Category Archives: Uncategorized

Who do you say that Jesus is?

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“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He began asking His disciples, saying, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, and others, Elijah, but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ And Simon Peter answered and said, ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.'” Matthew 16:13-16

Some say that Jesus Christ was just a man in a world history book,
while others call Him God–so it’s best to take another look.
Assurance of eternal destiny is a topic much thought about–
If your answers for that are doubtful, the truth can easily be found out.

Wouldn’t a loving God provide help to find your way?
Yes, through the Holy Bible–it’s where He has His say.
In fact, God wants the news to spread about sending us His Son.
Through Christ’s death on a criminal’s cross, redemption for all was won.

“Why would I need ‘redemption,'” you ask; “I’ve lived a life that’s good.”
Well, we were meant to live holy, but God saw that we never could.
He alone is holy, righteous, almighty, and the supreme justice-keeper–
He’s the very source of love, of which there’s none that’s deeper.

It’s an often-told and familiar truth that Christ came down to earth
to pay the penalty for our sins, offering to every one of us “new birth.”
“In the beginning was the Word,” and in Christ, “the Word became flesh.”
He is that Word, and it’s by Him that our lives can begin afresh.

There’s no other name under heaven that has been given among men
by which we must be saved than that of Jesus Christ, my friend.
Sadly, some who don’t believe still use His name in swearing,
not recognizing that it’s the Name that signifies God’s caring.

And others, in profanity, speak carelessly, using “hell.”
No one needs to go there, but it’s real and where some dwell.
“On what proof,” you ask, “does anyone stand who so emphatically states
that there is really no other way to gain entrance at heaven’s gates?”

The proof is in God’s goodness, confirmed as the Holy Spirit flows,
through all that’s said in the Bible and as all creation shows.
The Bible says we’re without excuse if we don’t perceive these things–
Please trust the words of Jesus and find the blessing that He brings.

Those who go on to eternity, rejecting the gift of God’s grace
will miss the joy of one day seeing our loving Savior’s face.
So simply answer Christ’s question now of, “Who do you say that I am?”
by receiving Him as your own Savior and Lord–God’s sacrificial Lamb.

P. A. Oltrogge

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:12-14

“Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead–by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the very cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10-12

“…because that which is known about God is evident within them for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:19,20

“For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:12

In God’s Vineyard

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Photo by Lori Branham

Photo by Lori Branham

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:1-5

Jesus, You are the True Vine, to which I’m blessed to have a strong connection;
It’s through Your truths and the Holy Spirit You sent, that I find wisdom and direction.

Before learning to trust Your guidance, I attempted some plans of my own;
But they only showed me my need to draw close–to You at Your heavenly throne.

There, You’d waited patiently for me, to learn more about You and abide
In the peace of Your presence in order to bear fruit, by which Your Father is glorified.

It’s written in Your Word, that I’m seated with You, together in the heavenly places;
I’m an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ, so I receive of divine daily graces.

“Much fruit” are actually the words that this portion of scripture has detailed;
You will perfect a good work in me, so I won’t be a branch that has failed.

Without You, I can do nothing; but, by drawing from the Vine, I become able
To tell of the One who changed water into wine–the best at the wedding table.

Many other miracles can come to mind as I think back on all that I’ve read;
Parables shared and words that were prophetic are among the things that You said.

In and through You, I’m the kind of branch that remains and continues to thrive,
sharing through kind deeds and words about Jesus, our God, who is very much alive!

P. A. Oltrogge

“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” John 15:6-11

“You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me.” John 15:3-4
(New Living Translation)

“Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away; behold new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7

“The spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.” Romans 8:16-17

“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105 KJV

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 NKJV

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13 KJV

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

Be Rich Towards God

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Photo by B. Oltrogge

Photo by B. Oltrogge

Please, dear friend, be rich towards God, thinking not only of your own pursuits; But think about turning your heart to Christ and others, putting down good spiritual roots. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his own soul? Helping others spiritually and in tangible ways is God’s plan, in which we’re all to have a role.

Have you spoken to Jesus in a personal way today, or do you just run out to meet the day? A relationship with Him makes a difference for the better–it’s wise to take time to pray. One day Jesus will be coming back in glory and will repay His saints for selfless deeds. Not only for that reason, but for the joy that’s returned, ask Him to show you another’s needs.

God’s not against your having enjoyment of certain things…
But doesn’t want you to miss the fulfillment which living for Him brings.

P. A. Oltrogge

“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.” Matthew 16:25-27

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared? So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:20-21

The Tenth, Easy to Understand

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“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” James 1:17

Even as young children, the Lord wants us to see,
that giving a tithe honors God and is not an exacting fee.
Realizing that every good gift is from above,
makes it easy for us to return again, in love,
that which has already been given from our Lord.
To accomplish His work–We really can afford
to do this–it never will be detrimental.
But, instead, for further blessing, it’s instrumental.
Just as He lauded the heartfelt giving of the widow who gave two mites,
our trust and understanding of giving is something in which Jesus delights.

P. A. Oltrogge

“‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.'”
Malachi 3:10

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” Matthew 23:23

“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” Luke 11:42

“And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and he saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, ‘Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.'” Luke 21:1-4

“Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.”
2 Corinthians 9:10-11

“Let him who is taught the Word share in all good things with him who teaches.” Galatians 6:6 NKJV

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38 NKJV

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 (from Matthew 6:25-34)

“I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'” Acts 20:35 NKJV

“Blessed is he who considers the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.” Psalm 41:1 NKJV

“And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which He spake by Elijah.” 1 Kings 17:16 KJV (from the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath)

“One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?'” John 6:8-9 NKJV (from John 6:6-14, the story of the feeding of five thousand through the offering of a young lad with five barley loaves and two small fish)

Bold Believers Speak in Faith

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“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
Mark 11:23-24 (NKJV)

We’re Jesus’ bold believers, who have faith about our prayers–
He said that we could pray in faith and then follow up as “sayers.”
“Say unto this mountain,” and it’s removal will come to pass,
was a basic rule that He had taught in His discipleship class.
“He will have whatever he says,” is exactly the word He used;
yet criticism of those who do this has caused His principle to be refused.
Some may be inspired to practice it, but give up, and say that it’s too hard,
for when applying faith to gain an inch, it can seem the devil takes a yard.
That’s why we’re told to persevere, holding fast to the truth of God’s Word.
Read and meditate and say it–until that “mountain’s” heard!

P. A. Oltrogge

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21

Remember to doubt your doubts, too!

God’s All-Encompassing Grace

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There’s protection in these days from plague, danger, storm and flood;
And it’s found through faith in Jesus Christ and the mention of His blood.
Remember to use the authority that God has given you–
Resist the devil before, or even as, adverse things try to break through.

We’re to imitate our Lord who commanded the stormy sea, “Be still!”
It’s not a time to doubt He’ll back you up–but to know He will!
Psalm 91 and other covenant promises of God are yours to claim;
You’ve got His power; you’ve got His authority; and you’ve got His mighty Name!

The gift of righteousness through Christ is yours, most importantly to know of all;
The more we realize this, the more we’ll believe we receive answers when we call.
Despite our failings, when God sees us, He sees the righteousness of His own Son;
And the Bible says God will perfect the good work in us that He’s begun.

We gain in faith through hearing God’s Word, our sure foundational base,
Which helps us to grow strong in assurance–about His all-encompassing grace.
Just trust Him now though it’s not been taught to the necessary extent;
His blood, His Name, His Word, His authority–for our well-being these were meant!

P. A. Oltrogge

“And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:33

“And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ (right up to the time of His return), developing (that good work) and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.” Philippians 1:6 (AMP)

“For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:17

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.'” Luke 10:19-20 (KJV)

“Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:18

“So be subject to God. Resist the devil (stand firm against him), and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 (AMP)

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!’” Psalm 91:1-2

“No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent.” Psalm 91:10 and all of Psalm 91

Hebrews 12:24; Hebrews 13:20-21 (the blood of Jesus)

Acts 3:6; Acts 3:16; Acts 4:7, 10, 12, 17, 18 (the name of Jesus)

Ephesians 6:10-17 (the armor of God)

“Only believe!”
(from Mark 5:36 and Luke 8:50)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

(It’s easy to become that new creation through a simple, heartfelt prayer–just confess you are a sinner and receive God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, asking Him to be your Savior and Lord)

A Paralytic and Four Faithful Friends

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Jesus had been back to Capernaum for some days, and the news of this became known; Many people gathered at the house to hear Him speak, and the crowd had really grown. In fact, there were so many who wanted to come inside that you couldn’t get near the door; But there was a paralytic, with four friends who had a goal–to hear Jesus say, “Restore!”

So fervent were they in their earnest goal, that though it didn’t seem possible to get through, they weren’t downcast, but instead looked up–gaining entrance through the roof was what they’d do. Their faith in the Lord, their tenacity to attain, moved them to hoist their friend and his pallet up; They made a rooftop hole and let him down to the Lord–it didn’t matter to them to interrupt.

Jesus, seeing their faith, immediately was moved. “Son, your sins are forgiven,” He then said. This prompted thoughts in some scribes who were there, that He was blasphemous and clearly misled. Jesus knew in His spirit the things they were reasoning and confronted them before they could talk. He asked which was easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or “Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk”?

But so that they would know He really did have this authority, He further went on to say–that the man who’d been paralyzed should get up and take his pallet and be free to go on his way. Immediately, the man arose and picked up his pallet and walked out in the sight of all who were there; The people were amazed and glorified God, saying they’d never seen anything like this anywhere.

After that, Jesus went out to the shore of the sea, which can bring to mind the “waves” of God’s grace; The people followed Jesus to the shore, as well, and He continued to teach them at that place. A fitting scene it was to conclude this narrative, for God’s grace does come in wave upon wave. If a problem seems insurmountable, look up, not down–He’ll help you, just be bold and be brave.

P. A. Oltrogge

“Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.”
Psalm 43:5

“And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:33

(Story from the Biblical account in Mark 2:1-13)

Pathways Walked With Mom

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Pathways of love,
pathways where you guided–
sweet memories of those pathways,
dear Mother, you’ve provided.

Much like a gardener,
you tended to my care–
weeding out some tendencies,
while cultivating those that were fair.

And if there were problems
at school or at play,
the pathway to Mom’s door
would help them go away.

Best of all, we walked pathways
which caused my spirit to be fed
with the truths in God’s Word,
so that by His Spirit I’d be led.

Now as I go about, on my own pathways since I’ve grown,
I’m grateful for the pathways that together we’d known.

P. A. Oltrogge

(The white stone borders along the flowers in this photo brought to mind the concept of the pathways in the poem. Hope you enjoy the blooms in the photo, which was taken by my daughter!)

Photo by B. Oltrogge

Photo by B. Oltrogge

It Was For Me

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Jesus,

In Gethsemane’s garden, You prayed to be strong
In what would overtake You in not very long.
It was for me that You were then betrayed.
It was on You that the task was laid.
As filthy rags, God saw my righteousness claimed–
Which is why You stepped in to be defamed.
It was for my sins that You went on trial.
You made the payment for everything vile.
It was for me–this undeserved attack.
It was for me You bore stripes on Your back.
It was for me that You wore the thorns,
And it was for me You bore merciless scorns.
It was for me You walked Calvary’s trail.
It was for me that You endured each nail.
It was for me that You hung in shame.
It was for me–You were taking my blame.
It was for me You painfully died.
It was for me that they pierced Your side.
You did it for me, but in three days You rose.
You did it for me that my case would be closed.

P. A. Oltrogge

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”
Isaiah 64:6 (King James Version)

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 8:1 (New American Standard)

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” Romans 5:1 (New Living Translation)

Palms of Praise

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“And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.” Leviticus 23:40 NKJV

“Thus I will bless you while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.” Psalm 63:4 NKJV

“Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.” Psalm 134:2 NKJV

from John, chapter 12:

…six days before Passover:

Jesus came to Bethany, where He’d recently raised Lazarus from the dead;
so Martha prepared Him a supper where He, Lazarus, and others were fed.
Lovingly, Mary took costly perfume of pure nard and anointed Jesus’ feet.
She then wiped them with her hair, a gesture Jesus lauded as sweet.

Judas rebuked it as being wasteful; but Jesus knew that which was lying ahead–
it was an anointing upon His body before His crucifixion and resurrection from the dead.
A large crowd of the Jewish people came out, to the town of Bethany that day,
to see Jesus, and Lazarus, too–as news of his resurrection had traveled a long way.

The chief priests didn’t like this at all, and putting Lazarus to death was their thought.
They were losing many because of this miracle, which Jesus’ power had wrought.
The next day, those who had come for the feast learned Jerusalem was then on Jesus’ route. They took branches from the palm trees to wave–“Hosanna!” was the chorus they began to shout.

Further, they firmly cried out, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
even the King of Israel!” They thought an earthly King was what history would record.
Humble and riding on a requested donkey that had never been ridden before,
Jesus entered Jerusalem, amidst their praise, knowing what was really in store.

For just outside of Jerusalem, on a hill called Golgatha, a cross would hold
the precious body of our Lord Jesus Christ, and another Kingdom’s story would unfold.
There He would sacrificially die for all mankind, bearing all of their disgrace.
But in three days, He would rise and return to His Father in Heaven, in order to prepare us a place.

You see, Jesus Christ IS the King of Kings, as sung in the glorifying Hallelujah Chorus.
Those who are His, praise Him still with joy–both now and in the Eternal Kingdom yet before us.

P. A. Oltrogge


“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2 NKJV

Excerpt from Handel’s “Messiah,” “The Hallelujah Chorus”
“For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
The kingdom of this world
Is become the Kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign forever and ever,
Forever and ever, forever and ever;
King of kings, and Lord of lords!”

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.'” Revelation 7:9-10 NKJV