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, February 3, 2026

What We Need, He Promises

by David Brenneman

"Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:6-9, 11.

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:25-34.

"For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13.

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21.

There's more than we think is going on that is going on.

We don't see so we dismiss. We don't look so we miss. We don't listen and we wonder why. We, unfortunately, aren't much different than the Jews whom the Lord said always seek for a sign, some proof before they will act.

Yet throughout the New Testament we see the opposite in the lives of Believers.

We need reminders of the facts about a life in Christ. The world is relentless, the enemy is relentless, our sin nature is relentless...and guess what? The Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are more relentless than they combined.

There's more to living life than getting all you wanted out of life.

There's always the chance that what God needs you to do looks nothing like you getting what you want out of life.

"Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” Acts 9:10.

Now there's those who say that the Lord doesn't speak to people in this way anymore. I am living proof that that is a lie. Satan's schemes involve people believing such lies. I know that I know that I know of many times that within me I have been spoken to by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Worry. This is another one of Satan's schemes. Getting us to worry about what's coming. What's around the corner, over the next hill, down in the next valley. Where the next this or that is going to come from.

Did not our personal Lord and Savior Jesus Christ make promises to us who believe?

What did Satan's first temptation to Jesus look like? "Did God really say..."?

Seeking the Lord while He may be found is the beginning. Knowing that He's already seen tomorrow. Already knows what's coming. Already knows what you will think about or choose. Knows every sin we will stumble into. Yet He keeps His promises. He promised to forgive us and never to forsake us. He promised His Spirit to indwell us. Promised to guide us through His Spirit into the righteous life that God desires for us.

We who are saved in Christ Jesus...we ought to be thankful every morning noon and night for Jesus being with us throughout it all.

We are walking through a difficult valley in life right now. Our local Church helped us through January. Some whom we know, God laid it upon their hearts to help us in getting through February. Various food pantry locations have been a tremendous blessing to us. We are still moving on towards wherever He's leading us to. There's too much evidence to see, feel and know that Jesus is keeping His promises of keeping His eyes on us.

We serve a living Savior. I do my best to do whatever He puts before me to be doing. Doesn't matter what it is. Or who it's for. Just like our brother Ananias did.

We can worry as the world does...but we need not. We have the promises of God. If Jesus Christ was more than up to the task of making a way to save mankind...He's more than capable to keep His promises for everything else that applies to us.

We must trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey. That great hymn says it oh so well.

While we do His good will, He abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear,

not a sorrow we share,

but our toil he doth richly repay;

not a grief or a loss,

not a frown or a cross,

but is blest if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove

the delights of his love

until all on the altar we lay;

for the favor he shows,

for the joy he bestows,

are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet

we will sit at his feet,

or we'll walk by his side in the way;

what he says we will do,

where he sends we will go;

never fear, only trust and obey.

Add to this one another we don't sing often enough.

Standing on the promises of Christ, my King! Through eternal ages let His praises ring. "Glory in the highest!" I will shout and sing, standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:

Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God, my Savior; standing, standing, I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail! When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, by the living Word of God I shall prevail, standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises, I now can see perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me; standing in the liberty where Christ makes free, standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises of Christ, the Lord, bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord, overcoming daily with the Spirit’s Sword, standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I cannot fall, list'ning ev'ry moment to the Spirit’s call, resting in my Savior as my all in all, standing on the promises of God.

My Dear Reader...consider all that you've been richly given!

"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." Colossians 3:16-17.

We need reminders of what Jesus has done already in our lives. We need reminders that He IS doing things in our lives today. We need to be reminded that He will continue into tomorrow and the day after that and after that until He either calls us home or He returns.

It's on us to trust and obey, to stand on His promises, to pray without ceasing. Pray for those who persecute us. Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. Know that He has plans for you that are more than you can understand right now. Learning that I don't need to know all the things my mind says that I do has been a challenge for me. But I know that I need to trust and obey what God has in mind for me to be doing.

Same goes for you my Dear Reader. Same goes for you.

It's ok not to understand or to know where something is going. A year ago I wouldn't have conceived in my mind the turn of events that happened in June simply from befriending someone my employer introduced me to. I wouldn't have considered all that God's enabled me to do during my employment hiatus. He's provided in ways that I never could have considered in order to help others. He's helped me get organized here at home much as I used to do at the places that I have worked. Provided free materials to build or fix things.

Psalm 23 is likely the most well-known Psalm. For the Believer...it's loaded with both promises of God and the knowledge of that path of righteousness we need to walk in order to please God.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalms 23:1-6.

He makes, He leads, He restores, He guides.

We trust we obey. He does the rest. We need promises...He has them.

We need assurance...He provides it in abundance.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Monday, February 2, 2026

Be Ready For You Know Not When

by David Brenneman

"Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11.

Luke 24:10, Matthew 24:44, Jesus says to be ready for His return.

Luke 12:45 "Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit.".

For at least 20 years of nothing but the teachings of Jesus Christ given to the Disciples and the OldTestament, ALL the new Disciples from the beginning of the Church onward were taught to make yourself ready. Jesus taught on many occasions of the need to be ready for we know not when He will appear.

Those who are not or will not WILL be caught unaware when that day arrives and they've nothing to show for the life in Christ they were to have had.

If there is going to be a waiting line at the Behma seat these people likely will be very distraught and nervous. There may not even be a waiting line. In His sovereign omnipotence Jesus may see all the Church at the same time. No time to prepare anything that people think that they will say that they believe will matter.

Paul's exhortation to run the race set before us with endurance...persistence...with purpose...gives no quarter to laziness or anything like that.

We should live lives expecting.

Expecting visitors. Expecting situations that will potentially point people to Jesus. Expecting situations where we are given life lessons to grow in Christ. Expecting situations where people see the life of Jesus Christ in us and in turn glorify our Father in Heaven.

They should very much see our expectation of Jesus returning.

It is fully honoring to God when we are living in expectation rather than not.

Paul counted all as loss.

"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:7-11.

Do you view this present hour of your life as though Jesus could be coming back for you? Do you instead have your mind everywhere else?

My Grandfather on my Mom's side passed away while reading his Bible. What a way to go! From reading the Word to being face-to-face with the Word. My Grandfather wanted to be a preacher but never was able to reach that point in his life.

My whole ministry here in this blog is to either point people to Jesus for salvation or point them back to Jesus.

In living my physical life I want to help people by showing them Jesus in my life. I have long since began considering that my aspersions in life aren't really worth pursuing, even though they're still there, in view of living the life that God desires for me.

What about you? How prepared are you to be face-to-face with your Savior and Lord Jesus Christ?

How much value do you put on being found approved by Him?

How are your priorities? Is there signs in your life of a true dedication to a life in Christ?

Are you approaching each day as if today were THAT day? The Disciples turned Apostles learned that and taught that for over 20 years and we find it throughout the New Testament as being taught to the Churches.

Would you be able to stand before Jesus knowing that you gave your best to the Master?

Are you living like you're ready to meet Jesus? Do you long for that Heavenly place that's your true home?

If not...start right here right now. Jesus taught it, therefore we should obey in it.

Each day we are still here we should give of our best to the Master and Lord Jesus Christ.

What will your life show? Will when your works are tested by the fire of His truth result in nothing or very little to give back to Him for all He did for you?

I have given the real world example of someone I know who was taught the hard way about this. Was a morning not unlike all others. Her husband was getting up to get them more coffee and in an instant he fell to the floor dead.

Just last night I heard a similar story. We have no clue, will get no warning, of when we will step into eternity....but we WILL know that we WERE warned to be ready for it.

Recall the old hymn "Give of Your Best to the Master, give of the strength of your youth..."

Tomorrow may never come...and each day we have is a gift from God. Each breath that the wicked breath is mercy in action. We are to live lives in Christ in such a way that people see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven.

Be ready for you know not when your Master will come...

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Sunday, February 1, 2026

What I Need

by David Brenneman

"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice deeds of wickedness With men who do iniquity; And do not let me eat of their delicacies. Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; It is oil upon the head; Do not let my head refuse it, For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds." Psalms 141:3-5.

"For my eyes are toward You, O God, the Lord; In You I take refuge; do not leave me defenseless. Keep me from the jaws of the trap which they have set for me, And from the snares of those who do iniquity. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, While I pass by safely." Psalms 141:8-10.

Complacency, compromise, feelings based on these, comfort rather than the relinquishing of our will to His will in us.

We have but one and the same path set before us as has every Believer in the history of the Church...live for Jesus in all that we do. He didn't come to be served but to serve. The will of God for us in Christ Jesus is our sanctification...1 Thessalonians 4:3a.

Take a good look at the participation of Believers on any given Weekend and you'll find no short of people who compromised when it comes to resting in the Lord as He intended a rest to be. We, myself included, often or in the case of many more, don't try to rest in the Lord on a Sunday. It has to be filled with things that take our attention away from our walk with Jesus.

Satan's schemes are all around us, worse than any trip through a county fair's main row where all the rigged carnival games are and countless people are taken in by.

Yet in the same respect that people going through those rigged games think they can beat the game, we think we can beat Satan at his own games on our own and don't see how that's part of what he uses to sucker us in.

We need God's help to make headway in growing in Christ. We cannot rely on our strength of will to be enough or be effective against the schemes of the devil. We need to hold to a commitment such as those in Chapter 11 of Hebrews, the Faith Chapter, did.

It's not easy letting go of things that we learned to 'love'. But my Dear Reader, if we are striving to live a life approved of God in Christ Jesus, those things will need to go...and should we be driven to finally pray with that in mind...we will see the Spirit do something about them that we in and of ourselves could not.

We need the help of the Spirit of God to defeat the areas of our lives that are yet still tainted by sin's influence. We need to recognize where and when we compromised. Where and when we were complacent. Where and when we said, thought or did life in a way that's not working towards that will of God for us. We cannot trust ourselves. We have and will lie to ourselves. We need the impartial, immovable, all-knowing Spirit of God to work in us. Breaking the strongholds that need broken within our hearts.

I can't trust me to do right by me. Neither can you. It takes a lifetime of commitment to take up your own cross and follow Jesus. Not weekend visitations with Him for a few hours. We are taught of how simple and easy it is to just give a little here and there to make what we perceive life to be all that much simpler for us.

We read in Paul's letters of what he struggled to rid himself of in order to run the race set before him. Paul's struggles are of only a different kind than yours and mine and were just as debilitating at times.

We are exhorted to run the race set before us as though to win the prize. Any runner in any race drops everything they can in order to be lighter and faster than those they race with. Paul's teachings as lead by the Spirit of God show us that still better way.

We get sucked in collecting things that will yet still perish with time.

We get suckered into wasting hours watching things that don't matter in light of eternity. Pouring emotional energy into those things that gain us nothing in Christ.

We get lead astray in so many ways that we can't even recognize that it's happening until after it's happened.

We need to commit to what Jesus committed to. Living a life approved by God the Father. Even if it's an emotionally painful thing in letting go. Even if it's a physically expensive thing in letting go.

As one of Dr. Charles Stanley's Life Principles says...anything we hold onto too tightly will turn to ashes.

Do we WANT to see huge huge gaps in our Christian life where all that's tested by the fire of God's truth gets burned up?

We need to want what God wants for us. In everything in all things. The Disciples had to learn to think differently and so do we.

Ask for help from the Spirit to clear your thinking and to give you the mind of Christ. Expect and watch what will change.

Want what God wants for you. God wants us to become conformed to the image of His Son.

That's what you need.

That's what I need.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Saturday, January 31, 2026

Unbreakable Covenant and Conviction

by David Brenneman and Daniel

"Then these commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: “King Darius, live forever! All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions’ den. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.” Therefore King Darius signed the document, that is, the injunction. Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God." Daniel 6:6-11.

Maybe you noticed the slight alteration to who's writing this post today.

Daniel is certainly writing to all who would read about his life with the Lord. He makes no mention of it when they were first taken to Babylon but the evidence is clear that from a young age he had the unshakable, unbreakable, covenant conviction to pray every single day. He met with the Lord 3 times a day and nothing nor anyone would ever change that.

Read between the lines concerning how and why Daniel succeeded in all he did. Where did it start? Where did it come from?

We cannot show others a life in Christ if we aren't living it our in an unashamed manner. We shouldn't make excuses for missing our own appointments with Jesus.

Yet we do. We allow this or that to get in the way. We desire things that would make us potentially happy at the expense of a moment or two with Jesus who died in our place.

We allow excuse after excuse and wiggle out of the responsibility that we have been taught to obey in.

Daniel certainly shows the example for all of us. I know that personally catching the message of this post has brought conviction to my heart.

We easily find the time for many things but never really get consistent in prayer.

Daniel's life exuded prayer as being of the utmost importance. As did Joseph. Those visions he had whereby his brothers and father were upset with him? Those came from a life obedient to the Lord. His own family didn't recognize the hand of the Lord in them although Israel aka Jacob kept what these words were in his heart and mind.

Throughout the life of Joseph we read of how the Lord was with him.

This leads us to his prayer life. Joseph was a man of prayer.

Daniel was a man of prayer. When he prayed Heaven certainly heard.

What is holding you back from a greater prayer life? What is it that convinced you that it was optional or wasn't really worth your undivided attention? Consider the silence that's there where there should be conversations between you and Jesus.

Daniel's life exemplifies commitment. Even if facing earthly judgment he didn't care and wouldn't stop. Just as his friends answered King Nebuchadnezzar so in his actions he said the same to Darius and those who accused him.

His life is our example just as much as Joseph's. Keep this in mind as you reread Psalms 139:1-24. If we believe that He the Lord Jesus Christ knows us this well and believe His promises concerning us, shouldn't we desire to get to know the One who loves us to that extent?

Yes this going to mean letting go of things we claim to like or love. But we cannot know the benefits until we break that cycle and start this one with the right heart attitude.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Oh the Depths

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.

"How deep the Father's love for us

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

And make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the Chosen One

Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon the cross

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

Why should I gain from His reward

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom"

I have had the older music in my collection come to mind of late. Partially I think because of the "Trusting God with Today" devotional by Dr. Charles Stanley exerpts that I have scanned and printed to put on the board at my study desk. To remind me of how much the Father loves me. How my God loves me.

God is so in love with His children.

You are God in Heaven

And here am I on earth

So I'll let my words be few

Jesus, I am so in love with you

And I'll stand in awe of you [Jesus]

Yes, I'll stand in awe of you

And I'll let my words be few

Jesus, I am so in love with You

The simplest of all love songs

I want to bring to you

So I'll let my words be few

Jesus, I am so in love with You

And I'll stand in awe of you [Jesus]

Yes, I'll stand in awe of you

And I'll let my words be few

Jesus, I am so in love with You

We were looking at the blessings of God towards us during our season of my unemployment. We have been oh so blessed. We in turn don't hesitate to bless others if it's within our means to do so.

As a lesson I read about with a father and his son goes...he gave his son two coins and had one in each hand. He was to clench his fists tight n no matter what examples he gave he wasn't to give those coins to him. So his first example was someone in need who could really use them. His child didn't budge. Then he offered him something of even more value than the coins. He thought about it but still didn't budge. Then his father pointed out to his child that so long as their hands stayed closed around what they were given, they could neither bless someone else nor receive anything more.

We can often get into that situation. We get blessed then neglect to be ready to bless. We can set limits on blessing others when the Spirit is clear on what He's wanting us to do. We can neglect to see something greater on the horizon when we focus only on what's in our possession.

Jesus knows our hearts. Has known us from afar. From before we were even born. Knows our going out and our coming in. He saw us being formed in our mother's womb. Knew all our days before as yet one of them occurred.

Oh how deep the Father's love for us, how vast and beyond all measure. Yet we can miss it all by just a bit of selfishness. A bit of this or that.

How can you be a blessing if you're not in that mindset to bless?

How can you say you're living for Jesus when you refuse to go where He says, do what He wants or even have your hands open to receive what He's wanting you to have?

We cannot hide the truth behind our motives with He who IS Truth.

We can and will lie to ourselves to appease our conscience. We will convince ourselves that the choices we made are even having been wrought in God that we did what we did for Him.

But the truth is still there.

Are you really trying to please God in all that you do or are you jockeying to get what you want out of life instead? Are you striving to please Him in all that you do? Are you really committed to the requirements of "Whatever" that comes with salvation in Christ Jesus? As Peter was told so are we "As for you, you follow Me!".

"And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?" Luke 9:23-25.

Self-examination in terms of wanting what God wants for you is always a healthy thing. Then begin praying for yourself in the changes that the Spirit will, not might, tell you needs to happen.

His job is to make us fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. To make us more like Christ. Only Satan's schemes and our sin nature are fully opposed to that. We need to recognize these things and hand them to Jesus to deal with.

Oh the depths of His love for me and for you. Our lives were never meant to be the same after coming to Christ for salvation. We were given spiritual gifts to be both discovered and to be used.

Pray for yourself this day to be who Jesus wants you to be, to let go of what you should and to be ready both to bless and receive the blessings of others.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Friday, January 30, 2026

Seeking Spiritual Understanding

by David Brenneman

"We walk by faith, not by sight."

2 Corinthians 5:7.

Imagine you've gone through a difficult experience in your life and you're fearful of what the future might hold. To encourage you, a friend says, "You can do it, one day at a time. Remember: just walk by religion, not by sight." Walk by religion? To a biblically literate Christian, the very sound of that phrase is off-putting, to say the least.

You probably know what Paul really said in 2 Corinthians 5:7:

"We walk by faith, not by sight." But even the idea of walking by faith seems contrary to common sense. If we walked by religion, we would at least have a tangible structure- things that are seen--to pin our hopes on: buildings, traditions, schedules, liturgies, ministers, and the like. If we walk by faith, we have only the promises of God. But we also have "the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). We not only have God's promises but we

also have the evidence from thousands of years of history that He has kept His promises to those who trust Him. And He will keep

His promises for you.

If you are facing an uncertain future (and who isn't?), remember to walk by faith-faith in the God who promises He "will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).

Walking by faith means being prepared to trust where we are not permitted to see.

JOHN BLANCHARD

-Walking with God, Dr. David Jeremiah.

In many ways we neglect to see the world from the spiritual point of view that we see Jesus teaching the Disciples for 3 and a half years...and of which they taught the early Church for 20+ years before they had Paul's letters, Peter's letters, James and the rest.

We don't even look at the world in which we live as they did. We don't look for how spiritual matters impact the physical life. We listen to the world in it's feable understanding and chalk it up to chemical imbalances and the like.

Why is it those 2026 years ago understood and could tell the difference between the medical and the spiritual when it came to what someone was suffering from? Why? Because the master of deception has had 2026 years to perfect his deceit.

We don't get involved because of a few reasons. One is that we're not as trained up as those first Disciples were. I speak not of those who became Apostles...but those whom were the first that the Apostle's trained.

We live in a world immersed in deceit. Lies that are so sugar coated that unless you're really a student of the Scriptures, as my Spiritual Dad, Mike Wingfield teaches...you will indeed be deceived.

We have been taught not to challenge wrong thinking. We have been taught to accept those who break the laws of the land as if they had a right to. We have been taught that it's acceptable to not challenge doctor's diagnosis. That we should believe them no matter what.

We don't look at people as Jesus looked at people. He saw beyond their physical issues...to the root cause of their issues. Today's world is 'treat it with a pill or an IV and you'll be ok...leave God out of it.".

Most in the professing Church today I would dare-say that in his recent newsletter "PT News" at www.ptnews.org is spot on...they don't know how to recognize what is and is not spiritual warfare. They do not know what to do and are not aware at all of their spiritual surroundings.

They've accepted so many compromises that they don't think they have a right to stand up in the faith.

No matter where you are in your spiritual journey with Christ...you CAN and SHOULD stand firm in the faith. You have to start somewhere or start again somewhere in your life in Christ.

When we accept and do not challenge Satan's lies...his deceit...then we can and usually do enable people to stay trapped in whatever hell on earth they are in.

Look at what happened even with the Disciples...who were given authority to cast out demons. There were some that even that authority wasn't enough. Prayer and fasting were needed to bolster that request.

You, my Dear Reader, need to sit down and have your own serious, dedicated, intentional, training in righteousness with the Spirit of God if you are going to ever have your thinking about people and about yourself ever straightened out.

Within this...realize that which the Scriptures say WILL take place. "Everyone will be without excuse" when they stand before Jesus. "Chemical imbalance" will not be an acceptable excuse. "I couldn't help myself" will not be an acceptable excuse. "I didn't think it would be a bad thing" will not be an acceptable excuse.

In fact...let's make it simple...as simple as the coming to Christ for salvation. There are no acceptable excuses for not coming to Christ for salvation. There's no acceptable excuses for not doing, saying or being as Christ, through His Spirit, teaches us to do, say or be.

We will indeed see hard times when we come to Christ. Jesus said so.

Long ago there was a song "One Day at a Time" and the message is right that it speaks to. Even in the hard times, as well as the good times, take every day with Jesus one at a time. Don't get ahead of Him. Always be learning about how to be who God in Christ Jesus wants you to be. Always be aware of your surroundings in the spiritual sense. Listen to the Spirit, not the world. Don't let anything get in the way, be it family, friends, or even your own self-interests in being all who God in Christ Jesus wants you to be.

We need to take the lessons that Jesus taught to heart. It's still an amazing thing to me to look at the book of Acts from that perspective. All they had for 20 plus years was ONLY the teachings of Jesus...and it was THOSE plus the Old Testament that transformed the global landscape as the Church of Christ spread out into the world. The letters, epistles, etc. that came later only served to bolster what they already had in their firm foundation of the teachings of Jesus from the Apostles.

Look at your life. Get real with you about where you have compromised. Where you have accepted the world's doctrines on how to live life and what you should or should not accept as truth.

While yes this life is likely going to be rough...and it likely WILL get rough when you stand firm in the Lord and the light of His Word.

Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own undestanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

We cannot know or understand the true life that awaits us in Christ if we are not choosing at a minimum those two promises.

We are to be living for Jesus in all that we do. Whether or not we understand or not. Whether it makes sense or not. A light shining is totally indiscriminate on what it reveals. OUR light is supposed to shine in such a way that people see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven. Our FIRST priority to live a life acceptable to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Not the world.

"may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him" Romans 15:13.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Thursday, January 29, 2026

His Open Arms Are For You

by David Brenneman

"Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)—you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” Acts 10:34-43

Long long ago for me, these facts about my Savior were explained to me. I was around 7 at the time. I knew and understood that I was a sinner in need of a Savior, who was Christ the Lord. I knew that there was nothing that I could do on my own to be right before God. It wasn't me who did anything to save me. I heard His call and He reached out and did everything that I couldn't do.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;" Ephesians 2:8.

Grace. The truest definition is "unmerited favor". Getting something we don't deserve. We have nothing to offer in exchange for our soul. There's nothing we could possibly give to cover our own sins.

This comes hand-in-hand with mercy...our not getting what we do deserve for breaking God's laws. We are born in sin and we need His God-given perfect sacrifice to deal with this.

What we receive in exchange is a life we never could or would see otherwise. We are adopted into the family of God. We have all our sins, past, present and future dealt with. He promises to be faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Removing them as far as the east is from the west.

So no, I have not a remembrance of a life before Jesus. But for sure my life has never been the same as it would have been.

Throughout my life there's been countless examples of His loving hands turning my life into something worth living. He's brought me through dangers that by any other means would have been impossible. He's provided in ways that I never could have considered. When it comes to battles with those whom have wronged me, He's fought them on my behalf. He is a promise keeper.

Jesus is very real and is very much open to saving more people. He said that whomever comes to Him in faith by no means would He ever cast out.

What does it take? Read it here:

"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.

First you have to acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a Savior...just as I had to do.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23.

Next is to acknowledge His truth about sin. That the Bible is clear that what we deserve for sin is death.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23.

Romans 5:8 says "But God demonstrates His own love for us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."

And in conclusion you already just read what Romans 10 says.

My Dear Reader the gift of eternal life is free. Jesus paid it all. He wants to be the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life. But you have to ask Him to do that.

I really like this portion of a story about a man who believed...his daily prayer that was the beginning of his life in Christ.

"I JUST CAME BY TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN,

SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHERS FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. SO, JESUS, THIS IS BEN, JUST CHECKING IN TODAY."

You too can pray such a prayer after you receive the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ alone.

Until you do, there's a great divide between you and God that cannot be crossed without going through the cross of Jesus Christ. Only through the finished work of Jesus on the cross can we come into the presence of God.

Jesus loves you. When He looked forward to the cross He thought of you. When He was cruelly beaten and scourged, He thought of you. When He was being nailed to that cross, He thought of you. When He arose from the dead, He was ready to welcome you into His family, having done it all to make it possible to join Him where He is.

Scripture further says that without faith it is impossible to please God. Without the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ alone we cannot please God.

What's holding you back? Questions yet you may still have?

Jesus said you must come as a child does. Look upon Him who died and arose again and simply believe that that is and was for you. Believe that He said it about you and claim it for yourself.

You can text the word "Jesus" to (330) 264-9459 and you will be connected with someone who will talk to you about this salvation in Christ that you have read about today.

Jesus is waiting with open arms for all who would come to Him to be saved. No matter what the baggage is we bring, He will deal with it. No matter how sinful we feel He will heal it. No matter what...He's ready to save.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org