Month: October 2023

Holy Living Brings Blessings

Holy Living Brings Blessings

Living a holy and pure life for the Lord will attract many of God’s blessings upon those who adopt this lifestyle.  The Bible confirms this truth.

Wealth won’t help in the time of judgment, but righteousness will deliver from death.  (Pro 11:4 ISV)

In fact, the verse shown above says that righteousness delivers a person from death!  Wow!  That’s quite a huge blessing, isn’t it?

Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.  (Pro 10:23 MEV)

Wicked treasures will not save a person from death, but according to Proverbs 10:23, a righteous lifestyle will.  I would say that this is a winning argument, wouldn’t you? The death that is spoken about in these passages is an eternal death, but those who accept Christ as their Savior and live a holy life will gain eternal life. Hallelujah!

While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything. It has promise for this life now and the life to come.  (1 Tim 4:8 CEB)

Not only is holy living useful for EVERYTHING, it will benefit us in THIS life as well as the next—in eternity. 

If doing something in this current life will profit us in eternity, it is worthwhile to study and to seriously research it.  This article is just a step in that direction.  God bless you.

Jesus Fulfilled the Law

Jesus Fulfilled the Law

Our meditation today is concerning fulfillment of the Law, and how Jesus did that.

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  (Mt 5:17 NKJV)

Jesus came specifically to fulfill the Law. 

Do we, then, abolish the Law by this faith? Of course not! Instead, we uphold the Law.  (Rom 3:31 ISV)

Our faith in God does not abolish the Law, but upholds it!  The Bible states:  Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.  (Rom 3:31)  Getting right with God by faith, not works, establishes the Law.

The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify his law and make it glorious.  (Isa 42:21 NIV)

The verse above in Isaiah tells us that God made His Law glorious, for His righteousness’ sake.  Righteousness is the consistent and compelling inclination to do what is right. 

No one other than God dictates what is right for Him. What is right for God is what agrees with His infinite prominence and infinite value. Therefore, it is right (righteous) that His perfect instruction (Law) be magnified and glorified.

Therefore, Jesus’ goal to fulfill, establish and uphold the Law is righteous as well as right.  Praise the Lord most High!

Hold Onto Your Crown

Hold Onto Your Crown

The coming of Jesus is an incentive for Christians to persevere under pressure, to continue in their faith walk.  Jesus won’t announce His coming; it will occur unexpectedly, so that our expectation of His return is constant.

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.  (Rev 3:11 NIV)

We as believers, must resist pressures upon us to violate our integrity.  It is often near the end of a race, that runners begin to lose energy and focus.  We must guard against that in our own lives. We must hold onto our heavenly crown.

. . . only hold fast what you have, until I come.  (Rev 2:25 RSV)

We need to maintain our faith in God and in His holy Word, knowing that God cannot lie.  (Tit 1:2)

Everyone who competes practices self-discipline in everything. The runners do this to get a crown of leaves that shrivel up and die, but we do it to receive a crown that never dies.  (1 Cor 9:25 CEB)

In a race, self-discipline is required. In our Christian walk, self-discipline is also required.  But we have been blessed by God to receive the fruit and gifts of the Spirit, so that we are not without resources.  Glory to God!

The crown that we will each receive is imperishable, and more than worth the sacrifices that we make to receive it.  God bless you!

Discipline:  The Path to Life

Discipline:  The Path to Life

Our topic today is discipline and how very indispensable it is to the Christian lifestyle.

Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.  (Pro 10:17 NIV)

In the above Proverb, humility is a crucial trait needed by ALL who travel the highway of life.  Whoever refuses to receive correction and rebuke, is abandoned to wandering and left homeless on the path.

For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; and rebukes for discipline are the way of life . . .  (Pro 6:23 NASB)

God’s Words exist for our own good, to lead us and to guide us in a treacherous and dangerous world full of spiritual pitfalls and temptations.  Unless we cooperate with and obey God’s guidance, we will experience heartache and untold sorrows.

He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.  (Pro 29:1 NKJV)

To ‘harden your neck’ means to stubbornly resist and disobey God.  This verse speaks about the person who is often admonished but refuses to obey correction.  Instead, they decide to go their own way, knowing that they are refusing to submit to God.

But we always have to option of turning to God and seeking His forgiveness and mercy, with a contrite heart.  He will always hear and respond to our cry.  Praise God!

Don’t Repay Evil for Evil but Repay with a Blessing

Don’t Repay Evil for Evil but Repay with a Blessing

Good day and welcome!  We’re encouraged by the Scripture to avoid seeking revenge or holding a grudge. 

God’s Spirit indwells each and every believer and follower of Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit can be relied upon to lead us in the paths of righteousness and holiness.

Here are some Bible verses to consider on this subject:

Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good.  (Ps 38:20 ESV)

When we follow after the Lord, we follow after and seek GOOD solutions and good outcomes.  We choose to pursue the path of peace and not strife.

“You are not to seek vengeance or hold a grudge against the descendants of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”  (Lev 19:18 ISV)

We are reminded by the Lord to love our neighbor (which means: any other human being on earth) as we love ourselves.

See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.  (1 Thes 5:15 NLT)

Rather than repaying evil for evil, we are urged to do good to each other and to all people.  Only the grace of God, which He pours out upon us every day, enables us to follow the Lord’s teachings.

Do not pay back evil with evil or cursing with cursing; instead, pay back with a blessing, because a blessing is what God promised to give you when he called you.  (1 Pet 3:9 GNT)

Don’t repay cursing with cursing or wickedness with wickedness, but instead, respond with a blessing.  Rely upon the grace of God. 

Our Lord, who is holy, promised to give each one of us a blessing when He called us and introduced us to the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It’s for our benefit that we learn to control our emotions and our responses.  Self-control is a genuine fruit of the Spirit.  It is a privilege to serve the Lord, and to bring Him all of the glory and honor and the praise as we pursue righteous living through Jesus Christ.  God bless you!

Thirsting for God

Thirsting for God

What exactly does ‘thirsting for God’ actually mean? This is a spiritual, biblical concept that actually addresses man’s deep need and desire for a profound relationship with the living God.God! My God! It’s you—I search for you!  My whole being thirsts for you!  My body desires you in a dry and tired land, no water anywhere.  (Ps 63:1 CEB)In the above Psalm, the writer freely states that he is thirsty for God’s presence.  He also correctly states that the thirst he has will not be satisfied by anything else.My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.  (Ps 84:2 ESV)Often a thirst for God may be manifested as depression, a sense of loneliness, or an empty feeling.  These are not recognized for what they truly are—a thirst for God.I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land.  (Ps 143:6 NIV)Without the Lord’s presence in our lives, we truly live in a desperate and shriveled state of being.  But we don’t have to stay there, glory to God!On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’  (Joh 7:37-38)All we need to do is to turn to our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  Pour out your heart to Him, and tell Him how you feel and what you need.  He will always, lovingly respond to the cry of His people, His own creation!  There is always hope, life, and living water available to us when we turn to our God in trust and dependence.  Hallelujah!

We Can’t Imagine What God Has For Us

We Can’t Imagine What God Has For Us

Our human minds are not capable of perceiving all of the good and glorious blessings that will be ours one day, through faith in Jesus Christ.  The Bible tells us this truth in various passages.

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.  (Isa 64:4 NIV)

No one has seen any God, other than our God, who acts as an Advocate, Intercessor and Mediator for mankind like Jesus Christ does!  (See our blog post of June 15, 2017 for Scripture references.)

How great is the goodness that you’ve reserved for those who honor you, that you commit to those who take refuge in you—in the sight of everyone!  (Ps 31:19 CEB)

For those who honor and love the Lord, He has reserved unimaginable blessings and honor.  These wonders are beyond the comprehension of our human minds.

But as it is written:  “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”  (1 Cor 2:9 NKJV)

As 1 Corinthians 2:9 teaches us, the blessings that God has prepared for those who love Him have not even entered into our hearts—nor have we ever seen or heard the things that God wants to share with us!  What a wonderful and blessed future we have!

Rejoice in God’s goodness and in His wonderful preparations for you, today!

HOPE & God’s Word

HOPE & God’s Word

Hope and the Word of God go hand-in-hand, did you realize that?  Let’s look at a number of Bible passages that demonstrate this truth.

Those who fear You shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word.  (Ps 119:74 ESV)

Because a believer hopes (and trusts) the Word of God, others see the results and rejoice.  Hallelujah!

I long for You to rescue me! Your word is my only hope.  (Ps 119:81 CEV)

Here, we see that the Psalmist confesses that God’s Word is his only hope.

You are my refuge and my shield; Your word is my source of hope.  (Ps 119:114 NLT)

The Scriptures are our source of hope!  Source means:  birthplace; home; supply; and well.

And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.  (Rom 15:4)

As we wait patiently, and EXPECTANTLY, for God’s Word to be fulfilled in our lives, we receive hope and encouragement through God’s precious, holy Word.  Rest in God’s Word, know that it will give you hope and a firm foundation. God bless you!