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...