Message from Scripture: 10/28/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from Matt. 16:13; “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

 

When Jesus asked His disciples this question, He addressed an issue that had become the subject of controversy in His day. The question of Jesus’ identity is still a debated topic of our time, as well. Centuries have passed since the question was first asked, but for many the answer is still elusive. Some have called him simply a good man, others an outstanding teacher, and still others a good example for moral living. More recently, those who deny His deity also want to deny His existence entirely, or speak of Him as someone with a personal agenda, a selfish individual who used others to advance His own purposes. It seemed everyone had an opinion about who Jesus was. The truth of the matter was, and is, as Peter confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16).

 

How do we know this is true? His fulfillment of prophecies made centuries before His coming, in such great detail and ways impossible for Him to have personally manipulated, offers powerful evidence to His deity. The miracles He performed, which have stood the test of time, and the greatest one of all, His resurrection from the dead, all point to this undeniable conclusion about His identity, His being who He claimed to be.

 

Only by accepting this truth, believing in Him as the Son of God, and obeying His will, can anyone be cleansed of their sin, be able to have a right relationship with God, and have assurance about the hope of eternal life. May we affirm, in word and deed, that this is what we believe about our Lord. Let us have the confidence to take His message of hope to a world lost in sin, doubt, and despair. Let our lives offer a resounding affirmation to what Peter confessed so long ago, Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God! God bless.

 

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/27/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from Rom. 14:8; “For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.”

 

Some time ago I read these words. “If you try to talk with a dying person, someone genuinely not long for this world, about sports, business, or politics, that individual is no longer interested. Whoever it is now sees other things as more important. People who are dying recognize what we often forget, that we are standing on the brink of another world.”

 

Satan is an expert in getting us to major in minors, to focus on the incidentals instead of the important. He does this, because nothing is more important than one's relationship to God and eternal judgment. Solomon, who pursued pleasure as intensely as anyone today, summed it up well. “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them’” (Eccl. 12:1).  Solomon then emphasized why the spiritual is so important. “The end of the matter; all has been heard.  Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl. 12:13-14).

 

If today were our last (and for all we know, it could possibly be), what would be important to you? The psalmist reminds us, “The death of his faithful ones is valuable in the LORD’s sight” (Psa. 116:15). Today, let’s live life to its fullest, which should mean living in the image of Christ, that whenever we leave this existence, we have something better waiting for us in eternity. God bless.

 

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/26/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from Heb. 13:3; “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.”

 

When the Hebrew writer penned these words, his readers could understand how difficult it must be for those who, for the sake of the gospel, were suffering this humiliating fate. The apostle Paul also knew what it was like, as he spent time twice under arrest in Rome. The writer also mentioned Timothy having been released, using a term that indicates one set free, as a prisoner. Written around AD 67, the persecutions against Christians in the Roman Empire were harsh and cruel, which had been instituted by Nero. Some of them had, as recorded, endured a great conflict of sufferings themselves (Heb. 9:32).

 

How do the difficulties of life affect us? There are many challenges life present to us, and some act as stress points in a person’s life. How do we know what is going on in a person’s life, the inward suffering, they may be enduring? We should be sympathetic. None of us are put together the same way, and what we may view as insignificant can be a great obstacle to others. We need each other for encouragement, for help, for comfort, to just be there at such times.

 

We should not think ill of others for what they may silently endure, for we all have our issues that can bring us to our knees, if not now, then perhaps in the future. We should love, pray, and help each other through the trials of life, that we all can overcome and gain the victory in Jesus. As Paul commended the church in Philippi, “Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble” (Phil. 4:14). Let’s show others Christ at work in us, by encouraging each other in those times we may need it the most. May our hearts be knit together in love (Col. 2:2), knowing, whatever it may be, we are in it together. God bless.

 

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/25/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from Heb. 5:9; “And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”

 

While there are several terms used in the New Testament that carry the meaning of obey, the one the Hebrew writer uses here is very interesting. The term ὑπακούω (hupakouo) literally means “to hear under.” It is more than just obey, it is to listen intently on what is being said, with the goal of following and doing what one is told. Certainly, the authority of another is implied by it, and thus understanding there is a response that is expected.

 

In our society today, most people do not recognize the authority of anyone but themselves. No matter what one may be told to do, others must allow a person to approach life from their perspective, no matter what the consequence may be in doing so. But is this the best way for us? Would you want to be treated by a doctor who didn’t recognize the authority of their teachers in medical school, and just approach treatment options, or surgical procedures, based on how they feel that day? What about those who manufacture and fill prescriptions? If they didn’t listen to how to make and dispense medicine, would you trust what they prescribe? Would you step on an airplane that was designed by someone who refused to listen to aeronautic engineers about the dynamics of flight? The whole of our lives, if just based on doing what we want, would collapse.

 

God’s word is precise and clear on what He desires of us, of what obeying Him means. Since there will be a day of judgment, and since He is our Creator and Sustainer, we should hear and do what He wants. Let’s go out today to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, submitting to Christ as Lord, hearing what He says in His word, and living it out for others to see. To be in harmony with God is really the best life. God bless.

 

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/23/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from Acts 11:25-26; “Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”

 

What does it mean to be a New Testament Christian? There are many difference aspects of this we can address, but today let’s consider these elements. When we come in obedience to the gospel, our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ (Acts 22:16). The Lord adds us to His church (Acts 2:47), which is a loving spiritual family, where we seek to worship and glorify our heavenly Father. God is exalted as we seek to put His Word into practice in our daily lives (Jas. 1:22). We seek to provide the environment for each member to utilize his or her abilities in the Lord, to make use of the opportunities God gives us, collectively and individually (Gal. 6:10).  Our goal is to seek to put first His kingdom and righteousness (Matt. 6:33), and find the blessings He offers us as faithful children (Eph. 1:3).

 

Doctrinally, we will stand firmly grounded in the Word of God. We believe Scripture to be the inspired Word of God, able to make us thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Tim. 3:16-17). We have the complete revelation of God's will in the Bible, the only sure guide for eternity (2 Pet. 1:20-21). We seek to exalt Christ as Lord, but realize this can only be done in the framework provided by Scripture. Regarding faith and practice, we desire to stand firmly in the oracles of God. We do not seek to bind traditions God has not bound, but neither will we loose that which God has bound through His Word (Matt. 16:19-20).  Our desire is to be simply Christians, to show those around us New Testament Christianity today.

 

Stand firm in God’s word, and find the difference being simply a New Testament Christian can make. God bless.

 

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/22/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from Isa. 5:20; “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”

 

Someone once said, “More people might do right, if we could convince them that doing right is sinful.” Well, sometimes, it seems there is truth in this statement. There are many who run to sin, to fulfill its lusts and have their desires gratified. This thought is expressed time and again in the expression, “But everyone else is doing it; why can't I?”

 

We tend to equate popularity with approval. So many people doing something, permitting something, or consenting to something, can't be wrong. Or can they? King Ahab of Israel had 400 prophets to act as his “yes men,” to justify his desire to do as he pleased. When asked about the prophet of God, Ahab responded, “I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me” (1 Kings 22:8). What Ahab was saying is that God's way often opposed his way, so he hired false prophets to justify his actions.

 

Jesus put it this way. “The gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it” (Matt. 7:13). Why is this? Are we crazy? No, but we can be deceived. Satan appeals to our desires, deceives us into thinking wrong is right, and we follow. What we need is education. God's will can fulfill our desires in righteousness, rather than sinfulness. A proper understanding helps us control our desires, instead of our desires controlling us. God's word points us to a better way, a more noble way, which offers eternal life. What desire can be greater than this?

 

God can fill our desires through His mercy and grace and love. His way is the best way after all. Let’s serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in a way where others can know the truth that can set them free. God bless.

 

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/21/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from Eph. 4:18; “They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts.”

 

When Paul speaks of these individuals who lack understanding and are excluded from the life of God, he is speaking of a willful choice they have made. They are excluded from life in Christ because of two factors: their willful ignorance, which then brings about their hardness of heart. The Greek word Paul uses for ignorance is ἄγνοια (agnoia), from which we get our word agnostic. In the ancient word, it could refer to a person who lives without knowledge either because he hasn’t heard the truth, or because he has refused the truth. In this instance, Paul is speaking of those who have rejected the truth.

 

The agnostic says he doesn’t believe we can know if there is a God, but he says this only because he does not want to know God. Paul reminded the Christians in Rome, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). One person commented on this verse that this person is “stupid on purpose.” It is a choice to reject the truth and live as one pleases, which hardens the heart and can make it impossible for such a person to even see the truth to understand it. It is from this motive that atheism, secular philosophy, and even some types of religion, have come.

 

Let’s give thanks to God we are open to the truth, realizing the evidence God has given us of Himself so we can know it, obey it, live it, and have life in Him. As the saying goes, “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” May we let the light of the truth shine in us as we live for Christ today. God bless.

 

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/20/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from Matt. 5:3; “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

 

We are familiar with the Beatitudes spoken by the Lord in what we call the sermon on the mount. Each statement presents a situation most people would say is not desirable, but Jesus calls each one blessed, and then explains why. It is not by coincidence Jesus can take the worst scenarios life can present and say, even then, we are blessed.

 

The word for blessed has several depths of meaning. First, it refers to one who is contended, no matter the outward circumstances, a comfort we have even in negative conditions. Second, this is true because one possesses the favor of God, that state of being marked by fullness from God. Third, one can experience this because of what God has provided for us in Christ.

 

This is why James could write, “Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (Jas. 1:12). We have this inward calm, even in the most difficult of times, because we are recipients of God’s grace and favor in Christ. We are blessed, not because He keeps us from trials, but because He goes with us through our trials, to help, strengthen, and encourage us. When this life is over, we are overwhelming blessed, in being received into His eternal kingdom, to dwell with Him forever.

 

We will face challenges through life, but no matter the situation, as Jesus reminds us, we are blessed, because through it all, God is there, and in it all, there is the promise that carries us to eternity. Today, may our faith sustain us beyond all our fears, our troubles, our sorrows, because God is with us, and waits to give us eternal life. May we serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in this blessed confidence. If you are faithful in Christ, then God will truly bless.

 

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/19/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from Col. 3:15; “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”

 

The Norwegian Academy of Sciences, aided by historians from England, Egypt, Germany, and India, calculated that, since 3600 BC, the world has known only 292 years of peace. During that period, there have been 14,531 wars, large and small, in which 3,640,000,000 people have been killed. Why can’t people ever achieve peace through their own efforts? Because there isn’t any peace outside of Christ.

 

The term peace in Scripture means, not so much the opposite of war, but the opposite of any disturbance in the tranquility of God’s people. Because of Christ, we find tranquility and harmony. Sin destroys peace, but only in Christ can we have what it is everyone is so desperate to have. Only Christ restores a right relationship with God, and so is able to offer a life of peace.

 

Not only does Christ bring us peace, but He is peace. We can literally translate Paul’s statement in Eph. 2:14 as “He Himself is the peace of us.” There are many peacemakers today who try in vain to bring peace to the world. But the Lord Jesus is far more than a “peacemaker;” He is peace. This is what makes the message of the gospel so relevant to our world today, which is consumed in chaos and destructive practices. We have a message in the gospel that will bring peace, because the focus of that message is Christ, who is our peace, through His death for our sins. If we are in Christ, we have peace.

 

Today, let’s go out to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and show peace to a world that needs peace. Let them see, even in the worst moments, even with fear and death so prevalent, what Christ offers is peace in the midst of these, knowing what lies ahead in eternity. God bless.

 

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/18/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from Prov. 21:2; “Every man's way is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts.”

The story is told of a woman who went from home to home across the countryside selling thread, buttons, and shoestrings. When she came to an unmarked crossroad, she would toss a stick into the air and go in the direction the stick pointed when it landed. One day, however, she was seen tossing the stick up several times. “Why do you toss the stick more than once?” someone asked. “Because,” she said, “it keeps pointing to the left, and I want to take the road on the right.” She kept throwing the stick into the air until it pointed the way she wanted to go.

 The moral of the story is, many people know the will of God, but refuse to do it because it is not their will. We are reminded of the words of Paul to the church in Philippi, about those who have become enemies of the cross of Christ, because they set their minds on earthly things, serving their own desires (Phil. 3:19). Contrast this attitude with that of Christ, who, in the shadow of the cross, prayed to the Father, “Yet not my will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

 

One of the greatest challenges we will ever face is to let go of ourselves and let God mold us in His image. Sin deceives and hardens our hearts (Heb. 3:13), but the Lord knows us and what is truly at work within us. It is a constant battle within us against Satan and sin, and only God and His will can direct us in the right path. As Jesus told His disciples, “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them” (John 13:17).

 

Today, let’s go out to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, humbling ourselves before Him, allowing Him to direct our paths, finding the life that is truly right in the eyes of God. This is where we will find His richest blessings.

 Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/14/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from 2 Cor. 3:5; “Such is the confidence we have through Christ before God. It is not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.”

 

Have you said, or heard someone else say, “No problem! I’ve got this!” Perhaps you’ve heard a similar phrase to this, like, “I don’t need anyone’s help, I can do this myself.” While it is true there are challenges in life we can deal with on our own, there are others where we really do need help. It’s when we realize the value of the help we can offer each other, that we know the true strength we possess.

 

In this Scripture, Paul is speaking about his ministry, as well as his personal life. He is the strong person we remember him being because he knew how much he needed God’s help in his life. As a matter of fact, he points out no one is competent to serve God in the power of one’s own strength and faith, but only when God is an integral part of one’s life. The word for adequacy, or sufficiency, speaks of that which is “large enough.” John the Immerser knew his role in view of Christ, saying he wasn’t competent enough to remove Jesus’ sandals (Matt. 3:11). The centurion in Capernaum did not believe himself adequate to have Jesus enter his house to heal his servant (Luke 7:6-7).

 

This spirit of humility and dependence on the Lord is our need today as well. In reality, we don’t have this, and we can’t do it apart from the strength Christ offers us. Paul would say, “Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So, I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9-10). As we serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, may we do so firmly trusting and relying on Him, that others may know where true strength is found. Not only will we amaze others, but ourselves as well. God bless.

 

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/13/2021

Our message from Scripture today comes from Eph. 4:24; "Put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."

When we come in obedience to the gospel, it's a new beginning. We are no longer enslaved to sin, but pardoned to enjoy the freedom Christ alone can bring. Paul reminds his readers we can return to what it means to be created in the image of God, a life that reflects God in us, a life of righteousness and holiness, conforming to the truth of God rather than the deception of sin. How is this done?

Having our sins washed away, we make the choice, as Paul says, to put on the new self. The term for putting on means to put on like one's clothes. The garments we have worn before were being corrupted by sin. We have to take them off, to throw them away before we can put on different garments, being clothed in righteousness and holiness. This change from sin to righteousness allows us to be a new person, radically different from the image of sin we reflected before.

When Paul speaks of one being new, he is describing leaving the worn out life in sin to being new by the cleansing of the blood of Christ. The way of life, one's pattern of conduct, is dramatically changed to reflect the image of Christ. So, we are no longer conformed to the world but transformed (Rom. 12:2). The old has past away and the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17). We are truly a new creation (Gal. 6:15).

Today, let's not be satisfied with what we were before obeying the gospel. Let's remember we are changed. We have changed how we think and live. The statusquo is gone, and following in the footsteps of Christ is our priority. What a difference it is to leave sin behind and be new by the blood of Christ. Let others see the difference Christ makes in you. Have confidence in the spiritual, not the flesh. What joy life brings when we take off the old, and put on the new. God bless.

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/11/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from 2 Cor. 5:15; “And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”

 

I think almost every Christian looks forward to the Lord’s Day, the first day of the week when we gather together to worship God and be edified by our being with each other. I pray we all understand living the Christian life is more than a once a week activity. In the Scripture for today, the word “live” is present tense, meaning what we do each day, not just occasionally. The challenge we face every day is to live for Christ each day we have a today.

 

Spiritual growth doesn’t just happen on Sundays, but Mondays through Saturdays.  It’s not just when we’re surrounded by fellow Christians that we should live the Christian life, but in the everyday routines, when only God is there to watch.  How much a part our faith plays in the everyday aspects of our lives determines the part it will play in the challenges of our lives, which really defines who we are in Christ.  The fellowship we enjoy on the Lord’s Day, and other times we’re around our fellow Christians, is wonderful, but who we really are spiritually is defined by how we live every day.

 

Look at everyday living as an opportunity for Christ.  If He is an integral part of the everyday, He will be there as an integral part of your life when trials come your way.  Then, the life Christ forms in you each day will make our time of fellowship that much sweeter.  Is Christ a part of your everyday routine?  Today, let’s go out to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the strength He provides, and that we find with each other. What a difference our lives together make in all of life. God bless.

 

Robert

 

Do You Love the Church?

 

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25).

 

In Eph. 5, Paul identifies those areas in our lives that we must devote ourselves to if we are to be all we can be. He speaks of the relationship between husbands and wives, fathers (parents) and children, as well as masters and slaves. In speaking of the devotion husbands should have to their wives, he compares it to that which Christ has for His church, giving Himself up for her. Certainly, there would be a difference in the world if husbands had this kind of love for their wives, a sacrificial love to put what is best for them first, and if wives would be submissive to their husbands with that kind of love operative for them.

 

The amazing truth on which this is possible is the example set by Christ, offering Himself on the cross for the sins of the world. In doing this, it was possible for the church, the body of the saved, to be established. No greater kind of love can be known than that Christ offered of Himself for those who would come to Him, and how, by their obedience to His will, would be added by God to the church. When we read this passage, we should focus as much on the kind of love Christ has for us as His church, as we do how husbands should imitate that in their relationship with their wives. Do we love the church as Christ did? Do we imitate Christ when we consider His love for us? How can we be imitators of Christ in loving the church?

 

If we love the church, we should be committed to keeping its precepts and principles. The letters written in the New Testament about local congregations applies to us today as much as those who originally received those letters. Do we seek to apply God’s will to our lives personally, that we might be, collectively as the church, what He desires? Do we seek purity of life (Matt. 5:8)? Do we encourage each other as we seek to help each other overcome the desires of the flesh and grow in holiness (2 Cor. 7:1)? Do we spend time in prayer for each other, and for the work we join together to do in our community, to offer the world a proper image of what we are to be (1 Tim. 3:15)? Do we assemble together each Lord’s Day, along with other opportunities of assembling, to glorify God, to remember the love of Christ in His sacrifice for us, to worship, and to be edified in the truth (Heb. 10:25)? If Christ loved the church enough to act, to respond to our need for salvation, to provide a way to eternal life, should we love the church any less?

 

John reminds us of what love does in 1 John 3:16. “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” The church isn’t a social club, but the saved encouraging each other in the life we have in Christ, and seeking to bring others to the good news of salvation. Sometimes we can act as if it is something that we can “take it or leave it.” The reality is, if we love the church, we will be active in the kingdom, no matter what. We are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33). Does Jesus and His body have that devotion by us? Being active in the church isn’t an optional extra, but an essential element of our living to have life in the eternal kingdom (Phil. 3:20-21).

 

The Lord’s church should be precious to us, to have a part in it, a work to do, and the hope it provides. It is the faithful in His kingdom today who will be part of heaven, the eternal kingdom (Rev. 2:10). Will you be part of that number? He gave His life, shedding His precious blood, that we can be part of it. Do you love the church?

 

μαράνα θᾶ (1 Cor. 16:22)

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/08/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from 1 Pet. 2:1; “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.”

 

The story is told of a man who one day decided to save money on his cattle’s feed. Every day, he would add increasing amounts of sawdust into the feed. Because the process was gradual, the cattle didn’t notice any difference. The plan was working well, until the animals started getting sick and died. Why? Because, in the end, the sawdust had no nutritional value. It might have filled the animals, but it also caused their deaths.

 

In a similar fashion, if we only fill our lives with the things of the world, we will ultimately become worldly-minded, and in the end it will lead to our spiritual demise. Peter told his readers they needed the pure milk of the word if they wanted to grow in their salvation. The word pure Peter uses is only used here in the New Testament. It means without deceit or fraud; the absence of what is false.

 

What Peter is trying to tell us is, if we live without the influence of God’s word, of that which is spiritual, we’re left with only sawdust, the influence of the world that may seem filling, but has no real substance to offer us what we need to mature in Christ. This is so important, Paul commanded the Christians in Corinth, “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature” (1 Cor. 14:20). Without spiritual insight, it’s far too easy to be deluded by sin. The only true source of spiritual discernment is what is offered by God through His word.

 

Today, make some quiet time to let God speak through His word, the pure word that offers us spiritual insight and godly living. Let go of the trash the world offers, and find God’s rich blessings. If our Lord could use the word to overcome temptation (Matt. 4), think of what it can do for us. God bless.

 

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/07/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from Ezek. 36:26-27; “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances.”

 

In the Bible, the heart is not so much the center of feeling as of thought and will. The new heart speaks to the condition of the unresponsive mind, the “heart of stone.” Here, the Lord looks forward when there will be a change of heart, of mind and purpose, in His people. To be spiritually-minded should result in spiritual living, to walk in His statutes and live faithfully for Him.

 

Why do people not respond to God as they should? In part, the answer is God not only works to save us, but Satan works to deceive us. God's word can create a new heart, but Satan seeks to snatch that word from our hearts. Substituting the sinful instead, hearts become hardened against God (Eph. 4:18). To know God's will, but not respond, is a sin problem.

 

Living for God involves both understanding and desire, knowing God and seeking God.  Why do some not respond to God as they should? It's what fills their hearts and captures their desires. A godly heart will seek God and His will, desire Him intensely and sincerely, and live for Him. 

 

An understanding of God must captivate one's desire. One's ambition and longing should be to give oneself to God. Knowledge and desire must work together to make a positive difference. Today, let’s renew our hearts and minds to go out and serve our Lord and Savior faithfully, fully. It will show the world the powerful difference Christ can make now and forever. God bless.

 

 

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/06/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from 1 Tim. 1:15; “This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” — and I am the worst of them.”

 

It is a universal truth that we all need forgiveness, we all need encouragement, we all need help to overcome our sins and live as God desires. We all need the grace of God. Even Paul recognized this about himself. Isn’t it wonderful to know, no matter what experiences we have had in life, we are never outside the love of God. If God could love Paul and offer him life in Christ, he loves all of us and offers us all new beginnings. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).

 

No matter how difficult life has been, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:39). We are recipients of God’s grace, not because we deserve it, but because of this love (Eph. 2:4, 8). He offers us his strength and support to overcome any problem that would come against us (1 Cor. 10:13). He adds us to his body, the church, where we can encourage and help each other through the challenges of life (1 Pet. 1:22-23). There is nothing we have done, or will face, that God cannot prevail over if we trust him and commit ourselves to him.

 

Don’t let Satan deceive you into thinking your life experiences are insurmountable, that they have left you unworthy of God’s love, and that you have no hope of knowing his love, his peace, and his promise of life. There is healing in Christ, and with that healing you can offer support to those who are in need of a new life through the Savior. You are a child of God, who he desires to experience eternal life with him. May God and His Son be honored by our living anew in Him each day. God bless.

 

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/05/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from Rom. 6:16; “Do you not know, that to whom you yield yourselves as slaves in obedience, his slaves you are whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?”

 

We live in a world that seemingly demands change continually. Nothing from the past is considered valid for the present, and what is happening in the present will be challenged in the near future. There are those advocating changes in the church. There are changes that need to be made, certainly, to lead us to a greater zeal for worship and service to God, to a more committed walk of faith, to a deeper focus on that which is spiritual. We also realize God is supreme (Heb. 12:28-29), and all authority in heaven and earth belongs to Christ (Matt. 28:18). This means, then, we must make sure everything we say and do conforms to His will for us. “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).

 

Many in the world treat Christ as if He is a personal assistant or trainer. Many speak of a personal Savior who is eager to do their bidding and help them in their quest for self-satisfaction or individual accomplishment. Certainly, our Lord is always available to help us as we go through whatever life brings our way, but He demands we follow His will for our lives, not seeking to get Him to conform to our will for life. As deity, He knows what is best for each of us personally, individually, and when we yield ourselves to Him, we are willing to receive what He has to offer us for life. The alternative is what was spoken in Prov. 14:12; “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”

 

May we always seek to conform our will to that of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, knowing He can help us be what God wants us to be in Him, having confidence in the hope of that which is eternal. What a great way to live! God bless.

 

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/04/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from Col. 3:15; “And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful.”

 

In late 1939, after the outbreak of the war, the British Government commissioned the Ministry of Information to design a number of morale boosting posters that would be displayed across the British Isles during the difficult times that lay ahead. The third and final poster of the set was very straightforward and to the point; it simply read “Keep Calm and Carry On.” The plan in place for this poster was to be issued only if Britain was invaded by Germany. As this didn’t happen, the poster was never officially seen by the public. The phrase to keep calm, however, has been reproduced on everything imaginable in our day and age, with various slogans promoting a host of advertising adages, along with other sayings.

 

We live in troubling times today as well. Everything good and holy is being replaced with what seems to be the vilest of sins. Whether on television, or billboards, or even bumper stickers, profanity and immorality are portrayed as desirable. How do we respond to such wickedness? To borrow this phrase from World War II, as we are being assaulted by the forces of Satan and all that is wicked, I would say from our Scripture today, “Keep calm and in the peace of Christ, carry on.” As the world seems bent on self-destruction, the gospel anchors our soul in what will endure no matter what. The spiritual will endure beyond the trends of today; it will last eternally.

 

Let us pray for our nation, and those throughout the world deceived by Satan. Let’s also never abandon our calling in Christ, as we know, no matter what happens in this life, we are promised eternal life. Nothing Satan can mount against us can take that away from us, unless we surrender it. Never surrender your faith, your life, your hope in Christ. In the end, we will share in His victory. God bless.

 

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/02/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from Eccl. 1:8-9; “All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”

 

There is a myth in our nation, that many subscribe to, which affirms that Christ and the spiritual make no real difference in how people live their lives. Without Christ, one can pursue and have the good life without the influence that comes from faith and Scripture. Is that true? One study on societal trends tells us, “False pride can never be sustained.  The bubble of narcissism is always at risk of bursting. People are doing anything to distract themselves from the fact that they feel empty inside and unworthy.”

 

Such an approach to life is nothing new. Years ago, Solomon tried every aspect of living for the flesh as people do today, and concluded it to be vanity, as people today are finding to be true for themselves.  What is the missing ingredient to life? Solomon concludes, “The end of the matter; all has been heard.  Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl. 12:13-14).

 

We can’t escape the spiritual, and how integral it is to our health and well-being for today. To ignore it is to ignore who we are, how we are made, for what we are to live.  Removing God from life’s equation will only create more and more problems for life. In contrast, Jesus offers us an abundant life (John 10:10), both now and eternally. This is the life the world needs to see and know for itself. Today, let’s go out to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, knowing the life we live is the only life that leads to heaven. That’s what can make a difference in those who see Christ alive in us, to have a real hope that makes life worth living. God bless.

 

Robert

 

At The Cross

 

“Alas, and did my Savior bleed, and did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head, for such a worm as I?” 

 

I suppose the words to this song are offensive to some, which is why some versions have changed the word “worm” to “one.” The fact of the matter is, while God loves us with an incomparable devotion, by choosing to sin we have allowed Satan to replace being created in God’s image with that which distorts that image instead. We must have a clear vision what sin does to us, as well as what we can be in Christ.

 

We do have a sin problem; everyone has a sin problem. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Even Paul spoke of how he struggled with not doing what he should, as well as doing what he should not (Rom. 7:15). The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23), not only physical death, but also spiritual death, eternal separation from the Father and eternal punishment in hell (John 3:36b).  Our sins cost the life of Jesus on the cross, that we might be redeemed from our transgressions (1 Pet. 1:18-19). This is the disgrace that sin brings to our lives.

 

Yet God loves us infinitely. Knowing we would sin before He ever created us, He not only fashioned us, but also planned the death of Christ as the means of our forgiveness (Eph. 1:5-10). We are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14), our guarantee God will be faithful to fulfill His purpose in us through Christ. He continues to cleanse as we walk in the light (1 John 1:7) and assures us nothing will ever separate us from His love for us through Christ (Rom. 8:38-39). We have all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3), offered in every good and perfect gift (Jas, 1:17), providing for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3). This is the glory we share as children of God.

 

We must, then, have a balanced perspective of our lives. No human is so worthless, so useless, that God does not love or care or wants one saved. On the other hand, no human is so great that God is dependent on one to counsel Him or help Him fulfill His plan. When a person feels insignificant and that his or her life is meaningless, never forget Christ! When a person feels exalted and feeds his or her ego on such, never forget Christ! God loves every person enough to sacrifice Christ, but every person’s sins caused God to sacrifice Christ. With Him we have everything, and without Him we are nothing.

 

Next time you feel depressed or overly proud, go to the cross and have your perspective renewed.

“Thus, might I hide my blushing face, While His dear cross appears;

Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt mine eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne’er repay, The debt of love I owe;

Here, Lord, I give myself away, ‘Tis all that I can do.”

 

“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14).

 

μαράνα θᾶ (1 Cor. 16:22)

 

Robert

 

Message from Scripture: 10/01/2021

 

Our message from Scripture today comes from 2 Tim. 3:13; “Evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

 

When people turn away from the power of the gospel to transform lives, what Paul warned Timothy will almost always take place. All kinds of evil conduct can supersede righteousness. There are always those who ask where God is in such times, where the people of God are, and why they don’t prevent personal tragedies that happen in life. Invariably, one could ask people who blame God for the evil in the world, or Christians not doing what they should, what they do to prevent such. To try and enforce some external solution is no real solution, as the heart is the place where evil resides, and it is with the heart one can find a way out.

 

The gospel can transform lives, from reflecting the image of sin to reflecting the image of God. It can take away hate and replace it with the love of God. It can take away the desire of sin and replace it with the desire for righteousness. While the gospel can make radical changes in people for good, it cannot overrule a person’s free will. Only those who will yield their lives to the gospel can know and reflect the love of Christ. With free will and sin in the world, people will make bad choices and do bad things. The solution isn’t to blame God or Christians for evil, but for those outside of Christ, who reject the influence of the gospel, to examine their motives and decide to make positive changes in how they think and live.

 

May we let the light of the gospel shine in our lives, and may we speak the truth of the gospel to the world around us, that the condemnation of sin can be transformed into the freedom of truth (John 8:31-36). Let’s go out to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that others can see the power of the gospel at work in the arena of everyday living. Let’s be authentic New Testament Christians today. God bless. 

 

Robert