Living By The Word

  Love’s Greatest Expression ( April 4, 2023) “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (atonement) for our sins.” (1 John 4:10) A central theme running throughout the Bible is the matchless love that prompted Almighty God, our heavenly Father, to provide the only way to salvation for a rebellious human race through His precious Son Jesus Christ. Thus, it is interesting that the word “love” is first used in the Holy Scriptures in reference to an earthly father and his beloved son who served as types or models of God’s redemptive plan. “ Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham! And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”” (Genesis 22:1-2) In a s...

  The Symbolism of the Cross ( April 3, 2023) “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18) Representing the hope of everlasting life that is offered to all who trust in Jesus Christ, the cross is the most prominent symbol of Easter and Christianity. First, the Cross of Christ is a symbol of our Savior’s suffering. We cannot comprehend the excruciating pain and shame that Jesus endured at Calvary for you and me. He was brutally beaten, whipped, spat upon, scourged, insulted, mocked, and disfigured. Our L ORD’s body was pierced for our sake—a crown of thorns was thrust into His head, penetrating flesh to the skull, and iron spikes nailed Him and our sins to that tree, causing Christ unbearable agony. Jesus’ suffering on that rugged cross was unimaginable. He did it for us; He did it out of love for you and me! “ But He was wounded for our trans...

  “Do you know how the clouds are balanced, those wonderful works of Him who is perfect in knowledge.” (Job 37:16) In their divinely-crafted beauty, clouds are beheld in many stunning sizes, shapes, and colors. They are all magnificent displays of the matchless artistry of the Almighty God of the universe who made all that exists with mankind as His crowning creation. Our certain hope as followers of Jesus Christ is that one day soon we will meet our Creator in the clouds and will joyfully spend eternity in His presence. Thank You, LORD, for your grace, your love, and your priceless gift of abundant and everlasting life! “For the LORD Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the LORD in the air. And there we shall always be with the LORD.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

  Spiritual Nearsightedness ( March 30, 2023) “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.    Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4) Growing up and for much of my adult life, my eyesight has been impaired by a condition called myopia, or nearsightedness, in which a person has difficulty seeing objects clearly at a distance. Although I still wear corrective lenses to remedy the condition, thankfully, my visual nearsightedness has improved over the years according to my optometrist. Just as 30-40% of Americans must deal with this physical condition of myopia, many of us, including Christians, suffer from spiritual nearsightedness. From time to time, especially when confronte...

  Not My Will… ( March 29, 2023) “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Before His unjustified arrest and brutal crucifixion, Jesus—knowing the extreme suffering that He was about to endure for mankind’s salvation—retreated to the Mount of Olives to take His anguish to His Father in heaven through prayer. While His disciples slumbered nearby in the Garden of Gethsemane, our L ORD, showing His humanity, sweat great drops of blood as He pleaded with the Father to make another way if possible. In absolute obedience, however, Christ surrendered His will to that of the heavenly Father and willingly completed the mission for which the Son of God had been sent to earth—to enter humanity as the sinless suffering servant required for the redemption of our sins.  “But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” ...

Be a Worldly Non-conformist ( March 28, 2023) “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15-17) We live in a world that increasingly demands conformity and compliance to ungodly standards. Remember those school days when seeking popularity among our peers, we sought to fit in, to be cool, and to be a part of the student groups and cliques that are so common. Today, there is mounting pressure on each of us to be politically correct, to conform to the expectations of the world, and to adopt the prevailing attitudes, practices, and behaviors of a society that is rapidly moving away from Christian morals and values that used to flou...

Why? ( March 27, 2023) “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:11) (NIV) Sooner or later, we are all confronted with circumstances that we do not understand, and, as we scratch our heads in confusion, the first question that generally comes to mind is “Why?” This is especially true when seasons of hardship and trial come into our lives, leaving us distraught, even devastated, and prompting us to search desperately for answers. Often, we cry out to God, begging to know why He permitted unwelcome trouble or tragedy to disrupt the serenity that we feel when things are going well. Reality teaches that we must go through deep, dark valleys that we may bitterly detest in order to get to the lofty mountain peaks that we certainly desire. Throughout God’s Word, the three-letter question “Why?” is asked by many prominent biblical figures who were puzzled by the plight in which they foun...