Blossoming And Bearing Fruit

-October 4, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,

“Those who come He shall cause to take root in Jacob; Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.”

(Isaiah 27:6).

God’s plan for Israel was that it would be fruitful and be a blessing to the whole world. Unfortunately they fell short of the goal due to disobedience, rebellion, and idolatry.

Today’s verse speaks of the times of Isaiah, but has it fulfillment during the Millennial reign of Christ. Now during the Church Age, we have the privilege and responsibility to reach the whole world for Christ. Fruitfulness in the Scripture signifies growth and prosperity in the Lord. It should be spiritual and numeric fruitfulness.

God wants us to blossom like flowers coming up in springtime. The word blossom is defined as, “the state of bearing flowers; a peak period or stage of development.” God spoke first words to man in Genesis 1:28, “Then God blessed them, and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

To be fruitful is to produce the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Some mistakenly refer to the “fruits of the Spirit.” In reality they are “fruit from the same tree, the same root.

May the Lord help us to grow and be fruitful in His kingdom. We must spread the Word to everyone and produce disciples. We can only be fruitful if we abide in Christ the Vine.

Have a blessed day being fruitful for the Lord. Stay safe and healthy

Let us bear fruit, more fruit, and much fruit: some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred fold.

Dean

God’s Works In Us To Bring About His Will Through Us

-October 3, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Friday,

“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

(Philippians 2:13).

Before God can work through us, He must work in us. God only uses clean, broken, and empty vessels to serve Him. We can only take others as far as He has taken us.

In the preceding verse, Paul told the Philippians, “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). God work in us is often painful; for we must face up to our pride, self-will, stubbornness, and disobedience.

We must acknowledge our sin and repent, and ask for forgiveness. God only changes those who want to be changed. He works in us “both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

At the very beginning of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus said, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10). God’s will takes precedence over our will. We can ask ourselves, “Does God have precedence in my residence?”

When we yield our hearts and put Him first, He will work through us in a mighty way. Bill MacDonald commented, “This means that it is God who puts within us the wish or desire to do His will in the first place. Then He also works in us the power to carry out the desire.”

Have blessed day in the Lord’s will which is good, acceptable, and perfect. Stay safe and healthy.

To have a great workout, we must have God’s great work in.

Dean

Don’t Give The Devil An Opportunity

-October 2, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Thursday,

“Nor give place (or opportunity) to the devil.”

(Ephesians 4:27).

The devil is extremely crafty. Though he is a defeated foe, he tries his utmost to bring us down. He uses all his wicked schemes such as fear, anxiety, and most of all discouragement.

Jesus called the devil a thief, a murderer, and a liar. In speaking of the Pharisees, Jesus said, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

As believers we must be on guard every waking moment. If we leave a door unlocked or a window open, the devil can slither in like a snake. He did this when he tempted Eve in the Garden.

The devil is not only a liar but a thief. Jesus told us in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…” Our Savior warned us in Matthew 24:43, “But know this, if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.”

The devil wants to steal our joy, our peace, and our spiritual wellbeing. We must be on guard. The best way is to pray and to read, study, and meditate on the Word. We can’t give the devil any opportunity. Let us put on the armor of God daily and be watchful.

Have a blessed day staying close to the Lord, and keeping our eyes and ears open. Stay safe and healthy.

The devil is most dangerous, not as a roaring lion, but as angel of light with a Bible in his hands.

Dean

On A Wing And A Prayer

-October 1, 2025-

Good morning beloved, happy Wednesday,

“Call upon Me in the trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

(Psalm 50:7).

There is no better place to run to than the presence of the Lord. He hears us and delights to answer and deliver us. Sadly, we wait until we have exhausted every possible resource and solution in our own wisdom.

I woke up this morning thinking of this expression, “On A Wing And A Prayer. I was wondering where it originated. It was from WWII. In 1942, there was a film, entitled, “Flying Tigers.” In the movie, John Wayne asks a hotel clerk, “Any word on that flight yet?” The clerk replied, “Yes, it was attacked and fired on by Japanese aircraft. She’s coming in on one wing and a prayer.”

As believers we often find ourselves in a troubled situation with no way out. We must “Call on the Lord in the day of trouble.” He promises to deliver us so that we can glorify Him. David wrote in Psalm 86:7, “In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me.”

The odds may be against it, there may seem no hope of deliverance, but God is able to answer us at just the right time. We have hope because we have the Lord. Jesus told us to ask, seek, and knock.

One of my favorite hymns, and I have many, is, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” The first verse says, “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”

Have a blessed day calling on the Lord first and relying on Him fully. He will hear and answer, and come through for you. Stay safe and healthy.

When we’re on a wing and a prayer, God will help us soar through the air.

Dean

Carrying Our Own Loads

-September 30, 2025-

Good morning my dear friends, happy Tuesday,

“For each one shall bear his own load.”

(Galatians 6:5).

Yesterday we considered the verse on bearing one another’s burdens, and well we should. Today we will look at bearing our own loads. God brings loads on us help us grow in faith and rely fully on Him.

The word load is defined as, “a heavy or bulky thing that is being carried or about to be carried; a weight or source of pressure borne by someone or something.” We face so much pressure in life.

Our lives are filled with loads that we must carry alone. God gives us the grace to get through them. There are times we try to carry more than we can handle. Injuries and accidents can result, usually one’s back goes out.

What load or loads do you have to carry today? One of the heaviest loads is the death of a loved one. Or it may be a job loss, or a health issue. We have to bear it. Even so, the Lord wants us to cast it upon Him. Psalm 55:22 tells us, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved (or shaken).”

We must lay down our personal loads at the throne of grace and leave them there. So often we bring time but we don’t leave there them there. The temptation is to take it back.

Someone once commented on this verse, saying, “This verse is about each individual carrying their own burdens and being responsible for their own actions and decisions before God.”

Have a blessed day carrying your own burdens but giving them over to the Lord who will direct your path. Stay safe and healthy.

The songwriter said it well, “I can smile as walk along life’s road; I can smile if I carry a heavy load, I can smile because I walk with Jesus.”

Dean