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, May 5, 2026

Down to Brass Tacks

by David Brenneman

Are your eyes on the sky?

Are your ears attentive to the voice of the Lord Jesus?

Would you recognize the things that Jesus said would be coming or that which Paul wrote to the Churches?

Do you have eyes that see and ears that hear?

Do you ever pray for those whom are in authority over you? It's written there in 1st Timothy to do so.

Do you run to the Father when life takes a turn you hadn't expected?

Do you talk to Jesus when you need an understanding heart?

Are you living the life you have been given in Christ to the best of your ability as unto the Lord?

Yes, many questions, but none so difficult that you shouldn't be able to respond to.

This day is the day that the Lord has made...for you...for me...for even this world that is perishing.

Will you rejoice and be glad in that as the song goes?

My Dear Reader we aren't to be so attached to this world that we forget or neglect our calling in Christ Jesus.

We have no excuse for not being in the Word of God daily. Nobody does. It's available easily online or as an app. It can still be found as a physical book. Can be ordered through Amazon and many other places.

The Apostle Paul wrote the Thessalonians as well as others to be on the alert against apostasy in the Church. It's happening all over the world and it seems clear that much of the professing Church doesn't or is incapable of recognizing it. Biblically unqualified people in positions of leadership. Women in positions of authority over men. People who have turned away from the sexual orientation that God established in them supposedly serving in the Church as if it wasn't against God's Word. Neutral worship songs that don't point people to Jesus. Some that try to say that God is a woman. Scripture says to beware of those who call good evil and evil as good.

These are the things that make up the apostasy in the Church.

Throughout the same letters to the Churches, Paul exhorted them all to stand firm in the Lord and to remove such things from among them. Yet those things are being widely accepted today.

The Rapture of the Church is going to come and countless millions are going to be crying out to the Heavens for Jesus to come back.

Millions and millions of people who are being deceived by Satan will still be here for that great and terrible experience of the Great Tribulation.

Be sure of your salvation Paul wrote. Be sure you are saved. Then LIVE it.

Paul's writings to Timothy and Titus are filled with exhortation to live out their lives honoring God through their calling in Christ.

Paul wrote in Romans about a life transformation that's to be taking place in the lives of those saved in Christ Jesus.

Do you pray for those around you? Do you pray for those who you know to be Believers?

Do you pray for those in authority over you? For your nation and its leaders whom God put there over you? It's a grand fallacy that anyone voted people into offices. The Scriptures say that it is the Lord who establishes those in authority and it is He who removes them.

It's written clearly that women are not to be in authority over men in the Church. They are not to be Pastors. Timothy and Titus were instructed to teach faithful MEN. Elder/Pastor/teacher is the same word in the original language. There are no women elders. Women Deacons yes...referred to as Deaconesses.

We are told directly from Jesus to be careful how we listen. Be careful of what we're listening to and who.

Paul wouldn't give anyone even an hour of his time if they were talking contrary to the Word of God.

Jesus told not just those in the recorded Gospels but to us as well...go and learn what this means: I desire obedience over sacrifice.

Have you learned what obedience to the Lord means? Are your desires getting in the way of your obedience to God's Word? Are you letting what you want to be true mean more to you than the Word of God? Are you avoiding the Word of God because you know what you will find there?

Think about it. Consider it well because it's these things that will be at the heart of that account all Believers will give before Jesus.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Monday, May 4, 2026

Why Don't You? Yes YOU!

Why Don't You? Yes, YOU.

by David Brenneman

"Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." Joel 2:32.

So why don't I call on His name? Why do I run run to to this person or that person, when God is so near and will hear my faintest

call? Why do I sit down to plot my own course and make my own plans? Why don't I immediately place myself and my burden on the Lord?

Straight ahead is the best way to run, so why don't I run directly to the living God? Instead, I look in vain for deliverance everywhere else, but with God I will find it. With Him I

have His royal promise: "[I] will be saved."' And with Him I never

need to ask if I may call on Him or not, for the word "everyone" is all encompassing. It includes me and means anybody and everybody who calls upon His name. Therefore I will trust in this verse and will immediately call on the glorious Lord who has made such a great promise.

My situation is urgent, and I cannot see how I will ever be

delivered. Yet this is not my concern, for He who made the

promise will find a way to keep it. My part is simply to obey His

commands, not to direct His ways. I am His servant, not His advisor. I call upon Him and He will deliver me.

- Charles H. Spurgeon

As God would have it, this was part of my reading yesterday evening. On the heels of our Grace Group studying in Psalms 25.

"My eyes are continually toward the Lord, For He will pluck my feet out of the net. Turn to me and be gracious to me, For I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses. Look upon my affliction and my trouble, And forgive all my sins. Look upon my enemies, for they are many, And they hate me with violent hatred. Guard my soul and deliver me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You." Psalms 25:15-21.

We often don't go first to the Throne of Jesus Christ when something has been allowed to occur in our lives. Please re-read that, it's important.

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30.

A prayer for myself concerning what began June 12th of 2025 is that I not forget at all the steps that my Savior took my Wife and I through. Especially the beginning steps. Those steps that began with my keeping silent as I was escorted out and found myself sitting in my truck looking at the end of my career at the company I had spent almost 4 years at.

My first reaction was shock of course. Then came prayer. Then His immediate plans were for me to call my Saturday Group Leader. Then my Wife then others. My God had allowed this and it was happening. Regardless of what I was told in the meeting that had just taken place I knew that I wasn't returning. I had no idea what steps to take and keeping in prayer was where I began. One of Jesus's promises of never leaving or forsaking us was the first that came to mind.

But why permit such things? Because of many reasons but the first is that when we come to Christ for salvation we are no longer our own. We were bought with a price, the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We are now His. We began a path of life that has its goal of growing us in Christ, to be conformed to Christ. To remove our character and replace it with the character of Christ.

As I explained in sharing last night, and as the Group Leader said appropriately, I can look back from memorial stone to memorial stone. Can look back and its the Spirit telling me "See how far you've come? Back then you couldn't make it through what you are going through today.".

We can't know the path of righteousness set before us without stepping in that direction with Jesus.

Someone once wrote something about hand holding with God. That if we hold hands with Him, we'll be tempted to let go. Yet if He is the one to reach out to hold our hand, He's never going to let us go.

Our tendency is, in reality, to underestimate our situation. We underestimate and attempt to take it on without asking God for help. In this we fail every single time. We ought to come to Him first. Not even trying to figure it out on our own. Standing on His promises.

My Dear Reader, even though you're probably already in the mix with your supposed unique situation, Jesus is waiting on you to come to Him with a sincere heart ready to do whatever He's got in mind for you to be doing.

All my life I have always lived to the truth that God would always allow me to work wherever He put me until He made it impossible for me to stay. June 12th 2025 was just the most different way that He has ever used to make it impossible for me to stay. No more no less.

Emotionally it was rough at first. Relationships that I thought were ok were shown to be a sham. So I pray for them because I know with as solid a certainty as the ground beneath my feet that my God will deal with them in ways that I never could. In every single time that someone has wronged me as an employer God has dealt with them in that way. I just needed to stay out of His way. I could relate stories but this isn't the place for them.

Jesus wants us to stand on His promises and is going to permit situations where we are lead to do just that, if only we would recognize that's what the purpose for it is.

There is always a purpose for what we go through in Christ. Listening for the voice of the Spirit of God is paramount. Obeying is paramount.

Beginning with that...THAT is what begins to bring a peace that passes all understanding.

That is what leads us in the path of righteousness for His Name’s sake.

That is what brings glory to God in our circumstances.

These things are what adds to that crown of righteousness that we will give back to Jesus.

Begin by stopping to take a breath and pray. Go immediately to the throne of grace.

He WILL keep His promise to always take care of you.

He WILL keep His promise to never leave you or forsake you.

To relate this point to an earlier post. Take these concerns to the Lord and leave them there. Don't give in to the temptation to pick them back up and go your way with them. Leave them with Jesus then obey all you're told to do in the Lord. Listen to the Spirit. Listening FOR the Spirit.

Lastly be thankful in everything. Yes even these things...that's what the Bible says.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Sunday, May 3, 2026

On Behalf of All Men

by David Brenneman

"First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time." 1 Timothy 2:1-6.

"Do all things without grumbling or disputing;" Philippians 2:14.

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

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:9-11.

"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 12:36-37.

Maybe a strange topic but it is a worthy topic this morning. There are many, throughout the world let alone here in the United States of America, who erroneously display their emotional side of their political views without discerning whether their words aren't beneficial to those who hear.

Here in the USA we aren't a democracy, but rather a Constitutional Republic. Yet this gets forgotten during such rhetoric.

Time and again and in every way possible we must guard our hearts as the Scriptures say to us. We must guard our mouths as well.

For those of the household of God, we, of this world, are the most examined of all. Satan's minions as well as the unbelieving are always on the lookout for ways to discredit our life in Christ.

For all who believe and are the called in Christ Jesus...we are commanded to pray for those in authority over us. Be it politicians, law enforcement, emergency services people, employers, any whom the Lord Jesus Christ deems to establish over us in authority.

For those raring to go with arguments...your barking up the wrong tree when you don't like whomever the Lord set in those positions of authority over us by going to your fellow mankind about your unhappiness in them.

Do you not believe the whole Scriptures? That the Word of God says that indeed God establishes and it is He who removes?

Are you not tarnishing your image to the world by your words and actions when you're really in a disagreement with the Sovereign Lord over all mankind?

Jesus is the one who's directing the affairs of mankind in accordance with the plan of the Father. When He walked the Earth teaching His Disciples He taught that He was about the Father’s business. When He arose from the dead, He appointed the Apostles to carry on the Father’s business. Teaching future generations of Believers to do the same.

Personally I have a party that I align myself to. But unless I feel it safe to do so I do not bring it up. To me it's a non-issue that doesn't support the preaching of the Word. It's not something that will ever be THAT thing that will be what a person needs to know before they come to Christ for salvation. But going on about those kinds of things haphazardly will push someone away from that gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

We are to pray without ceasing...not a 24/7 ongoing prayer. But when the moment is requiring it, do it. We are to pray for ourselves and others. Praying for people here is to pray for that treasure we will have in Heaven.

It is the work of Satan to distract, to divide, to disrespect, to disrupt, the lives of people to take their minds off of Jesus Christ. Believers and the unbelieving alike don't know just how easily we can be played to do all those things.

We also play right into them when we complain unendingly about those whom God put over us.

Are you praying without grumbling? Do you not know that you're pulling nothing over on God when you are praying? He is the one who searches the hearts. Praying from a sincere heart is a requirement for a prayer that is meaningful.

Additionally...all who are put in authority over us are part of God's plan that one day will include the Rapture of the Church as well as the beginning of the Great Tribulation after that takes place.

As it's been a known impossibility...you can't hate and love at the same time. You cannot pray for the will of God for you and the world in Christ Jesus and pray against what He is both needing to do and is going to do with mankind.

Ours in Christ is to obey the Word of God. Ours is to be Ambassadors for Christ before the world. Then we are other things after that obligation is fulfilled. Then we are workers for employers, then we are father's and mother's to children. Then we are whatever our role is in the Church even. We are to represent Christ first and foremost. If we allow anyone or anything to usurp that...we've lost.

Take the time to pray as you know you ought to. Take the time to likewise ask for forgiveness if you've let your personal opinions on others disrupt your Ambassadorship in Christ.

Ours is to trust and obey.

Ours is to live, act, be, in the character of Christ to the world.

An it certainly is on us to trust in the Lord for whom He chooses to put over us. We are to give of our best as unto the Lord in everything.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Saturday, May 2, 2026

First Priority...then Life

by David Brenneman

Our first priority is to live in the character of Christ each day...and then to live as necessary for each day as the Spirit leads.

When Jesus taught on things such as the time they brought Him the question of paying taxes to Caesar or not. It began with the lesson then He directed the Disciples in what to do in the physical world.

In the workplace we arrive as Ambassadors for Christ before we arrive as workers in that workplace.

What we do with Spiritual matters is what will impact our physical life.

In 1st Timothy, Paul exhorted Timothy to teach faithful men in order to perpetuate sound teaching.

Sound spiritual teaching should begin and end our day.

When we stand before Jesus, we will give an account of our lives before Jesus for what we did in our bodies for Him. Whatever we do that wasn't will be burned up as useless.

When we are setting our minds on the things that are above and not on the things that are of this world we are then living with right priorities. When we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness we are then living with right priorities.

The orders that Moses was giving the children of Israel were of obedience to God's Word before they did anything else. To keep it, remember it, live it.

It's not enough and certainly isn't good enough, to just stop doing things in life that aren't God honoring. We must replace them with that which is God honoring or eventually we'll return to that which we were so entrapped.

Are you struggling with life? Is your walk with Jesus your first priority?

Are you driven by accomplishments or by obedience to God's plan for you?

Personally I really don't look for accolades anymore. The One whom my life is to show honor to is only to the One who bled and died for me on calvary. What's on me to do is to give of my best to my Savior and my Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians 3:23-24. As He directs me, so must I do my best in it. Same goes for all Believers.

Today is one day closer to when the Rapture of the Church will take place. One day closer to standing before Jesus to give an account of our lives. One day closer.

Should He come today would you be caught not in the right frame of mind in living life or would you be found as a doer of His Word?

Would the review of your life net a quick bonfire of waste or would a robust crown of righteousness be the end product to give back to Jesus?

Our daily lives should always be showing Christ to the world in everything we think, everything we say, and everything we do. That is part and parcel with loving the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit. With loving your neighbor as yourself.

Do you strive to please Him in all that you do? It requires earnestness. It requires standing firm. It requires taking whatever anyone tells you to think, say, or do and filter it through the Word of God and your relationship with Jesus.

Be sure to live in the character of Christ then to be about your own business. We are to be lights in this world reflecting the light of Jesus Christ to this dying world.

What did Jesus say?

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his soul?

What is it ever going to gain anyone to not put their relationship with Jesus first?

Living for Jesus a life that is true.

Striving to please Him in all that I do. Yielding allegiance, glad hearted and free, that 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.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Friday, May 1, 2026

Faithful Men of God, Faithful Women of God

by David Brenneman

"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything." 2 Timothy 2:1-7

"Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some. Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.” 14-19

"Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will." 2 Timothy 2:22-26.

"Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint." 1 Timothy 2:9-15

Whether you think that this is debating or not, seek the Lord in your questioning of it rather than pointing any angst at me. These instructions that were written to Timothy and in a sense to Titus were about how the Church was to be with regards to church leadership and those whom should be preaching and who should not be...and why. If there's any arguments let them be settled in this: this is the inspired Word of God. It matters not who does or doesn't agree with what's written because this has been the words of God under the protection of the Spirit of God for several thousand years.

There also is now this, that elder/pastor/teacher are the same word in the original language. They are also in the male only context. While there are Deacons and Deaconesses there are no female versions of Elders.

That being said, Paul, throughout his writings pointed churches and church leadership towards an orderly manner in the Lord.

Next is that this order and orderly manner is of God Himself in the person of the Spirit of God.

"But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired." 1 Corinthians 12:18.

The positions within the Church are and always will be by the direction of the Spirit of God until the Rapture of the Church.

As men of God, we're to be living in the character of Christ Jesus. We're to be among those who both learn and are able to teach. We're to be doing whatever part is ours in the Lord. Just as the Spirit saw fit for us to be doing.

Likewise there is a roll and sound Biblical reasoning for the roll of women in the Church. Women are permitted and encouraged to teach other women as well as children. This does not make them Pastors. This makes them teachers of women and teachers of children.

They are as subject to the Elders of the Church as are all men within the Church.

This orderly manner is from the Lord through His Spirit.

Why bring this up today? In his writing to the Thessalonians, Paul gave clear direction to them and us that there was to be a falling away of the Church from sound doctrine. A falling away from what the Spirit says that the Church of Jesus Christ was to be and be like. Part of that is playing out before our very eyes and is part of the evidences that we indeed are living in the last days. That we, way more than those original written these letters we read in our Bibles, should be daily looking and being ready for the return of Jesus.

There's many so-called churches in this world who've drifted away from sound doctrine. Teaching and actually advocating doctrines of demons. Among those doctrines of demons is that there can and should be women preachers. That there could and should be female elders. That a practiced life of homosexuality has a place in the church.

Scripture is clear that there's no heavenly future for those who practice-live daily-in sin, that is also referred to as lawlessness.

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

Again, as you read through this, and especially the Scriptures, you need to turn your attention to prayer and seeking the Lord for your answers.

We are supposed to be living lives in readiness for the return of Jesus Christ. Living life in accordance with the Word of God and not worldly opinion. Not opinion that makes us feel good or justifies our sins.

As someone once said "Sin is sin, no matter what anyone says about it. If God says it's sin then it's sin. End of discussion.".

The Spirit places you in the body of Christ as He sees fit. It's not for us to choose. If He's not called a man to be a Pastor then he shouldn't strive to be one...and so on.

We were given a specific, special, roll in the body of Christ and what we will be standing before Jesus giving an account of is how well we did what was ours to be doing in the Lord.

We absolutely do NOT want to be among those laying claim to having done this or that in His Name and then being told to depart for He never knew you.

We are to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. We are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit. To love your neighbor as yourself. To grow in respect to your salvation in Christ Jesus.

We aren't here to seek or to create what sounds like Godly positions or responsibilities that are not ours to have. We are to be the best we can be in that which we've been called to be in Christ as the Spirit directs us to be. No more no less.

We're to be faithful in what is approved by God for which we've been called to be in Christ.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Thursday, April 30, 2026

Just as They, So can We be

by David Brenneman

In reading in Deuteronomy today and also in Proverbs 30...it really became clearer that even Christians can repeat the mistakes of the children of Israel.

We can indeed forget from where we came.

We can forget from what we've been delivered.

We can forget to keep ourselves holy, separated, from a life of sin.

We can forget the lessons taught to us by the Spirit of God.

We can neglect to read our Bible and not remember the promises of God.

We're not immune to falling short, falling down, falling away from what we're to be and were taught to be like.

"Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-8.

We have, like they, a beyond fantastic opportunity to live the righteous life that God desires for us if only we as well would walk by faith and not by sight.

It's incredibly tempting after such a long period of unemployment to be careless. Yet the lessons learned are still with us. I am grateful and thankful for all that I get to do these days. The great people that are now in my work life. The Believers in my life all around. The family where the ties that bind have grown stronger.

Yet we read: "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." James 1:12-17.

Temptations will come. Some decorated as nice shiny things other will be as a fishing lure that hides a hook inside.

The same as they were tempted so shall we be.

"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 12:2.

We have before us the opportunity to grow in Christ, to run the race set before us, to finish well.

So had they but each had turned aside to do whatever was right in their own eyes.

Pray for your walk with Jesus.

Pray for your spiritual eyes to be open.

Pray for your obedience in Christ to be complete.

Pray that whatever you are shown by the Spirit that needs to be changed that you would not shrink away but would change in accordance to the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Diligence and Standing Firm

by David Brenneman

"You should diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and His testimonies and His statutes which He has commanded you." Deuteronomy 6:17.

“Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, then watch yourself, that you do not forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." Deuteronomy 6:10-12.

"for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 3:8.

"Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." 1 Corinthians 16:13-14.

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil." Ephesians 6:11.

We, in the world today, actually have a whole lot in common with that passage in Deuteronomy 6:10-12. Most people don't consider that this is the way of most of the world. We aren't very prolific at building a house and developing the land for our use.

Most are buying or renting where others have already been. What we ought not to forget is the very same point as that passage and the other's you read this morning there.

The direct connection between diligence in the Lord and standing firm in the Lord.

It's incredibly important not to forget the tremendous blessings that the Lord Jesus has granted each of us and to not take them for granted or forget them altogether.

"The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it." Psalms 24:1.

We don't own anything. All things including ourselves belong to the Lord.

Being diligent and standing firm require us to remember to whom we belong. To whom we owe everything. Of how we shouldn't forget to bless as we have been blessed by Him. Of how we shouldn't forget to love as He first loved us.

In Deuteronomy where that passage comes from, Moses was taking time to remind the children of Israel before they went into the Promised Land of everything they were taught. That there would be consequences for turning away from the Lord's commands and blessings for remembering to adhere to them.

We, in our world of the Church age, likewise need to remember there's blessings and situations when we forget to stand firm in the Lord. When we allow self to creep into our thinking.

Our still being alive in this world is both for our sanctification, growing in Christ, as well as to serve as a light to the world-showing them the way to salvation through Jesus Christ alone.

It's not for our comfort, fortune, or possessions. It's not for success or worldly acclaim.

So before you think you know what your day is or is going to be about...pray and ask Jesus to show you what He wants of you today. This is the day that the Lord has made and all that it contains. We know not if this is the day of His return. We always ought to be diligent and standing firm in our walk with Jesus especially if we believe that to be true.

Pray for you to be doing what you were called to be doing in Christ.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

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