We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. (1 John 4:16) His Love is Perfect God (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) wants us to rely, depend, believe in His love for us. He wants us to have faith, trust, and confidence in …
Blessed Are God’s Sons and Daughters
Robert E. Price (1946-2021) was a friend of mine who died recently and went home to be with Christ. Scripture says: “Blessed are those who die in the Lord. They are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!”1 Christians are not saved by what we do, but saved for serving Christ …
Every Christian’s Benefit Package (Part 3)
I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. (Psalm 34:1-2) Regaining Perspective One Bible study teacher taped a large piece of paper on the board and made a black dot in the center with a marking pen. Then he asked …
Every Christian’s Benefit Package (Part 2)
Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits. (Psalm 103:1-2) We are to adore and love the Lord for all His benefits. This includes not only the forgiveness of sins, but also the lifting of shame. God bends down to love lowly and unclean …
Every Christian’s Benefit Package (Part 1)
Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits. (Psalm 103:1-2) In Bible times and now, God’s people sometimes feel hard-pressed on all sides—squeezed, crushed, puzzled, depressed, depleted, anxious, persecuted, abandoned, abused, struck down, and about to be destroyed. But Jesus promises that He gives …
Jesus: Our Perfect Elder Brother
Both Christ who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly, I will sing your praises…I will put my trust in Him…Here am I, and the children God …
Elder Brother Syndrome
Jesus warned: Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven….Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, …
God Welcomes Repenters
I will set out and go back to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants. (Luke 15:18-19) Betty Ford’s Problem Child Steven Meigs Ford is the youngest son of former U.S. President Gerald Ford and First …
Jesus’ Search and Rescue
Jesus said: For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. His apostle Paul wrote: This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst. (Luke 19:10; 1 Timothy 1:15) Search and Rescue Work Search and rescue personnel risk their lives to …
Roger Woodward and Psalm 139
You know when I sit and when I rise. You perceive my thoughts from afar….Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?… For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb…Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one …