This week includes a “celebration” of the results of the greatest injustice ever committed since the beginning of the world. The Creator, came to earth in man’s flesh, sinless, proclaimed the offer of a relationship with His Father, was tried, condemned, and executed for committing no crime. The Ultimate Judge, Himself, knew that the condemned was innocent. Furthermore, every detail of the situation was carefully scripted. He would be condemned and executed at precisely the right time fulfilling Old Testament prophesies. On top of that the Judge, the ultimate Executioner, was the Father of the condemned, Who He desperately loved. 

Why would God the Father do such a thing as pour out His wrath on His Son? He did it to pay the debt of sin that you and I could not pay. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). We deserve eternal hell, and Jesus paid that price (Rom 6:23) so we could have fellowship with the Father in heaven instead. He bought us with His blood (1 Peter 1:18,19). It wasn’t for us to have a good, happy life, but that we might serve Him.

 May we follow Him my Brothers, every day, all day. Is that your daily purpose? We must be steadfast. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

How blessed we are to have eyesight. Normal life is so much easier and more pleasant when we can see well. In recent decades even those with inferior eyesight have been able to use corrected lens and live normal lives, behold God’s magnificent creation, and avoid dangerous situations. My heart goes out to those through the ages who haven’t been able to see well or at all. Yet, as important as physical eyesight is, it pales compared to the necessity of spiritual eyesight, which is often taken for granted. 

We are to look at all of life through the “lens of Scripture,” which includes a host of things Scripture would not have us look at. “Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes” (Deuteronomy 11:18).

“The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Psalms 19:8).

I’m convinced that entertainment is the idol of this age for the professing church. How our thoughts and precious time are often spent on the idolatrous things our eyes covet. Make it fun and pleasurable if you want them content and happy. As such our nation is on a fast track for hell while the professing church is having a lot of fun. God have mercy. 

“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness” (Ephesians 4:17-19).

We are to encourage each other in the Lord (thank you for reading BTW). “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:24). One way we can do this is by asking brothers in the Lord, where they read in Scripture that morning and if anything stood out to them. Daily reading of our Bible is probably the most important spiritual, heart-healthy habit each of us needs.

The wisdom of having a healthy, balanced, physical diet is generally applauded. How much more critical is feeding our soul with God’s Word, which has eternal benefit? Daily supplements are encouraged by health professionals to maintain our health. They are taken daily because you can’t take a mouthful on Sunday and receive the benefit all week. Our time in God’s Word is similar. Even if we heard a great message on Sunday morning at church, daily challenge and exhortation of our souls from our morning time in the Word is also needed. 

The more our habit is to be in the Word daily, the more we will love and cherish that time.“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him” (Psalms 34:8). Oh my brothers, may we daily dine on the real breakfast of champions. 

Have you ever told someone the truth to have them reply, “You liar!”? Those are serious, relationship-killing words. 

Surely none of us would purposefully call our God, the Almighty God, the God of truth, a liar. However, please consider the possibility that we have, and that it might not be a rare occurrence for many. Frankly, that is scary, and it should bring fear and terror to our hearts. Then, how could Israel have done it at least 10 times? 

“Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice” (Numbers 14:22). Tempted is defined as “to test and prove.” In essence, they questioned whether God was good (does good and fulfills His promises) by not believing and obeying Him.

Oh, my brothers, EVERYTHING that God does and brings into our lives is ultimately good. We trust and believe it to be for His glory and our good in Him, and then we obey.

“Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:20-21).

If you share Christ regularly, you come to the awareness of how many “good” people there are in this world. Most tell me confidently either they are a good person, or they do good things. They go on to say that God is loving, and He will take all their good works into consideration when they want to go to heaven. Yet, believers who read their Bibles know God has a different standard and does not grade on the curve. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). 

Similarly (but not a matter of Heaven or Hell), I’ve found when talking with professing believers, making worldly choices, they don’t say, “I’m worldly, and I like it that way.” They usually say “I’m free in Christ. He paid for my sin, and I am accepted in His blood. I walk in grace.” Our position in Christ is one thing, yet God has called us to seek a holy life while on earth. 

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love” (Ephesians 1:4-5).

(Strongs: “holy” sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated): — (most) holy (one, thing), saint.)

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11-12). 

May we examine our lives and live for Christ, separate in a godless, God-rejecting world.