Word For the Day

  Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it." Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Then after this He *said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." The disciples *said to Him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. "But if anyone walks in the nigh...

  The conscience is important and is a great help for every believer. However, you must understand that your conscience is malleable. It is not a safe guide because it can be fashioned by outside influences. Therefore, the Word of God is the only safe guide for you. All men have a conscience. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them (Romans 1:18-19). For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them (Romans 2:14-15). Let us thank God that He has done this; for without any awareness of law, evil would undo any semblance of society. The unbeliever’s cons...

  For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds (Titus 2:11-14). One characteristic of a good walk is hopefulness. Keeping the goal of seeing Jesus as your focus pushes out distractions. God’s grace saves us and instructs us to live sensibly. With Christ as our example, we learn to deny ungodliness and worldly desires because we hope to stand without shame at the judgement seat of Christ and hear the words, well done good and faithful servant . . . enter into the joy of your master (Matthew 25:23)  Paul wrote, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil...

  Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith (Galatians 6:7-10). Doing good has its rewards. Sowing to the Spirit has the reward of eternal life. Don’t misunderstand, this is not a call to work for your salvation. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). Instead, this is a call to live a spirit-energized life.  Those who sow to the flesh will reap another reward from the flesh. That is corruption. According to Robertson’s Word Pictures, the word corruption, in this passage, refers to the physical...

  Do you find it tedious to wait in line, to wait for an appointment, or to wait, period? The reason we struggle with waiting most of the time is the reward doesn’t seem worth the time spent. You know you want a cup of coffee, but the line is around the corner so you just say forget it. David expresses his willingness to wait for the Lord in the following passage. He trusts in God's providence and lovingkindness. When faced with adversity, he asks God to lead him through the trials that chase after him and those that lay before him. A Psalm of David. To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed. Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day (Psalms 25:1-5). For the believer there is mor...

  The big thing today is misinformation. It is very difficult to find reliable information because the authors of said information are so influenced by ideologies that facts are colored by biases which result in half truths and or outright lies. So, how can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word (Psalms 119:9). How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers (Psalms 1:1-3). Meditation is the key to spiritual prosperity. If you can learn to meditate on God’s word you will prosper spiritually. The imagery in the verse above is perfect. A tree drinks in the water which the stream provides. The benefit of drinking is frui...

  We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us (1 John 4:16-19). We have come to know and believe the love which God has for us. This is a beautiful declaration that provides the foundation for our faith. Knowing God’s love for us casts out any fears we might have about judgement because fear involves punishment. Jesus came and died for us and took upon Himself our sin. He satisfied the wrath of God for us. If you still have fear, then seek to understand the love of God. Believe Him when He says, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that wh...

  Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30). It is unfortunate that many people view God as a tyrant. I know a woman who said she could never believe in a god that would allow a baby to die. This is a ridiculous position for her to hold in that she also supports abortion. I suspect her real reason for what she said is, she is trying to justify to herself her unwillingness to yield to God’s rule in her life.  However, God is not a tyrant. It is true we don’t understand all of God’s ways, but there is ample proof of God’s love demonstrated in the cross. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). Jesus not only laid down His life for friends, but also for His enemies.  For while we were still helpless, at the right tim...

 There is hope and joy for every believer who trusts in the Lord. Christ's resurrection and reign guarantees it. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever (Psalms 16:10-11). Believers will be resurrected. Christ's resurrection is proof that He has the power to raise you up. However, there is more. Knowing you have eternal life provides a life of joy. Therefore, let us preach the Gospel to ourselves every day. Put no confidence in the arm of flesh. Trust completely in the resurrected Lord to show you the way. Immerse yourself in the Word! The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring...

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1:2-8). The key to enduring a trial with joy is absolute trust in the divine sovereignty of God and His love for you. Trials come into our lives to produce endurance. What kind of endurance? Endurance of faith for one thing. The passage actually says, “the testing of your faith produces endurance.” The second important thing to understand is that God has not left you ...