Living By The Word

    The Matchless Love of God ( April 29, 3024) “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8) Love is the very essence of who God is, and to know Him personally is to love Him. By His grace, God provided the one way to salvation through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Our Lord and Savior loved us so dearly that He willingly died so that every believer has abundant and everlasting life. Those of us who have a personal relationship with Him can take comfort in knowing that in Christ we are eternally inseparable from the matchless love of God! “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

  Shine “The Light” ( April 26, 2024) “ The  Lord  is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? ” (Psalm 27:1) In an immoral culture shrouded in the shadows of evil, Christians are called to walk in the light of Jesus Christ and to reflect His beams of hope into lives lost in the darkness of sin. Each day we need to be guided by the lamp that lights our paths, God’s Word. Applying biblical principles and moral standards to our lives, we are enabled to avoid the pitfalls concealed by the darkness and deceit of a fallen world that is temporarily Satan’s domain. We must allow to shine through us rays of divine light that attract unbelievers to Jesus like moths to a flame. Lurking in the darkness of the world, Satan aims to deceive and destroy those of us who seek to walk in the light of God’s glory. Scripture teaches that devoid of truth, the devil is the father of lies. “ He was a murderer from the beginning, and   does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.

  Pride, the Pathway to Destruction ( April 25, 2024)           An abomination that God hates, pride is the pathway to downfall, debacle, and destruction! Arrogant attitudes and haughty hearts can bring promising lives and lofty dreams crashing down in dismal defeat. A prime biblical example is the selfish pride that prompted God to cast Satan out of heaven. The highest of all angels and the most beautiful of God’s creations, Satan (Lucifer) demonstrated his arrogant pride and his self-exaltation in a series of “I will” statements . “ I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God…I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:13-14) Satan seeks to puff up human pride lo to separate us from the grace and mercy that God offers all sinners who humble their hearts in repentance. “Let  nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” (Philippian

  Only Christ Offers Eternal Security ( April 24, 2024)   "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand." (John 10:28)   We live in a dynamic world that is constantly changing. Every day we face uncertainty in connection with our relationships with other people, our health, our careers, worldly events, and virtually all areas of our personal lives. Author and artist Emilyann Girdner wrote: “No matter what there always seems to be something clouding my existence, nothing is ever clear.” While uncertainty is a way of life in an ever-changing world, we can know with perfect clarity our eternal destiny when we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The unpredictability of our earthly lives may prompt feelings of insecurity, but believers can be certain that they are eternally secure in Christ.   The Bible teaches that no one can get to heaven based on his or her good works in this life. Only throu

  The New Commandment ( April 23, 2024) “ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35) After hosting the Last Supper, humbly washing His disciples’ feet, and identifying the one who would betray Him, Jesus commanded His followers to love and serve one another. As His crucifixion drew near, this command by the L ORD to His followers demonstrated His love for them as expressed through the act of washing their feet, thereby giving them an example of meekness and service to humanity to follow. “Beloved,  if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:11) Practicing this new commandment to love each other as Christ loves us is the mark that defines who we are as believers and modern-day disciples of Christ. It is not optional; Jesus has commanded His followers to love one another as they are lov

  The Earth Is the L ORD’S ( April 22, 2024)   “Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you.” (Jeremiah 32:17)   Behold the beauty of God’s magnificent creations as we observe Earth Day on April 22nd. God crafted the earth as a perfect paradise that came under a curse when sin entered the world because of mankind’s rebellion against the Creator of the universe. But God in His mercy provided for humanity’s redemption through faith in the virgin birth, death, burial, and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ to save all believers from their sins.   One day the paradise that was lost in the Garden of Eden will be restored when Jesus returns to earth to break the curse and reclaim the title deed to this planet that Adam surrendered to Satan. The natural springtime splendor that we enjoy today will not even begin to compare with the indescribable beauty of the new heaven and the new earth tha

  We Are Now the Light of the World ( April 19, 2024) “As long as I am in the world,   I am the light of the world.” (John 9:5) Since Satan successfully deceived our ancient ancestors Adam and Eve to rebel against God in the Garden of Eden, the light of a once-perfect world has been shrouded in spiritual darkness, decay, and death that are the inevitable results of sin. Separated from a holy and righteous heavenly Father by his innate rebelliousness, mankind was desperately lost until God’s beloved Son Jesus Christ brought divine light to illuminate a dying world consumed by shadows and gloom. As Christians, we are called to be beacons through which the renewing, regenerating light of Christ brightly shines into a world cloaked in the darkness of evil. “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) We were once walking in darkness and estranged from a just G

  Applying the Blood of Christ ( April 17, 2024)  “ Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9:12) A cornerstone of Christian doctrine is the necessity of bloodshed for the release from guilt and penalty of sin. “W ithout shedding of blood there is no remission. ” (Hebrews 9:22) This biblical principle dates back to the dawn of creation when an innocent animal’s shed blood, in which is the life, was required to obtain skins by which God made garments for Adam and Eve when they became aware of their nakedness after sinfully eating the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God’s act of mercy and love despite mankind’s rebelliousness against Him predated the system of animal sacrifices for the temporary atonement of sin that was deeply ingrained in the culture of ancient Israel, pointing to the Cross and the ultimate, sinless sacrifice of Jesus Chri

What God Requires (April 15, 2024) As believers seeking a more intimate personal relationship and a closer walk with the Lord Jesus Christ, we should all seek to live by the godly directions of Micah 6:8. “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"

  Salvation Is Worked Inside Out ( April 12, 2024) “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36) As Christians, we have been promised by our L ORD Jesus Christ that we will encounter trials and tribulations because of our faith in Him. However, no matter what we have to face in our earthly lives, we can greet each new day with joyful hearts and peace of mind, knowing with surety that we are destined to spend eternity with Jesus in a heavenly home that our risen L ORD is now preparing for us. By the grace of God, our salvation has been given as a priceless gift of God the Father through our profession of faith in His beloved Son. As a result, we should praise and thank God that nothing can ever separate us from the incomprehensible love that prompted Jesus to suffer and shed His blood on the cross to secure for us the confident hope and blessed assurance of abundant and eve

Guard a Godly Reputation (April 11, 2024) “A good name earned by honorable behavior, godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity is more desirable than great riches; and favor is better than silver and gold.” (Proverbs 22:1) A good reputation is a lasting treasure more valuable than passing worldly riches, and, thus, should, be carefully guarded by the application of God’s Word to our lives. American founding father Benjamin Franklin once said, “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.” Sadly, an honorable name built over a lifetime can be ruined almost instantly. Respect that took many years to earn can vanish virtually overnight. Reputations can be irreparably tarnished by our own misdeeds and bad choices or through no fault of our own. Gossip, slander, and lies, for example, can overshadow the most stellar reputation. We live in a so-called “cancel culture” in which tolerance for differing beliefs, world views, and lifestyles is i

  Seek Christ Likeness ( April 10, 2024)   “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” (Psalm 17:15) (A Psalm of David) As Christians who seek daily to yield control of our lives to the providence and power of God, we have been reborn spiritually and, as new creations in Jesus Christ, are undergoing a gradual transformation into the beautiful likeness of our L ORD . Once lost in sin and dead spiritually, we had no righteousness of our own, but, saved by the grace of God, our faith in Christ has been credited to us as righteousness. Our sins have been forgiven, forgotten, and forfeited through the cleansing of the blood that Jesus shed for humanity on the cross. In New Testament times, our salvation has been secured and our eternal heavenly home sealed by the Holy Spirit who lives within our hearts and is engaged in the lifelong process called sanctification whereby we are gradually changed into the godly character of Chri

  Worry Is Waste ( April 9, 2024) “ There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.”  (1 John 4:18) In terms of personality types, many of us could be categorized as worriers. Looking back over my life and considering the time I’ve engaged in the futility of worry without any benefit, I have to think, “What a waste!” Worry—defined as a state of anxiety or uncertainty over actual or potential problems—is worthless! We all have many personal concerns that prompt us to worry about our loved ones, our health, our jobs, our finances, our personal safety, our responsibilities, and countless other shifting circumstances. However, these anxieties can hinder our spiritual development as Christians and damage our personal testimony. Worry is rooted in fear that conflicts with who we are as children of God. By faith in Jesus Christ, we’ve placed our lives and destinies in the hands of a faithful, all-powerful God Who has promised to never leave nor forsake us, to give us strength

  A Living Hope in a Dying World ( April 8, 2024) “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness…” (Isaiah 5:20). When I consider the extreme dangers that threaten our earthly existence, I am shocked that the masses are turning away from God when they should be running to the Almighty as their only refuge and hope. Thank the L ORD that regardless of what hardships, sufferings, and persecutions we have to endure in this life, Christians can find encouragement in these difficult times, knowing that while we live here temporarily, this troubled planet is not our permanent residence. As followers of Jesus Christ, adopted children, and heirs of God, we are just earthly pilgrims passing through this dark place. We are on a sojourn of faith to a heavenly home that will be free of the scourges of death, disease, and disaster that afflict a lost world entrapped in sin. We’re bound for an eternal paradise where we will live forever in pe

  Trust in the Unseen ( April 4, 2024) “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)   With their focus on the material world, many people are visually oriented and do not trust in what they cannot see with the eye or touch with the hand. To have a saving relationship with the L ORD, however, we must shift our focus and view life from a spiritual perspective that allows us to live by faith in what cannot be seen or touched physically but can be deeply felt in the heart. This firmly-held belief in and trusting commitment to Jesus Christ form the steadfast foundation upon which this everlasting relationship with God is built. Without faith, we can neither please God nor can we be saved. The Bible teaches that only through faith in Christ, God’s beloved Son, can we all, as sinners, have salvation by the grace of a loving, but righteous God. While good works are evidence of our faith and an expression of our love for the L ORD , s

  A God Who Gets the Human Experience ( April 3, 2024) “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15) Sometimes a welcome blessing that we can share with others is our genuine compassion and understanding based on personal experience. There are difficult times when we need the empathy of a family member, friend, or other trusted person who can genuinely relate to what we’re going through. It is comforting to share our burdens with someone who has dealt with similar situations and knows first-hand how we feel. We have found such a friend when we have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who, above everyone else, understands the human condition. Our Savior lived among humanity as God incarnate and, unlike us all, did it without blemish so that He could become the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Having trod this earth as both God and man for about 33 years, Jesus can personally relate to any circumstance that we experience in our modern daily l

  Tested by Trials ( April 2, 2024) Jesus said, “ These things I have spoken to you, that   in Me you may have peace.   In the world you   will have tribulation; but be of good cheer,   I have overcome the world. ” (John 16:33) We all face troubles, trials, and temptations in our lives! Personal hardships are an integral part of living in an imperfect world corrupted by sin. No one looks forward to these trying seasons, but we know they will come. Christians are certainly not exempt from painful afflictions. In fact, Jesus told His disciples to expect tribulation. In a worldly society where God’s Word is increasingly compromised and Christianity marginalized, followers of Jesus Christ are also confronted with ridicule, injustice, and in many parts of the world, extreme persecution. Hardships are an inevitable test of our faith, but believers must claim the promise of a faithful God to work even the most difficult circumstances we face to our ultimate benefit.   “ My brethren, co