Living By The Word

 Cry Out to God in Crisis ( October 27, 2023) “ In my distress I cried to the  Lord , and He heard me. ” (Psalm 120:1) When the battle lines are drawn and the storm clouds of life threaten to shatter the peace and serenity of your world, what plan of action do you follow? Do you forge ahead in an effort to resolve the problems facing you in your own limited human strength and wisdom, or do you first seek the divine counsel and all-powerful intervention of the sovereign God and Creator of the universe? Scripture tells us that the wise response to life’s trials is to trust in the L ORD and prayerfully invoke His power to see you through the conflict or crisis at hand. The Bible is full of examples of frail, but trusting individuals who depended upon God to help fight their battles and deliver them from their enemies. For example, when Asa, the godly king of the ancient Jewish kingdom of Judah, was attacked by an Ethiopian army of a million men, we’re told in 2 Chronicles 14:11 th

  Our Devine Delight! ( October 26, 2023) “But   seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) What is your heart’s deepest delight? We all have desires (wants, dreams, goals, and aspirations) that determine how we conduct our lives. Pride is often the driving force behind the desires of human hearts that are focused on materialism and worldly pleasures. However, God desires that we humble ourselves and make Him our delight, promising that He will supply all of our needs and align our longings to His perfect will for our lives. The L ORD wants us to seek Him and His righteousness above the passing things of this world, trusting that He will provide rich blessings that bring genuine joy and satisfaction. Because of love for us beyond measure, God’s greatest desire is that we turn away from our sins to receive His offer of grace and His gift of eternal life. To delight ourselves in the L ORD , we must make Almigh

  A Rightly Motivated Heart ( October 25, 2023) “ Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the  Lord  weighs the hearts. ” (Proverbs 21:2) When a serious crime is committed and a suspect is arrested, investigators search to identify a motive in the case. All human behavior is driven by motives that underlie our actions. The real reasons that we do what we do can be obvious or obscure. The Bible says that the human heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. So those of us seeking spiritual maturity need to frequently examine our hearts to make sure that our motivations are pure and pleasing to an all-knowing God who weighs our intentions. We must seek to please God, rather than man! “I, the  Lord , search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah 17:10) Many people are motivated by selfishness and pride that prompt them to pursue fleeting worldly gain, self-gratification,

  An Eternally Secure Identity in Christ ( October 24, 2023)   “ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) When voters go to the polls in the general election in two weeks, we will have to present to the poll worker our driver’s license or other acceptable identification in order to cast a ballot. In today’s increasingly impersonal, technology-based society, we are known and identified in the realms of government, business, and the world at large by our Social Security and account numbers, ID cards, and other similar documentation. As we all know, we have to guard this personal information very carefully in light of the fact that identity theft is among the fastest-growing crimes in the world. While our earthly identities—the digital or physical sources of personal information that distinguish us from everyone else—may be at risk of theft, believers are securely identified as holy and set apart from the world through our rel

  Unstoppable (October 23, 2023) “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)   “Unstoppable” was the theme of a spiritually refreshing guys getaway attended by six men from my church during the weekend at Fort Caswell at Oak Island on the NC coast. The featured speaker, retired college and NFL coach Bob Sanders related this theme to our daily walk as followers of Jesus Christ.   In our human frailty and weakness, we long to shed our limitations and become something more. Thankfully, as believers, we can be unstoppable because we have the power of the Holy Spirit living inside us. Christ in us, “the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27), is the unstoppable source of the God-given strength that empowers us to live victoriously in a world where Satan seeks to defeat us.   Our identity is in Christ who has overcome the world and given us access to the divine armor of God that shields and protects us from the devil’s deceptions. Our ear

  Love Is Life ( October 19, 2023)   “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13) One of the primary purposes for our existence as human beings crafted by and made in the image of God is to love and serve one another to the honor and glory of our Almighty Creator. Love is what life is all about; it is the foundation of a Christian lifestyle! Regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time, Leo Tolstoy put it this way, “ Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists, only because I love. Everything is united by it alone. Love is God, and to die means that I, a particle of love, shall return to the general and eternal source.” God is this eternal source of love, and Scripture commands that we love the L ORD supremely and show the world a portrait of His love in our human relationships. “And y ou shall   love the  Lord  your God with all your heart,

  Don’t Fear, Have Faith! ( October 18, 2023)  “ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;   and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) Many of us waste far too much time engaging in the futility of worry! Anxiety does not change our circumstances but can hinder our spiritual growth and fruitfulness as Christians. We all have much to be concerned about, including our families, health, jobs, financial stability, and a host of other matters that weigh heavily on our hearts and minds. We should commit these cares to an omnipotent God, who is far greater than any worrisome problem we might encounter. As Satan seeks to distract, destroy, and defeat us, we can allay our apprehensions by focusing on God’s power rather than our predicament. Mental anguish does nothing to enrich our lives, but can damage our physica

  Trust God in Troublesome Times ( October 17, 2023) “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” (1 Peter 5:10)   As demonstrated by the intensifying Israel-Hamas war and other world conflicts, mass slayings, natural disasters, and other troublesome woes that we see in the world today, there are many facets of life over which we have no control. What we can control, however, is our response to the unfortunate circumstances that confront us all. A positive attitude based on confident trust in the L ORD is the key to joyful, peaceful Christian living when we face hardships and trials! We are indeed powerless to deal with many of the situations that we face daily, but we have yielded authority over our lives to a sovereign God who is working through our circumstances to further our spiritual growth and fulfill His glorious divine purpose for each of our lives. Suf

  The Choice ( October 16, 2023) “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”  (Acts 16:31) As social creatures, we all desire to be accepted by other people, especially those with whom we have or seek close and intimate personal relationships. As a result of this deep human need for affirmation and acceptance, one of our greatest anxieties is the fear of rejection. Perhaps you’ve experienced the emotional pain of being shunned by one with whom you seek a romantic relationship, betrayed by a person you thought was a friend, passed over for a job promotion that you were highly qualified to receive, or otherwise denied something you hold dear or rejected by someone whose favor you sought. We are all imperfect, sinful human beings who are sometimes unaccepting of others and who become the victims of rejection ourselves. Only God Almighty graciously and faithfully accepts everyone who chooses to enter into a personal relationship with Him through

  New Creations in Christ ( October 13, 2023) “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) When new believers profess their faith in Jesus Christ, they are freed from the death penalty of sin, their salvation is sealed by the Holy Spirit, and they immediately receive God’s grace and His unmerited gift of everlasting life. This glorious moment in the life of the new convert is only the beginning of an ongoing process of spiritual regeneration that will continue until that saint (“holy one” who has been set apart for God’s special purposes) enters the gates of heaven. As Christians, we are all works in progress, each at a different stage of our spiritual growth and development. Hopefully, however, all of us are making progress in our divine transformation into the likeness of Christ, our L ORD and Savior. “…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you

  A God of Love and Justice ( October 10, 2023) The Bible teaches that Almighty God is both loving and just. We cannot begin to understand the extent of our L ORD’ s deep, abiding love for each of us. It is boundless and unconditional! In fact, Scripture reveals that God is love! This sovereign God of the universe, however, is also holy and righteous and can neither tolerate nor be in the presence of sin that, through disobedience, became our human nature as descendants of Adam and Eve. God’s Word also makes clear that sin demands ultimate judgment and that a penalty be paid. Death is the consequence of sin, said the apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit. “ For the wages of sin   is   death, but the gift of God   is   eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Because He is righteous, God cannot allow sin to go unpunished. So He has provided for our redemption through His Son Jesus Christ. Reconciling the fact that He is a God of both love and justice, the heavenly

  Looking to Jesus ( October 9, 2023) ” Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2) Success in life’s endeavors requires sharp focus, paying close attention to what you are doing as you undertake a particular activity. For example, while texting, talking on a cell phone, or other inappropriate behind-the-wheel behavior, a distracted driver risks involvement in a potentially fatal auto accident. Focus is also important in the spiritual realm. In order to live lives of obedience and usefulness, we must center our attention on Jesus Christ, not the passing things of this world that distract and lead us astray. A prime biblical example is Peter’s response when Jesus came walking on water to His disciples aboard a boat tossed by a stormy sea. Beckoned to come out of the vessel, Peter stepped out and walked on the water to go to Jesus. “ But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord,

  Blessed to Experience a “God Moment” ( October 6, 2023) “ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always  be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…” (1 Peter 3:15). To those Christians who seek to be His witnesses and ambassadors to the world, the L ORD provides special opportunities to serve the needs of other people, the greatest of which is a Savior. God occasionally puts faithful believers into the paths of lost souls who desperately need to hear the gospel of salvation and to experience the love of Christ. Today, I praise God that He blessed me with one of those “God moments” yesterday that allowed me to humbly serve the physical and spiritual hunger of an unfortunate individual. While entering a Winston-Salem grocery store, I was approached by a poor, disabled lady who was somewhat slumped over with a back problem. She said that she did not want any money, but that she and her 2 children were h