs, just like you experience now with what you have. The grass isn't always greener on the other side. 

We would also do well to be satisfied with what we've been given in the Lord.  

We can open many a painful time by not being satisfied with what the Spirit is doing in our lives. 

Because, my Dear Reader, He IS doing in our lives. He IS working in YOUR life. He never sleeps nor does He slumber. He works concerning others who will impact you in His work in you while you sleep. He works while you are awake. You will be tested. Will you take the apparently easy route or the one that requires you to do a bit more of trusting and obeying?

The testing is for our benefit in the Lord. Did we learn to become more like Jesus Christ than we were before it? This is why we're still here, at least in part, our transformation in our character to the character of Christ. Our lives being a testimony to the Lord's work in us, it's not to impress others, but rather to lift up the Name of Jesus. 

"When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you, And put a knife to your throat If you are a man of great appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, For it is deceptive food." Proverbs 23:1-3.

This passage preceded the first we read today. It's on my mind when I visit with someone and someone is offered to eat. I also try to keep it in mind when someone offers to buy food. 

I don't want, as Paul wrote too, my eating or any such thing, to be a stumbling block to another. 

We are to keep it at the forefront of our minds that which should be...we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them. 

We aren't here at all for our own good pleasure. We aren't here to create a personal paradise of our own minds. 

We are to take up our own cross and follow Him. From the moment that we wake up until our heads hit the pillow again. Our lives belong to the Lord.

Our lives are supposed to reflect Jesus to this lost world to show them there is hope to be found in Christ.  

We're called to be different, not to blend in. Not to pursue worthless things. Not to sound like the world in our way of thinking or living.  

Stop n consider what you do, say, think, allow yourself to listen to...in these things you value...is Christ being glorified? Are these things really glorifying God or are you only fooling yourself into thinking they benefit Him? Are you satisfied with what He's promised and provided or are you pursuing a right that isn't yours to begin with?

When your life is over...who will be seen as the master of it...you or Jesus?

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

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

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org

From the Lord to You

From the Lord to You 

by David Brenneman 

"Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your mind to my knowledge; For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, That they may be ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the Lord, I have taught you today, even you. Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge, To make you know the certainty of the words of truth That you may correctly answer him who sent you?" Proverbs 22:17-21.

Many, since the written versions of the Bible, have taken to preaching that the Word of God teaches us n shows us the will of God.  

Many seek it intentionally, still others half-heartedly look into it. Still others have yet to crack open their Bibles to investigate further.

While I was shown 1 Thessalonians 4:3 "This is the will of God for you, your sanctification..." Right here we read in Proverbs right from the Lord about it.

There is a terrifying statement from the Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels that ought to shake people to their core. 

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’" Matthew 7:21-23.

With what we know of what Jesus said about Hell when He spoke about the Rich man and Lazarus there's an extremely high probability that countless people are kicking and screaming on their way there who are crying out "Lord! Lord! No! I believe! I believe!". People of whom never had the life-changing eternity altering experience of truly coming to Christ for salvation.  

The way to salvation has been simple enough for a child to understand it. Adults, both the younger and older, over-complicate salvation because of both their selfish desires and their sin nature being unwilling to let go of their way of life. They foolishly believe they can get saved at the last minute. 

How do you have a rich relationship with Jesus 2 seconds before you die?

Now I do know of people whom have come to Christ on their deathbed. That's a different story than those whom cry out for it as death grips them in an instant. 

You breathe your last and your destination is sealed.  

I found it interesting in the book of Job this morning to realize that the breathe of the Lord is what gave Adam and Eve life. Considering this...it's the breathe of the Lord that gives both the Believer and the unbelieving life. When our time is up its then that the Lord takes back His breath of life. Among the worst things attributed to Satan, the power over death isn't one of them. Only God has that power. Satan cannot take a life without permission. Be it human or otherwise.  

You, my Dear Reader, I pray for. 

My prayers include praying that this blog either brings people back to Jesus or leads them to Him for the first time.

Waiting until you've gotten out of life what you wanted before coming to Christ for salvation seriously degrades the value you place on the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for you in your place on the cross.  

You don't even have the ability to stop your own death once that day that has been set for you arrives.

You don't know where or when your time will be up. A true story of a friend of mine still reverberates with me today from over 10 years ago. Her husband stood up to get more coffee n fell to the floor dead. Alive one second dead the next. No warning. No signs. Nothing to say it was going to happen. CPR wasn't going to make a difference. 

God said that moment was when her husband was going to leave this world. I don't know if he was saved or not. But the same result is for all: either you are welcomed into His Heaven because you placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sins, Jesus being the Forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life, or you didn't and are escorted to Hell for not having done so. 

There no purgatory, there's no reincarnation, there's no second chances. 

Jesus, through His Spirit, wants to teach the way of life for you in Christ but you must ask Him to be the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life. Nobody before or after you die can ask on your behalf.  

Are your things, your way of life, your possessions, status, power, really worth more to you than knowing for sure that you are going to spend eternity with Jesus?

You must choose. 

You must or you will be forever separated from Jesus in painful torment, paying for your own sins. 

So how? What must someone do to be saved?

"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.

There's a rich, vibrant, relationship waiting for all who come to Christ for salvation. It's nothing like anything you can conceive it to be. Your understanding of it cannot ever come close to what it will be like. 

Text the word "Jesus" to (330) 264-9459 and someone will get with you to show you how to be saved. 

Don't wait. Don't put it off anymore. Don't listen to others around you who mock what it means to come to Christ for salvation.  

There's going to be only two ways "Lord! Lord!" are going to be said. One is in excitement at the prospect of going home to forever be with Jesus, the other is in terror at the prospect of forever being separated from Jesus. 

The choice is yours.  

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

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

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org 

Oh

Oh

by David Brenneman 

"Oh" may be our only response to the truth revealed as we stand before Jesus to give an account of our lives and we see things as He does concerning all the various times in our lives when we questioned God. The "oh" of full realization of understanding that we could not have handled or we equipped to receive.

Where did this come from? I was reading in the book of Job this morning and this is like my umpteenth time going through it knowing what's around the corner from one of Job's lengthy dissertations. 

Job's about to be confronted by the Lord and have an explanation given to him that he both never saw coming and also wasn't everything...yet...as to why he went through all of this.

Job probably didn't know until Christ showed up in Paradise to take everyone with Him to Heaven or maybe after they arrived there concerning why his life took this turn.

We too don't know what forces are in play around us. We DO know that Scripture says that we are among those whom Satan's bringing accusations about to the Father and Jesus is there defending us. 

It's really easy to not think about such things but my Dear Reader the struggle is real, the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places are at war with the armies of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Realize that humanity is and was that important that Jesus went through everything He did to make a way to save.  

Realize that if humanity is this important to the Father and the Son and the Spirit that Satan's going to try his best to ruin lives, pervert and twist the truth, to sway the thoughts of men and women away from the truth of the Gospel. 

Realize that which constitutes Satan's schemes. As one once put it "know your enemy". You go blindly into battle you'll get hurt.

Knowing your enemy you can prepare and avoid scrimmages that ought to be avoided. 

Yet in all this...remember...you will only know in this here this now what you NEED to know rather than the whole unrestricted truth. 

Trusting in the Lord with all your heart is going to mean through all the times you're not getting it but know to proceed anyway. Trusting in the Lord with all your heart is going to mean through all the times where you are not understanding and yet are being shown the way to go or to avoid. 

The battlefield is our minds and hearts.  

Just as we see in somewhat detail in the book of Job, while indeed God isn't behind what's happening in our lives directly, He may be permitting it to yet still bring about all things for our good and His glory. 

It's ok not to have the whole picture where the Lord's concerned. We probably would be much worse off in knowing whatever it is He's keeping from us. 

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.

So it's going to be a while until we do glean some understanding and that's ok. God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

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

A corporation not for profit.   

La Habra, CA All rights reserved 

www.lockman.org 

A Moment to Reflect

A Moment to Reflect 

by David Brenneman 

"Man’s steps are ordained by the Lord, How then can man understand his way?" Proverbs 20:24.

"The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the innermost parts of his being." Proverbs 20:27. 

Did you ever stop to realize the truths found here? You were born in this point in human history, where you were, by the parents whom bore you, for the express plan and purpose of God?  

We came to Christ, heard His call, and were saved by Him. We then became His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them. We, on our part, are to set our minds on the things that are above and not on the things that are of this world. Living as lights in the present darkness we were born into.  

We have a calling in Christ that's to supercede all other thoughts and desires. 

"Everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." This is really at the heart of our lives in Christ.  

We are to do our best, as unto the Lord, with whatever He brings to your heart and mind for God. 

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

We were set among the members of the body of Christ just as the Spirit saw fit. You, my Dear Reader, if indeed you are saved in Christ Jesus, are uniquely placed in the body of Christ for His purpose and glory.

Today's questions are this: are you seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness that all these things may be added unto you?  

Are you putting others above yourself? Are you daily communicating with your Father in Heaven?

Are you spiritually stronger today than yesterday? Are you intentional about removing that which the Spirit shows you needs to go from your life or are you trying to ignore or argue for these things to remain?

What we do, say, think, has eternal repercussions. Jesus said clearly, "be careful how you listen". We read 4 Gospel accounts on what Jesus said it means to be a Disciple. Are we pursuing these things that make for true discipleship in Christ or are we still trying to go our own way?

We will either be shown as Christ being our first love or we won't. Read the letters to the Churches in the book of Revelation. 

Will the account of your life show your love and devotion to your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ or will it show you pursuing what you wanted out of your life instead?

Take stock of your life...you still have this here this now to get it back together. 

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. 

New American Standard Bible 

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