What Does God Expect??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #492

21 Wednesday Oct 2026

Posted by in 'Come unto me, God Knows, God Knows His Own, God of all comfort!, Jesus IS The Gift!, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Jesus Never Fails, Jesus Saves, Jesus SinLESS Son of God

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What Does God Expect??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #492

 

Jesus makes it very clear that to know Him and follow Him, I must die to myself and be ready to live for Him, through His Holy Spirit, and walk the narrow path that leads to life, as my Lord directs my steps; but it requires the new birth! (See Matthew 7:13-14)

“Saying,

The Son of man must suffer many things,

and be rejected of the elders

and chief priests and scribes,

and be slain,

and be raised the third day.

23 And he said to them all,

If any man will come after me,

let him deny himself,

and take up his cross daily,

and follow me.

24 For whosoever will save his life

shall lose it:

but whosoever will lose his life for my sake,

the same shall save it.

25 For what is a man advantaged,

if he gain the whole world,

and lose himself,

or be cast away?”  Luke 9:22-25

Paul reiterated this very thought in his letter to the Galatian believers—not seeking to live a successful life on my own before the world–but being yielded to Jesus in my life, my all! This can only be done when we are enabled to live the “crucified” life—dying to self each day, and living unto Jesus; walking by faith and the direction of His Holy Spirit in all our ways.  Not easy but remember, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me…”!  Only by being born again of the Spirit of God!  Living the new birth on display before a lost and dying world in need of a Savior!

“I am crucified with Christ:

nevertheless I live;

yet not I,

but Christ liveth in me:

and the life which I now live in the flesh

I live by the faith of the Son of God,

who loved me,

and gave himself for me.”  Galatians 2:20

The Apostle John explained this in his Gospel.

“He came unto his own,

and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him,

to them gave he power

to become the sons of God,

even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born,

not of blood,

nor of the will of the flesh,

nor of the will of man,

but of God.”  John 1:11-13

Jesus—what God gives to meet His own expectations; His very Son to die for my sin and yours, if we’ll but repent of our sin, in trust and believing in Jesus’ substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for sin—my sin; receiving the new birth, becoming “sons of God”!

God also spoke through His prophet Micah, with an amazing picture of the character of God, which Jesus came to replicate in us; not just keeping ten commandments, or ever the Law of Moses, but having His Spirit within us as His reborn, adopted children.  How about you, have you been to Calvary and received this new birth?  I pray that you have!

“Wherewith shall I come before the LORD,

and bow myself before the high God?

shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

with calves of a year old?

7 Will the LORD be pleased

with thousands of rams,

or with ten thousands of rivers of oil?

shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 He hath shewed thee, O man,

what is good;

and what doth the LORD require of thee,

but to do justly,

and to love mercy,

and to walk humbly

with thy God?”  Micah 6:6-8

I’ll close with Paul’s great contrast between the works of this flesh and the fruit of The Spirit (not something we work up, but the produce of the very presence of God within us!)! It’s all of, from, and unto God.

“For who hath known the mind of the Lord?

or who hath been his counsellor?

35 Or who hath first given to him,

and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

36 For of him,

and through him,

and to him,

are all things:

to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”   Romans 11:34-36

Paul also reminded the Galatian believers that it’s all about God’s work, not ours! HIS grace, mercy and the payment for our sin! (And note there is no ‘s’ in “fruit”!)

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;

Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,

lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft,

hatred, variance, emulations,

wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness,

revellings, and such like:

of the which I tell you before,

as I have also told you in time past,

that they which do such things

shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is

love, joy, peace,

longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,

faith, 23 Meekness, temperance:

against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ’s

have crucified the flesh

with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit,

 let us also walk in the Spirit.”  Galatians 5:19-25

All this because of Jesus’ work of redemption on the cross.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us,

who knew no sin;

that we might be made the righteousness of God

in him.”  2 Corinthians 5:21

Where are your steps leading?  It’s your choice but choose wisely there is a test.

Amen and Amen!!!

Sinless Or Sin Less??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #491

19 Monday Oct 2026

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Sinless Or Sin Less??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #491

As we think about the things that God does for and in us, it brings me to this question; are we walking in righteousness and learning to sin less (for while we are still in the flesh, we are subject to our fleshly desires and habits), or are we just doing our own thing?  Jesus is the only one who has lived a perfectly sinless life, but when we are born again, He imparts His righteousness to those who are His own.

“From whence come wars and fightings

among you?

come they not hence,

even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust,

and have not:

ye kill, and desire to have,

and cannot obtain:

ye fight and war,

yet ye have not,

because ye ask not.

3 Ye ask, and receive not,

because ye ask amiss,

that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses,

know ye not that the friendship of the world

is enmity with God?

whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world

is the enemy of God.

5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain,

The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more grace.

Wherefore he saith,

God resisteth the proud,

but giveth grace unto the humble. 7

Submit yourselves therefore to God.

Resist the devil,

and he will flee from you.

8 Draw nigh to God,

and he will draw nigh to you.

Cleanse your hands,

ye sinners;

and purify your hearts,

ye double minded.” James 4:1-8

Note here that James warns us to do some important things to keep our selves pure in this world of sin and shame:

We must recognize that we are to ask—but rightly—

In the spirit not the flesh—

We must recognize that friendship with the world—

Is our enemy—or it will cause enmity with God—

The spirit in our flesh lusts to envy—

But God gives us grace to overcome—

Grace that enables us to resist pride—

Grace that enables us to humble ourselves—

We must submit ourselves to God—Resist the devil—

And he will flee from us—

We must draw nigh to God; He will draw nigh to us—

Cleansing our hands (recognizing our sin)

Purifying our hearts (from double mindedness)

God will meet us there!

It’s a hard message to receive, yet a message that we are called to consider.  How can we do these things? Only by the grace that saves us—grace that will also keep us; especially when we remember that Jesus has done all the work at Calvary. Our work is to yield to His Spirit’s working in us.

“For by grace are ye saved

through faith;

and that not of yourselves:

it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works,

lest any man should boast.

10 For we are his workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus

unto good works,

which God hath before ordained

that we should walk in them.”

Ephesians 2:8-10

This truth is the hope of our life, and it’s all because Jesus paid the price at Calvary!  The price for our sin and bought us His righteousness with His own blood!

“For he hath made him to be sin for us,

who knew no sin;

that we might be made the righteousness of God

in him.”  2 Corinthians 5:21

Jesus could do this because He paid the price—the sinless Lamb of God slain for our sin, not for His own.

“Blessed be the God and Father

of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings

in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us

in him

before the foundation of the world,

that we should be holy

and without blame

before him in love:” Ephesians 1:3-4

Jesus paid for our sin, because HE was, is and ever shall be the sinless Lamb of God, now in heaven, ever making intercession for us.

“For we have not an high priest

which cannot be touched

with the feeling of our infirmities;

but was in all points tempted like as we are,

yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly

unto the throne of grace,

that we may obtain mercy,

and find grace to help

in time of need.”  Hebrews 4:15-16

We’ll never be sinless in this flesh, but we can yield ourselves to God to help us sin less—remember we have that intercessor ever helping us!

“Wherefore he is able also to save them

to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession

for them.”  Hebrews 7:25

Help me Jesus to sin less!!!  I want to praise Him with my life today!!!

Amen and Amen!!!

It’s Not Easy??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #490

11 Sunday Oct 2026

Posted by in 'Come unto me, Come And Worship?, Come to Jesus, Come To Worship HIM, His Mercies Are New Every Morning, I Know Whom I Have Beleived, If I be lifted up---, IN HIS TIME!, In Jesus name--means what?, Iron Sharpening Iron, Iron Sharpens Iron, It's All About The Cross, The Word

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It’s Not Easy??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #490

We often think following Jesus is simply easy; after all it just means “claiming” to know Him and using His name to get our own way!  What I’d like to share is the truth that Jesus Himself confronted and that is that people will follow as long as they “get it”, but when the road gets difficult, or when Jesus asks something hard of us, or when we realize that we are called to take up “our cross” and that the cross is an instrument of death to self, and life to Jesus.  Paul said it best, yet we so often make this something other than what Paul is calling us to (in reality it’s Jesus’ call to death to self and life in Him alone; and we’ll look at that also.)!

“I am crucified with Christ:

nevertheless I live;

yet not I,

but Christ liveth in me:

and the life which I now live in the flesh

I live by the faith of the Son of God,

who loved me,

and gave himself for me.”  Galatians 2:20

As Jesus said, He came that we “might have life and have it more abundantly”!  That means the life of Jesus—that life which walks by The Spirit and not the flesh!  Yet we live in a culture that has removed the crucified life from Christianity!  Let’s consider what Jesus declares as truth.

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples,

If any man will come after me,

 let him deny himself,

and take up his cross,

and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life

shall lose it:

and whosoever will lose his life

for my sake

shall find it.

26 For what is a man profited,

if he shall gain the whole world,

and lose his own soul?

or what shall a man give

in exchange for his soul?”  Matthew 16:24-26

“And he said to them all,

If any man will come after me,

let him deny himself,

and take up his cross daily,

and follow me.”  Luke 9:23

These statements remind us of what Jesus has called us to; but He said even more that I want us to focus on today; a passage that many overlook, for it challenges our ‘easy-believe-ism’.  Jesus call sus to commitment and devotion when we accept and believe in His substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for our sin.  And before we take off into this passage, I want to make a very cursory observation in regard to Jesus’ blood and His flesh; verse 63 is worthy of our consideration; and remember that “quickeneth” means to give life—go back and reconsider Paul’s declaration in Galatians 2:20 above.

“44 No man can come to me,

except the Father which hath sent me

draw him:

and I will raise him up at the last day…

… 45 It is written in the prophets,

And they shall be all taught of God.

Every man therefore that hath heard,

and hath learned of the Father,

cometh unto me.

46 Not that any man hath seen the Father,

save he which is of God,

he hath seen the Father.

47 Verily, verily, I say unto you,

He that believeth on me

hath everlasting life.

48 I am that bread of life…

….53 Then Jesus said unto them,

Verily, verily, I say unto you,

Except ye eat the flesh

of the Son of man,

and drink his blood,

ye have no life in you.

54 Whoso eateth my flesh,

and drinketh my blood,

hath eternal life;

and I will raise him up at the last day.

55 For my flesh is meat indeed,

and my blood is drink indeed…

…58 This is that bread which came down

from heaven:

not as your fathers did eat manna,

and are dead:

he that eateth of this bread

shall live for ever.

59 These things said he in the synagogue,

as he taught in Capernaum.

60 Many therefore of his disciples,

when they had heard this, said,

This is an hard saying;

who can hear it?

61 When Jesus knew in himself

that his disciples murmured at it,

he said unto them,

Doth this offend you?

62 What and if ye shall see

the Son of man ascend up

where he was before?

63 It is the spirit that quickeneth;

the flesh profiteth nothing:

the words that I speak unto you,

they are spirit,

and they are life.” Portions of John 6:44-63

I pray that you will read and take in this passage, and use it to assess what we are following; and are we living on Jesus’ broken body and blood or our own ways? The people who had been following Him, found these words too hard to accept.  How about you and me?  Will we hold on to the truth or give in to something else because it’s hard?  May we ponder Jesus’ words of truth and choose wisely.

It’s your choice, but choose wisely, there is a test!  And Jesus IS the only right answer!

Amen and Amen!!!

Crippled By A Fall??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #489

09 Friday Oct 2026

Posted by in 'Come unto me, Faithful Follower, Faithful God--Faithful me!, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Falling Into_____, False Lives, The Cross or the world?, The Father of Lies!, The Word, The Word Or The World?, They Don't Play Fair, Though HE slay me--still will I trust HIM, Though your sins be as scarlet-they shall be white as snow.

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Crippled By A Fall??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #489

There are things all around us that present danger—dangerous traps to lead us in the wrong direction, traps to lead us into unrecognized sin, Satan is tricky, and He will paint and disguise sin and danger with plans that are intended to pull us away from God, His Word and His ways!  I’d like us to consider a few scripture passages that I pray will help you steer away from the traps of the devil, don’t fall for his lies.

“Humble yourselves therefore

under the mighty hand of God,

that he may exalt you in due time:

7 Casting all your care upon him;

for he careth for you.

8 Be sober,

be vigilant;

because your adversary the devil,

as a roaring lion,

walketh about,

seeking whom he may devour:

9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing

that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”  1 Peter 5:6-9

Peter’s message reminds us that God is our confidence, hope and provision; but we have an enemy of our soul, Satan, the devil, the wily one (tricky), the one who wants to lead us away from our Lord.  It is why we must keep ourselves in The Word so that we will know truth and be able to stand in it.  Note that Peter so clearly tells us that this devil, Satan, is roaming about “seeking whom he may devour”; but he didn’t stop there, he called us to be diligent to “resist stedfast in the faith”, remembering that we are not alone, either in the way of life in this world, or in all eternity when we are born again by the blood of Jesus and have His eternal presence with us, His own.

“Let your conversation

be without covetousness;

and be content

with such things as ye have:

for he hath said,

I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

6 So that we may boldly say,

The Lord is my helper,

and I will not fear

what man shall do unto me.”  Hebrews 13:5-6

Where are you walking?  In the flesh and in the Spirit with The Lord who died to save, deliver and keep you and me; or have you fallen for the tricks of the devil and fallen into sin and worldliness.  Satan paints really pretty pictures, but what he delivers is hell!  Both hell on earth, as well as eternity in hell.  It’s your choice but choose wisely there is a test.  Jesus gave us a warning also; I pray that you will consider His words and be on guard—every moment of every day—for Satan never quits.  But he does have to flee when we resist him; and we can only resist him successfully when we know the truth of God’s Word.  So please dig into the Bible so you will be prepared in your armor! (See Ephesians 6:10-19).

“Then Jesus sent the multitude away,

and went into the house:

and his disciples came unto him, saying,

Declare unto us the parable

of the tares of the field.

37 He answered and said unto them,

He that soweth the good seed

is the Son of man;

38 The field is the world;

the good seed are the children

of the kingdom;

but the tares are the children

of the wicked one;

39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil;

the harvest is the end of the world;

and the reapers are the angels.”  Matthew 13:36-39

There is a time of judgment coming, so make sure that you are choosing the right things to follow; don’t let Satan trick you into believing lies—he can’t deliver!  Jesus does, but I just want to remind you that the battle is real—don’t give up but dig into God’s Word and He will equip you to succeed in HIS work!  Do what we were told as children in regard to safety but do it in The Spirit in your every step and choice; stop, look, and listen (to Jesus not the enemy of your soul!)!

“Finally, my brethren,

be strong in the Lord,

and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God,

that ye may be able to stand

against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not

against flesh and blood,

but against principalities,

against powers,

against the rulers

of the darkness of this world,

against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you

the whole armour of God,

that ye may be able to withstand

in the evil day,

and having done all, to stand.”  Ephesians 6:10-13

Go, stand, fight and be victorious in Jesus!

Amen and Amen!!!

God’s Answers??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #488

04 Sunday Oct 2026

Posted by in 'Come unto me, Do You See What God Sees?, Doers or intenders?, Don't let fear of tomorrow ruin your today, Don't let regrets rule your today, Don't worry about tomorrow, True Knowledge, Trusting God, Trusting Jesus?, Truth is True, Tuned In To Jesus, Turn to God's Word

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God’s Answers??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #488

Sometimes it’s difficult to accept what I call “the ‘w’ word”—it’s probably one of the most difficult things to do in all of scripture for many of us.  So let’s just take a bit of time and remind ourselves that God has a plan, if we’ll but just wait on His time and purposes.

“Rest in the LORD,

and wait patiently for him:

fret not thyself

because of him

who prospereth in his way,

because of the man

who bringeth wicked devices to pass.”   Psalm 37:7

While we are called to wait on The Lord, we are also called to be diligent in our behavior while we wait.  Not always simple, or easy in our everyday life, but doable by God’s grace, power and the truths of His Word, let’s dig in to it.

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren,

let every man

be swift to hear,

slow to speak,

slow to wrath:

20 For the wrath of man

worketh not the righteousness of God.

21 Wherefore lay apart

all filthiness

and superfluity of naughtiness,

and receive with meekness

the engrafted word,

which is able to save your souls.

22 But be ye doers of the word,

and not hearers only,

deceiving your own selves.”  James 1:19-22

Don’t let haste, and neglect of God’s Word rob you of the assurance of His care.  Even when we can’t see what’s ahead, God can!  We must learn to wait on The Lord and trust in His wisdom, grace and perfect provision! When we are willing and diligent to be open to God’s will for us, we will be able to walk in power, grace and a confidence in the perfect sovereign control of our God!  Open The Word and dig in; for He cares for His own—that’s me–How about you?

“Wait on the LORD:

be of good courage,

and he shall strengthen thine heart:

wait, I say,

on the LORD.”   Psalm 27:14

Let’s just spend some time today, waiting on The Lord Jesus whom we claim to know and love!

“He that hath my commandments,

and keepeth them,

he it is that loveth me:

and he that loveth me

shall be loved of my Father,

and I will love him,

and will manifest myself to him.”  John 14:21

Amen and Amen!!!