Abiding

An Heart of Flesh [podcast]

Paula White Exposed [video]

THAT’s My King! Pastor Lockridge [video]

Powerful Prayers from Children-This Will Shake You [video]

The Fear of the LORD is to Hate Evil: Pride, and Arrogancy #shorts [video]

NEVER enthrone your own study or supposed knowledge of God. Subjective. Pride. You know nothing outside of Christ! Becoming and remaining humble, teachable, pliable, and correctible are proof you are known of God (Matthew 18:3-4; Ecclesiastes 4:13).

May God tenderize the hearts of His men today (Ezekiel 36:24-26).

Can the LORD still touch our hearts? Is there a tear when He touches?

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23

No person who names Jesus as LORD should even begin to be satisfied till their heart is that “heart of flesh,” soft and sensitive to the LORD and others. This happens at regeneration and God ordains us to walk in it (Ezekiel 36:24-26).

YOUR PRAYER: Holy Father, do it in me, do Your deep work. Break me Jesus, please. I love You my LORD. Take away the hardened places in my heart and replace them with “an heart of flesh” that is humble, convicted, pliable, innocent, and teachable. In Jesus’ name, I ask You dear Father. I love You Jesus.

“Yes! We need to let God break us to see there is nothing good in us. That leads to humility and the fear of God!“ Karen

“We pray earnestly, O God, that we may not be found among those with hardened hearts, no longer able to hear Thy voice.” AW Tozer

We can simply, and should ask our heavenly Father to grant us to have a heart of flesh and to remove all the stones, the stony places. Let it be dear Father in the name of Jesus!

THERE’S only one reason God’s Word would not be rocking your whole world today – a hard heart! But GOD has a cure for that! He has the only solution – and that is to replace it with “an heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:24-26)! Cry out to JESUS! IF you will REACH, He will RESCUE! There’s not one person reading this that doesn’t need a softer, more pliable heart – which God alone can provide when we cry out to Him with sincere heart! Now!

“Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.” Jeremiah 4:4

“O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?” Jeremiah 4:14

It’s so very important to stop our life, to repent truly before and to our Maker, receiving Jesus as the Savior and Lord of our life before it’s too late. Those who push God away instead of getting right with Him suffer hardness of heart which may be the point of no return. The Bible calls it being seared in conscience (1 Timothy 4:2; Hebrews 3:12-15). | Fresh Start with God

All hardened hearts are going to Hell – because a heart can only be hard by way of sin. When God forgives and restores, that includes taking away the stony places and granting that humble, repentant soul an heart of flesh! God is so good!

What takes the heart away from God? Sin!

“Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.” Hosea 4:11

Anyone not fighting the good fight of faith, choosing to seek the face of the LORD for His overcoming and a pure heart, is hardened in heart, becoming seared in conscience as with a hot iron, and backslidden (1 Timothy 4:1-3; 6:12). Such a person is in desperate need of a touch from God to which he must respond in true repentance and as he does, the “times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the LORD” (Acts 3:19). Heavenly Father, please let the restoration begin. May the LORD touch each of those who name the name of Jesus as their LORD and Savior, causing us to turn from our wicked ways and to “depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19). May Jesus begin His work afresh this hour – the work of taking away the stony places of our hearts and granting us hearts of flesh as He promised to those who are born again and seek Him (Ezekiel 36:24-26).

Every heart made by the LORD repentant and pliable, an heart of flesh, will be with Him now and forever!

“For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land (picture of salvation). 25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:24-26

This is a picture of salvation in Christ where He cleanses us from “filthiness” and all idolatry, gives us His Holy Spirit, and takes away the stony heart and replaces it with “an heart of flesh.”

Paramount to knowing and walking with Jesus, is being possessed by “an heart of flesh” which God greatly aggrandizes. The opposite of “an heart of flesh” is a hardened, stony heart which God will not work in without our true repentance.

Is the soil of your heart parched? Is it dry and hardened?

“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:5-10

Fallen Man is Deceitful in Heart

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9

Scripture tells us that our own heart is wicked and also that the LORD reveals “the thoughts of his heart” to us in and through His written Word (Jeremiah 17:9; Psalms 33:11).

“The counsel (written Word) of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.” Psalms 33:11

In the above statement the LORD equates His “counsel” to “the thoughts of his heart.” Wow!

So which shall we follow?

“He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool.” Proverbs 28:26

“For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. 4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.” Jeremiah 4:3-4

Jesus speaks of the only heart soil that will be in glory and He uses the term “an HONEST and GOOD heart.”

“But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15). Honesty goes a long way with God!

God is able saints…..Jacob was a deceiver and Peter had much falsity in him just as all of us …. God is able. I love to cry out to the LORD and ask Him to make me absolutely authentic to the core and to remove every trace of iniquity from my being, in Jesus’ name! (Psalms 51; 139:23-24)

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” Hosea 10:12

God specializes in restoration. He loves to build those places in our hearts and lives that are/were “ruined,” “desolate.”

“Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.” Ezekiel 36:36

HOW do Our Hearts become Hardened?

It is a sin to serve self daily and not the Savior. Idolatry.

If you are not living in fervent fellowship with Jesus today, you are backslidden. You are living in sin. It doesn’t matter if you think you are saved or not. The fact is, that if you aren’t seeking the face of the LORD daily, diligently, you are reverting back to type – the sinful nature of the flesh.

God’s Word informs us that our hearts become hardened “through the deceitfulness of sin.” ….

“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.” Hebrews 3:12-15

The condition of men’s hearts are of extreme importance in the eyes of God.

IF I am not truly seeking the face of the LORD, engaging daily in the life-giving abiding relationship He desires, I am simply going through religious motions, have a hardened heart, and a mere “form of godliness” (1 Chronicles 16:11; Psalms 27:4, 8; Philippians 3:10; 2 Timothy 3:5). Seeking God

“God renovates us from the inside out, he isn’t an exterior decorator..that would be like putting pearls on swine. God looks on the heart: therefore that is where the sinner must start to cry out from for mercy and salvation from their own wickedness. Praise and worship come after that he creates in us a pure heart. (Matt. 7:6; Ps. 51:1-10; Ezek. 36:26)” Jon Crane

“The LORD looketh on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

“But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

The LORD spoke this to Samuel His servant, who like most of us, are prone to view things from a physical perspective instead of a divine perspective. Jesse had some very handsome, strong sons and yet they were passed over. When it was time to anoint a new king among God’s people, David, still young and raw, yet obediently serving the LORD out of a pure heart, was chosen. David was the youngest son of Jesse. See 1 Samuel 17.

God told His servant Samuel to not look on the outer man but rather observe how He judges, qualifies men – by their hearts. We should never judge things by the flawed whims of sinful men but rather through the lens of God’s Word which informs us that the LORD looks on the hearts of men, not the outward appearance of things. To see things as God sees them, we must have purified, cleansed, pure hearts.

Memory Verse:

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8

Sinful religious men appraise themselves and others by the outward, by what things look like on the outside. Such a man is deceived into thinking that the vain show of church attendance, charitable works, giving, etc., make him pleasing to God. No. Through the hand of the beloved Paul, the Holy Spirit puts His divine finger on such that we see being played out today among many who profess to know Christ who have but a mere “form of godliness, but denying the power (authority) thereof: from such turn away” (2 Timothy 3:5). This passage seems to indicate that many professing believers deny Christ the power of authority over their lives. This would mean they are not submitted to the lordship of Christ in the daily cross but rather have a mere outward religion, making a fair show among mere men.

“For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” John 12:43

“And rend (open) your heart, and not your garments (outer form of godliness), and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.” Joel 2:13

“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Psalms 34:18

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Psalms 51:17

Our Daily Walk with Jesus is Vital to a Pure, Pliable Heart!

Sister Debbie shares:

“‘Seek’ the Lord came through as a recurring theme while reading the Word as the Lord led to various Scriptures. This particular theme had come to my attention a few days ago – and was highlighted again today. Have determined to set myself to seek Him and look up the related Scriptures and write them down. I think I’ve known for awhile that this would be a season dedicated to seeking the Lord – seeking His face, when it all started with 1 Chronicles 16:11 ‘Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.'”

The recipe for a hardened, calloused heart is simply neglecting to seek the face of the LORD continually.

Only God can purify our hearts and He does this as we seek His face.

“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.” 1 Chronicles 16:11

So, you aren’t perfect? Join the club! And, yet we serve the only One who is divine perfection and who is working in us “both to will and to do of his good pleasure” – as we work out our “own salvation with fear and trembling.”

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: … Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 1:6; 2:12-13

Being corrected is “the way of life” and not just here and there, not just once in a while. Have you noticed this?

Are you in God’s Word daily? If so His Word will light His way for your life and you will continue to learn of Jesus through His blessed reproofs, corrections, chastisements.

“For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:” Proverbs 6:23

We ALL have the same iniquities which are evil and if not daily crucified with Christ, if we are not full of the Holy Ghost daily, the fruit of the Holy Spirit will not be present (1 Corinthians 9:27). And the works of the flesh will be in full operation (Galatians 5:19-23). This is why rising up early to spend quality moments with Jesus are so very foundational, so essential and such a blessing! God is working in the lives of all who truly put Him first in their lives (Philippians 1:6; 2:12-13).

PRAYER: Holy Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, please melt and grant this heart You gave to be truly a heart of flesh, pliable, teachable, and full of Your love. Please remove the stony places that came by way of my sin and pour into my heart the oil of Your Holy Ghost dear LORD. In the name of Jesus, Father, please do this now!

Fresh Start with God

MESSAGE RECEIVED:

“Can God make it so a believer doesn’t feel Him in them any more as a test to seek after Him? I think that might be the case for me :)”

REPLY:

I have been exactly where you are. Exactly.

I simply moved toward and not away from the LORD

And He made it so I had no feelings of His love at first

But then…..He broke through…. sin had put my heart into a place of hardness so that I couldn’t sense Him.

Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

Act 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

“For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalms 30:5

The Meditation of My Heart [podcast]

“Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. 13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” Psalms 19:12-14 Support | STORE | Podcasts | The Return of Christ | Stewardship | Where to Give and Where Not to Give | Fruit Abounding to Your Account! | Victory in Jesus | Discipleship | The […]

"He that is of a Merry Heart hath a Continual Feast" [podcast]

Message recorded at a Bible fellowship. Biblical saturation! If we are low spiritually, it could only be for 1 reason – we didn’t stay filled. Get filled! Stay filled! Overflow! Perpetually Flood your system with God’s Word! It’s only the LORD Himself who can bless the human heart to be “merry” and have a “continual feast.” In fact, that’s His will for each of us. But how does that happen? The LORD our Maker alone can truly satisfy, all the way to the marrow of the bone, to the depth of the human heart! “For I have satiated (fully satisfied) […]

Fresh Start with God

You can Have a … Jesus is the Great Shepherd of His Sheep (Heb. 13:20; Lk. 15) A FRESH START WITH GOD (First, if you are not certain that you are genuinely born again, please go here first) Let’s get something straight…. the disciple, the mere man writing this message is more in need of JESUS than anyone who ever lived! No one needs Jesus more than I do and yet, we must do things HIS way, not our own (Ephesians 3:8). “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs […]

Abiding

“David Encouraged Himself in the LORD his God” [podcast]

“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, … but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” 1 Samuel 30:6

Gathering from several commentaries on this passage, one source notes the following:

“Faced with the devastating loss of Ziklag and a mutinous army threatening to stone him, David found supernatural resilience. Rather than yielding to panic or despair, he actively turned his focus away from the overwhelming crisis and strengthened his faith directly in God.

Key Context and Lessons

- The Crisis: Amalekite raiders had burned the city and captured all the women and children, including David’s own wives.
- The Breaking Point: His loyal men were now grieving and broken, turning their deep anguish into violent anger against their leader.
- The Shift: David did not look to his men, his own strength, or his circumstances for hope. He preached truth to his own soul, drawing on his past history with God’s faithfulness and inquiring of the Lord for his next steps.

Practical Takeaways

- Self-Talk: When no one else is around to lift you up, you must learn to speak God’s promises to your own heart.
- Refocusing: Encouraging yourself in the Lord means anchoring your identity and security in His unchanging character rather than shifting public opinion.
- Actionable Faith: David’s inward strengthening immediately led to outward action—he sought God’s direction and pursued the enemy, resulting in complete victory and restoration.”

“Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22

“In the world ye shall have tribulation”

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

During seasons of great stress, this man after God’s own heart sought the LORD. This time only served as a blessing, hastening David to the feet of Christ. Beloved David gave us the most amazing Scriptures concerning seeking God.

“My soul followeth hard after thee.” Psalms 63:8

“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” Psalms 42:1-2

“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.” Psalms 27:4

“When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” Psalms 27:8

Prayer: Father in Heaven, in the name of Jesus, please grant me, Your mere servant, to be possessed with a heart after You dear LORD. I love You Jesus. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Having a Pure Heart Requires the Cross Life [podcast]

“Great Podcast. Thank you. When I think about Matthew 5:8 I think of Psalm 24:3-4, ‘Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.’ Who is worthy to stand in God’s holy presence? Only those who are living holy and righteous lives! Those disciples who are free from pride and sin and are maintaining inner purity. With no idolatry, hypocrisy and deceit in their hearts! They are hungry and thirst […]

The Importance of Pureness of Heart [podcast]

“He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.” Proverbs 22:11 With pureness of heart, our words shall issue forth with grace and seasoning and be more readily received by those who hear. “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Colossians 4:6 David’s Prayer “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” Psalms 19:14 “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they […]

Purifying Ourselves even as He is Pure [podcast]

Ready or Not – Jesus is Coming “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:3 Here’s how you know if you are ready to meet Jesus—whether by dying or His soon return. The context of the Bible verse above is the return of Jesus and being ready for it (1 John 2:24-3:3). Those who live for Christ long to see Him and look expectantly for His soon return. This world is not their home. “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all […]

Abiding

10 Clues Your Love for God has Waxed Cold [podcast]

The wise virgin saints are keeping their lamps full of divine oil, they are taking personal responsibility for their own spiritual state with Christ the great and soon coming Bridegroom. Read Matthew 25:1-13.

“The Love of Many Shall Wax Cold”

“And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:10-14

Did you notice in verse 14 that those who hot for Jesus are participating in the preaching of His Word to the end of the earth (Mark 16:15).

Anyone not devouring God’s Word daily is falling away, is not enduring to the end, is choosing the let their love for Jesus wax cold, and on the wrong, the losing end of this prophecy Jesus gave here on record in Matthew 24:10-14.

“I will spue (vomit, reject) thee out of my mouth”

“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” Revelation 3:16-17

Praying God will help you love Him more (Matthew 22:37-40). It really all boils down to WHO we love most. THAT is exactly who we are serving (Romans 6:16).

Loving God is everything as far as what’s in our control – because it’s a choice, daily, and will determine if one remains in Christ to the end.

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40

“Thou hast left thy first love”

“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” Revelation 2:4-5

1. When you are choosing not to spend quality time with God in prayer each and every morning… When you are choosing not to spend quality time with God in His Word each and every morning (Luke 9:23-24; 1 Chronicles 16:11).

2. When your love for God’s people is being reduced instead of increased (Philippians 2:12-13; 1 John 5:1) Marks of the True Christian …. “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;” (Romans 12:9-11) See John 13:35.

“And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. 21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.” Luke 8:20-21

“We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.” 1 John 3:14

“Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.” 1 John 5:1

Reading 1 Corinthians 13 today will refresh your heart and mind on the divine importance placed upon LOVE.

3. You are not denying self and not taking up the cross daily (Luke 9:23-24; 19:27; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3, etc.).

4. You aren’t communicating the light of truth to others because you no longer seek or fear the LORD and so His divine virtue isn’t teeming in and flowing out of you. Your cup no longer runs over but instead is running empty (Psalms 23). You have a lampshade over the light and are not letting His light shine in and through your life and words… “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” (Isaiah 58:1)

5. You live in fear instead of faith and the joy of being with Jesus (Luke 21:28; 1 John 4:16-18; Proverbs 28:1; Psalms 2:11).

6. You preach promises and not conditions…following the apostate modern church and you don’t preach the cardinal doctrines of the original Gospel which we are commanded to “earnest contend for.” (Jude 3) You begin meditating on and living by trends instead of truth (Jeremiah 9:3; 2 Timothy 4:2-4; Philippians 4:8; Romans 12:1-2).

7. You have little or no true fellowship with other born- again Bible believing disciples of Jesus as is defined in God’s Word and not by the modern church world (Acts 2:42).

The Word of God is to run rich, to be abundant among God’s people … “In all wisdom” and “all in the name of the Lord Jesus” … “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (Colossians 3:16-17)

8. You know you are backsliding when your main thrust and identity become politics, not the work of the Gospel. YOU are a blood bought disciple of Jesus, not a conservative. You are a Bible believing follower of Christ (Luke 9:62; Galatians 6:14).

9. When you love this world…..When you spend more time and money on hobbies and the things of this fleeting world than you do on attending to knowing, walking with the LORD and preparing to be used of Him (Mark 4:17-19; 1 John 2:15; James 4:4).

10. When you spend more money on trash and trinkets then helping the work of the One you claim to love and the poor. You know you are backslidden when you are not obeying God with what He’s placing in your temporal possession. He shall bring you into full account for this.

Regrettably, people will give their money to any and every pleasure under the sun but make excuses when the opportunity to support the work of the One they claim to love and serve. The Holy Spirit foretold that in the final days before the return of Jesus, there would be those with a mere “form of godliness”, “men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous,” and “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” (2 Timothy 3:1-7) According to the LORD, one of the main ways to measure our true love for Him or lack thereof, is by peering into our personal stewardship of the resources He’s placed into our temporary possession. Luke 12 and 16 offer a plethora of divine wisdom and warning concerning the judgment to come, the judgment we shall endure in giving account for our stewardship in this life.

The clear proof that God is working in our lives, that we are truly following Jesus, is that we are becoming less and less vested in this fleeting, fallen world (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17). And that we, our good works, our giving are more and more invested in eternity – in the eternal kingdom of Christ, laying up treasures in Heaven, sending them before us, relinquishing the things of this world for the glory of God – putting them to work for the eternal Gospel of Christ – for saints to be fed and equipped and the lost to hear the Word of God (Matt. 6:19-21).

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Matthew 6:19-24

To underscore the importance of stewardship, we should realize that 16 of our LORD’s 38 parables involved stewardship. Those who now do not wish to face and confront this truth, are apparently those who are in the most need of hearing it.

PRAYER: Father I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. Please cause my conscience to be super sensitive to Your conviction, Your leading, and to evade all that defiles me in Your holy eyes, sin. Here and now I submit my life afresh to You dear LORD. You must increase but I must decrease. I am crucified with Christ and thank You for conforming me to His holy image. I am all Yours LORD and thank You that You are all mine. I love You Jesus. Please make me one with You and the Father and with Your beloved body. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Fresh Start with God

Dollar Dialogue [podcast]

Holes in Your Money Bags? [podcast] Curing the Dilemma of Diminishing Returns. If we want to see Heaven’s floodgates opened, we must examine what compliance, what agreement, what obedience the LORD may be leading us to render. The Reason Your Bag has Holes in it [podcast] (below) YOUR own bank statement tells you exactly who you are. Matt 6:21 A financial investor takes your money and multiplies it for your last few years in this temporal life, right? In contrast, laborers for Christ take your support and multiply it for Christ and themselves for all eternity. In Christ’s eternal kingdom […]

The Love of Many Shall Wax Cold [podcast]

If someone’s love toward God’s people has waxed cold, it’s only because their love for the LORD first waxed cold (Matthew 24:10-14). Today is the best day to repent and return to the LORD. “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all […]

Abiding

David’s Farewell Prayer [podcast]

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Romans 15:13

May God bless His people, in their times of tribulations, to find comfort, guidance, with Holy Scripture, and may they find His peace during seasons and transitions.

The most famous biblical farewell is Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer in John 17:1–26, where He commits His disciples into the Father’s care before departing.

Classic Farewell Blessings

The Aaronic Blessing (Numbers 6:24–26): “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”
The Pauline Benediction (2 Corinthians 13:14): “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”
God’s Promise (Jeremiah 29:11): “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

At the end of his life, David prayed to God for His kingdom and people. One source notes the following:

“King David’s life is defined by extreme highs and devastating lows. Rising from a humble shepherd to an unbeatable warrior-king who established Jerusalem, he suffered catastrophic personal failures, including his adultery with Bathsheba, the murder of Uriah, and tragic family calamity that culminated in his son Absalom’s rebellion.”

At the end of his life on earth, David, the man after God’s own heart, prayed.

Of this magnificent kingdom prayer of David, one source notes the following:

“King David’s famous prayer in 1 Chronicles 29 (King James Version) is a profound declaration of God’s absolute sovereignty, majesty, and ownership of all creation. Spoken near the end of his life, it serves as a prayer of thanksgiving and dedication for the materials gathered to build the Temple.

Summary of Key Verses (1 Chronicles 29:10-19 KJV)

- Verses 10-13: David blesses God, declaring His greatness, power, and glory. He affirms that God owns all things in heaven and earth, including riches and honor.
- Verses 14-16: David expresses humility, noting that all gifts come from God and that human life is short and temporary.
- Verses 17-19: He prays for the people’s continued devotion and asks for Solomon to have a “perfect heart” to keep God’s commandments and build the temple.”

1 Chronicles 29

David Prays in the Assembly

10 Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.

11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.

12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.

13 Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.

15 For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.

16 O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.

17 I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.

18 O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee:

19 And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.

20 And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king.

21 And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings unto the LORD, on the morrow after that day, even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel:”

Ephesians | Galatians Outline | Grounded in Grace |

The Prayer Life of Jesus [podcast]

Prayer is communion, communing with God. Those who earnestly seek God in prayer, who earnestly seek to know Him and to fulfill His will for their temporary lives in this world…. will glorify Him here and to be with Him eternally. What do we learn from the prayer life of our LORD Jesus? “Luke 5:16 PRAYERS OF JESUS. Luke stresses more than the other gospels the place of prayer in the life and work of Jesus. When the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at the Jordan, He was ‘praying’ (3:21), at times He withdrew from the multitudes ‘and prayed (5:16); […]

Prayer Mission of Epaphras [podcast]

Praying daily, diligently, God’s will for others, changes you. EVER wonder how or what to pray for others? Wonder no more! Amazing! 1 Bible Verse to a changed life! The all encompassing prayer!!! Simple and biblical!!! Life changing! Never again wonder how or what to pray for others or yourself! Do you have specific people you lift in prayer each morning? “Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:” 1 Samuel 12:23 WHEN you ask someone to “pray […]