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What’s Your Season??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #399

22 Wednesday Oct 2025

Posted by in 'Come unto me, Faithful Father--heavenly and earthly, Faithful Follower, Faithful God--Faithful me!, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Faithfulness, Father's Way!, Following Jesus, Following Jesus or the World?, For Such A Time As This, IN HIS TIME!, IN Jesus!, Increase my faith?, Influenced by the world or Jesus?, Inside out or Outside In?, Inspiring Others, Integrity, Iron Sharpening Iron

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What’s Your Season???  A Word from THE WORD!!! #399

The verse below popped up today as I was searching for something on the internet, and I thought how apropos for us today.  It’s fall but we’ve been wrestling 90 degrees plus temperatures for almost the whole month, and now it’s cooler in the mornings, and I for one, am grateful for the wonderful coolness of this fall season.  It sure makes my walks in the morning way more enjoyable and pleasant!  As I saw this verse I couldn’t help but think about our words and actions being the same way; sometimes they’re in season and sometimes we let the tongue and attitude engage before the brain and heart!

“Folly is joy to him

that is destitute of wisdom:

but a man of understanding

walketh uprightly.

22 Without counsel

purposes are disappointed:

but in the multitude of counsellors

they are established.

23 A man hath joy

by the answer of his mouth:

and a word spoken in due season,

how good is it!”  Proverbs 15:21-23

We can look throughout the book of Proverbs and see the warnings about foolish words and actions, and even more meaningful are the words about wisdom, discretion, wise counsel, and the gift of discerning the times and seasons.  One of my favorite passages speaks of the key to wisdom and discernment!

“Trust in the LORD

with all thine heart;

and lean not

unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways

acknowledge him,

and he shall direct thy paths.

7 Be not

wise in thine own eyes:

fear the LORD,

and depart from evil.

8 It shall be health to thy navel,

and marrow to thy bones.”  Proverbs 3:5-8

If you would, I encourage you to take this passage and ask the 5 W’s and the H (the who, what, when, where, why and how); and lay your heart open to hear the voice of The Lord speaking to you!  Even as James calls us to be careful in our speech and our actions; are you a “doer” of The Word, or a “hearer only”?  Are you seasonally useful to The Lord, or are you digging into His Word and finding power, grace and wisdom to be “speaking the truth in love” each day as opportunity presents itself?  (See Ephesians 4:15)

“Every good gift and every perfect gift

is from above,

and cometh down from the Father of lights,

with whom is no variableness,

neither shadow of turning.

18 Of his own will begat he us

with the word of truth,

that we should be

a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

19 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 1:17-22

Again I encourage you to examine the text and the “dos” and “don’ts” that James calls believers to!  That’s me and you, if you belong to Jesus!  We are called to walk right before our God, and there we will find the wisdom, grace and power to make a difference in this fallen world!  We are called to spread the light not the darkness!

Paul gives us a great example in his letter to the believers at Corinth, after his previous letter had rebuked them for their compromise with sin.  Yet after they heeded hiss words, he here commends them for their repentant hearts and obedience to his call to correct the blatant error in their midst (a subject for another post.)

“For though I made you sorry with a letter,

I do not repent,

though I did repent:

for I perceive that the same epistle

hath made you sorry,

though it were but for a season.

9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry,

but that ye sorrowed to repentance:

for ye were made sorry

after a godly manner,

that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

10 For godly sorrow

worketh repentance to salvation

not to be repented of:

but the sorrow of the world

worketh death.

11 For behold this selfsame thing,

that ye sorrowed after a godly sort,

what carefulness it wrought in you,

yea, what clearing of yourselves,

yea, what indignation,

yea, what fear,

yea, what vehement desire,

yea, what zeal,

yea, what revenge!

In all things ye have approved yourselves

to be clear in this matter.

12 Wherefore, though I wrote unto you,

I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong,

nor for his cause that suffered wrong,

but that our care for you

in the sight of God

might appear unto you.” 2 Corinthians 7:8-12

I care for you also, my friends!  So, I pray that you are in a season of fellowship with The Lord Jesus, in diligent pursuit of His will in all things.  I pray that your light will be dispelling the dark, not adding to it.  Rejoice in the seasons of nature and the joy of the Lord—which is always in season—joy is often contagious!

Amen and Amen!!!

The Foolishness Of Preaching??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #356

15 Sunday Jun 2025

Posted by in 'Come unto me, A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, Cleansed from all sin, Confidence, Conformed or Transformed?, Conformed to HIS image, Consider Your ways, Following Jesus, Following Jesus or the World?, For Such A Time As This, Jesus Knows YOUR Storm, Jesus Never Fails, Jesus SinLESS Son of God, Jesus' Sacrifice, Signs of the times?, SIN, Sin IS the issue, SMILE!!! Jesus loves YOU!!, Someone is following you!, Sowing and Reaping, Speaking The Truth In Love, Spiritual Drought!, The Cross or the world?, The Crucified Life, The foolishness of preaching, The Gospel, The Greatest Evangelist, The greatest evangelist? Dead or alive?, The greatest gift!!!, The Light of The Word IS Jesus, The Lord Is My Shepherd, Today IS Today!, Tomorrow, Touch them while you can?, Transformation

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The Foolishness Of Preaching??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #356

“For after that in the wisdom of God

the world by wisdom

knew not God,

it pleased God

by the foolishness of preaching

to save them that believe.

22 For the Jews require a sign,

and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

23 But we preach Christ crucified,

unto the Jews a stumblingblock,

and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24 But unto them which are called,

both Jews and Greeks,

Christ the power of God,

and the wisdom of God.”  1 Corinthians 1:21-24

My heart is grieved that we have, in many places and situations, abandoned this choice of God—”the foolishness of preaching” which is the way that GOD has chosen “to save them that believe”!  Oh dear friends, I have an evangelist that we know, whose family experienced a great loss this week, as they buried their first-born, and I could relate to their pain, but you see, much like me, they had the absolute confidence that their child left this world, and we know whose arms our children passed into!  But so many don’t know The Lord, and likewise their loss brings great remorse, uncertainty, and a grief that has little to no hope!  Yet Paul tells us that God chose preaching as the means to bring the true Good News “to save them that believe”!

Believe what?  Believe in the substitutionary, atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Lord for SIN!  It’s why we must share the gospel of Jesus—the only way! Jesus said it Himself—what?  That HE was/is/and ever shall be God in the flesh, the One who came to die for the sins of all who will believe.

“Jesus saith unto him,

I am

the way,

the truth, and

the life:

no man cometh unto the Father,

but by me.”  John 14:6

No man can come to God but by Jesus!  Why, because no human man, a sinful man, could pay the price to pay for sin, which only a spotless, sinless Lamb of God could pay!  And without His blood payment there is no salvation—for sin is the issue.

“And she shall bring forth a son,

and thou shalt call his name JESUS:

for he shall save his people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done,

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord

by the prophet, saying,      

23 Behold,

a virgin shall be with child,

and shall bring forth a son,

and they shall call his name Emmanuel,

which being interpreted is,

God with us.”  Matthew 1:21-23

And as Paul reminds us:

“For all have sinned,

and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23

“For the wages of sin is death;

but the gift of God is eternal life

through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Romans 6:23

Sin was the issue, is the issue and Jesus came to resolve the sin debt for all who would believe and receive of His abundant grace!  It’s the only way, and preaching is God’s means of getting out the news!  In the simplest terms, preaching is speaking forth God’s truth—not man’s words, but God’s Word!  What are you sharing with people? God’s Word or man’s?  Peter spoke God’s truth in Jerusalem shortly after the day of Pentecost.  It brought amazing results.  But to preach, so to speak, we must know what God says; we must know His Word and put it into our hearts that God can bring it out to others at the right time, and place, unashamedly and boldly but not meanly.  What are you “spouting” out?  God’s Word or the most popular terms that the world is using?  It’s your choice but choose wisely, there is a test.

“Be it known unto you all,

and to all the people of Israel,

that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,

whom ye crucified,

whom God raised from the dead,

even by him doth this man stand here

before you whole.

11 This is the stone

which was set at nought of you builders,

which is become

the head of the corner.

12 Neither is there salvation in any other:

for there is none other name under heaven

 given among men,

whereby we must be saved.”  Acts 4:10-12

No other name—but the name of Jesus!  No other man—but the God-man-Savior who died for our sin; it’s why He came.  Don’t die in your sin, but rather IN JESUS—the One whom the world calls insignificant, but we know HE IS the Son of God—the Lamb of God.  John the baptizer said it best.  I pray that you’ll come to Him in repentance (turning away from your own sin and turning to The Savior of the world) and faith in the sacrifice that Jesus made for our sin, He still saves and changes lives today.  How about you?

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him,

and saith,

Behold the Lamb of God,

which taketh away the sin of the world.”  John 1:29

In closing, here is what I call, Paul’s Gospel in a nutshell (so to speak).  It’s what God calls us to preach; let’s go share!

“For I delivered unto you first of all

that which I also received,

how that Christ died for our sins

according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried,

and that he rose again the third day

according to the scriptures:

5 And that he was seen of Cephas,

then of the twelve:” 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 

I praise God for the gift that God imparted to me, many years ago when I trusted in Jesus.  I praise Him for the gift that He gave to my daughter before her death—salvation in a most unlikely spot (but salvation, none the less); I praise God for our evangelist friend and his family, for the same gift that their hope is in as well—a child who belongs to Jesus, both now and for eternity. And as David said so long ago!  May we depend upon God’s ways not man’s!

“And he said, While the child was yet alive,

I fasted and wept: for I said,

Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me,

that the child may live?

23 But now he is dead,

wherefore should I fast?

can I bring him back again?

I shall go to him,

but he shall not return to me.”  2 Samuel 12:22-23

Amen and Amen!!!