by Jamie Pantastico | Jun 28, 2023 | Daily Encouragement |
“I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name.”
(Psalm 138:2)
In the midst of wickedness, immorality, and uncertainty that surround us, it is essential for believers to recognize the paramount importance of God’s Word. Psalm 138:2 beautifully reminds us of the exalted position of God’s Word above all else, because the Lord Jesus Himself is the Word and the Word is God and God is faithful. This truth should deeply resonate with our hearts and guide us in our daily lives.
In these tumultuous times, when the world seems to be drifting further away from God, we can find solace and strength in the unchanging truth of His Word. It is through His Word that God reveals His lovingkindness and truth, serving as an unwavering anchor for our souls. As we immerse ourselves in the Scriptures, we encounter the character and promises of our faithful and sovereign God.
The Apostle Paul, who is the apostle for the Gentiles, and who alone was given the gospel and doctrine for this age of grace magnifies the importance of God’s word. In his letter to the Romans, he writes:
Romans 15:4 –
“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”
The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, were not only written for the believers of their time but also for us today (building blocks for what we have today). They serve as a timeless source of instruction, and guidance teaching us valuable lessons and providing us with hope and comfort in the midst of trials. As we study ALL of God’s Word, we discover the faithfulness of God throughout biblical history and find encouragement (because God is faithful) to trust Him in our present circumstances.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 –
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Paul reminds us of the divine origin (God-breathed) and purpose of each and every passage in the Bible. It is inspired by God Himself and holds immense value in shaping our lives. The Word of God serves multiple purposes: teaching us sound doctrine, convicting us of sin, correcting our ways, and training us in righteousness. Through Scripture, we are equipped to live out our faith, reflecting the character of Christ and fellow workers with God in His field to produce good works that bring glory to Him (1 Corinthians 3:9-12).
2 Timothy 2:15
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
In this verse, the Apostle Paul exhorts Timothy, and by extension, all believers, to diligently engage in the study of God’s Word. The command to “study” implies a devoted effort, a disciplined pursuit of understanding and applying Scripture. The purpose of this diligent study is to gain God’s approval and to be recognized as faithful and competent in handling His Word.
Paul further emphasizes the importance of rightly dividing the word of truth. This involves correctly handling the Scriptures, and accurately interpreting and applying them within their appropriate contexts (who’s writing, who is the writer writing to, what are the circumstances, what came before and what came after). By doing so, believers become skilled workmen, able to discern and communicate the truth effectively.
In summary, 2 Timothy 2:15 encourages believers to prioritize the study of God’s Word, seeking His approval by becoming adept at handling the Scriptures with accuracy, discernment, and a deep desire to understand and live out its truths.
Takeaway
Believers, let us prioritize the study and meditation of God’s Word, especially in these challenging times. As we delve into the Scriptures, we encounter the lovingkindness and truth of our Heavenly Father, which provides strength, direction, and hope. Let us remain anchored in the unchanging truth of His Word, allowing it to shape our thoughts, actions, and decisions. In doing so, we will be equipped to navigate the uncertainties of this world and shine brightly as beacons of God’s light and love.
Remember: God’s Word stands firm, steadfast, and relevant in every season of life. Let it be our daily source of comfort, guidance, and encouragement.
by Jamie Pantastico | Jun 26, 2023 | Daily Encouragement |
II Timothy 3:1-13, 4:1-4
“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.”
“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”
In the face of today’s unfolding events, we stand in the very midst of the prophetic warnings penned by the Apostle Paul in II Timothy 3:1-13, 4:1-4. The rise of political and religious liberalism, intricately intertwined with the end-time scenario, relentlessly undermines the very foundations of Christianity and challenges the integrity of our cherished Constitutional form of government here in America. While reversing this course is impossible, yet as faithful believers, we are called to stand firm (like a dam holding back a river of evil) against these encroaching forces of evil with the truth (God’s Word/the Bible).
Admonition
Let these powerful verses resonate within us as a reminder of the perilous times in which we live. The Apostle Paul’s charge to Timothy and to all those who desire to teach the Word of God echoes through the ages, urging us to heed his admonition found in I Timothy 1:3-10. As darkness surrounds us, we must be unwavering in our commitment to preach the Word, remaining prepared at all times. With conviction, we must convince, rebuke, and exhort, demonstrating patience and steadfastness in our teaching. For there will come a time when people will reject sound doctrine, driven by their own desires, seeking teachers who cater to their itching ears, turning away from the truth, and embracing fables.
‘As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.’
I Timothy 1:3-11
In the midst of these perilous times, let us rise up as beacons of truth, unyielding in our defense of the Gospel, and unshakable in our commitment to stand for righteousness. May our actions reflect the unwavering faith that Paul entrusted to Timothy, as we navigate the false teaching and tumultuous events of this age with unwavering resolve, knowing that the Lord Himself will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.
by Jamie Pantastico | Jun 23, 2023 | Daily Encouragement |
Here are 10 Bible verses that highlight the transformative power of the gospel of grace, centered on the finished work of the cross:
These verses highlight the transformative power of the gospel, rooted in the finished work of the cross. Through Christ’s death, shed blood, burial, and resurrection, believers experience salvation, redemption, reconciliation, and newness of life. It is through faith alone in the gospel alone that we find forgiveness, freedom (from sin and the law), and the promise of eternal life.
‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ‘
II Corinthians 5:17
- Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
- 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
- Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
- Colossians 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
- 1 Peter 1:18-19 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
- Romans 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
- Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
- Colossians 2:12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
We become a New Creation
5 Bible Verses Reminding Believers that We Are a New Creation
by Jamie Pantastico | Jun 22, 2023 | Daily Encouragement |
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
In a world that values eloquent speech, high production, and human wisdom, the apostle Paul reminds us that true power and transformation reside in our reliance on God’s wisdom rather than the wisdom of men. When Paul ministered in Corinth, he did not use persuasive words, high production and human wisdom (it was just Paul and the gospel of grace), choosing to focus solely on Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross (1 Corinthians 2:2). His approach was marked by weakness, fear, and trembling, demonstrating that true power is found in the demonstration of the Spirit’s work (1 Corinthians 2-4).
Then Paul admonishes us in verse 5; that our faith “should” NOT come from the wisdom of men (or anything the world has to offer) but in the power of God. Read 1 Corinthians 2:5 below;
‘that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.’
I Corinthians 2:5
And where does the power of God culminate? What is the power of God that transforms hearts, defeats sin, the law, Satan, and death itself? The Gospel. The finished work of the cross… Read on.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Romans 1:16
Religion is Behavior Modification – Christianity is Heart Transformation
by Jamie Pantastico | Jun 21, 2023 | Daily Encouragement |
1 John 4:7-11
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
As believers, we are predestined recipients of extraordinary love—the love that pours from the very essence of God Himself. We are called to love one another (all people, not just other believers), for love finds its source in God. It is through love that we demonstrate our connection to Him and our understanding of His character.
The pinnacle of God’s love was revealed in the work of the cross. In His boundless love, God sent His only Son to bear the weight of our sins, providing us with the opportunity to experience eternal life through Him. This sacrificial act epitomizes the true nature of love—unconditional, selfless, and without measure.
We must grasp the profound truth that our love for God did not initiate this divine love; rather, it was God who first loved us. His love reaches beyond our merits, flaws, and shortcomings. As recipients of such incomprehensible love, we are compelled to reflect it in our relationships with one another.
Let us embrace the reality of God’s love and allow it to overflow into our lives (and we do this by studying His word daily). May His sacrificial love be our motivation to love one another (Galatians 2:20), and to extend grace, forgiveness, and compassion. By doing so, we become living testaments to the (heart) transformative power of Christ’s love at work within us.
