Category Archives: ‘Tis The Season?

What Landmarks??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #468

22 Wednesday Jul 2026

Posted by in 'Come unto me, 'Tis The Season?, Broad road or the Straight Gate?, Broken Cisterns, Broken Hearts, Fixing Our Eyes On Jesus, Following Jesus, Following Jesus or the World?, Laying up treasure in heaven

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What Landmarks???      A Word from THE WORD!!! #468

I want to start with some pictures of truth from Jeremiah the prophet of God.  I love that book, and while it is hard to read sometimes, it is chock full of God’s principles for living, as well as the cost to follow God in a hostile environment!  Lessons that we need to be prepared to face any uncertain future!.

“Wherefore I will yet plead with you,

saith the LORD,

and with your children’s children will I plead.

10 For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see;

and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently,

and see if there be such a thing.

11 Hath a nation changed their gods,

which are yet no gods?

but my people have changed their glory

for that which doth not profit.

12 Be astonished,

O ye heavens, at this,

and be horribly afraid,

be ye very desolate,

saith the LORD.

13 For my people have committed two evils;

they have forsaken me

the fountain of living waters,

and hewed them out cisterns,

broken cisterns,

that can hold no water.”   Jeremiah 2:9-13

For those of us who never lived where they use cisterns, this may be a bit foreign to us, but it is such an amazing picture.  I remember years ago, visiting a family member who lived out in the Kentucky farmland, and they had a cistern, well, I have never experienced this situation, and so one morning I was hand-washing a new white blouse in the lavatory and set it to soak a few minutes and then went back to turn on the water and finish washing it, when all of a sudden this awful black stuff came out of the faucet and I couldn’t get my blouse out quickly enough, and it was stained beyond recovery.  I went to ask what was going on, and they explained that the cistern must have gone dry, and they’d have to order water to fill it!  Well, needless to say, I learned a lesson about cisterns whether I wanted to or not.  An empty cistern is of little to no use, and if it goes dry or is broken there is no water.  God accusses His people, Israel, of forsaking a fountain of water (like our artesian wells) and not only digging cisterns for water but created broken cisterns that wouldn’t hold water (like our old adage, “that won’t hold water”!).  God is our fountain of life—not only life-giving water, but the water of life, eternal life; life in Jesus, not only the giver of water, but the One who is the water of life!

“Jesus answered and said unto her,

Whosoever drinketh of this water

shall thirst again:

14 But whosoever drinketh of the water

that I shall give him

shall never thirst;

but the water that I shall give him

shall be in him a well of water

springing up into everlasting life.”  John 4:13-14

Let’s consider two passages from the book of The Revelation, which remind us of the water that we need, and Jesus’ own proclamation of where to get it—In HIM!

“And he that sat upon the throne said,

Behold, I make all things new.

And he said unto me,

Write: for these words are true and faithful.

6 And he said unto me,

It is done.

I am Alpha and Omega,

the beginning and the end.

I will give unto him that is athirst

of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7 He that overcometh

shall inherit all things;

and I will be his God,

and he shall be my son.” Revelation 21:5-7

And repeated again in chapter 22.

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life,

clear as crystal,

proceeding out of the throne of God

and of the Lamb…

…16 I Jesus have sent mine angel

to testify unto you these things

in the churches.

I am the root and the offspring of David,

and the bright and morning star.

17 And the Spirit and the bride say,

Come.

And let him that heareth

say, Come.

And let him that is athirst

come.

And whosoever will,

let him take the water of life freely.”                 Revelation 22:1, 16-17

What does this have to do with ‘landmarks?  Well, landmarks in the scripture could be one of two things, it could refer to boundaries, or it very often referred to the reminders that Israel erected as landmarks on their journey to Canaan, such as the stones they set up at Jordan, as well as various altars that they set up to note a time with God.  What landmarks are you erecting or tearing down.  Have we forgotten not only the promises of God, but perhaps the promises that we have made to God?  We are often a forgetful people, just like Israel; so I’d like to close with a passage from the Psalms that gives us God’s perspective of the fickleness of we people; even God’s own people, often become forgetful!  How about you and me?  Have we forgotten the landmarks?  Have we forgotten our God?  Forgotten His promises?  Forgotten our promises to Jesus?  Let’s resolve to not forget the landmarks of our God; spend some time today rehearsing His goodness, His provision (on so many levels!), His forgiveness in our failures, His encouragement in our successes (that came because of HIS faithfulness!), the truths of HIS Word that supply our every answer and need! Set it as your constant landmark—don’t exchange His glory for the world’s lies!

“They made a calf in Horeb,

and worshipped the molten image.

20 Thus they changed their glory

into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.

21 They forgat God their saviour,

which had done great things in Egypt;

22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham,

and terrible things by the Red sea.

23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them,

had not Moses his chosen stood before him

in the breach,

to turn away his wrath,

lest he should destroy them.

24 Yea, they despised the pleasant land,

they believed not his word:

25 But murmured in their tents,

and hearkened not

 unto the voice of the LORD.”  Psalm 106:19-25

And in closing, Paul’s reminder of where our focus needs to be.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God,

a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,

rightly dividing the word of truth.”  2 Timohty 2:15

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God,

and is profitable

for doctrine,

for reproof,

for correction,

for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God

may be perfect,

throughly furnished

unto all good works.”  2 Timohty 3:16-17

Keep God’s Word as your landmark and you’ll find faithfulness and service in your walk each day.

Amen and Amen!!!

A New Years Prayer??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #428

31 Wednesday Dec 2025

Posted by in 'Come unto me, 'Tis The Season?, A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, Abiding In Jesus, Abiding IN Jesus or the World?, Abundant Life In Jesus, Advice for the journey, Be not conformed to this world, Holiness, Holy Living, Not Ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ., Not Of This World, Now is the time...., Obedient or NOT?

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A New Years Prayer???   A Word from THE WORD!!! #428

I would just like to share a few personal thoughts with you today as we are going into a new year.  Not really thinking about resolutions, but about “being resolute” in our devotion and obedience to The Lord Jesus Christ, and I truly believe the best way—perhaps the only way—to do that is to spend time with Him in prayer and in HIS Word!

“Through thy precepts

I get understanding:

therefore I hate every false way.

105 Thy word

is a lamp unto my feet,

and a light unto my path.

106 I have sworn,

and I will perform it,

that I will keep

thy righteous judgments.”   Psalm 119:104-106

I love these verses for they remind me again and again that God’s Word is my staple for living a holy life!  No matter what pathway you have been on, God’s pathway is the best way!  I am so grateful for the light that He brings into my life.  No I have not attained yet, but I’m closer today than I was before, yet not as close as I long to be.  How about you? Let’s resolve to cling to Jesus’ cross and delve into His Word continually.

“Let the words of my mouth,

and the meditation of my heart,

be acceptable in thy sight,

O LORD,

my strength,

and my redeemer.”  Psalm 19:14

Let’s make it about Jesus this year—pleasing Him, walking with Him in close devotion, hearing, heeding and obeying Him in sweet fellowship.  How?  One word answers that, priority!  We must make Jesus a priority; a priority in our time, in our choices, in our walk, in the places we frequent, in the words we use, in the things that we have allowed to run our live—to make holiness a priority instead of popularity, fashion, trends, social media of all sorts, media in general!  Let’s truly cling to the One who loved us and gave Himself to die that we might have eternal life, and also the ability to live a truly holy life in this world.  We can make a difference in this world.

But it comes at a price; a price of time, energy, limits, convictions, and most of all a knowledge of God’s Word. We must make the choice to draw nearer to our Lord, or we will be drawn closer to the world.  It’s your choice, but choose wisely, there is a a test.  Remember, Jesus paid the price for our salvation with His own blood, and we will all give an account before God either at the judgment seat of Christ (see Romans 14:10 & 2 Corinthians 5:10) for believers, or the Great White Throne (See Revelation 20:11-14) for the lost!!

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind,

be sober, and

hope to the end

for the grace

that is to be brought unto you

at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

14 As obedient children,

not fashioning yourselves

according to the former lusts

in your ignorance:

15 But as he which hath called you is holy,

so be ye holy

in all manner of conversation;

16 Because it is written,

Be ye holy;

for I am holy.

17 And if ye call on the Father,

who without respect of persons

judgeth according to every man’s work,

pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

18 Forasmuch as ye know

that ye were not redeemed

with corruptible things,

as silver and gold,

from your vain conversation

received by tradition

from your fathers;

19 But with the precious blood

of Christ,

as of a lamb

without blemish

and without spot:”  1 Peter 1:13-19

In closing I’d like to share what I consider to be one of Paul’s greatest challenges and words of encouragement from the letter to the believers at Rome, it’s also one my favorite passages, for its great instruction and encouragement in how to have a successful life of faithful and holy living in this world in need of a Savior—Jesus Christ our Lord.  Let’s be light in the dark—in all our ways—shining Jesus’ light to dispel the darkness!

“I beseech you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God,

that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,

holy,

acceptable unto God,

which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world:

but be ye transformed

by the renewing of your mind,

that ye may prove

what is that good,

and acceptable,

and perfect, will of God.

3 For I say, through the grace given unto me,

to every man that is among you,

not to think of himself more highly

than he ought to think;

but to think soberly,

according as God

hath dealt to every man

the measure of faith.”  Romans 12:1-3

May God bless you as you go into the New Year of 2026!  I pray that we will each draw closer to Jesus in this brand-new year!!!  Today!  And today!  And today for 365 days!

Amen and Amen!!!

Resolutions Or Resolve??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #427

28 Sunday Dec 2025

Posted by in 'Come unto me, 'Tis The Season?, A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, Choices And Consequences, Choose Wisely, Choose You This Day!, Choose you this day?, Choosing Jesus or The World?, Christ IN YOU, Commitment Or Convenience, Just Jesus!, Just Talking?, Just words won't do?, Justified by Jesus, King Jesus, Know Whom I Believe, Knowing GOD, Knowing God's Word, Knowing Truth, Revival or Recycle?, Righteousness exalts a nation

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Resolutions or Resolve???   A Word from THE WORD!!! #427

Resolution: a formal expression of opinion or intention made…

Resolve:  a decision or determination….to make a firm resolution to do something…

“But Daniel purposed in his heart

that he would not defile himself

with the portion of the king’s meat,

nor with the wine which he drank:

therefore he requested

of the prince of the eunuchs

that he might not defile himself.”  Daniel 1:8

As we think about the new year coming in, we are often prone to make “New Year’s Resolutions”; they run the gambit from being healthier, exercising more, eating out less, eating out more, spending our money more wisely, or even deciding to pursue a new job or career, spending more time with our family, etc.!  The thing is that our resolutions often lack real resolve—we just thought about it, we didn’t resolve, firmly resolve.

You can surmise from the verse above that Daniel is one of my favorite Bible examples of resolve!  Here this young-to-middle teen who has been carried off to Babylon from his home in Jerusalem, he has been taken into captivity as a trainee in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court, yet this young man (along with his three friends) “purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself”!

Daniel knew that he would be expected to do things that would violate his conscience, and his commitment to faithfully follow and obey his God!  I wish we had time to dig into all of this book, but I want us to focus on this one decision.  Daniel decided to depend upon the God whom he loved and served faithfully.  But as we look into the context, we find a young man who had also committed himself to do the right thing the right way!

How are we doing things?  What are we devoted to?  What have we purposed to do or not do?  We live in a world going crazy; a world that calls wrong right, and right is called wrong.  Isaiah gives us God’s standard.

“Woe unto them

that call evil good,

and good evil;

that put darkness for light,

and light for darkness;

that put bitter for sweet,

and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe unto them that are wise

in their own eyes,

and prudent

in their own sight!”  Isaiah 5:20-21

Joshua also made a decision and called his nation to make a decision to choose whom/what to serve.  And yes, you have the right to choose; but choose wisely there is a test coming!

“Now therefore fear the LORD,

and serve him in sincerity and in truth:

and put away the gods

which your fathers served

on the other side of the flood,

and in Egypt;

and serve ye the LORD.

15 And if it seem evil unto you

to serve the LORD,

choose you this day whom ye will serve;

whether the gods which your fathers served

that were on the other side of the flood,

or the gods of the Amorites,

in whose land ye dwell:

but as for me and my house,

we will serve the LORD.”  Joshua 24:14-15

The Apostle Peter warns of those who will reject who God is and what He has said.  We must be Daniels and determine what we are going to stand for—The Word of God and The God of The Word—or the World and its lies.  And let me remind us all that the only way we can know the difference is to know God’s Word, and being born again, know the author!  If you have been born again, get into The Word. If you haven’t been born again, you can be today!  Come to the cross!  Come to Jesus in repentance and faith in His substitutionary atoning sacrifice for sin.

“This second epistle, beloved,

I now write unto you;

in both which I stir up your pure minds

by way of remembrance:

2 That ye may be mindful of the words

which were spoken before

by the holy prophets,

and of the commandment

of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

3 Knowing this first,

that there shall come in the last days scoffers,

walking after their own lusts,

4 And saying,

Where is the promise of his coming?

for since the fathers fell asleep,

all things continue as they were

from the beginning of the creation.” 2 Peter 3:1-4

And in closing, Paul reminds us that God never lies, and Satan is the greatest liar of all times (See John 8:44+)!!  May we approach this new year with a commitment to be all that God has called you to be; being resolved to not defile ourselves, trusting all to God’s care, His purposes and His ways—which you can learn all about in HIS WORD!!

“Paul, a servant of God,

and an apostle of Jesus Christ,

according to the faith of God’s elect,

and the acknowledging of the truth

which is after godliness;

2 In hope of eternal life,

which God,

that cannot lie,

promised before the world began;

3 But hath in due times

manifested his word through preaching,

which is committed unto me

according to the commandment of God

our Saviour;” Titus 1:1-3

I pray God’s greatest blessings of wisdom, grace, peace and joy on you in the coming 2026!  Dig into HIS WORD!!!

Amen and Amen!!!

25 Thursday Dec 2025

Posted by in 'Come unto me, 'Tis The Season?, Born Again, Bow Before our God, Eyes that SEE HIM, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!!!, Mighty God

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Christmas Fortnight Day 14

MERRY CHIRSTMAS TO YOU AND YOURS!

We’ve all heard about the “fake” interpreter that was found out at the Mandela funeral some years ago.  He appeared to be interpreting for the deaf but in realityhe wasn’t. Yet when the real deaf people and genuine interpreters saw what was being done the ‘truth’ about the ‘fake’ was brought to light.  How often do we do things that are “fake” hoping no one will find out?

Jesus came to earth—God in human flesh. Emmanuel!!  He was, is and ever shall be the “real deal”, so to speak.  There are many voices claiming authenticity today but Jesus is still the ‘real’ Savior.

The ‘real’ Messiah.

The “real” one sent to save us—

The ONLY ONE sent to save us.

The only one who can save us.

John 14:6 declares this very fact in the words of Jesus himself,

“I am

the way,

the truth and

the life,

no man comes to the Father but by ME”.

This babe born and laid in that manger was the

Son of God—

The Word—

The Light of Life—

The Bread of Life—

The Good Shepherd—

The LAMB OF GOD. 

Jesus.  

 Emmanuel. 

Messiah. 

Savior.  

Lord of Lords.

 King of Kings.

I could go on without end, but the question I’d like us to consider is this, “What are you doing with Jesus?”

Have you left him in the manger?

Have you left him on the Mount with the Beatitudes?

Have you left Him walking on the water?

OR have you opened the door of your heart

and bowed before the King

in repentance and faith and

invited HIM in.

Rev. 3:20,

“Behold, I stand at the door,

and knock: I

f any man hear my voice,

and open the door,

I will come in to him,

and will sup with him,

and he with me.” 

Is Jesus standing outside of your heart?

Is He knocking at your hearts door?

Won’t you let Him in?

The choice is yours.

Leave Him in that manger of straw,

or invite Him in to save and transform your life.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says,

“Therefore if any man be in Christ,

he is a new creature:

old things are passed away;

behold,

all things are become new.”

Won’t you receive the greatest Christmas gift ever given—

the gift of eternal life???

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.”  

MERRY ‘CHRIST’MAS FROM THE BRITTAINS….

HE IS LORD!!!

May your Christmas be full of joy to your heart,

delight to others and

 “glory to God in the highest”—

Christ is KING!!!

Christmas Fortnight Day 7 A Word from THE WORD! #419

18 Thursday Dec 2025

Posted by in 'Tis The Season?, Christ IN YOU, Christ IS Alive!, Christmas, Christmas IS Jesus, Christmas IS?, Christmas Ponderings, His Mercies Are New Every Morning, Holiness, Holy, Holy Living, HOPE, Jesus IN You!, Jesus IS Lord--bow before Him!, Jesus is our peace, Jesus IS The Gift!, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Jesus Knows YOUR Storm, Jesus lives today!, Jesus Never Fails, Jesus Saves!

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Christmas Fortnight Day 7  A Word from THE WORD! #419

As we continue looking at Jesus and His birth, let’s think about the ‘manger’.  A cattle trough, a feeding container for cattle, horses and other livestock.  What is the import of the “manger”?

Luke speaks of the manger 3 times. Why 3 times? Let’s look.

“And she brought forth her firstborn son,

and wrapped him in swaddling clothes,

and laid him in a manger;

because there was no room

for them

in the inn.”  Luke 2:7

Luke goes on with even more insight for us, as he recounts the testimony of the shepherds.

 “And this shall be a sign unto you;

Ye shall find the babe

wrapped in swaddling clothes,

lying in a manger.”  Luke 2:12

“And they came with haste,

and found Mary, and Joseph,

and the babe

lying in a manger.” Luke 2:16

First, we see that Mary, “laid him in a manger”.  This precious young mother, chosen by God, had nowhere to lay her newborn baby but in a trough.  Her humility and faithfulness are overwhelming to me.  Nothing is recorded of Mary complaining, whining or being dissatisfied with her lot.

Philippians 2 says that Jesus also chose to humble himself, how about you and me?

“And being found in fashion as a man,

he humbled himself, and

became obedient unto death,

even the death of the cross.”  Philippians 2:8

This King of kings accepted a manger for HIS bed.  What about us—what are we unwilling to accept from God’s hand?

Then we see the angels, giving the shepherds instructions to look for a babe ‘lying in a manger’.  Christ’s first ‘cradle’ wasn’t a surprise to God.  He KNOWS where You are as well.

Lastly, we see that the shepherds found Him in that very ‘manger’.  They didn’t scoff at this strange tale, nor hesitate to obey.  How about you and me?  Do we respond to God in similar manner? Or do we hesitate at what may seem to us the “strange ways” of God?

Remember His ways aren’t our ways, nor are our ways His.  Thoughts to ponder in this Christmas season.  Think about ‘CHRIST’mas, and let’s make sure our focus is on Jesus The Christ, not just the trappings of this ‘holiday’ –let’s keep it a Holy Day!!!

Amen and Amen!!!