Location, Location, Location

Location, Location, Location 

by David Brenneman 

If ever you have need of either a job or a place to live, that response of "location, location, location" might have been said. 

For businesses, that statement is all inclusive. You want traffic to pass your business. You want people interested enough to stop in. 

In all of this world's attempts to point people to retirement programs and planning...questions often arise of where are you planning to go to retire?

Location can determine a lot. Financial planning needs to know because retirement in Martha's Vineyard isn't retirement in Columbus, Ohio. Retirement in Tampa, Florida isn't retirement in Green Bay or Chicago. 

Location, location, location. 

Then there's what the Bible says is immeasurably more important than any of that. The question of where are you going to spend eternity?

Death is guaranteed to everyone. 

Death, regardless of what you choose to believe, came from God in the punishment of Adam and Eve's sin. Death is the penalty for sin. We all die physically because of sin. The path to death varies from simply falling asleep and not waking up to every single possibility method from accidents to intentionally taking of a life.

Even within that scope people want to argue various points of what constitutes a life so that they don't feel guilty for taking one.

My Dear Reader...you have two guaranteed things in your future. 

These two guaranteed things aren't special to you so don't think that there's finger pointing going on or that you're different. 

We all face death.

We all face Jesus Christ some day to give an account of our lives. 

For Christians it's what we have done in our lives for Christ. Those things will be tried by fire and what remains becomes a crown of righteousness to give back to Jesus for all He's done for us.

For those who rejected Him, every single thing of their lives will be revealed. All that they thought, intended, believed, dismissed, did when they shouldn't have, didn't do when they should have, everything will be revealed before Jesus. 

Then they will be shown that no matter what, their efforts do not measure up to God's standard in Salvation in Christ Jesus.  

All who are Believer's have their names written in the Lamb's book of Life. After the revelations of the lives of people who rejected Him, they will be shown that their names were not written in the Lamb's book of Life and their judgment is to be eternity in the lake of fire. 

We choose in this here this now where the location of our eternity is going to be spent.

We decide. There's no strings attached. The salvation in Christ Jesus is free. The cross of Jesus Christ brought choice to the people. 

We will be afforded ample opportunity to receive it or to reject it.  

Once death arrives there's no recourse. Eternity is sealed. 

So, my Dear Reader, know right here right now where your future is going to be spent.  

Know. Because, quite frankly, you don't even have a promise of a next breath. I have said on other occasions of a former co-worker's husband that simply stood up to get coffee and fell over dead. No warning. Nothing at all to consider was amiss. You cannot risk it.

Forget what the world says you will miss out on or will have to give up.  

The world is perishing day by day. 

Both in the Bible and in world history the life and truth of Jesus Christ is confirmed. He is returning. 

No one knows the day nor the hour but the promise is still on the table. 

The choice is yours to make. 

The choice is so simple a child understands it. A child gets it.

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Hebrew/Greek

Your Content

Romans 10

New American Standard Bible 1995

The Word of Faith Brings Salvation

10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. 3 For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the [a]end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

"For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” 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.

Know your location of your eternity today. Settle that today. 

How to get salvation in Christ:

Recognize that you are indeed a sinner in need of a Savior. 

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

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

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

Romans 10:9-10 "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."

Romans 10:13 "For whoever calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved."

It's that simple my Dear Reader. 

Where will you spend your eternity? 

Don't look on your past. Jesus will clean you up. All charges dropped. 

His promise is to cast your sins as far as the east is from the west. Remembering them no more. 

When God the Father looks at a Believer, He sees the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ. 

You've read all this, do you really want to put it off any longer?

Jesus said to come to Him all who are weary and heavy laiden and He will give you rest.  

Let today be your new birthday in Christ. 

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

How Deep is Your Love?

How Deep?

by David Brenneman 

It never ceases to amaze me where the content comes from that God uses in these posts.  As it has been for over 5 an a third years so it continues.  God's still taking it places that I could never go. A year ago I was making mention of the blog breaking 108,000 views. Today,  a mere 1 year later, 248,000 views.  I hand out cards with the website on them, post this to Facebook, but the Spirit is doing the legwork. 

Today's comes from a different look at the lyrics of a song.  Just some of the words of a particular Bee Gees song "How Deep is Your Love".  

Some people know this song very well others, perhaps the younger generations, not so much. 

But, for me, I was mowing and was thinking of some of the words to that song in relationship to struggling Believers.  

How deep is your love for Jesus?

This is really where it's at. 

This is where the rubber meets the road. 

This is where reality sets in.

If indeed you are loving the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit does it show?

Should an epitaph be written of you would it speak of your great love of God as the greats in the faith recorded in the Bible?

For me, should anyone have to write concerning me, I want nothing said of my physical achievements in my life.  Use whatever fleeting seconds someone is using, reading about me, to go seek out my Savior. 

What you worship outside of your Creator will become the chains that bind you. 

I said that several days ago. 

Whatever is most important to you, that receives more of your heart than Jesus is who you love more than Jesus.  Think about that. 

Is your success so important that your relationship with Jesus suffers?

Is your success in raising a family coming at the expense of your relationship with Jesus?

Is your success in the eyes of mankind more important than knowing your Savior and Lord personally?

How deep is your love for Jesus?

We used to sing a song in Church. 

"They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love! They will know we are Christians by our love."

"When we walk with the Lord. In the light of His word. What a glory He sheds on our way. While we do His good will. He abides with us still. Never fear only trust and obey. Trust and obey. For there's no other way to be happy in Jesus. But to trust and obey."

How deep is your love for Jesus? 

How much time to you invest in your relationship with Jesus as opposed to the people in your life?

How much of your time, energy and effort goes towards your Spiritual needs vs your physical needs?

‭“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;  for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21.

Knowledge accumulated, wisdom stored, physical stuff acquired, fame the world over, all are rubbish in light of knowing Jesus. 

We don't take anything with us when we die but our deeds done in our lives for Jesus.  

Jesus didn't die for our stuff. 

Jesus didn't die for our popularity. 

Jesus didn't die for our self-image. 

Jesus didn't die for our anything but our soul and spirit. 

How invested are you in your relationship with Jesus?  Does your life show it?  

A children's song says "If you’re happy and you know it

Say “Amen!” . . . Amen!

If you’re happy and you know it

Say “Amen!” . . . Amen!

If you’re happy and you know it

Then your life will surely show it;

If you’re happy and you know it

Say “Amen!” . . . Amen!"

How Deep is Your Love for Jesus?

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

Arrogant Presumption

Arrogant Presumption 

by David Brenneman 

"Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin." James 4:13-17.

Ever notice how quickly we can get into situations when we jump ahead of God? Even if it's in something small and on the surface insignificant. My Dear Reader is anything insignificant to He who searches the hearts of mankind?

King David spoke of the Lord his God in this way...He knows my going out and my coming in. Read it. 

"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.

This part of the book of Psalms indeed ties in with what King Solomon said in Proverbs 3:5-6. "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."

When you jump into the day are you taking Jesus with you or do you wave at Him as you go about your life? He's in your rear view mirror rather than driving your car. You take no note of Him until you're going off the rails, off the road. When trouble strikes. Do you only go hand in hand with your Savior on Sundays? 

Oh the troubles we invite when we neglect such a relationship between us and our Savior!

Both Satan's persistence to invite troubles for us...since he must get permission...and our own sin nature...are against us...keeping a firm hold of the nail pierced hands of Jesus aren't optional!

When our thoughts and feelings, our emotions and our intentions, are set higher than His ways, His thoughts, His righteousness, we are being arrogant and presumptuous. 

The four Gospels show four perspectives on laying aside self and taking up our own cross to follow Jesus.  

If we indeed pray for His will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven then we must cast aside our will here on Earth. Even if it's something we personally don't care for. We are to be His Disciples.  

To grow in Christ means to adopt for ourselves the manurisms the language the behaviors the priorities of our Savior.  

To be truthful, I know not what this day has in it. By the grace of God I am to consider myself prepared for it. He has plans for me in this today. They may or may not be what I am expecting. I rarely if ever plan far ahead. This passage in James is why.  

‭“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." Isaiah 55:8-9.

The Lord considers everything about everyone. 

There are no insignificant people to the Creator of the Universe. 

The Scriptures tell us plainly that He died once for all. This includes every single human being who ever has lived or will live. Every single "good" person as well as all those who we consider as "evil" and everyone in between.

We can indeed be very arrogant about ourselves and others. Dismissing people whom meant everything to Jesus on the cross. 

We see, in the night He was betrayed, that all saw Him lay aside His garments to wash the Disciples feet.  

We see every good and pure example taught to the Disciples. 

We are the ones standing in our own way. We, in small ways and big ways, think more highly of ourselves than we ought to. 

Go into today and take Jesus with you. 

Do not take a step in life ahead of Him.  

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. The mind of man plans his ways but the Lord directs his steps. 

The Disciples sometimes got ahead of Jesus and He pulled them back. 

We shouldn't think that we won't need that as well. 

Jesus would and does leave the 99 sheep to search for the one who wandered away. A few times in my life I was that sheep. I got ahead of Jesus and I had a long road back to the life He intended for me. 

Do a reality check and see where your thoughts, feelings, desires are in relationship to what Jesus has been telling you. Because He has been...if you're listening. 

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

Yes, It's Serious

Yes, It's Serious 

by David Brenneman 

‭"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 5:6-11.

The work of the Lord is serious business. The work of the Lord Jesus while on the Earth was to do the will of His Father in Heaven. He said that His Father was working and that He was joining Him in that work. Jesus also said to beseech the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers into the Harvest. The work didn't end when Jesus ascended! The work wasn't completed. The work was passed on to the Disciples who became the Apostles. They were training people in the Church to continue the work unto this day in which we live. This work will continue until the fullness of the Gentiles. Then it will again change its scope to those who will come to Christ during the Great Tribulation. That work is to seek and save the lost. The Spirit does the work in transforming us and using us to reach others. 

This is what we do when we come to Christ. It's not just about getting saved. It's not you and I getting a golden ticket to get out of Hell free. It's not that we get saved and can now go live as we please. 

It's our lives being spent becoming more and more like Christ. It's our desire to live out our faith in such a way that people see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven. That they would have their own eyes opened to the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ alone that we too have found and have received. 

As I also read this morning, think about it: The soul of a child must be incredibly special and important if both God and Satan will fight over it.

We do ourselves harm when we do not take growing in Christ seriously. 

Soldiers in a battle do themselves no favors by taking off their protective gear or by throwing their offensive weaponry aside. 

In Christ we read in Ephesians 6 of the whole armor of God. Unlike what King Saul offered a very young David, that didn't fit, that he didn't know how to use. The whole armor of God for YOU fits like a glove. Isn't cumbersome or burdensome. It's just right and always fits throughout your life on Earth living for the Kingdom of God. 

So...what are you putting ahead of the righteous life that God desires for you? Hmm? 

We are all tempted towards things that will not help in growing in Christ. These things become the silky chains that bind and entangle the Believer. These are everything from worldly interests to possessions to pets to people.  

Satan prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. He will use whatever he's been given permission to use against you. 

Let this sink in. He will use whatever he has been approved for against you by Jesus. This is primarily in the lives of Believers. I personally believe that, to a limited extent, in the lives of the unbelieving there's limits imposed because of the work of the Spirit of God in saving the lost of the world.  

There are, in fact, people among us that the Lord Jesus knows without a doubt that will reject His free gift of salvation. Limits are imposed to restrict their impact on those lives that He's at work in.

To the eyes of God there's over 8 billion chess pieces on this Earth. Everyone who breathes the breath of life. There's nothing more precious to God than the lives of people. What should be most precious to us?

Jesus didn't come, live a sinless life, to be beaten and crucified, resurrected 3 days later for any other part of His creation. Just people. 

What are we doing to grow in Christ to be useful to our Master, our Lord and Savior? Do you do as the Apostles taught? Do you spend intentional time in the Word and in prayer? Do you seek a deeper relationship with Jesus? Helping others as you were helped?  

What kind of Church would Jesus find when He returns if we were a bit more serious about what He says is important?  

We have an unparalleled opportunity in the accessibility of the Bible and Bible study tools than pretty much any other time in human history. Search out words and phrases in mere seconds that Bible scholars used to spend days, weeks, months and years discovering. We have such an amazing ample opportunity and most people in our Church's are not partaking of it.

We have the ability to be alone with Jesus and we are taught to do the opposite by the world's examples. 

Jesus indulged in solitude and silence with His Father a lot.  

What are you doing to take this life in Christ that you have seriously?

If you have been so blessed, are you helping to free other Believer's so that they might be in a position to bless others?  

If you have God given talents and abilities are you using them to further the Kingdom of God?  

We were given choice by the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Choice to live for Jesus or to not live for Jesus.  

When the works of our lives are tried by fire before Jesus, will anything remain of what we chose to engage in?  

There's indeed fun to be had in being serious about living for Jesus. Humor was created by God originally for His perfect world before the fall of mankind at the hands of Adam and Eve. We can indeed find satisfaction in engaging in those things that bring honor and glory to God. 

But until we step into those things, we're never going to know. 

Until we do indeed trust in the Lord with all our hearts and do not lean on our own understanding and in all our ways acknowledge Him, our paths will not be straight. 

Think about it. 

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

Eyes that See

Eyes that See

by David Brenneman 

‭"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

"Then be afraid of the sword for yourselves, For wrath brings the punishment of the sword, So that you may know there is judgment.” ‭Job 19:29.

‭"The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts." Revelation 9:20-21.

Death comes to one, to all. The eternal separation of this current body that awaits the next that's been prepared by Jesus.  

"‭Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment." John 5:25-29.

Our Earthly tents indeed groan due to the burdens of life.  

We are a people who see quite often yet don't see what God is doing. In this I stumble as well.  

We even have people who state "show me" before they would begin to accept whatever you have to say. 

The Bible says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. You hear long before you see.

The other day I was told that in the church someone grew up in, that at no time, did they ever hear of the need to come to Christ for salvation. My Mother has told us kids that is her experience as well in that particular denomination. 

Generations of people who withhold the absolute truth of why Jesus came, lived, died, was resurrected to reign as King and Lord is appalling.  

Jesus said that those who are His Disciples are lights in this world. Lights that shine in such a way that people see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven. The Spirit uses that light in each Believer to draw people to Jesus. 

Was reading something this morning that has a great deal of truth in the midst of it. It's really scary that people blindly believe those who present the news. 

The three passages we read earlier to start this post all came from my Bible reading this morning. The one from Revelation is part way through the Great Tribulation. With several BILLION people dead those who remain...well you see how they were in that passage.  

We have generations of people who want to deny the atrocities of millions of people dead. Here we read that in the face of billions having died they still refuse to acknowledge God in Christ Jesus. 

What are you doing about using the Spiritual eyes you have been given? 

In no way are Believer's supposed to put their Spiritual heads in the sand while going through this life. 

We are to have eyes that see. Eyes that are set on Jesus, the Author and the Perfector of our faith. Eyes set on the prize, the upward call of each of us in Christ Jesus. 

Are your eyes only on your problems? Are your eyes only on your past? Are your eyes only on your pains? 

We come to Christ for salvation, the growing up in respect to our salvation is supposed to be a daily occurrence. We are supposed to eat daily of the Spiritual food that's there for us to eat. We are to communicate daily through the Spirit to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are to grow in our lives towards being more like Christ. 

Rub your eyes and start seeing as the Spirit intends for you to be seeing. Praying for clarity of thought is only part of it. Praying for clarity of sight is just as important. 

Seeing your life as Jesus is seeing it. He knows your heart and everything else about you. 

His ways are not our ways nor are our thoughts His thoughts. We, like the 12 Disciples, are setting aside our ideas on living life and are replacing them with what the Spirit is teaching us.

Squint, blink, rub your eyes, open them up to the truths of God's word in your life. It might not be what you've been thinking, in all likelihood your life was meant to be oh so much more. 

Jesus said to ask, seek, knock. 

Try it. You'll like it.

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

Not Good Enough, No Not One

Not Good Enough, No Not One 

by David Brenneman 

It really saddens me to hear people say they hope they are going to Heaven. That they hope they did enough good in life to outweigh the bad.  

Even in the Bible we read this: "‭I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” Galatians 2:20-21.

If being good enough would be enough to get into Heaven, why did Jesus have to come, live a sinless life. Be falsely accused, brutally beaten, nailed to a cross for sins that we're never His. 3 days later rise from the dead. Why would any of that be required, necessary, to achieve eternal life in Heaven if you could possibly be good enough anyway?

"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." Romans 10:4

"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.

This line of thinking that being good more than being bad to get into Heaven is as useless as good thoughts and vibes being "sent" to others in distress. Completely useless. Does nothing but put a false salve on the conscience of the person being told as well as the person speaking.  

The Bible says that those who are saved are to in all things pray. In Christ a Believer has the ability in an instant to enter the Throne room of Jesus and to present their requests to Him. "‭Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6.

The prophet Nehemiah knew this very well. It mattered not to him where he was, he prayed right then and there. 

But my Dear Reader, if you can't remember a place and time where you settled the issue of your heart with Jesus, you will never see Heaven. If you read the ending chapters of the book of Revelation you will read of the Great White Throne Judgment. Every single person who didn't take the free gift of salvation will indeed have their lives seen for what it was...and will be shown that their lives fell short. 

In this life, right now even, names are being written in the Lamb's book of Life. By the Spirit of God for all who believed and came to Christ Jesus for salvation. 

You could have possibly lived an exemplary life...yet on that Judgment day...your name wasn't written in that book...you will face eternity in torment in the lake of fire. Forever separated from God.

There are no exceptions. 

There's no exclusions. 

There's no special circumstances. 

Nobody alive can pray anyone out of Hell either. Under a certain age, the Bible refers to this as the age of accountability, these people don't know right from wrong. It's widely accepted that these are the only ones whom do go to Heaven. 

Along with my sadness as mentioned earlier, was the realization that although world history proves every part of the prophecy of Daniel with regards to the statue of King Nebuchadnezzar, the world is oblivious to what's coming. The times in which we live.  

The return of Jesus Christ for His Church can be at any time. Any moment. All who have not come to Christ for salvation are on borrowed time. Even in Israel they have been preparing for a third Temple. They have the certified red heifer to follow the Law to sanctify it. They have been training Levites for Temple service for many years. The book of Revelation points to this Temple existing. Put the pieces together.  

My Dear Reader please make sure that your heart is right before God in Christ Jesus. 

Nothing that you are holding onto is as important as that issue being settled. Not fame, not fortune, not even family or friends is more important than knowing where you are going to spend eternity. 

‭"For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory." Colossians 3:3-4.

When sitting down in these, to me early morning hours, I know not what it is that I am lead to write I just know that I am to write what I do. That someone, somewhere, needs to hear what's been written. 

My prayer is that whomever you are, if you haven't come to Christ for salvation, let today be that day. Please don't put it off again. Something tells me that indeed you have heard it before and you haven't made that choice to receive the free gift of salvation through Jesus. 

Jesus said to all who are weary and heavy laiden and He will give you rest. That rest is only possible through salvation in Him.

My hope is not in anything good that I have done in my life. It's absolute rubbish compared to the requirement of salvation in Christ Jesus. He is the one who saved me, gave Himself up for me. He's the One who rescued me. Set my feet on solid ground. That's what His Bible says...and He's waiting to do that for you as well. 

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

A Difference Between Knowing and Acknowledging

A Difference Between Knowing and Acknowledging 

by David Brenneman 

‭"and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:32.

Pretty much, most of this world at least, has heard the line from a certain famous movie "You can't handle the truth!".

My Wife's got a friend that often says "I know that's right!".

Still others that we all have met in life we would describe as not knowing what truth is if it came up and introduced itself. 

A very powerful promise of God in Christ Jesus for you and I is His truth, which contrary to the teaching of the world, is the absolute truth. Satan's tactics are to twist all teaching from Preschool to 12th, all years of College, all post-graduate studies, the indoctrinations in the workplace into his ideas on what is truth. 

All social media outlets, all movie, television, music, streaming, sports, are twisted into what Satan constitutes as his truth. 

The only authoritative word is the Word of God, protected by the Spirit of God.  

All words of mankind can and will be manipulated to tell versions of truth.  

‭"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

When we need to know the true perils of right and wrong, to know with beyond absolute confidence what is right and wrong, we need a rock solid standard.  

There is only one. God's Word, the Bible.

We cannot trust even what we hear on Sunday Morning's. We should be following along and following up on what's taught in prayer with Jesus. 

Our opinions on God's word do not alter the facts that God's Word is never changing. Because we don't want to accept it, doesn't mean it's in error. Doesn't mean that we have some fictitious power to ignore what parts we disagree with. 

A show of hands...who wants to argue with the Author and the Perfector of your faith about how you think He made a mistake? That His Word doesn't entirely apply to today's world? Hmm? Anyone?

Didn't think so. 

Our life in Christ is to be a progression of learning the truth of God from His Word which is eternal. 

If Jesus says of Himself that He is the same yesterday, today and forever, so is His written word which is for our instruction. 

‭"Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." 1 Corinthians 10:11.

Our daily, not "when we make time for it", life is to include time in the Word of God. My Dear Reader, Jesus made time to leave Heaven, live a sinless life, to be beaten, tortured, nailed to a cross. To take your sins upon Himself. In order to make it possible for the veil to be removed between you and Jesus. For Him to save you. To be the leader of your life and the forgiver of your sins. To firmly establish a relationship between you and Jesus that all the powers of Satan cannot separate. 

‭"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:38-39.

In our world, many millions are trying to find their own way to Heaven...all will fail. 

Thousands have recently died who were making a pilgrimage who did not find God upon death.  

‭"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” Galatians 2:20-21.

Jesus said plainly for all to understand, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Him. John 14:6.

My Dear Reader, your time in God's own truth, the living Word of God, is as important as breathing. Charles Spurgeon was once asked which was more important. Praying or Bible reading. He replied "Which is more important, breathing in or breathing out?". You cannot have one without the other. 

One of the ways Jesus wants to talk to you is through reading His Word. Make the time to find out what He has to say to you. Then, in prayer, tell Him what you learned, what you think you heard. 

That's growing in Christ. 

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

No Other Under Heaven

No Other Under Heaven 

by David Brenneman 

"Remember, God's overriding purpose in your life is to mold you into the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29) so that you can have an intimate relationship with and glorify Him." - Dr. Charles Stanley Life Principles Daily Bible NASB.

‭"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?" Romans 8:28-31.

What you worship outside of your Creator will become the chains that bind you. 

These thoughts seem to be coming together this morning. The quote from Dr. Charles Stanley, where he was pointing to in Romans as well as something that I quickly wrote down yesterday during a breakfast conversation with men that I meet with. 

Dr. Stanley's Life Principles also say "Anything you hold too tightly, you will lose." As well as "Whatever you aquire outside of God's will eventually turns to ashes.".

Our purpose under Heaven isn't to find ourselves. It isn't to make the best personal world to surround us. It's not to retire with great wealth and health. It's not to make our own personal paradise here while we are here.

We come to Christ to be changed. 

He promised to fulfill this promise. 

"For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them." Ephesians 2:10.

‭"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2.

To mash together various words of the English language...we come to Christ for an unbelievable out of this world experience that is unmatched by any other relationship we will ever know. 

You come to Christ not only to find and receive His free gift of salvation. But you find yourself face-to-face with your need and desire to please the One who gave everything to save you. 

If you are still trying to live for yourself, it's GOING to conflict with His purpose in life for you. That very specific plan and purpose that's just for you to fulfill. You aren't just randomly added to the Church. You are added to the body of Christ as the Spirit sees fit. As the Spirit directs. 

We aren't going to go through any interviews to find a job with Jesus. 

We aren't preparing a resume for Him to go over.

We are His workmanship. THE Worker already knows every intimate detail about you.  

Every single thought you have ever had. 

Every sin you have ever battled with. 

Every intention you have ever considered.  

So the argument of "How could He ever use someone like me? If He's known half the things that I have done, the things that I have thought!"

My Dear Reader, when you came to Christ, His righteousness overshadowed all your sins, all your faults. When His Father looks at you, He sees His Son, Jesus Christ. 

In this it opens up the fantastic opportunity to get to know your Savior and Lord.  

We ask for forgiveness, He casts our sins as far away as the east is from the west. Remembering them no more. He chooses to do this because of His great love for you and I. Do I ever understand that fully? Absolutely not. I have eternity to try to get a handle on this. 

Are you asking Him what it is He's got for you to be doing? Have you ever asked? Have you ever considered that?

Everyone in the body of Christ is holy. Every part of the body of Christ has purpose. There's no illnesses possible in the body of Christ. 

Pray about your life in Christ, that you would be able to know His calling for you and for His help in fulfilling that calling.  

What the world offers will turn to ashes. What we do hold onto more tightly than our relationship with Jesus will turn out to be the chains that bind us. 

It's a day to day thing. Today my prayer is to be stronger in the Lord than I was yesterday. 

Today my prayer is to walk closer to Jesus than I was yesterday. 

If your passion in life is fixed on anything more than your relationship with Jesus it will turn to ashes. It will become chains. 

Only you won't see them as chains until you finally try to move and find that you cannot. 

When you pray for what Jesus is eager to do in your life and the lives of others you will find that you can't lose. 

People everywhere wonder why the world is like it is. It's because Satan's "business model" is entirely driven by pride and self-centeredness. When you look at how people will be before Jesus returns...that's Satan's "business model" being lived out by humanity. 

‭"For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these." 2 Timothy 3:2-5.

To those in Christ, the evidence of the Spirit are "‭But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23 NASB1995‬

Take a serious look at your desires and your interests, your intentions. Who's worldview does it align with? Jesus's or Satan's? 

"Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." Matthew 6:33.

‭"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." James 4:8.

You will not lose out on life as the world tries to convince you of...you'll find your purpose, you'll find yourself indeed becoming more and more like Christ. 

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

Worthy of Your Calling

Worthy of Your Calling 

by David Brenneman 

‭"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men.” Ephesians 4:1-8.

Many people don't think about their lives having a meaning that goes beyond their own eyes, their own point of view.  

In the days of old, those days of peasants and kings, the people knew they were to be the doers and the kings to fulfill their roles as kings in leading the people. 

Aspiring to be more than a peasant, that wasn't part of a bloodline of the king often was met with unfavorable results. 

In Christ we're all joint heirs to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

We have become His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them. 

Living life in such a way that people see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven.  

We have a calling in Christ to fulfill. 

We have been given Spiritual gifts as well as THE Spiritual Advisor to teach us what a life in Christ is to be about. 

There is something in Christ for all Believer's to be doing that's more than just making ends meet. 

Unlike the work of this world, Jesus intended and insists on our spending time resting in Him. 

This is huge. Yet it's beyond just those words. We read that, and songs sung in Church's repeat it, that He is the Potter and we are the clay.

A Potter, to make something that's way more than an elemental piece for common use, takes great pains in not rushing the process. 

Jesus is not going to rush our growth in Christ, but IS going to cause us to grow at a pace that's fitting for who we need to be in Christ...for His purpose for each of us.

What you are to be in Christ is going to be different than myself. Than those you know who are Believers.

All Believer's are being sanctified. In Thessalonians it says that is God’s will for you and I. Sanctified means set apart. To be holy as He is holy. 

Do you take interest and intentional steps towards holiness?

Do you rest when your Shepherd says to rest?

Do you hear His voice? That's important too. As you might have learned in life, if you're doing all the talking, then you're not listening very much. 

We have a worthy calling in Christ. 

Read very carefully the letters to the Churches in the book of Revelation. 

Take your calling in Christ seriously. My Dear Reader, the ONLY retirement program in Christ is when you die. You only cross the finish line of your race in Christ when you breathe your last. As Paul wrote...run in such a way as to win the prize. 

Think hard about this. Because the Spirit thought that was important enough to include that concept in God's Word and to keep it in it.

Everyone is to be running that race. There are NO physical limitations in a Spiritual race towards Heavens finish line.  

It's going to take discipline. Shedding worldviews. Shedding all forms of impropriety. Shedding thoughts and feelings that do not align with the teachings of the Spirit in God's Word. If God's Word says something is sin. Stand on that truth. Don't create excuses for yourself to continue in such sins. 

Paul said those were practiced sins. Sins those in the Church were intentionally doing even knowing that they shouldn't be. 

The results of such will be seen later by all Believers at the Bema Seat with Jesus...when we give an account of our lives before Him. 

Realize that you are NOT going to be asked anything about why you did what you did in your life. Your all-knowing Lord and Savior Jesus Christ does not need to ask you why you did something. He is the one who searches the hearts. He searches your heart right now. 

Those in Ephesus were exhorted and by extension so are we...walk worthy of your calling in Christ Jesus. 

You either live for self or live for Jesus. There's heavy consequences to living for self rather than living the life Jesus intended for you. Both in this life and the time to come when you stand before Jesus. The works, which is everything in your life, will be tried by fire. Only those things we did for Jesus will remain to become a crown of righteousness that we will give back to Jesus. Don't you want to give Him a really good crown?

Think about what your life is about. 

Think about a serious conversation you might be needing to have with Jesus about it.

If you're letting past failures or past hurts drive you away from your calling in Christ. Stop. Go back. 

Ask Him for the help you need to succeed where He wants you to be. 

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

He Who Searches the Hearts

He Who Searches the Hearts 

by David Brenneman 

‭"And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds." Revelation 2:23.

‭"Then Job answered, “In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God? If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times. Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm? It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, When He overturns them in His anger; Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; Who commands the sun not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars; Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea; Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; Who does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number." Job 9:1-10.

If Jesus gave you according to your deeds...with regard to your obedience to Him and His Word...how would you fare?

My Dear Reader...in both the day of Judgment at the end of the Thousand Year reign of Jesus Christ as well as the time long before this where all Believer's give an account of their lives before Jesus...who will be able to answer?

Will He not already know the absolute truth about everything about you?

Because of sin within us we cannot trust ourselves. As a song once put it we're bad to the bone, and honestly to the soul and spirit.  

We all needed the sacrifice of a perfect lamb of God in the person of Jesus Christ to be able to be in Heaven. To find His salvation.  

Many people put their faith in themselves throughout their lives rather than in the One who knows them oh so well. 

Do you really want to stand before Jesus with nothing to show of a life that was lived as He wished you to live it?

Selfishness is disguised as countless ways in countless times.

Self-deception is among the first things our sin nature wants to get us to give into.  

It's been incredible to see what silence there is in Heaven when judgment comes along.  

We see in our courts arguing of every kind to mount a defense against charges that are presented.   

Who will be able to say anything before the all-knowing, omnipresent, omniscient God of the Universe?  

As we also read in the Bible, who is going to ask Him what were you thinking? Why did you make me like this? Who has any right to talk back to God?

Now, I am in no way saying that there's a shred of truth to my next statement, it's a kind of "what if?" statement. 

What if your age in Heaven were determined by your determination to grow in Christ in your here and now? Of how well you "ate and drank" spiritual things determined your growth? Would you do more to take in and to be nourished by the Spirit and the Word of God?

In truth, our growth in Christ, comes from our obedience to prayer and the Word of God.  

King David did it, and I believe King Solomon did, but did you know they had to personally write their own copy of the Law?  

King David wrote that he wrote God's law upon his heart that he might not sin against God. 

Jesus's grace towards King David, His clear forgiveness of his sins, is evident in later books of the Bible when all other Kings are compared to him. That they did or did not walk with Jesus as David had.

Yes, in Christ, we have the forgiveness of our sins, but we should never keep meandering back to those sins. We should never justify participating in those sins.

We should never place the world's view of the acceptable if those things that God says ARE sins, above God's statements about them.

He knows your heart. Every second of every single day, all the hearts of all mankind are laid bare before Jesus. While you sleep, while you are awake.  

That is why there's no defense before Jesus either in the day Believer's stand before Him to give an account of our lives as well as in the day of Judgment at the end of time.  

Will you start your today living differently? Will you start right now with a different attitude towards what God's Word says IS sin?  

While you breathe there's still hope for change. 

Even on a deathbed hope is still alive. The thief on the cross was om his and still came to Christ for salvation and Jesus kept His promise. That day he would be with Him in Paradise and so it was. 

Are you dabbling in hobbies, events, movies, books, streaming, podcasts, articles, music, that in no way shows a heart that belongs to God?  

Now, with that said, did you now lie to yourself? Remember all that you just read. Are you lying to yourself?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart And in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6.

Whatever it takes, discard those things that are not conducive to a life in Christ. Pride is the most powerful of deceptive practices. With it we can curse or bless. With it we can even convince ourselves what we're doing is for God when it isn't. We can be among those blessed immensely and yet forget God.

Consider your ways is what the Spirit says to the churches. This means you and I.

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

Until that Day

Until that Day 

by David Brenneman 

My life is not my own, I was bought with a price. The shed blood of Jesus Christ. This is what I have been taught from long ago and has been at the forefront of most of my thoughts in living life. 

While indeed life has gotten in the way at times, remembering to whom I owe everything, is important at all times.

Scriptures say that there's a day fixed by God's own authority whereas Jesus is going to return. 

It's as a rock solid of a notion as was how He departed. The Angels testified to this coming truth. 

In my more recent years it seems that now is the time that my feet feel like they are on a more solid ground spiritually. One of two books that I am writing is about my testimony and the milestones that God's not wanting me to forget. 

You too have milestones in your life that have everything to do with the Spirit's working in your life. Many of these are enshrined in wonder or in agony. From joy to pain. However, in everything, He has been faithful if you but look at it from a different perspective.

"For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:20.

For the Believer it really shouldn't be to get what I want, when I want, however I want it. 

This line of thinking leads only to selfishness and does nothing to point people to Jesus.  

While I do still have selfish things that crop up, my heart wants to help others. My home based ministry with computers is rooted in this idea. Help others and don't count the cost. Leave it in God's hands as to how any potential compensation occurs. To me its about storing up treasures in Heaven where moth and rust cannot destroy. 

Keeping up with the Jones's is fruitless. Always going to exotic places might be something for someone but not for me.

These days I value peace and quiet. I value simple paths vs complex ones. I really am thinking that I am beginning to understand why Jesus got away so often to be with His Father. While being with people is a side effect of life, being with Jesus is a joy and a privilege, the blessing of all blessings. 

The teachings of the New Testament point all Believer's to the truth that when they came to Christ Jesus for salvation...that the Spirit set them in the body of Christ as He saw fit. Granting them everything pertaining to life in Godliness. Giving them a devine purpose under Heaven that's for them to be doing. 

No longer living for self, but living for Jesus, the Author and the Perfector of our faith. 

Truth be told, if you are a Believer and aren't growing in Christ, in most every case, there's something that you're holding onto that you've been told by the Spirit that needs to go.  

If indeed we really and truly believe everything about the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, if we take that absolutely to heart as truth...living for Jesus should be how we spend all our days on this Earth.  

It's written that faith without works is dead. Our works that we do in the name of Jesus are to be done in such a way that people see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven.  

These very things we do in obedience to God's Word will someday be tried by fire and if they indeed are holy and true will become a crown of righteousness to give back to Jesus. 

Don't you want to be able to give Him that crown?  

Pray about your purpose in God's plan for you. There's always a plan of God for every single Believer. He would never leave anyone out. Each part of the body of Christ that's truly connected works towards something wonderful. 

Until that day...the Bible exhorts us all to be found to be doers of the word and not just hearers only.  

Doing our best at whatever He puts before us to be doing. Trusting 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. 

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

It's Hard...It's Worth It

It's Hard...It's Worth It 

by David Brenneman 

"But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good." 2 Thessalonians 3:13.

"Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin." James 4:17.

"Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary." Galatians 6:9.

See a pattern here? Lest we also forget...it's written in the Gospels if you look at the life Jesus lead. It's right there between the lines.  

"Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7.

The direction of travel with this line of thinking is towards selflessness. Thinking less of you and more of those to whom you're serving. 

The hardest part might be in learning not to inwardly grumble. 

What we do in this body, since coming to Christ for salvation, matters.

It matters in more ways than we have the ability to understand. 

Think about that. We come to Christ literally as an infant in our salvation, our sanctification. We have to learn all the same basics that we did physically.  

We are often the most worse for wear by forgetting to take care of ourselves spiritually. It takes it's toll on our mental state.

We come as a child in regards to the beginnings of faith. We learn to trust and obey. We learn, hopefully, to release things from our lives that are not conducive to growing in our relationship with Jesus.  

Get rid of the baggage that's slowing you down. Paul used the illustration of a runner aiming for the prize. To get rid of what slows him down in order to win the prize. To run in such a way that you may win. 

How much baggage is strewn around you? How much of your days are filled, honestly, with waste?

Are you at all thinking about how your days matter concerning your future account you will give before Jesus?

Your coming to Him to be saved meant so much to you. Doesn't it stand to figure that living a life that honors what He did should mean as much to you?  

We all too often take it too lightly. 

We all too often don't heed the warnings of the deceptions in our world.

It's absolutely no joke that our enemy prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. 

Oh my Dear Reader let that sink in!

Lean into that sober truth!

We face every single kind of temptation that fits our singular personality in order to stop us from growing in Christ. We face an enemy who doesn't sleep. We face one who imminently aware of our every single flaw...and will devise a new temptation to fit each one. 

Our doing good helps keep our hearts and minds in the right place.   

Our living life as Jesus intended is the good we ought to be doing. 

What baggage are you still insisting on carrying around like a child who cannot understand why that many toys are too many to grasp? 

Many of us have seen that. When a child has too many "favorite" toys and tries with all their might to carry them from place to place. 

In this case, we carry around things, ideas, thoughts, that are not helpful at all in the path of righteousness the Spirit has set before us.

It's difficult, but worth it, to set aside what isn't growing you in Christ.  

We cannot fully understand why, but, there's truth to it. Much of our adult thinking came from what we learned from adults while we were but children and we trusted to be right.

There's parts of my life today that I now have a greater understanding that I didn't have a clue about even 10 years ago.  

"When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:11-12.

Recognizing spiritual maturity is essential. We are to grow up into all aspects of life in Christ. 

While I sincerely miss aspects of my childhood, I do not miss the pains associated with my childhood. 

Look carefully at your why's. Why do you do the things that you have allowed in your life?  

Are your reasons leading you to a maturity in your faith? Or are there things that need to go?

Pray about it. You ARE in a race. Run like one who is a runner. 

You ARE His workmanship...live life like that's true. 

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

If God Says It's Bad...

If God Says It's Bad...

by David Brenneman 

‭"Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." 2 Timothy 3:12-13.

‭"Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness." 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.

The other day something happened that I have rarely ever heard in a public place, in a store even. Discussions on the true state of the world. Of the evil of these end times in which we're living. Several men talking about what the Bible says about it and what we're living in today.

What I contributed to the conversation was to consider how bad bad is as God defines it. Bad to us isn't what's bad to God because our ways, our views, on life are stained by sinful worldviews.  

Evil is among us. The Church's power in Christ Jesus can both resist and defeat it. Indeed the Bible says that the very gates of Hell will not be able to take the onslaught of the Church. 

So why are so many people embracing this world today rather than resisting?  

Evil men and impostors...these are from within the Church. Getting people to accept and believe falsehoods. Telling them what their itching ears want to hear. Not telling them what they need to hear. 

It's been a sort of common joke that common sense is dead. People who actually are still yet critical thinkers are rapidly becoming a rarity. Those who speak up are ganged up on to be silenced.  

One second after you have breathed your last, your decision of either accepting Christ Jesus as your Savior and Lord or rejection of Him is going to be evident to you. 

While yes this world is absolutely not getting any better, the reason has always been because of sin. 

Whereas evil is both gaining ground, the true Church isn't assertive enough. So in the truest sense things really are going from bad to worse.  

Where are you in regards to the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ alone? Millions of people died last night. Some from accidents while driving or riding with someone else. Some from natural causes. Some from nothing more than they weren't able to handle life and they took their own. 

While indeed life is harsh these days, nobody was promised a rose garden. Whether you are saved or not your life is going to have ups and downs. Good times or harsh times. The promise of God in Christ is that when you place your faith and trust in Him, you're never going to face anything alone ever again.

I work with many people who aren't saved and I can't imagine how difficult their lives are with what they say they are going through. They are on their own under that crushing weight.  

What's worse is our society has crafted laws to keep the truth of God from them in the workplace. 

Tolerance is 'preached' by the unbelieving in our world but at the same time they force what they believe onto the rest of us. This is not how trust is built. 

Evil is getting worse. Our tolerance of it is also increasing. 

Literally our pain threshold is increasing in dealing with this present darkness.  

It's ever more important to know that you know that you know that you are saved. That the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ alone is yours.  

The Bible says that no one knows the day nor the hour when Jesus is going to come back. It's going to be so quick that the world will go into crisis mode immediately. THE Antichrist will show himself and the way the world will be...the world will follow wherever he leads.  

You cannot wait to the last second to receive that free gift if you cannot know what is going to be that last second. 

Nothing in your world that you call living life is more important than setting that question: where are you going to spend eternity?

As for me and my house...we know this world is not our home. We're just passing through. We know that Jesus came, lived a sinless life, was cruelly beaten and crucified. Arose 3 days later as both Christ and King.  

We know and believe that Jesus is our Savior and Lord. Read Romans 10.  

How evil is evil? It's replete with deceptions. Truth twisted and now accepted by the world as new truth. 

Those who believe Biblical truth are canceled, ostracized, mocked, scorned, murdered. That's the kind of evil in our world that's going from bad to worse. Jesus said it would be just as it was in the days of Noah. In those days selfishness ruled. Everything about faith in the Lord was rejected by mankind. 

‭"But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these." 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

Please don't wait any longer. If you haven't come to Christ for salvation yet...think long and hard about it. The curtain will fall so fast that you're going to miss it. The Bible says that it will be in the twinkling of an eye.  

For those reading this who are saved...live it out no matter what your life is like no matter where you are. Pray without ceasing. You are not alone. 

All that remains of history is this short period between now and the Great Tribulation, and a 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ. No centuries, no millennia. After the reign of Jesus Christ, time ends and eternity is where all mankind will be. Either in torment paying for their own sins or in peace with Jesus Christ. 

‭Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me."

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

What's Your Attitude Towards Serving?

What's Your Attitude Towards Serving?

by David Brenneman 

‭“Your words have been arrogant against Me,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of hosts?  So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and escape.’ ” Malachi 3:13-15.

It's, to me at least, a danced around subject.  While many many times the subject of serving is brought up in sermon and in conversation...the obvious issue isn't approached. 

What is your attitude towards serving your Savior and Lord?

What is your definition of serving your Savior and Lord?

These two must be looked at to find out where you are with regards to it.

Many wonder about the state of the world with regards to the Church's influence and impact upon it.

We can read of what the Church's impact and influence are SUPPOSED to be in the New Testament.  But if those whom claim to be Christians are only being Christians on Sunday Mornings and possibly Sunday Evenings and maybe Wednesday nights...there's your probable reason for a weak influence. 

You who are claiming that your salvation rests in the Lord Jesus Christ...YOU are the Church wherever you are.  Your life is in service to Jesus wherever you wake up.  In your going out and your coming in.  

Akin to this is your worship time. You choose to also worship during your week or you choose the world's music to influence your heart and mind.  Worship does not end when you walk out of the Church building.  On the contrary, that's when it's to begin.

If you're not setting your mind on the things that are of God...it's no wonder your life will be one battle after another.  It's no wonder you find yourself as Malachi wrote earlier in this chapter with a purse full of holes.  

It's incredibly important to realize that your life in Christ is a 24/7 deal. 

He isn't a butler. 

He isn't your servant. 

He isn't omniscient, omnipresent, for His health.  He's in you and for you to grow in Christ. To become less like you've been and more like He is.

Turn on your radio, your television, your web browser, your podcasts...who is being fed what by what you are choosing to eat?

Yes, it's food...ironically...food for thought.  

You are not going to find the kind of peace that passes all understanding if you aren't doing life God's way.

Being busy all the time for the wrong reasons is foolishness before God.  Making excuses for why you aren't doing more with Jesus or for Jesus is why the Church today does have so many splits.  Of why the supposed hands and feet of Jesus are idle.

Going back to what you are feeding yourself...your list of excuses. Are they going to hold up before Christ when you give an account of your life?

Millions of people have a hoarding problem.  I don't mean physical things although that's a multi billion dollar industry.

It's hoarding thoughts and feelings, actions even, that aren't doing anything to show Jesus Christ alive and well in our lives.  People aren't seeing Jesus because we're hiding Jesus by what we are choosing to keep engaged with in our lives.

Hoarders can't figure out how to live without something. A form of separation anxiety arises.  What will become of this or that?  My Dear Reader...you die today and none of it will matter to you. Guaranteed.  All unbelievers in Hell are not concerned in the least about cars, houses, family heirlooms. 

All Believers in Heaven aren't concerned by those things either.

These same-said people aren't concerned about what they didn't finish. Not at all concerned about not being able to work more.  Not at all concerned about what other's might be thinking. Ironically fears do not exist in either place.  Worries do not impact either. 

What's possible is eternal regrets.  Regrets that they didn't use their time, energy and efforts better for Jesus than they did.  That they didn't realize how fruitless their lives were in living for self.  

Those in Hell, many regrets concerning rejection of salvation through Jesus Christ. 

Jesus has a plan and purpose for each person in the body of Christ. 

The body of Christ is a fit body. 

It's a healthy body.  The Spirit sets us in the body of Christ as He sees fit.  In Heaven there will be no denominations. Just the Church, the Bride of Christ.  Get over that denomination thing.  

Maybe this has caused you to think about your attitudes during your week.  If so...good.  

If in your life you have run from serving because people have attacked you or your family.  Think of it this way. Read your Bible. You're in good company.  Return to God and submit to His plan and purpose for you.  

Jesus IS returning some day soon. 

Jesus IS going to have all Believer's give an account of their lives before Him. 

You're not going to have an excuse to stand on. It says every one's deeds will be tried by fire.  What remains will be for Jesus.  

Think about what you are choosing to engage in your life. Think about your attitudes towards your salvation.  Think about whether you are living for Jesus or for you. 

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

What to Do. What to Do?

What to Do. What to Do?

by David Brenneman 

‭"We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing;  in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  Do not quench the Spirit;  do not despise prophetic utterances.  But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;  abstain from every form of evil.  Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass." 1 Thessalonians 5:14-24.

2 Thessalonians 4:3a says "For this is God’s will, your sanctification." Here too is another pointing out of God's will. "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing;  in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

We aren't the architects of our lives.  This life we live isn't our creation under Heaven.  Elements of our personality are used, the gifts and talents graciously bestowed upon us by our Father in Heaven, are indeed the ingredients but its far from being our sole discretion in direction. 

We come to Christ for salvation yes.  We should also have of first importance what is of first importance to Him who saved us. 

In Christ we are to grow in Christ. We are to be diligent to be the disciple that we are in Him.

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.  This isn't at all lending to any idea of whatever is leftover goes to God. 

Malachi is a book of admonishing the people of Israel.  Jesus is calling them out.  He was being offered sacrifices that even He says "try offering that to your governor!".

Would you describe your offerings of your life to Christ as being your absolute best?  Your best efforts? Your best attention? Your truly best?

You can do as they did...say whatever you want towards me or anyone about how devoted and dedicated you are...Jesus knows all. 

Are you being honest with yourself and your Savior?  Put it all on the table.  No distractions no playing of games.  

My Dear Reader, if you indeed believe the Scriptures, you know there's a day coming soon where your life will be laid bare before Him.  What you have done in your body for Christ is all that will matter.  You're either adding to that or you're taking away from that which you will offer to Jesus. 

Do you at all talk to Jesus daily?

Do you at all consider Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs?

Do you at all attempt to stand firm in the Lord?

Do you at all seek that which is important to Jesus?

Do you at all abstain from every form of evil?  

Do you clutter your mind with useless endeavors? 

Do you listen to yourself more than you listen to the Spirit?

Do you justify the habits you have rather than eliminate what's not helping you to live healthy in Christ?

These are just samples of food for thought.  Look at all that the Lord Jesus rebuked Judah and Israel for.  Look at all that Jesus personally rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees for.  Look at His corrections towards His Disciples. 

You will know if you are willing to see.  This is part of that wisdom we are to ask of God for.   To clearly see and clearly know what God wants of you and for you.  

It may not remotely look like what you think it should...and that's ok.

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.

This says what He will do when we trust Him completely.  Note it doesn't say He will explain it all along the way. 

Jesus said to come as a child. Children hate lengthy explanations. 

Trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus...but to trust and obey. 

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

Small and Great All to the Glory of God

Small and Great All to the Glory of God 

by David Brenneman 

No matter what you are dealing with or are facing, "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,is the answer. 

Jesus trusted in His Father with all His heart and trusted not in His own understanding. In all His ways He acknowledged His Father and His Father made His path straight. 

No matter the cells in the body, all work together for good for that body when it comes to the body of Christ. It doesn't matter if all you've ever done is greet people kindly to those men who are called to preach the word of God. Skin cells or major organs in Christ all have a plan and purpose for the glory of God in Christ Jesus. 

All too often many people don't think their being at Church matters. That it's not in them to get involved. That there's nothing for them that they can or would like to do. 

If we take that mindset then those to whom have realized their life in Christ has something for them to be doing are going to have all that much more to try to be doing rather than the whole body working as it should. 

You, my Dear Reader, know all too well what happens when parts of your own body don't cooperate with other parts of it. It's not a good thing. 

The opening paragraph or two came to me before I went to bed last night and I was awaken from sleep to make sure I wrote it down. 

Jesus lived out Proverbs 3:5-6 daily. 

He often spoke openly to His Father about how right He was. 

You have a plan and purpose in life that's much greater than you can possibly imagine. So do I. We must submit to the training in righteousness that comes from a life IN Christ. Our training is ongoing. Our training is for God's will for us.

"Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you." 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8.

Living life isn't to only be our pursuit of happiness. Of our pursuit of our ideas concerning peace and love. 

Our lives are in Christ, therefore, we have an in Christ purpose for our here and now in human history. 

We don't tell the rest of the body of Christ "you're on your own. I'm saved so that's all that matters".

When we ignore God's calling for us, that's pretty much what we are saying. 

We also can't let fear of what might be for us to keep us from serving in the body of Christ. We'll surely talk ourselves out of it. 

We also cannot let past experiences of serving that we only concluded didn't go well to keep us from present and future service to the body of Christ.  

This line of thinking is our trusting in our own hearts and not what Proverbs 3:5-6 speaks to. 

We will always get in our own way. 

Truth be known, we in the Church can do so well at hindering the work of God in Christ Jesus that Satan's minions don't need to get involved. 

‭"and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you," 1 Thessalonians 4:11.

Essentially to do whatever it is that God's got in mind for you to be doing...not trusting in your own heart and mind. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Do it as unto the Lord Jesus Christ. 

My Dear Reader, the Church should never be cowering before the world. As it's written in the Bible, the Church should be busting down the very gates of Hell. The power of God in Christ Jesus is what powers the Church when the Church is being the Church as the Spirit directs and leads.

Our world says to put our needs, our joy, our happiness, our health, our financial situation, our well-being, our this our that, ahead of our lives before Jesus. 

We do that and the will of God for you that is your sanctification is put on the back burner.  

We have a God given purpose for each of us in the body of Christ. 

Find it, do it, to the extent that you do it as if you were presenting it to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. To your Savior and Lord who lived that sinless life, was cruelly beaten and crucified, was nailed to the cross and arose again 3 days later. He did all of that to give all the chance at a new life in Christ. 

Whatever the Spirit has for you...find it. Purge from your heart and mind whatever is keeping you from presenting your part in the body of Christ to Him as a holy offering.

From the least to the greatest in the body of Christ, Jesus will acknowledge personally when He returns. From the smallest to the greatest He will acknowledge. 

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 understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. 

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