Living By The Word

  A Clean Heart ( June 30, 2023) “ And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. ” (Romans 12:2) To live a life that pleases God requires that we guard our thoughts! Admittedly, sometimes my wayward mind wanders to places that, as a Christian, I know it should not be going. Someone once said, “Where the mind goes, the body will follow.” Stunningly, Jesus taught that thinking about an unrighteous act is just as sinful as doing it. In order to take control of what we think, we must shift our focus from the head to the heart where our thoughts, words, and behaviors are conceived. What we think, how we speak, and the things we do all spring from the heart, the fountain of our thoughts, words, and deeds. “ For from within, out of the heart of men,   proceed evil thoughts,   adulteries,   fornications, murders,   theft...

  God’s Kind of Love ( June 29, 2023)   “ He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ” (1 John 4:8) It is tough to love and forgive someone who has hurt us deeply or wronged us. Yet, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are taught to forgive, if we have anything against anyone so that our heavenly Father will forgive our trespasses. We are also commanded to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Not only are we to love other people, some of whom may appear to be unlovable, but we’re to love and forgive our enemies and extend them the same grace that God offers everyone through faith in Christ. Remember that Jesus loves everyone regardless of their background, and He died so all could have forgiveness for their sins, even those we consider to be unworthy of our love. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13) How is possible to love and forgive peop...

  God’s Love—Timeless, Trustworthy, and True ( June 28, 2023) Recognizing that life is a sequence of emotional highs and lows, we must seek to maintain an even keel. We are all subject to mood swings that are often tied to our shifting circumstances. There are times when we feel underappreciated, misunderstood, and unloved by those who are closest to us. Feelings can be fickle and are not a sturdy foundation upon which to base our lives and important decisions. Living in a world in emotional flux, we can depend on an unchanging God whose love is timeless, trustworthy, and true! “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) God’s love for us far exceeds human understanding, but is nonetheless real and reflected daily by the countless ways we are blessed as objects of His divine affection. In a dynamic culture where nothing stays the same, the love of God is the one constant on which we can always count! The Bible is full of affirmations of this unconditional, sacrificial love for you and me. Fir...

  The Sweet Fragrance of Jesus Christ ( June 27, 2023) “ Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing…And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 2:14-17) (NKJV) The followers of Jesus Christ been commanded by our L ORD to share God’s Word or, as Paul put it in this passage, to spread “the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.” (ESV) We are the aroma of Christ, the fragrant scent of everlasting life, in a world that is eternally lost and dying in sin. Through us, who are empowered by the Word and the Holy Spirit, the Father disperses the sweet aroma of salvation offered to all by grace through fai...

  Who Is Jesus to You? ( June 26, 2023) “ And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” ” (Matthew 3:17) The fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is one of the foundational truths of the Christian faith. God’s beloved and only begotten Son put aside His heavenly glory and made Himself of no reputation, taking on the form of a humble servant made in the likeness of men. As both God and man, Jesus was sent to earth by God the Father on a mission to save us from our sins. The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself and His plan for mankind’s redemption through Christ. In a discussion of His identity among men during Christ’s earthly ministry, Jesus was told by His disciples that some people said He was John the Baptist, while others perceived Him to be one of the prophets. Jesus then asked His followers this crucial question: “But who do you say that I am?” In a bold confession based on insight from the heavenly Father, Pe...

  True Christianity—A Relationship, Not A Religion ( June 23, 2023) If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. (James 1:26) One of the most controversial and complex of all subjects of discussion and debate, religion is a term that is freely used but difficult to define. Generally speaking, as a Christian, I view religion as the belief in and worship of the loving and gracious, yet just and righteous God who crafted the universe and exercises sovereign authority over all creation. This all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present God of providence made you and me in His own image, desiring to have a personal relationship with each of us. If we are not careful, however, religion can hinder rather than help promote this relationship with God that is the basis for salvation and eternal life. Christians should never allow religion to become solely the strict adherence to ...

  In Christ, Bitter Sin Becomes Sweet Salvation ( June 22, 2023) “ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. ” (Ephesians 4:31) Experience teaches us that, in its dynamic variety, life is a mixture of unpalatable bitterness and savory sweetness! Our joys, triumphs, and pleasures are tempered or balanced by the sorrows, setbacks, and sufferings that living in a fallen world invariably brings. Given the widely diverse and quickly shifting circumstances of our lives, as difficult as they may be, Christians must remain steadfast in our faith and trust that God is using our hardships and trials to accomplish His will and bring about our ultimate spiritual benefit. Gleaning a lesson from Old Testament Scripture—following the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, God supernaturally satisfied the thirst of the fledgling nation by making bitter waters sweet. After three days without water in the wilderness following their mi...

  A Christ-centered Conscience ( June 21, 2023) “Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably.”  (Hebrews 13:18) The human conscience is our inner sense of what is right and wrong, the moral compass that guides our conduct and shapes our character. Fans of the delightful Academy Award-winning Walt Disney animated classic “Pinocchio” will recall that Jiminy Cricket famously admonished the film’s long-nosed title character to, “Always let your conscience be your guide!” As a Christian, I consider that to be great sound if your conscience is finely tuned to the “still small voice” of the L ORD , grounded in the absolute truth of God’s Word and guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Only through trusting obedience can we avoid the devil’s deception and maintain consciences that are keenly sensitive and immediately responsive to God’s promptings.   “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times som...

  God Forgives and Forgets ( June 20, 2023) “ He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. ” (Micah 7:19) As Christians, sometimes we harbor feelings of guilt and shame for past sins long after they have been forgiven and forgotten by the grace of a loving God. We can’t forget them because we haven’t forgiven ourselves. One of Satan’s deceptive tactics is to stir up within our hearts and minds doubts about our salvation and eternal security that are our assurance as genuine believers who, through faith, have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Our merciful Father in heaven not only forgives our sins when we make confession and turn away from them in repentance but He forgets our failures completely, never to recall or hold them against us again. “ For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34) We can also take comfort that no confessed sin i...

  God bless the fathers of our community who model high moral standards and Christian values for their children and families. We seek to honor you as well as the memory of our dearly departed dads. Above all, we seek to exalt and glorify our Father in Heaven and to praise and thank Him for His matchless love, grace, and goodness to all of His precious children!

  Know God and Experience His Love ( June 1 6, 2023)   “He who does not love does not know God for God is love.” (1 John 4:8)   I am thankful every day that my God, the one true God who created the universe and you and me in His own image is a God of love! In fact, He first loved us so dearly and deeply that He gave Himself as a sacrifice for our sins so that we can have everlasting life. There are many people and things of this world that I love, but no one or nothing above God. Jesus Christ is my first love and highest priority. Because I love God wholeheartedly, I seek to express my adoration through humble service to Him and other people to His honor and glory!   To know our L ORD personally through a faith-based relationship with Him is to love Him and desire to know Him better, in a closer, more intimate way. That is why it is vitally important to be still and spend quiet time in prayer, meditation on His Word, and fellowship with Him daily. The better ...

  This Is the Day! ( June 15, 2023) “ Through  the  Lord ’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ” (Lamentations 3:22-23) This new day is a priceless gift of God that He expects us to live fully and use wisely to make a positive difference in our spheres of influence in the world. This is the day of opportunities for followers of Jesus Christ to do God’s will and serve His unique purpose for each of our lives. This is the day of thanksgiving! “ I will praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my salvation. ” (Psalm 118: 21) Today is the day to be grateful for the bounty of God’s blessings, the greatest of which is His gracious gift of eternal life through faith in Christ. This is the day of service! “ Therefore…be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. ” (1 Corint...

  Honor God and Country ( June 14, 2023) “You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah” (Psalm 60:4) Today, June 14th, the focus is on the flag! A great symbol of our country, we salute Old Glory, the Star-Spangled Banner, the majestic flag of the United States of America, as we observe Flag Day. On this date in 1777, the so-called “Stars and Stripes” was adopted as the official flag of our young nation. I encourage fellow Americans to proudly fly the American flag today and properly dispose of or retire unserviceable flags that are tattered, faded, and worn. Today is also an ideal time to pray for our troubled and divided country and for God’s guidance of all of those in roles of leadership and authority. I would also suggest that we pause briefly to respectfully recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag, thanking God for the freedoms that this glorious banner represents and the blessing it is to live in t...

  Faithful Stewards of God’s Manifold Grace ( June 13, 2023) “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:1-2) As Christians, we have been commissioned to be both humble servants and good stewards of the mysteries of God. A "steward" is a person who manages something he does not own, on behalf of the one who does own it. It is certainly a high calling, but it is still a lowly servant's job. Stewardship begins and ends with the understanding of God’s ownership of all things. Thus, Christian stewardship refers to the faithful and fruitful use of the time, talents, and treasures that God has entrusted to our care and the opportunities that He puts before us to participate in the building of His eternal kingdom by ministering to the needs of others, both physical and spiritual. Recognizing that we are all sinners by nature, the greatest of the...

  Jesus Christ -- Servant and Savior ( June 12, 2023) “ But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. ” (Matthew 23:11-12) One of the defining aspects of Christian living is service, the sharing of ourselves and our God-given talents, resources, and time for the benefit and betterment of other people. Contrary to the ways of a world full of selfishness and pride, service requires humility! With lowly meekness, we are called to put others above ourselves in an effort to address human needs and relieve suffering. This sharing of the blessings that God has graciously provided us with those who are less fortunate is far more rewarding than anything we can do to promote our own prosperity or self-satisfaction. Humble service above self to humanity models the supreme example set by Jesus Christ who came to earth to serve and to save mankind. “ The Son of Man did not come to be serv...

  Pilgrims of Light ( June 9, 2023)   “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:20)   Children and heirs of God to an eternal inheritance, we as believers are not of this troubled world; we are merely pilgrims passing through the earth, waiting for “the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Hebrews 11:10) Our citizenship is in Heaven, our salvation having been sealed since we first believed in Jesus Christ, accepted His sacrifice for our sins, and received God’s amazing grace! Our eternal destiny is secure, but until Jesus calls us home to be with Him forever, we must press on to complete the work that our Lord has commanded us to do as His earthly beacons, servants, and ambassadors. As we sojourn along the straight and narrow road to Heaven, we must brightly shine the light of Christ into the darkness of an unbelieving world!   “Do all things without compla...

  Walk Humbly ( June 8, 2023) “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:10)   We are often quick to form opinions and make hasty judgments of other people, many of which are not founded in fact. How we perceive others is key to determining how we interact with and behave toward them. Another crucial contributor to interpersonal human relations is how we view ourselves. Psychologists tell us that one of the most important factors in happiness and well-being is self-esteem. Having a positive self-image is crucial to living an abundant and fulfilling life. We need to respect ourselves and develop a positive self-perception even though our circumstances and relationships may make that difficult. Living abundantly is all about developing a healthy sense of self-worth. We were each uniquely created to value ourselves as God’s precious creations and seek to discover and utilize the abilities, talents, and spiritual gifts that He has given us...

  Food for Thought ( June 7, 2023) Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” (John 21:12) As uniquely created and diverse as we are, the love of good food is one commonality that we share as human beings who hunger and thirst for bodily nourishment. In an increasingly busy world that often leads us in different directions, food is a necessity of life that can bring people together and, if only briefly, promote unity among us. Couples pursuing romantic relationships, for example, frequently seek to get off to a good start by going out to dinner at a popular restaurant. Business is often conducted and potential clients are entertained over a tasty meal. Dining together can also enhance family relations. As a child, I fondly remember gathering as a family around the kitchen table after church for a Sunday dinner of my mom’s savory fried chicken, homemade biscuits and gravy, and freshly-baked apple pie for dessert. Partaking in a meal together connects us and promote...