JACKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
October 12th 2026 Things Jesus Never Said #5
(2nd Timothy 2:15) “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”
To “study to show thyself approved” is to engage in diligent, prayerful, and consistent Bible study, interpreting Scripture accurately and applying it faithfully in life.
It is a call to earnestly pursue spiritual growth, ensuring that your life reflects God’s truth and that you can stand unashamed before Him.
This principle remains relevant for modern Christians seeking to deepen their understanding and live according to God’s Word
There are five things Jesus never said, even though many believe He did, simply because they have a ring of truth to them.
Over the last couple of days we have looked at the following mistaken ideas of what Jesus said.
#1 “Follow Your Heart”
Jesus never said that… He said “Follow Me”
#2 “Do whatever makes you happy”.
Jesus never said that… He said “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me”.
#3 “God helps those who help themselves.
Jesus never said that…
He did say… “come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”.
#4 “Never judge anything”
Jesus never said that… He said “Do not judge, or you too will be judged”
Today we’ll look over #5, an assumption that is a lie from the pit of hell… and so many have held onto it with out realizing the biblical truth.
#5 “Everyone is basically good”.
Jesus never said that… He said, “no one is good except God alone”
(Mark 10:17)… “Why do you call me good? Jesus answered. No one is good – except God alone”.
Jesus is using a penetrating question to push the man to think through the implications of his own words, to understand the concept of Jesus’ goodness and, most especially, the man’s lack of goodness.
The young ruler "went away sad" (Mark 10:22) because he realized that although he had devoted himself to keeping the commandments, he had failed to keep the first and greatest of the commandments… That is “To love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength as Jesus taught in (Matthew 22:37-38)
From the Book of (Romans 3:12) we have Paul/s teachings concerning the goodness of men
Here’s what Paul taught… “There is none who does good no not one”
All humanity is in need of Gods salvation.
Salvation is not based on a persons goodness… if it were, no one would be saved, since there is none good.
The Bible teaches in (Matthew 5:20)… and (Titus 3:5) that we can never be good enough to get to heaven.
We must recognize that we are sinners who fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23).
Fortunately, God made a way for us to be forgiven of our sin and be saved through Jesus Christ.
Salvation is based on Jesus’ goodness, and “in Him is no sin”
(1st John 3:5).
(Romans 5:8)… (Romans 10:9). tells us that while we were in our sinful state, Christ died for us and if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved.
Christ alone was good enough to earn heaven, and He declares righteous those who trust in Him for salvation (Romans 1:17).
There is none who does good is a universal indictment of mankind.
The revealed truth of the scriptures is this… No one lives up to God’s standard of righteousness; everyone lives in a state of depravity.
Everyone has turned from God and His rule, from truth to error, from rightness into sin, and from wisdom to foolishness.
While people can do good things, none of their good deeds are inherently good.
All of our supposed good works are tinged and affected by sin, and none of those good deeds are good enough to undo the penalty of sin.
The only One who is good… God Himself… offers the free gift of salvation to all who believe (Ephesians 2:8-9) “for by grace are ye saved thru faith and that not of yourself it is the gift of God”
(Psalm 34:8) says God invites everyone to “taste and see that the Lord is good”
Are you following what people say Jesus said… or what Jesus actually said?
Good Day!
(2nd Timothy 2:15) “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”
To “study to show thyself approved” is to engage in diligent, prayerful, and consistent Bible study, interpreting Scripture accurately and applying it faithfully in life.
It is a call to earnestly pursue spiritual growth, ensuring that your life reflects God’s truth and that you can stand unashamed before Him.
This principle remains relevant for modern Christians seeking to deepen their understanding and live according to God’s Word
There are five things Jesus never said, even though many believe He did, simply because they have a ring of truth to them.
We’ve been looking at the them over the last couple of days so lets continue…
So far we’ve looked at three that were not of Jesus;
#1 “Follow Your Heart”
Jesus never said that… He said “Follow Me”
#2 “Do whatever makes you happy”.
Jesus never said that… He said “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me”.
#3 “God helps those who help themselves”
Jesus never said that… He said, “come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”.
Todays misconception is one of the most controversial…
#4 “Never judge anything”
Jesus never said that… He said “Do not judge, or you too will be judged”
Jesus’ command not to judge others could be the most widely quoted of His sayings, even though it is almost invariably quoted in complete disregard of the context, where in He made the command.
Many people use this verse in an attempt to silence their critics, interpreting Jesus’ meaning as “You don’t have the right to tell me I’m wrong.”
Taken in isolation, Jesus’ command “Do not judge”, does indeed seem to preclude all negative assessments.
However, there is much more to the passage than those three words.
The Bible’s command that we not judge others, does not mean we cannot show discernment.
Immediately after Jesus says, “Do not judge,” He says, “Do not give dogs what is sacred… do not throw your pearls to pigs”
(Matthew 7:6) A little later in the same sermon, He says, “Watch out for false prophets… By their fruit you will recognize them” (verses 15–16).
How are we to discern who are the “dogs” and “pigs” and “false prophets”… unless we have the ability to make a judgment call on doctrines and deeds?
Jesus is giving us permission to tell right from wrong!
Also, the Bible’s command that we not judge others, does not mean all actions are equally moral or that truth is relative.
The Bible clearly teaches that truth is objective, eternal, and inseparable from God’s character.
Anything that contradicts the truth is a lie… but of course, to call something a “lie” is to pass judgment.
To call adultery or murder a sin… is likewise to pass judgment… but it’s also “to agree with God”.
When Jesus said not to judge others, He did not mean that no one can identify sin for what it is, based on God’s definition of sin.
And the Bible’s command that we not judge others does not mean there should be no mechanism for dealing with sin or wrong doing.
With in the covers of the Bible there is a book called “The Book of Judges”
The judges in the Old Testament were raised up by God Himself (Judges 2:18)
The modern judicial system, including its judges, is a necessary part of society.
In saying, “Do not judge,” Jesus was not saying, “Anything goes.”
Elsewhere, in (John 7:24) Jesus gives a direct command to judge: “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly”
Here we have a clue as to the right type of judgment versus the wrong type.
Taking this verse and some others, we can put together a description
of the sinful type of judgment:
“Superficial judgment” is wrong.
Passing judgment on someone based solely on appearances is sinful (John 7:24).
(Proverbs 18:13) tells us it is foolish to jump to conclusions before investigating the facts.
Simon the Pharisee passed judgment on a woman based on her appearance and reputation, but he could not see that the woman had been forgiven;
(Luke 7:36–50) Simon thus drew Jesus’ rebuke for his unrighteous judgment
Hypocritical judgment is wrong.
Jesus’ command not to judge others in (Matthew 7:1) is preceded by comparisons to hypocrites (Matthew 6:2, 5, 16) and followed by a warning against hypocrisy (Matthew 7:3–5).
(Romans 2:1) teaches us that when we point out the sin of others while we ourselves commit the same sin, we condemn ourselves.
Harsh, unforgiving judgment is wrong.
(Titus 3:2) tells us we are “always to be gentle toward everyone”
It is the merciful who will be shown mercy (Matthew 5:7), and, as Jesus warned, “In the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2).
Self-righteous judgment is wrong.
We are called to humility, and “God opposes the proud” (James 4:6).
In Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, the Pharisee was confident in his own righteousness and from that proud position he judged the publican… however, God sees the heart and refused to forgive the Pharisee’s sin (Luke 18:9–14)
Untrue judgment is wrong.
The Bible clearly forbids bearing false witness (Proverbs 19:5). (Titus 3:2) “Slander no one”
Christians are often accused of “judging” or intolerance when they speak out against sin.
But opposing sin is not wrong.
Holding aloft the standard of righteousness naturally defines unrighteousness and draws the slings and arrows of those who choose sin over godliness.
In (Mark 6:18–19) John the Baptist incurred the ire of Herodias when he spoke out against her adultery with Herod
She eventually silenced John… but she could not silence the truth
(Isaiah 40:8) “The grass withers and the flowers fall… but the Word of our God endures forever”
Believers are warned against judging others unfairly or un-righteously, but Jesus does commend “right judgment”).
We are to be discerning (Colossians 1:9) … (1st Thessalonians 5:21)
We are to preach the whole counsel of God, including the Bible’s teaching on sin (Acts 20:27)… (2nd Timothy 4:2)
We are to gently confront erring brothers or sisters in Christ (Galatians 6:1)
We are to practice church discipline (Matthew 18:15–17) and we are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
Jesus did say or teach that we as His followers we are to judge with righteous judgment.
Are you following what people say Jesus said… or what Jesus actually said?
Good day!
(2nd Timothy 2:15) “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”
To “study to show thyself approved”, is to engage in diligent, prayerful, and consistent Bible study, interpreting Scripture accurately and applying it faithfully in life.
It is a call to earnestly pursue spiritual growth, ensuring that your life reflects God’s truth and that you can stand unashamed before Him.
This principle remains relevant for modern Christians seeking to deepen their understanding and live according to God’s Word
There are five things Jesus never said, even though many believe He did, simply because they have a ring of truth to them.
Lets look at them over the next couple of days.
There are five things Jesus never said, even though many Christians act like he did.
#1 “Follow Your Heart”
Jesus never said that… He said “Follow Me”
#2 “Do whatever makes you happy”.
Jesus never said that… He said “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me”.
#3 “God helps those who help themselves.
Jesus never said that… He did say… “come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”.
"God helps those who help themselves" is probably the most often quoted phrase “that is not found in the Bible”, nor is it something Jesus said.
This saying is usually attributed to Ben Franklin, quoted in “Poor Richard’s Almanac” in 1757.
In actuality, it originated from a 17th-century statesman named Algernon Sidney a in 1698.
He was a prominent political figure whose writings and political actions made him a foundational figure in the development of republicanism.
Whatever the original source of this saying, the Bible teaches the opposite.
God helps the helpless!
(Isaiah 25:4) declares, "For You have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat..."
(Romans 5:6) tells us, "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly."
In terms of salvation, we are all utterly helpless.
We are all infected by sin (Romans 3:23), and condemned as a result of that sin (Romans 6:23).
Nothing we can do on our own can remedy this situation
(Isaiah 64:6) says any thing we would try to do “is as filthy rags”
Thankfully, God is “the helper of the helpless”.
While we were still sinners, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8).
(2nd Corinthians 5:21) says Jesus paid the penalty that we were incapable of paying.
God provided the "help" that we need… precisely because we could not help ourselves.
Apart from salvation, for arguments sake… there is perhaps a way that the concept "God helps those who help themselves" is correct.
As an example, if you asked me to help you move a piece of furniture, but then just watched me as I moved the furniture for you, I was not actually helping you.
I would be doing the work for you.
Many Christians fall into the trap of inactivity.
Many Christians ask God for help, but then expect God to do everything Himself.
They excuse this by pointing to the fact that God word says He will provide according to His will and in His timing.
However, this is not a reason for inactivity.
As a specific example, if you are in need of a job, ask the Lord to help you find a job - but then be active in actually looking for a job.
While it is in His power to do so, it is highly unlikely that God will cause employers to come looking for you!
Are you following what people say Jesus said… or what Jesus actually said?
“Things Jesus didn’t say”… more tomorrow!
Good Day!
OCTOBER 10TH 2026 THINGS JESUS NEVER SAID #2
(2nd Timothy 2:15) “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”
To “study to show thyself approved” is to engage in diligent, prayerful, and consistent Bible study, interpreting Scripture accurately and applying it faithfully in life.
It is a call to earnestly pursue spiritual growth, ensuring that your life reflects God’s truth and that you can stand unashamed before Him.
This principle remains relevant for modern Christians seeking to deepen their understanding and live according to God’s Word
There are five things Jesus never said, even though many believe He did, simply because they have a ring of truth to them.
Lets look at them over the next couple of days.
Yesterday we looked at the statement “Follow your heart” Jesus never said that. “He said follow me”…
#2 Number two is the statement… “do whatever makes you happy”.
Jesus never said that… He did say “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24)
When a person carried a cross in Jesus’ day, no one thought of it as a persistent annoyance or symbolic burden.
To a person in the first century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only… death by crucifixion.
To carry a cross was to face the most painful and humiliating means of death human beings could develop.
Two thousand years later, Christians view the cross as a cherished symbol of atonement, forgiveness, grace, and love.
But Jesus’ command to “take up your cross and follow Me”… is a call to self-abasement and self-sacrifice.
One must be willing to die in order to follow Jesus.
Dying to self is an absolute surrender to God.
After Jesus commanded cross-bearing, He said… “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul… or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:25–26)
Although the call to take up our cross is tough, the reward is matchless.
Nothing in this world is worth passing up eternal life.
Wherever Jesus went, He drew crowds.
Their view of who the Messiah really was and what He would do was often distorted.
They thought the Christ would immediately usher in the restored kingdom (Luke 19:11).
They believed He would free them from the oppressive rule of their Roman occupiers.
Some hoped He would continue to provide free lunches for everyone (John 6:26).
Jesus’ statement “to follow Him” required taking up a cross of commitment and obedience to the Word of God.
It made people think twice about their motivations and level of commitment.
In (Luke 9:57–62) three people seemed willing to follow Jesus.
When Jesus pressed them, however, their commitment was shown to be half-hearted at best.
They failed to count the cost of following Him.
None were willing to take up their cross… and crucify upon it their own interests.
God is seeking “true worshipers [who] will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:23).
Jesus’ call to “take up your cross and follow Me” serves to screen out the disingenuous, double-minded, dissembling and half hearted.
Are you ready to take up your cross and follow Jesus?
Commitment to Christ means taking up your cross daily… giving up your hopes, dreams, possessions… even your very life if need be for the cause of Christ.
Only if you willingly take up your cross may you be called His disciple (Luke 14:27).
However the reward is worth the price.
Remember that, as Jesus called His disciples to “take up your cross and follow Me,”
He, too, bore a cross.
Our Lord led the way.
Are you following what people say Jesus said… or what Jesus actually said?
More tomorrow.
Good Day
(2nd Timothy 2:15) “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”
To “study to show thyself approved”, is to engage in diligent, prayerful, and consistent Bible study, interpreting Scripture accurately and applying it in life.
It is a call to earnestly pursue spiritual growth, ensuring that your life reflects God’s truth and that you can grow up in spiritual maturity before Him.
This principle remains relevant for modern Christians seeking to deepen their understanding and live according to God’s Word.
When studying the Word of God, interpretation and assumption have caused many to assume certain things concerning the statements Jesus made… thy may have a ring of truth to them but they are things Jesus never actually said causing many to fall into error on their journey to spiritual maturity.
Lets look at them over the next couple of days.
#1) Number one… follow your heart! Jesus never said that… He did said, “follow me”.
As a Christian for over 60 years, I'm passionate about following Jesus, and discovering how I can follow Him even more closely.
So how many times did Jesus say "follow me?"
Here's the list of instances where Jesus gives the command "follow me”.
1) (Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17)… "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men."
2) (Matthew 8:22, Luke 9:59)… “To another he said, follow me.
But he said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father... to which Jesus
said… follow me and let the dead bury their own dead."
3) (Matthew 9:9, Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27)… “After this He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth… and he said to him, follow me.”
4) (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23)… "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
5) (Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:21, Luke 18:22)… “Jesus said to him, If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven… and come, follow me.”
6) (Luke 14:27)… “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after (follow) me cannot be my disciple.
7) (John 1:43)… “The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “follow me.”
8) (John 10:27)… “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (I realize this one is not a command, but a statement of fact. I decided to include it anyway).
9) (John 12:26)… “If anyone serves me, he must follow me… and where I am, there will my servant be also.”
10) (John 13:36)… “Simon Peter said to him, Lord, where are you going? Jesus answered him, Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”
11) (John 21:19)… “This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, Follow me.”
12) (John 21:22)… Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”
This list reflects instances where Jesus specifically uses the phrase "Follow me."
The context of each verse can involve calling his disciples, encouraging a deeper commitment from followers, or teaching about the costs and rewards of discipleship.
The point is the Bible teaches that we must not depend on our follow our heart… because the heart of man is desperately wicked.
(Jeremiah 17:9) “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick”
(Genesis 6:5) “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continueally
(Proverbs 18:23) “A fool has said in his heart there is no God”
These verses highlight the biblical perspective on the deceitfulness and wickedness in the human heart.
Are you following what people say Jesus said… or what Jesus actually said?
We’ll look at #2 tomorrow
Good Day
(Ephesians 2:8–9) “By grace are ye saved thru faith, and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God”
God saved you by His grace when you believed in his Son… and you can’t take credit for this… it is a gift from God.
The King James version puts it like this… “For by grace are ye saved thru faith, and that not of yourselves but it is the gift of God… not of works lest any man should boast”
We all have crucial questions about salvation… and many are concerned that they might have not lived up to certain expectations concerning keeping their salvation.
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
If it was by the things we do or keep up, then it would granted to us as wages.
Seems to me there are three crucial questions we must answer.
First question: Is there any hope for lost sinners? Yes, its found in Christ.
Not Christ and the church.
Not Christ and my being good or my good works.
Not Christ and sincerity… but Christ’s finished work on the cross and nothing more.
His blood was shed to wash us clean from sins stench, guilt, condemnation and penalty.
He died as a ransom for our sins and was placed in the grave as proof of His death.
His dead body rose from the grave miraculously, proof of His life and power over the grave, a victor over the sting of death and the grave.
If you believe that He died and rose for you, you have the gift of eternal life.
It’s as simple as that… it’s a gift of God for those willing to believe.
Second question: Isn’t there something I must do or continue to do to keep my salvation… the answer is no!
The Bible simply says “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved”. (Act 16:31)
One of my favorite illustrations of the importance of believing and not working for the gift of salvation is to consider a nice meal you and I enjoy together.
You invite me over…. I come to your home.
You have prepared a wonderful meal.
We dine and dialogue together.
What a thoroughly enjoyable evening!
Then, as I get up to leave, I reach into my pocket and say, “Now, what do I owe you?”
You’re shocked!
That’s an insult.
You knew what I needed, and out of love for me you fixed it and served it.
Part of being a good host is that you pick up the tab.
For me to suggest that I’ll pay for it is like a slap in the face.
Third question: Is there any way to lose the gift?
The answer is no, never!
Now stop and think before you disagree.
Stay with biblical logic, not human reasoning.
If you work for it, then you can certainly lose it.
And that would mean it is not a gift… it’s what you’ve earned.
We really confuse things when we try to turn a gift into a wage.
Furthermore, just as no one can say how much work is enough to earn it, no one can ever say how little work is enough to lose it.
Salvation is simply a gift.
It’s simple, but it wasn’t easy.
It’s free, but it wasn’t cheap.
It’s yours, but it isn’t automatic.
You must receive it…and when you do, it’s yours forever.
Thank you Jesus for your everlasting love and for your continued intersession before the throne of God on my behalf.
I am redeemed, I am saved I have the hope of eternal life in Heaven and its all because of you… Amen
Good Day!
(Psalm 5:3) “O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer…”
Whether you dread mornings or cherish them, there’s no denying that the “dawn” brings the chance for a new day, a fresh start, and perhaps even a reset in you life and relationship with God
As I have repeatedly stated all week long… there is an old proverb that says “seven days with out prayer makes one weak”… so for this 1st week of October, we have been praying a specific prayer each day that can help us get our focus in the right place as you begin your day.
All week we have been starting our day with a specific prayer each morning.
We started on October 1st with “a prayer of gratitude” …
Day 2… we continued with “a prayer of belief”…
Day 3… we continued with a “prayer of contentment”…
Day 4… we continued with a prayer of “endurance in Christ”…
Day 5 … we continued with “a prayer of protection”…
Day 6… we pray for “Guidance”…
Today we pray a specific “prayer for our enemies”…
7. A Prayer for My Enemies
God of the Universe, God of all Creation, thank You for the life You have given me.
I am so thankful for the love we share.
Today, even though it might be difficult, help me to honour that love with a generous, and compassionate heart for others.
Help me to love, not only myself and those in my inner circle of family friends, and neighbours, but also those who despise me, those who’d wish me ill will, or see me fall or fail, or to experience calamity in my life.
Help my love for you, eclipse all my worries about what others think of me or about me so that the love I exhibit, your love shining thru me, shines so extravagantly and brightly, that people can look at me and know I belong to You.
Forgive those who hate or wrong me... and help me to forgive them.
Let my life be an inspiration to them so that they might be inspired to follow your path and walk in faith toward you, so we can all share in Your Kingdom forever.
In Your precious name I pray, Amen.
These have been just a few prayers to start your day.
I hope they have been instrumental in helping you start your day and help you focus on the One whom is the answer for every aspect of our lives.
I also hope you will continue with this practice in the days ahead and meet with me each morning as I continue to post these devotions and time of meeting with our good and gracious God.
Whether you read these prayers aloud or in your head, or whether they inspire you to offer your own words of gratitude, repentance, glory, and thanksgiving, know that God hears you and loves you.
Your words are never empty, but rather “a love offering” … proof of your confidence in Him and all that he has promised… from your heart to the Lord’s.
This is the day the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it!
Good Day!