Category Archives: Are You Ready

But One Thing…??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #432

09 Friday Jan 2026

Posted by in 'Come unto me, A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, A Witness--Good or Bad???, Abiding In Jesus, Are You Ready, Be Steadfast, Be Still and Know, Behold the Lamb of God, Believe God?, Believe IN Jesus, Believing God's Words, Born Again, By Him We Live, Crucified With Christ, Deceit or Discernment?, Discernment, Distractions, Fixing Our Eyes On Jesus, Follow Jesus, Following Jesus, God's glory NOT mine!, He Opens Blinded Eyes to SEE, He was born to die for our sin, Hear ye HIM!, Jesus Saves!, Jesus SinLESS Son of God, Listening To God

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But One Thing…????  A Word from THE WORD!!! #432

As we continue into this new year, I’d like us to check our perspective; I want to be in tune with Jesus and His Word.  That is such a difficult thing to do consistently, but it is doable, yet I think we often miss the target because we are so easily distracted by this world.  Jesus confronted a young man in his ministry.

“And Jesus said unto him,

Why callest thou me good?

there is none good but one,

that is, God.

19 Thou knowest the commandments,

Do not commit adultery,

Do not kill,

Do not steal,

Do not bear false witness,

Defraud not,

Honour thy father and mother.

20 And he answered and said unto him,

Master, all these have I observed

from my youth.

21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him,

and said unto him,

One thing thou lackest:

go thy way,

sell whatsoever thou hast,

and give to the poor,

and thou shalt have treasure

in heaven:

and come,

take up the cross,

and follow me.

22 And he was sad at that saying,

and went away grieved:

for he had great possessions.”  Mark 10:18-22

Here a seeking young man wasn’t able to comprehend the truth (at least at this time…we don’t know about his future, and some think a young man who later came to Jesus…), and I think this is a story from which we can learn a lot; but we must realize that “One thing thou lackest…”. What are you and I lacking?  Faith? Trust? Obedience? Prioritizing Jesus, His Word and His direction for our lives?  It is so easy to forget that following Jesus is what He has called those who believe to do—taking up my cross doesn’t mean just living with the aches and pains of life—it means dying to self and living for, with and unto Jesus each day.

“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

Paul told the Colossians believers what it meant to belong to Jesus, and it’s one of my favorite, and most concise definitions of our relationship to Jesus—in redemption and forgiveness of sins!!!

“Giving thanks unto the Father,

which hath made us meet

to be partakers

of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us

from the power of darkness,

and hath translated us

into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption

through his blood,

even the forgiveness of sins:” Colossians 1:12-14

And as Paul spoke to the Galatians, we must consider ourselves as dead to self and alive to Christ Jesus!

“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

And in all simplicity, how do you have a relationship with Jesus?  Only one way; by being born again into God’s kingdom through the blood of The Son of God, Jesus Christ The Lord.

“Jesus answered and said unto him,

Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

Except a man be born again,

he cannot see the kingdom of God…

… 5 Jesus answered,

Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

Except a man be born of water

and of the Spirit,

he cannot enter into the kingdom of God…

…. 16 For God so loved the world,

that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him

should not perish,

but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son

into the world to condemn the world;

but that the world through him

might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him

is not condemned:

but he that believeth not

is condemned already,

because he hath not believed

in the name

of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation,

that light is come into the world,

and men loved darkness

rather than light,

because their deeds were evil.”                     John 3:3-5, 16-19

What do you lack?  Are you ready to follow Jesus?  Here are His demands.

“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

I pray that if you already belong to Jesus, you will join me in a renewed commitment to draw nearer to Jesus and follow Him more closely and undistractedly!  If you don’t know Jesus, I pray that you will call on Him today in repentance of your sin and faith in His substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for sin—my sin and yours!  His arms are waiting for you!

Amen and Amen!!!

Redeemed Through The Blood?? A Word from THE WORD!!! #392

28 Sunday Sep 2025

Posted by in 'Come unto me, A Form of godliness?, Are You Ready, Jesus IS The Gift!, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Jesus IS Truth!!!, Jesus Saves!, Jesus' Sacrifice, Redeemed By HIS Blood, Redemption or Rehearsal?, Redemption Through HIS Blood, Regeneration, Renewing or Reviewing, Repentance, Restoration, Saved by Grace Through Faith, Saved FROM Sin, SIN, Sin IS the issue

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Redeemed Through The Blood?? A Word from THE WORD!!! #392

“To the praise of the glory of his grace,

wherein he hath made us accepted

in the beloved.

7 In whom we have redemption

through his blood,

the forgiveness of sins,

according to the riches of his grace;”  Ephesians 1:6-7

As Paul also told the Colossian believers, almost the same thing.

“Giving thanks unto the Father,

which hath made us meet to be partakers

of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us

from the power of darkness,

and hath translated us

into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption

through his blood,

even the forgiveness of sins:” Colossians 1:12-14

What is redemption?

Redemption: an act of atoning for guilt…an act or the state  

of being rescued…repurchase of something sold, as to a pawn shop…

Redemption is the act of God’s love in being bought back; in the case of man, being bought back from the penalty of sin, which is death (going all the way back to Genesis chapter 3!)  We must know that sin is the issue, it is the death penalty for all who have sinned, and that includes every human, excepting the God/Man/Savior, Jesus, who did no sin.  He’s the only one.

“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 2:21-25

My question is, if you claim to have been redeemed, has it made a difference in your life.  The Apostle John paints a picture for us in his first letter to believers, let’s consider what he calls us to.

“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.

8 If we say that we have no sin,

we deceive ourselves,

and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins,

he is faithful

and just

to forgive us our sins, and

to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned,

we make him a liar,

and his word is not in us.”  1 John 1:6-10

How do we “make him a liar”?  We make God a liar when we say we have not sinned—not me, I’m good…I’ve done___!  I’ve been______!  Paul declares the truth that SIN is the issue in his letter to the believers in Rome.

“For all have sinned,

and come short

of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23

But the beauty of God’s plan of redemption, is that we don’t have to stay short of God’s glory, we can find salvation, justification and redemption in JESUS; let’s see what Paul goes on to tell us about this sin issue (Jesus is the cure!)

“24 Being justified freely

by his grace

through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

25 Whom God hath set forth

to be a propitiation

through faith in his blood,

to declare his righteousness

for the remission of sins that are past,

through the forbearance of God;

26 To declare, I say,

at this time

his righteousness:

that he might be just,

and the justifier

of him which believeth in Jesus.” Romans 3:24-26

Jesus provided the sacrifice for sin for all who will come to Him in repentance of sin, and faith/belief in HIS substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for sin—the only acceptable payment for sin.  Even as Jesus said in John 14:6, “… I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”!

And without coming to Jesus, we will face the fate that Paul declares as truth to the Roman believers.

“For the wages of sin

is death;

but the gift of God

is eternal life

through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Romans 6:23

To make it simple, have you been born again?  Have you received the “gift of God…Jesus Christ our Lord”?  I pray that you have; but if you haven’t you can call on Him even now, and I’ll leave you with His call to you who don’t now Him. If you do know Him, are you living like the redeemed?  We’ll talk more about that next time.

“Behold,

I stand at the door,

and knock:

if any man hear my voice,

and open the door,

I will come in to him,

and will sup with him,

and he with me.”  Revelation 3:20

Amen and Amen!!!

Knowing The Faithful Shepherd??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #183

09 Friday Feb 2024

Posted by in 'Come unto me, A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, Abiding In Jesus, Advice for the journey, Are You Ready, Are you ready for Jesus' return?, Assurance IN GOD!, Blessings from the Psalms, Born Again, Christ IN YOU, Green pastures, Peace, Peace of God, The fourth man in the FIRE!, The Lord Is My Shepherd, The Love of God, The Only Way, The Same Yesterday

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Knowing The Faithful Shepherd? A Word from THE WORD!!! #183

As I sit here writing this morning, my heart is full of God’s grace, but at the same time it aches for the pain of loss.  A good friend will be laid to rest today; another good friend is ministering to her family as they bid farewell to their father.  When you reach my age, seeing your friends and loved ones leave this world seems to be a “state of affairs”; the question is, have I told you about Jesus?  Do you know “The Shepherd”?  I’ve told my husband lately that I’m beginning to feel like I have the plague, as all my friends are seemingly dropping like flies, and I wonder, “Is it me?”  But we all know that as scripture says:

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die,

but after this the judgment:” Hebrews 9:27

So I simply want to ask you, “Do you know Jesus, The Great Shepherd”?  Are you prepared to leave?  He is waiting for you if you don’t.  And if you have come to Him in repentance and faith in HIS substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for your sin and mine, then you can boldly say “HE IS my shepherd”!  May you be encouraged, refreshed, and assured of His presence, power and protection as you walk today in this crazy world.

“The LORD

is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down

in green pastures:

he leadeth me

beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth

my soul:

he leadeth me

in the paths of righteousness

for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk

through the valley

of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest

a table before me

in the presence of mine enemies:

thou anointest

my head with oil;

my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy

shall follow me

all the days of my life:

and I will dwell

in the house of the LORD

for ever.”  Psalm 23:1-6

Oh, I pray that you know this precious Shepherd, and that if you don’t you will run to Him today!  Calvary was, is and ever shall be a place of salvation, redemption, and transformation, as well as a place of life, love, and peace.  May you find the restoration that He gives as your hope for the journey.  He has comforted me in sorrow, He has lifted me when I fell flat, He has made the way clear with the path was blocked by spiritual boulders, He has never failed, and He never will!  I praise Him and thank Him even right now for the comfort that heals the broken heart; even though its pain is often recurring, HE never fails to touch the pain and bring unexpressable relief for each moment of pain!  May you know the blessed peace of JESUS today!

“Jesus Christ

the same yesterday,

and to day,

 and for ever.”  Hebrews 13:8

Amen and Amen!!!

Nothing Or Something??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #145

18 Wednesday Oct 2023

Posted by in 'Come unto me, A Father's Love, A heart of faith, Abiding In Jesus, Abiding IN Jesus or the World?, Abiding In The Vine, Advice for the journey, All About Jesus!, Almost But Lost, Amazing Grace, Are you clean?, Are You Ready, Are you ready for Jesus' return?, Are you ready?, Grace, Greater is HE that is IN US!, JESUS, Jesus IN You!, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Jesus Knows, Jesus Knows YOUR Storm, Jesus Never Fails, Jesus Saves!, Something out of nothing

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Nothing Or Something???  A Word from THE WORD!!! #145

 

I have a relatively brief word for us today—and I say ‘us’, for I need this reminder and encouragement today, and thought you might as well.

Jesus’ message to His disciples just before His death, calls us to devotion with a most solemn statement of truth that we need to be reminded of—or maybe it’s just me?  Either way, let’s dig in.

“I am the true vine,

and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit

he taketh away:

and every branch that beareth fruit,

he purgeth it,

that it may bring forth more fruit.

3 Now ye are clean

through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 Abide in me,

and I in you.

 As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,

except it abide in the vine;

no more can ye,

except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine,

ye are the branches:

He that abideth in me,

and I in him,

the same bringeth forth much fruit:

for without me

ye can do nothing.”  John 15:1-5

Without Jesus, I would be nothing, but HE took this cracked pot—broken in pieces—and made it all anew by HIS blood, HIS love, HIS forgiveness, and HIS grace.  He gave me (and you, if you’ve been truly born again!) HIS indwelling Holy Spirit to guide me into HIS truth, by knowing HIS WORD, to convict, to encourage, to lead and intercede when we have no words!  OH what a Savior Friend is Jesus, and because of what HE has done in/for me, I can truly be one of God’s creations of ‘something out of nothing’, as Paul made clear.

“As it is written,

There is none righteous,

no, not one:” Romans 3:10

Because I was a lost and wandering sinner (even within and active in a church—a good church) Jesus came to me and broke my heart for my own sin and saved me.  I fell on my face before HIM, broken and wretched—I got up redeemed, forgiven and cleansed.  OH, what a Savior– to do for me what no one else could do, not even myself.  And because of what HE has done, I/we can now say “I CAN”!  All because Jesus said…”I AM”…”I can”….”I will”!  And HE did it all for you and me on Calvary!

“I can do all things

through Christ

which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13

Press on my friend, if you know Jesus walk on in power, grace, love, and wisdom; if you don’t know HIM, you can by hearing the voice of God’s Holy Spirit calling to your heart to see your sin as sin, to turn to Jesus in repentance of that very sin—yes all of it—and believing/trusting in HIS substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for your sin and mine!  OH, what a Savior!  Oh, what a friend!!!  I am praying for you even now!

“Giving thanks unto the Father,

which hath made us meet to be partakers

of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us

from the power of darkness,

and hath translated us into the kingdom

of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption

through his blood,

even the forgiveness of sins:”                Colossians 1:12-14

Amen and Amen!!!

Firecrackers Of Regret??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #18

01 Friday Jul 2022

Posted by in Abiding IN Jesus or the World?, Are You Ready, Changed Lives, Choices And Consequences, Choose You This Day!, Choosing Jesus or The World?, Cleansed from all sin, Confidence, Doubt and Confusion?, Firecrackers of Regret!, Forgetting or Remembering?, Forgiveness, Renewing or Reviewing, Restoration, Take Up YOUR Cross, The Blood Cleanseth us from all Sin, The Blood Of Jesus, The blood of Jesus IS the only Way

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Firecrackers Of Regret???  A Word from THE WORD!!! #18

It’s firecracker time in America, and while I don’t spend much, if any, time or money shooting fireworks, I do enjoy the light show; yet the money that is spent on fireworks always seemed to me like lighting a match to a hundred dollar bill.  We all make choices, and some choose to indulge in the fun and celebration with fireworks.  But I want to talk about the ‘firecrackers’ of regret that we will often endure for more than the few minutes that the firecracker or other fireworks may last—it’s a puff of smoke and it’s gone—yet our life choices can leave us with a continual barrage of regret more like a gatling gun going off in our heart and mind!

How many regrets will you have because you (like me) failed to make godly, biblical choices in life; and the regrets of tomorrow can seldom be erased, nor the fire put out for long.  Believe me, you may sit one day asking God to ease the pain of the choices you are making today, wishing that you had chosen more wisely.  You may find yourself praying for God’s intervention in the painful consequences of your choices—the ones you make in haste, or in anger, or in total rebellion to God and HIS Word, or just that fleshly indulgence that you wouldn’t let go of.  You’ll be praying for “crop failure” as my father (thank God for a praying, loving father) did for me many years ago.  What do I mean?  Well, I mean—you get to plant your crop, but God sets the harvest!

“Be not deceived;

God is not mocked:

for whatsoever a man soweth,

that shall he also reap.

8 For he that soweth to his flesh

shall of the flesh reap corruption;

but he that soweth to the Spirit

shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

9 And let us not be weary in well doing:

for in due season we shall reap,

if we faint not.”  Galatians 6:7-9

How interesting as I write this, God reminded me through the music I’m listening to, that no matter how bad we mess up—if we will look to Jesus, we can find forgiveness at the cross, for “Jesus Paid It All” (written by Elvina M. Hall in 1865)!  Yet, obedience will always prevail over regrets, when we are willing to follow HIS Spirit each step of the way (See Psalm 37:23, in fact you can read the whole Psalm for real insight into God’s plan)!

“This I say then,

Walk in the Spirit,

and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit,

and the Spirit against the flesh:

and these are contrary

the one to the other:

so that ye cannot do the things

that ye would…

…. 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 5:16-17 & 24-25

What are you sowing today?  The choice is yours but remember there is a test.  And for us adults—remember there are little eyes and ears watching and listening, and they WILL copy our actions much more often than just our words.  Again—we “reap what we sow”!  Yet as we think of all that God has done for us, for our nation, for our world—may we fall before HIM, asking Him to “forgive… and to cleanse” us from our “SIN”.  And I’d like to simply share some scripture for us to ponder today (and each day)!  I pray God’s Spirit will direct each of us to hear and obey!

“If we confess our sins,

he is faithful and just

to forgive us our sins,

and to cleanse us

from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned,

we make him a liar,

and his word is not in us.”  1 John 1:9-10

“Righteousness exalteth a nation:

but sin is a reproach to any people.”   Proverbs 14:34

“For whosoever exalteth himself

shall be abased;

and he that humbleth himself

shall be exalted.”  Luke 14:11

“Seek ye the LORD

while he may be found,

call ye upon him

while he is near:” Isaiah 55:6

Please don’t watch your life go up in smoke like the fireworks that will light the skies of America this weekend; remember it’s your choice but choose wisely—there is a test—and a consequence!   Will yours be joy and delight as you see the blessings of God abound, or regrets beyond measure? You can try to justify your actions, but God knows your heart and mine, and HIS accounts are sure and certain!  Yet, praise God, HE heals hearts, HE forgives sin when we repent and receive HIS cleansing.  Look up today—Jesus is waiting for you!

“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.

….10 Humble yourselves

in the sight of the Lord,

and he shall lift you up.”  James 4:7-10

I praise God that He has granted me the forgiveness, healing, and restoration that only the blood of Jesus can provide.  He has truly given the opportunity to “restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten”!  Thank you, Jesus!

“And they overcame him

by the blood of the Lamb,

and by the word of their testimony;

and they loved not their lives

unto the death.”  Revelation 12:11

“And I will restore to you

the years that the locust hath eaten,

the cankerworm,

and the caterpiller,

and the palmerworm,

my great army

which I sent among you.”  Joel 2:25

I pray God’s blessing on you and yours!  And—Father God, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and precious Holy Spirit—Please bless America!

Amen and Amen!!!