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!!!

Sunshine Or Solar Lights!!! A Word from THE WORD!!! #487

28 Monday Sep 2026

Posted by in 'Come unto me, A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, Jesus Never Fails, Jesus Saves!, Light In The Dark, The Joy of The Lord!, the Lamb of God, The Light of The Word IS Jesus, The Light of The World

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Sunshine Or Solar Lights!!! A Word from THE WORD!!! #487

“Ye are the salt of the earth:

but if the salt have lost his savour,

wherewith shall it be salted?

it is thenceforth good for nothing,

but to be cast out,

and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the light of the world.

A city that is set on an hill

cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle,

and put it under a bushel,

but on a candlestick;

and it giveth light

unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men,

that they may see your good works,

and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”  Matthew 5:13-16

We are all familiar with solar lights today—they light the streets, we use them in landscapes, to light our paths, and as flashlights.  These lights work on the rays from the Sunshine, and we rely on them greatly. But Jesus calls us to “be” lights in this world, and the light that we must reflect is not the “sun” but “The Son”; Jesus makes this so clear as He reveals Himself to us and calls us to be sharers of HIS light!

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying,

I am the light of the world:

 he that followeth me

shall not walk in darkness,

but shall have the light of life.”  John 8:12

Note here that Jesus tells is that when we become His followers, we can walk in light because we “shall have the light of life”!  And Jesus repeats His declaration of being this light; “I am the light of the world”!  While the world attempts to lead us into darkness, when we belong to Jesus, we just need to remember that we don’t have to walk in the darkness of this world—for we know and possess The Light!

“I must work the works

of him that sent me,

while it is day:

the night cometh,

when no man can work.

5 As long as I am in the world,

I am the light of the world.”  John 9:4-5

Paul shared with the Philippian believers the truth of what we are to be—in light rather than in the darkness.

“Do all things

without murmurings and disputings:

15 That ye may be

blameless and harmless,

the sons of God,

without rebuke,

in the midst

of a crooked and perverse nation,

among whom ye shine

as lights in the world;”                    Philippians 2:14-15

We don’t have to succumb to the darkness all around us but must keep our eyes on The Light, Jesus, His Word and His ways!  The apostle John also focused on this principle of being light; and we need to remember that when we belong to Jesus, we are not only called but enabled to walk in HIS light, and we can because Jesus’ light dwells in His own.

“This then is the message

which we have heard of him,

and declare unto you,

 that God is light,

and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him,

and walk in darkness,

we lie,

and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light,

as he is in the light,

we have fellowship

one with another,

and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son

cleanseth us from all sin.”  1 John 1:5-7

And as I was putting this together, I was reminded of the old hymn, “Jesus Saves” (written by Priscilla Jane Owens) as I found the Psalmist’s words.  They blessed my heart, and I pray they will resound in your heart as well—as you walk in the light of Jesus Christ our Lord, who saves and gives us His Light!

“Blessed is the people

that know the joyful sound:

they shall walk, O LORD,

 in the light of thy countenance.

16 In thy name shall they rejoice

all the day:

 and in thy righteousness shall they

be exalted.

17 For thou art the glory of their strength:

and in thy favour

our horn shall be exalted.

18 For the LORD is our defence;

and the Holy One of Israel is our king.”   Psalm 89:15-18

Rejoice in Jesus The SON—not just the sun!

Amen and Amen!!!

Easy Isn’t Always Easy!!! A Word from THE WORD!!! #486

23 Wednesday Sep 2026

Posted by in 'Come unto me, Faith, Faithful, Faithful Follower, Faithful God--Faithful me!, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Faithfulness, Suffering With Jesus, Sunshine Or Rain, Take Up YOUR Cross, Testing and Trials?, Thankfulness with joy!

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Easy Isn’t Always Easy!!! A Word from THE WORD!!! #486

We’re all familiar with the old saying, “no pain, no gain”; it can be traced back to the 17th century, and even Benjamin Franklin is credited with using the saying.  What does it mean to us as Jesus’ children and disciples?  Well, the “easy believeism” doesn’t take into account the whole counsel of God, for God warns us that following Him will cost us something of ourselves.  No, not a cost to be saved, or to keep our salvation, but when we come to Jesus, and identify with Him and His Word, there is a cost (a cost that many not only deny but refuse to align with—I’ll let God’s Word speak for me!)!  Let’s let Jesus speak first, then we’ll consider some other biblical teachings on this very thing.

“These things I command you,

that ye love one another.

18 If the world hate you,

ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

19 If ye were of the world,

the world would love his own:

but because ye are not of the world,

but I have chosen you out of the world,

 therefore the world hateth you.

20 Remember the word that I said unto you,

The servant is not greater than his lord.

If they have persecuted me,

they will also persecute you;

if they have kept my saying,

they will keep yours also.

21 But all these things will they do unto you

for my name’s sake,

because they know not him

that sent me.”  John 15:17-21

 The question that we need to consider is, “Are we His servant?”  So much is taught today about what we have the “right” to demand of God?  I beg to differ, Jesus says we are not to be of the world but be as our Lord Jesus was; and Jesus made it quite clear what our focus is to be in the model prayer, let’s consider just the first few lines.

“After this manner therefore pray ye:

Our Father

which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done

in earth,

as it is in heaven.”  Matthew 6:9-10

A practice that helps me refocus my praying may help you too; as I quote this passage I pray “Father…”, Thy kingdom come, IN ME…Thy will be done IN ME!  My call, our call, is to seek God’s will and kingdom, Matthew 6 ends with an amazing imperative, may it bless and speak to you as it so often does to me!

“Therefore

take no thought, saying,

What shall we eat? or,

What shall we drink? or,

Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things

do the Gentiles seek:)

for your heavenly Father knoweth

that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first

the kingdom of God,

and his righteousness;

and all these things

shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow:

for the morrow shall take thought

for the things of itself.

Sufficient unto the day

is the evil thereof.”  Matthew 6:31-34                                                  (Be sure and check out what the “therefore” is there for, see verses 24-30 at least!!!)

Peter also gives us some great insight to measure our heart by.

“Servants, be subject to your masters

with all fear;

not only to the good and gentle,

but also to the froward.

19 For this is thankworthy,

if a man for conscience toward God

endure grief,

suffering wrongfully.

20 For what glory is it, if,

when ye be buffeted for your faults,

ye shall take it patiently?

but if, when ye do well,

and suffer for it,

ye take it patiently,

this is acceptable with God.

21 For even hereunto were ye called:

because Christ also suffered for us,

leaving us an example,

that ye should follow his steps:

22 Who did no sin,

neither was guile found

in his mouth:

23 Who, when he was reviled,

reviled not again;

when he suffered,

he threatened not;

but committed himself

to him that judgeth righteously:

24 Who his own self

bare our sins in his own body

on the tree,

that we,

being dead to sins,

should live unto righteousness:

by whose stripes ye were healed.

25 For ye were as sheep going astray;

but are now returned

unto the Shepherd and Bishop

of your souls.”  1 Peter 2:18-25

And in closing a lengthy passage from the author of Hebrews, which is often left out of our confidence in the first part of Hebrews 11, about faith and those who prospered in it; it shows us the difficulty sometimes of simple yet strong faith in our Lord; hence our title, easy isn’t always easy.  But serving God is above and beyond the greatest gift I have ever received—the gift that cost Jesus His life’s blood—why are we so often hesitant to pay a price for following HIM?

“1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen…

…. 6 But without faith

it is impossible to please him:

for he that cometh to God

must believe that he is,

and that he is a rewarder

of them that diligently seek him…

…. 36 And others had trial

of cruel mockings and scourgings,

yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

37 They were stoned,

they were sawn asunder,

were tempted,

were slain with the sword:

they wandered about in sheepskins

and goatskins;

being destitute,

afflicted,

tormented;

38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:)

they wandered in deserts,

and in mountains,

and in dens

and caves of the earth.

39 And these all,

having obtained a good report through faith,

received not the promise:

40 God having provided some better thing

for us, that they without us

should not be made perfect.”                                      Portions of Hebrews 11:1-6 and 36-39

The phrase “without us”, meaning that they wouldn’t be the only ones to suffer!  May we truly follow our Lord where ever it may lead.  Easy or not!!!

Amen and Amen!!!