Living By The Word

  The skies do not lie! “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1) I seek to worship and serve an awe-inspiring God of unimaginable goodness, abounding grace, and matchless glory. As certain as the daily rising and the setting of the sun, He is faithful to bless those who trust and obey Him. “For the LORD God is a sun and a shield. The LORD will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11)

  “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)   Vital links and integral components of modern transportations systems, graceful bridges are among the most beautiful and functional parts of the world’s great infrastructures. These stately structures, of course, span obstacles such as bodies of water, valleys, highways, and other barriers for the purpose of providing safe passage over the obstacle that could otherwise prove detrimental or be impossible to cross. Bridges connect people and places that would otherwise remain physically apart and isolated.   Extending this concept to the spiritual realm, a loving God created mankind in His own image and gave us the will to freely make our own choices. When our earliest ancestors Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God rather than to obey Him, deadly sin infected humanity, separating us from God and putt...

“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) We all know how difficult and stressful it can be to break through the automation and talk to a living, breathing human being when we’re trying to resolve problems or transact business over the telephone. Even if we are fortunate enough to ultimately get a customer service representative on the line, the often nerve-racking experience usually involves waiting on hold for long periods of time. Dealing with government departments, large corporations, and other impersonal agencies can be a real nightmare because of limited accessibility due to heavy demand for their products and services and the ever-growing complexity of the society in which we live. “ For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. ” (Ephesians 2:18) We sometimes throw up our hands in frustration when it comes to interacting with bureaucratic organizations and institutions in an increasingly indifferent world. As Christians, however, we c...

  “ For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ” (Matthew 6:14) In order to please God and pursue a lifestyle befitting His children, Christians must readily forgive those who have wronged us. We cannot expect God to forgive us of our sins if we are unwilling to pardon others who have trespassed against us. Believers are directed to go about, to quote Colossians 3:13, “ bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also  must do . ” Modeling the ultimate example of forgiveness, Jesus cried out from the Cross for God to show compassion to those who brutally crucified Him, saying, “ Father,   forgive them, for   they do not know what they do. ” (Luke 23:34) A few years later Stephen, the first Christian martyr, echoed Jesus’s prayerful plea as he was being stoned to death.   Acts 7:60 says that Stephen “ knelt down and cried out wit...

"D o not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." (Isaiah 43:18-19)   A heartfelt Happy New Year is my wish to each of my valued social media friends, and I offer special thanks to those of you who faithfully read my devotional posts. As we prepare for the coming of 2025, I pray for good health, bountiful prosperity, and genuine peace of mind for you and your families.   Personally speaking, I have learned that true peace and fulfillment in life are attainable only by the grace of God through a faith-based relationship with Jesus Christ. For those of us who know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, I pray for a closer, more intimate daily walk with Him in the year ahead as we yield our hearts to the transformative power "Christ in us" that Colossians 1:27 calls " the hope of glory."   As...

  “ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,   not of works, lest anyone should boast. ” (Ephesians 2:8-9) As the New Year approaches, that Christmas tree is looking lonely and abandoned. The beautifully-wrapped presents that had been piled underneath have been opened, and the mounds of wrapping paper, ribbons, and packing materials have been deposited in the garbage heap. As you reflect on the Christmas just past, I hope you and your family members greatly delighted in opening those gifts, but, more importantly, that you joyfully appreciated the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of the Savior who came to deliver mankind from the penalty of sin.   Members of my generation may recall the well-known advertising slogan “the gift that keeps on giving,” a catch phrase dating back many years that was once used successfully by various companies to promote and sell their products, especial...