John the Baptist “was a burning and a shining light.”
“He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.” John 5:35
This beloved forerunner of Christ never stopped serving the LORD. Yet many today who were once filled with the Holy Spirit and zeal of Christ today are waxing cold, just as Jesus foretold.
“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 (with or without you!) for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:10-14
All around us we see those who once walked with Christ and were a voice for Him departing to another mission. One of those diversions is saving America instead of saving and preserving souls for the eternal kingdom of Christ. Some have left the preaching of the Gospel. Christ warns us repeatedly of the need to “endure to the end” in an abiding relationship with Him (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; John 15:6, etc.).
The Gospel in action in our lives is born out of a oneness, an abiding relationship with Christ and the Father (John 15, 17).
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” 1 Peter 5:8
Doing Business for God
“Occupy till I come” is a call to build and expand Christ’s kingdom with all the resources and talents God has given to us!
Repentance is always the starting place (Hosea 10:12, etc.). Repentance precedes refreshment from Heaven (Acts 3:19).
“And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.” Colossians 4:17
The LORD has called you to fulfil His calling on your life. You are fully responsible.
The true Heaven bound disciple is doing GOD’s business and not his own. He’s using everything God has given him for the LORD’s glory. Jesus said “I must be about my Father’s business” and so if you are truly following Jesus, you are about the Father’s business and not your own! (Luke 2:49)
In this parable, Jesus is speaking of the stewardship of our lives and resources He’s given us in this brief life and how they will have an eternal impact on each of us – for eternal blessing or embitterment. Here’s how Jesus begins and ends His parabolic teaching of the “ten servants”:
“And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.” … “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.” Luke 19:13, 27
In other words Jesus is saying: “I am your Master. Do My kingdom business, the Father’s business, until I return and you will be blessed. Yet if you do not allow Me to reign over your life on this earth, you will be destroyed and not with Me eternally.”
Those who do not “occupy” till Jesus comes will be counted as His “enemies” and slain.
This is yet another place in Scripture, of many, where final salvation is taught and the need to “endure to the end” to be “saved” into eternal glory (Matthew 10:22; 24:13, etc.).
ARE YOU fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission command or will you be found to be an “unprofitable servant”?
“And cast ye the UNPROFITABLE SERVANT into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 25:30
You’ve Been Given Marching Orders
No matter what – follow Jesus. What did Jesus say of those who begin and don’t finish?
“And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:59-62
Remember that no matter what’s going on in this fleeting world, the LORD holds His own responsible to teach and preach His Word – which He specifically sent us to do (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15).
“Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.” Philippians 2:16
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” 2 Timothy 4:2
Always “preach the word” and never delay – never put it off for any current event…
“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.” John 4:34-38
Jesus is saying here that those who are and will remain with Him must never put off His work for any other occupation. – “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” (v35) And Jesus communicates: “When you put off My work, the mission I sent you on, you’ve put me off.”
“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
At this very moment, hell is full of people who were once saved while on earth and then left Jesus. They neglected their fellowship with the Savior and fell away (Matthew 25:1-13; Luke 8:13; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 Peter 2:20-21, etc.).
Have you lost your anointed effect on others? Has the salt you once had lost its Savour, its flavor, its punch? This can only happen if the disciple neglects His relationship with the LORD.
“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” Matthew 5:13
“Our holy lives ought to act as salt to arrest the corruption around us. It is said that the presence of a child has arrested many a crime. A sudden silence should fall on certain kinds of conversation when we enter the room. But it is very easy to lose our saltness, as did Lot in Sodom and the seven churches of Asia. Our lives ought to serve also as light.” FB Meyer
Is there seasoning on your offering as a “living sacrifice”? (Romans 12:1)
Does your life have “savour”? If not, it can! When the LORD sprinkles you where He wishes in this world, is there divine flavor and strength, pungency, is there Heaven’s power to bless, to bring His love, His truth, His salvation, His deliverance? His stated desire is to make you a “a vessel unto honour.” Are you prepared? Are you preparing?
“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:21
PUN’GENCY, noun [Latin pungens, pungo, to prick.]
1. The power of pricking or piercing; as the pungency of a substance.
2. That quality of a substance which produces the sensation of pricking, or affecting the taste like minute sharp points; sharpness; acridness.
3. Power to pierce the mind or excite keen reflections or remorse; as the pungency of a discourse.
Food without seasoning is bland, boring, tasteless. Do you sprinkle salt, pepper, Tony Chachere’s, Tabasco, or any other good seasoning on your food? Of course you do, right? Would you bother if that seasoning you like became bland, tasteless? Think about this in light of our Master in Heaven: If your salt has no more tastiness, if your life is not anchored in Christ, do you think He’s still going to use you since you have no more heavenly effect on others due to Him no longer being your “first love”? No. See Revelation 2:4-5. The Master would have you restored to Himself first and foremost by way of true repentance.
“…if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” Matthew 5:13
The disciple who become like salt that has lost it’s flavor, has become lifeless, lukewarm and drab, will fall and be “trodden under foot of men.”
Does God sprinkle the salt of His truth on the world through His saints? – Yes but only if their salt has strong seasoning – only if they are abiding intimate with the Savior!
What Did Jesus Mean by “Have salt in yourselves”? Salt gives life to food. Salt is a curing and preserving agent, substance.
“Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.” Mark 9:50
“Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?” Luke 14:34
Jesus was speaking of remaining full of His life, His truth, His grace, and therefore making an impact on those around us. Un-salty, unfavored salt is useless for the user, the Master.
Use it or lose it.
Jesus continues…. it’s only when one of His own is truly worshipping Him in sprit and in truth that the divine light is shining into and out from that vessel.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
God’s light shines in and through us as we ingest His Word which is the divine light that lights and leads us!
Those who get out of the Word, get off track:
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalms 119:105
All who aren’t in God’s Word daily, are backslidden. Return to Christ.
You have to be full of Christ’s light for that light to shine out from your vessel, your life in this dark world.
Today is our day to get full and stay full!
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6
The light of Christ only fills those who “hunger and thirst” after His righteousness, filling their hearts with His Word, His light! Is God’s Word making a daily “entrance” into your heart?
“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” Psalms 119:130
The darkness must be vanquished from our hearts daily via diligent study of God’s Word which “giveth light” to our hearts and scatters all darkness!
Is your lamp full today beloved? Are your hands and is your heart lifted in worship to your God today? Are you a wise virgin or a foolish virgin? Will you be full and flourish or will you be empty and perish? (Matthew 25:1-13)
Might this moment be the time that you dip your cup afresh into His divine well of salvation, to be refreshed, refilled, and overflowing? (Isaiah 12:3)
“Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” Isaiah 12:3
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. Please break me and bring this heart to contrition before You. Please forgive my sins of self-idolatry and self-reliance. LORD, I ask You to unite my heart to fear Thy name. I have not trusted You fully and ask You to forgive this sin and restore my life to full strength in Your Spirit now. Please use me to feed Your bless-ed sheep and to help others know You. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Fresh Start with God | Eternal Security/Once Saved Always Saved is a Lie from Hell | Evangelism
Abiding
The Death before the Death [podcast]

Gethsemane Preceded Calvary
“And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:42-44
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30
“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:10-12
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?” Luke 9:23-25

Shall We Freshly Declare the Cross to be Front and Center in our Personal Lives?
“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
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Abiding
“Rend Your Heart, and Not Your Garments” [podcast]

Who Does God Look to? Who Does God Dwell in?
Beware of any man pretending to represent Christ who isn’t praying and preaching for you to be possessed by a humble and contrite heart.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3
“‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 5:3). A low condition. ‘Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted’ (Matthew 5:4). To mourn over our sin and our utter wickedness before a holy and righteous God. Those are the ones who will receive the comfort and ‘joy in the Holy Ghost’ (Romans 14:17).” Karen Cochran
Abandoning Our Own Sin, Our Own Way, for God and His Better Way!
To “rend your heart” is a biblical phrase meaning to tear open your heart in radical sincerity, true humility, and genuine repentance.
The phrase comes from Joel 2:13 in the Bible: “Rend your heart and not your garments and return to the Lord your God.”
One source notes the following:
“Context and Deeper Meaning:
- Cultural Background: In ancient times, the Jewish people would tear (rend) their clothes as a public, highly visible display of grief or repentance.
- The Spiritual Message: God is warning that outward rituals (like ripping clothing) are meaningless if the heart remains unchanged. Rending your heart implies breaking through your pride, letting go of excuses, and being completely vulnerable and authentic before God.
- The Reward: The verse goes on to say that God is “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.” Tearing open your heart allows you to experience His forgiveness and restore your relationship with Him.”
To see an example of rending one’s physical garment in representation of rending their heart, see Acts 14:11-18.
Where is the LORD Looking?
“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
“Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 and rend your heart, and not your garments, 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. 14Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God” Joel 2:12-14
“What a gracious invitation is contained in these words. How tenderly the Lord reasons with his people. And what an encouraging assurance it folds up with. Reader! do not fail to observe that this call of the Lord, the accompanying grace to incline the heart to the observance of it is implied. It is most blessed ever to remember that when the Lord thus comes forth in his endearing invitations, he is secretly inclining the heart to accept them. Grace must first enter the heart, or there will be no inclination to obey.” Robert Hawker
“Jeremiah’s message was never meant to leave the heart in despair. Every warning from God carried an invitation to return. The Lord does not expose empty religion to shame His people, but to heal them. Repentance is not the loss of hope, it is the beginning of hope. Christ still receives every soul that comes with humility, and He gives living faith where there was only habit, peace where there was only fear, and joy where there was only emptiness. The call remains the same today, to draw near to Him with a sincere heart, trusting that His mercy is always greater than our weakness.” Dan Blincoe
A Fresh Start with God Always Begins with Humility and True Repentance
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19
“Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 and rend your heart, and not your garments, 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. 14Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?” Joel 2:12-14
Concerning rending our hearts before the LORD, one source notes:
The classic Bible passage on this concept is Joel 2:13, where God commands: “Rend your heart and not your garments”. In ancient biblical culture, tearing (or “rending”) one’s physical clothing was a customary, visible display of extreme grief, despair, or repentance. Through the prophet Joel, God is essentially telling His people: Stop doing the empty, outward religious ritual of tearing your clothes to show everyone how sorry you are. Instead, let me see true, inward brokenness over your sins.
Examples of Rending Physical Garments
In the Bible, the physical act of tearing clothes was used as a dramatic expression of deep emotion in several well-known narratives:
- Joseph’s Brothers (Genesis 37:29, 34): When Reuben realized Joseph was not in the pit, and later when the brothers brought Joseph’s blood-stained coat to Jacob, they tore their clothes in grief and despair.
- Job (Job 1:20): After hearing that he had lost all his wealth and his children, Job stood up and tore his robe as an outward sign of his overwhelming sorrow.
- King David (2 Samuel 1:11-12): When David received news of the deaths of King Saul and Jonathan, he and his men tore their clothes to mourn.
- The High Priest (Matthew 26:65): In a dramatic display of hypocritical outrage, the high priest tore his own garments when Jesus declared He was the Son of God, falsely accusing Him of blasphemy.
The Spiritual Meaning of “Rending the Heart”
The concept of “rending the heart” contrasts an outward show with inward reality.
- Genuine Repentance: Tearing your heart means being vulnerable, acknowledging your brokenness, and deeply repenting of sin before God.
- Prioritizing Relationships over Rituals: God desires a sincere heart—true sorrow and a desire to change—more than he desires traditional religious pageantry or dramatic, public displays of grief.
- The Promise of Forgiveness: In Joel 2:13, the command to rend the heart is immediately followed by the promise of grace: “Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love”.
God sees beyond our external habits and religious actions, requiring instead a humble, contrite heart to fully experience His mercy.”
God’s Mercy
“Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, 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. 14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?” Joel 2:12-14
In God’s Word, where we see men who tear open their garments…. This holds the illustration of rending our hearts before the LORD.
Don’t render outward tearing, no, rather, tear open your inner man, your heart—be honest, sincere, exposed, and vulnerable to the LORD whom you trust.
Let’s attempt to get at, to ascertain what God is commanding of His beloved people to do in this “rend your heart” passage.
“Joel 2:13: Rend your heart—Let it not be merely a rending of your garments, but let your hearts be truly contrite. Merely external worship and hypocritical pretensions will only increase the evil, and cause God to meet you with heavier judgments.
For he is gracious—Good and benevolent in his own nature.
Merciful—Pitying and forgiving, as the effect of goodness and benevolence.
Slow to anger —He is not easily provoked to punish, because he is gracious and merciful.
Of great kindness—Exuberant goodness to all them that return to him.
And repenteth him of the evil—Is ever ready to change his purpose to destroy, when he finds the culprit willing to be saved. See the notes on Exo_34:6, Exo_34:7.” Adam Clarke
“Joel 2:12-14: III. DIVINE APPEAL TO JUDAH TO REPENT (2:12-14)
Even now, the LORD calls the people to repentance. It is not too late to return to Him. But it must be more than outward ritual. Their turning was to be with all their heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” Believer’s Bible Commentary
To rend our hearts is the consistent message, mandate of God to His people of all ages and eras.
“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
In Joel 2 the LORD reminds those who are backslidden that He “is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? …”
They must meet His stated conditions to receive His blessings ….
He promises that He will forgive them as they…..
“Joel 2:12-27: THE AVERTING OF JUDGMENT
To rend the garment is easy, but a broken and contrite heart can be imparted only by the grace of the Holy Spirit. The love of God should bring us to repentance. He takes no pleasure in our miseries and if men repent and turn from their sin they find an immediate and loving welcome to the Father’s heart and home. Joel had called for the trumpet to announce war; he now directs the trumpet blast to summon the people, from the highest to the lowest, to plead for help. Prayer and true repentance and faith bring an immediate answer. As the husband yearns over his erring but repentant wife, and is indignant with those who have maltreated her, so will Jehovah remove from us, when we turn to Him, those who have cruelly oppressed us.
The great things Jehovah did against Egypt and Babylon are an earnest of what He will do again. The earth (and all the creation of God) … have good reason to rejoice in what awaits them. God promises not only to forgive sin, but to make us happy and well provided as if the locust and cankerworm had never settled upon our lives.” FB Meyer
Religious hypocrites, counterfeits, emphasize the outward to cover their inner darkness, rebellion.
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Matthew 23:23-25
“He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” Mark 7:6
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Abiding
Have We Misunderstood Why Christians Meet Together? [video]

“We’ve created a whole culture of Christians who are just known for going to church.” Dr Wadsworth!
“It is hard to convince a man (modern pastor) he is wrong when his livelihood ($) depends on not knowing he is wrong.” Unknown

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