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LIKE A TREE PLANTED BY THE WATER

8/10/2025

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August 10, 2025         LIKE A TREE PLANTED BY THE WATER


Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the man who trust in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.”


This passage of scripture has awesome promises for the one whose trust is the Lord. Who or what we trust is an all important issue. Trust is believing with all of our hearts; trust believes even in face of all contradictory and adverse circumstances. Many put their trust in themselves, in their possessions, their jobs, their insurance policies, their savings and investments, their reputation, their accomplishments, their knowledge and in their ability to do whatever they need to do. It is certainly not wrong to have confidence, but it is the source of our confidence that matters. Truly trusting the Lord with our life is the only trust that is secure and eternal; putting our trust in anyone or in anything else is like building a house on the sand-it will not stand when the storms come. I like the analogy of being like a tree planted by the water; it extends its roots, and because the roots reach the source of life (water), its leaves will be green even when the heat comes and it is not anxious about the year of drought, and it will not cease to yield fruit. All the things mentioned above that many trust in will not pass the test of this passage. So, it is a good thing for us to prepare and be diligent in life, but the crucial thing is that our bedrock trust is in the Lord. It’s interesting that it says to ‘trust in the Lord’ and also that the Lord ‘is our trust.’ We can trust in the Lord because of all that He has done and is doing, but we also trust Him just for who He is-He is our trust no matter what’s happening around us. If you want to be blessed now and in the day the Lord returns, put your absolute trust in the Lord.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”


Blessing, Buddy
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIVING

8/7/2025

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August 7, 2025                INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIVING


Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-5 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purity for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” 
“But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,”


Thank God that he does not leave us on our own to figure out how to live life. In God’s word, we find instructions on how to live life in such a way that we and others are blessed and He is honored. God’s grace has appeared to all men; Titus 3:4 tells us that God loves mankind. The book of Titus is a book of instructions, and it is quite detail in scope. Paul reminds us that we are not saved by good deeds, but he also emphasizes that we are called to be about good deeds because we belong to Him. Following is just a partial list from Titus of some of the good deeds we are to be about and some instructions we are to carry out; do not gossip, encourage others, love your spouse and your children, be sensible, pure and kind, be an example of good deeds, have sound speech, be beyond reproach, be under authority, show good faith, deny ungodliness and worldly desires, live righteously and godly, look for the appearing of Christ, be ready for every good deed, shun foolish controversies and strife, reject a belligerent man, meet pressing needs, hold fast to the word of God-and many other instructions for life are found throughout the New Testament. The point is that God’s word is not just a good book to read, and it is not just a historical book; the word of God is given to us that we might discover life as God designed. His word is not a list of do’s and dont’s, and His word is not to condemn us but to guide us. Outside of God’s word, there is no other book that reveals who God is nor who we are in Him. Some believe that life is all about fulfilling personal desires; the problem with that is that it simply does not work; the sense of pleasure that comes when a selfish desire is met, it short lived. God’s word deals with our hearts; God works in such a way that life flows out of our new hearts; we no longer have to search for what satisfies. Even though we live on this earth for the time being, we have been made a part of the kingdom of God and now we have the opportunity to live according to the ways of His kingdom-even in a fallen world. Let us not live according to our own understanding, but live according to the ways of God.


Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is the good and acceptable and perfect.”


Blessings, Buddy 
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THE NEED TO HEAR

8/5/2025

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​August 5, 2025                   THE NEED TO HEAR


Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.”


An all important question for us, is what foundation are we building our life on. Jesus uses the analogy of building a house to stress the importance of hearing and acting on His words. To hear and act on the words of Jesus is the only way to build a firm foundation that will stand the test of storms and difficulties that come our way-and they will come. It’s two parts; hearing and acting. First, concerning hearing; we can hear, but not really hear. To truly hear is to turn our attention to what is being said, to let it sink in, to meditate on it, tuning out all other distractions. Concerning the acting on part; if we value what we hear, obviously, it would be wise to act on what we hear-to apply. One danger is that we tend to elevate knowledge; we may believe that knowledge is the goal. The goal should be to acquire the knowledge we need that equips us to do what we need to do. The major, overriding truth in life is that God has spoken and has made it abundantly clear the way that leads to life. When anyone builds upon any foundation other than Jesus Christ, that foundation will crumble at some point-it’s guaranteed. Many spend a life time pursuing material possessions and wealth; yet when they near the end of their life, it is a tragic emptiness, a life wasted-they missed the life God had for them. There are many things one can build their life on; hobbies, education, being admired by others, music, and whatever. It is rewarding for us when we take to heart the words of Jesus and begin acting on them. Just one example: God loves a cheerful giver and He said it is better to give than to receive. In light of that, let us look for ways to give; we can give a kind word, help someone, pray for someone, give financially, be an encourager-the list goes on. You get the idea; let us make a choice to act on what Jesus has said; let us be like the wise man who built his house on the rock.
James 1:22 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”


Blessings, Buddy
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DAY AFTER DAY

8/3/2025

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August 3, 2025                  DAY AFTER DAY


Hebrews 3:12-14 “Take care brethren, less there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ lest anyone of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our salvation firm until the end;”


It is wise for us to be conscious of the fact that it is possible for us to have an unbelieving heart and to fall away from the living God. And there is something else to be aware of; if we are living our lives without a living, vibrant relationship with God, if we are spirituality coasting, then we have fallen away from the living God. (I am not saying we have lost our salvation-that’s another subject.) God is not in to a casual relationship with His people! Either He is our Lord and He is our life, or He is not; He is not about being a ‘part’ of our life. Paul tells us to ‘take care;’ if we do not take care, then before we realize it, we are living ‘our’ life, pursuing our goals, doing what we want to do, and trying to work God into our schedule-and that is falling away from the living God. We must remember  that sin is deceitful-and deceitful is just that-deceitful. If we chose to walk in sin, our hearts become hardened. Because falling away is a possibility, we are to be actively encouraging one another, and ourselves, ‘day after day.’ Today, there is a strong tendency to live independent lives, to be private; we must not yield to that but must be willing to be ones that encourage other believers to continue in the faith. What Paul says at the end of this passage is sobering; holding fast the beginning of our salvation is a fruit or result of our being partakers of Christ. If we find that we are drifting or becoming stale spiritually, let us recognize that and turn to the Lord and renew ourselves in the things of the Lord. We are not perfect; sometimes we live according to our flesh; but let us not continue to do so. The good news is that the Spirit of God lives in us and He is always leading us to life, and He is in fact our life. Our part is yielding to Him. 


Hebrews 10:23-25 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who has promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.”


Blessings, Buddy 
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LED IN HIS TRIUMPH

8/1/2025

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August 1, 2025                      LED IN HIS TRIUMPH 


2 Corinthians 2:14-16 “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifest through us the sweet aroma of His presence in the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to one an aroma from death to death, to others and aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?


I’m not sure we get it. Is it really true that God can/will always lead us in His triumph? You know the answer; God’s word is true whether we fully understand it or not. The awesome and amazing truth is that yes, when our heart is turned to God and when we are walking in the Spirit, God always leads us in His triumph in Christ. The key is that we are in Christ, and Christ is in God; and God is always triumphant. We have to know that we are not separated from God-ever. Wherever we go, in every trial and in every victory, Christ is with us. And hear this; we are a fragrance of Christ! Let that sink in. Our life, our countenance, our mindset, our words-all we are can reflect Christ. Through us, God manifest the sweet aroma of the presence of Christ in every place!! If you have a scent candle burning, the aroma fills the room; and if you move the candle to another room, the aroma follows. There is no ‘secular’ life for us; all we do and all we are is to be a reflection of Christ in us. The candle does not have to work at producing an aroma-it just happens; neither do we have to ‘produce,’ we simply reflect Christ. Christ leads us to do certain things, but the things we do are a reflection; we work out, or express what He is doing in us. Again, we are not producers, but reflectors. Out of our new hearts flow the life of Christ.
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I like by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”


Blessings, Buddy 
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    Buddy Fitzgerald

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