Tag: #faith

A Reliable Witness

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

In a world searching for answers in all the wrong places, there is a hope that doesn’t just survive the storm—it breaks the chains. His name is Jesus, and He is the reliable witness to the life you were meant to live.

Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28).

Embrace this truth, and He will set you free—free from the slavery to sin that binds us all. I remember a time after leaving the abusive relationship when I believed I was in a good place. Still, I hadn’t told anyone what I had gone through or how I coped with it. I would say I suppressed it and told myself I was okay.

One of my church leaders confronted me about not having seen a counselor and even arranged to pay for my first six visits. This happened after he shared a dream with our group about a child walking with him and a chair with chains in the back of the room. He knew that once he stopped talking to the child, it would go back to the chair. I started crying, realizing the dream was about me.

At one time, I would have returned to the chair or chains. Even though I didn’t tell him the details, I didn’t have to – God worked through him to help me realize that, although I was free from the chains, I needed to peel back some layers and start my healing journey from what I had endured at the hands of an abuser.

Just as the Bible testifies to Christ, this leader witnessed my lingering pain, and you can now witness God’s healing in your own life.

It wasn’t until I had my abuse validated that I felt anger, an emotion necessary to start my journey. God uses this as a warning that something’s wrong.

Are you still chained to something from your past? Christ offers complete freedom and healing. Don’t let it eat away at your insides. That is a miserable existence. You are meant for so much more. Your heart can be transformed from death to life.

My healing journey involved peeling back layers of a painful past. Interestingly, when we examine Jesus’s lineage, we see that He didn’t shy away from ‘layers’ or ‘labels’ either; He directly embraced a family history as complex as ours to show us He truly understands.

Christmastime is approaching, and it’s a good opportunity to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Some may still question His lineage, but the Bible makes it clear that Jesus was both divine and fully human. His human side experienced the same pain and temptations as we do (Matt 4:1). In other words, you can bring whatever you are going through to Jesus, and He understands (Heb. 4:15). In return, He offers comfort, peace, healing, and shelter from the storms of life. He doesn’t say there won’t be storms but provides hope and peace through them (John 16:33).

In his book, The Case for Christmas, Lee Strobel states, “Jesus lived physically and emotionally on our planet, so when we bring him our problems, worries, and challenges, he can relate to us personally.” He also mentions, “Thanks to Jesus’ divinity, he can provide us with supernatural wisdom and the power of God to assist us.”

You can see Jesus’s lineage in both Matthew and Luke, whose genealogy includes men, women, adulterers, heroes, and Gentiles – showing that Jesus came to be the Savior for all and that His family tree is full of broken people, just like us.  (Matt. 1:1-16; Heb. 11:31; Josh. 2:1; James 2:25; Prov. 31).

Matthew traces Jesus’ lineage from Abraham to emphasize His Jewish heritage, whereas Luke traces it back to Adam to show that Jesus fulfills the hope of all humanity (Luke 3:23-38; Acts 17:26).

But don’t just take my word for it. John the Baptist, Moses, and the Scriptures were all witnesses that pointed to Jesus (Biblica Study Bible). Still, the most reliable witness was God Himself. The description of Jesus as God’s Son is supported by His genealogy—in other words, God’s declaration at His baptism, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22, Emphasized), provides clear testimony, with God Himself serving as a trustworthy witness.

The Biblica Study Bible notes that studying and learning all the Scriptures is beneficial, but it’s Jesus who gives meaning to everything Scripture teaches.

Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to Me except through me (John 14:6, Emphasis added).

The truth will set you free.

Paul explains how we are all in darkness and are brought to the light when we accept Christ. He encourages us to “walk as children of the light” (Eph. 5:8, Emphasis added) and bear fruit of the light only found in “all that is good and right and true: (v9, Emphasis added). We should not take part in unfruitful works of darkness any longer – instead, there is a different way and another option on the table that we need to consider.

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Eph. 5:14, Emphasis added).

Maybe you, like me, feel like you’re in a self-made trance- something that kept me stuck in an abusive relationship for too long, thinking I didn’t have a choice. Once I woke up, I saw that being a Christ follower, or having a relationship with God, is possible. God provides the foundation and strength to break free from the chains and start a new life with Christ at the center.

He brought me from darkness to life. Hope is alive – His name is Jesus Christ. Freedom is real (Rom. 15: 13; Gal. 5:13; John 8:36).

It’s not about what we do for God, but rather an intimate relationship with your heavenly Father who loves you immensely.

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8).

“Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Ps. 46:10, Emphasis added)!

Why Godly Fruit Isn’t Earned, But Grown by the Spirit

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

Bearing fruit in season and out of season, like an evergreen planted by a flowing stream, producing vibrant green branches year-round, comes from a heart guided by the Holy Spirit (Ps. 1:3; Jer. 17:7-8).

When Paul talks about staying in sync with the Spirit, he means letting God lead (Gal. 5:25, ESV). When our hearts are transformed by accepting Christ and the Spirit enters, we can start to produce the fruits of the Spirit that mirror God’s character (Gal. 5:22-24). There is an urge to actively cooperate with the new life we’ve received.

The fruit isn’t just something we produce on our own. Spiritual fruit comes from being made in the likeness of God’s image. Day by day, we as Christians can strive to become more like Jesus, who exemplified all aspects of God’s character as a model for us to follow. We are made in God’s image (Gen. 1:26).

Jesus is described as the perfect “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15) and the “exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3). He perfectly demonstrated the character qualities we call the Fruit of the Spirit.

On the path to becoming like Christ, we often fall short because of our human nature. The flesh cannot please God without the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and hearts (Rom. 8:8). Paul describes a struggle between flesh and spirit, a division caused by human sin that prevents us from doing what is right in God’s eyes until we accept Christ. Then, the Holy Spirit equips us with the spiritual armor needed to fight battles and push back the devil. The Spirit fights against sin, not just defensively but offensively, developing in Christians the positive qualities of a godly character, all of which are seen in Jesus in the Gospels (Gal. 5:22-23).

The Spirit’s essential role in equipping the believer is to strengthen us.

  • Defensive and Offensive: The Holy Spirit doesn’t just passively wait; He actively fights against sin. This is the power that overcomes the “works of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-21) and enables the believer to “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16).
  • Spiritual Armor: The armor described in Ephesians 6:10-18 is often seen as the tools given by God, with the Holy Spirit acting as the active force that helps us use them effectively (e.g., the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”).
  • Positive Development (Fruit): The ultimate offensive move of the Spirit is the positive development of godly character—the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.). This fruit embodies the very character of Christ being formed within us, making the Christian progressively more resilient against sin and temptation.

Isaiah prophesied about a child from David’s line, “There shall come forth a shoot and a branch from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him” (Is. 11:1-2, Emphasis added). He was speaking of Jesus the Messiah. He ruled with the help of the Spirit (Is. 4:2). He is described as the root and descendant of David, the bright and morning star (Rev. 22:16).

Jesus set an example for living and invited everyone to wash their robes—no longer living in their old ways (Rev. 22:14). While we wait for His return, we can trust in His promise that we will be together again (John 14:2). Essentially, the Holy Spirit is the way Jesus remains present with us until His physical return, empowering us to live a holy life and grounding us in the certainty of His promise. It guides us throughout our lifelong journey of becoming more like Christ and producing The Fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23).

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither” (Ps. 1:3, Emphasis added).

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit” (Jer. 17:7-8, Emphasis added).

From the Collapsing Walls to the Cave of Hope: Our Call to Action

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

In our last post, we saw how the mighty city of Tyre—with all its wealth and fortifications—was no match for the sovereignty of God (Ezekiel 26:9). The lesson was clear: God is absolutely in control, even when human powers collapse.

But seeing the walls fall can be terrifying. It can make us feel isolated, small, and even depressed. It’s easy to look at the chaos in the world today—the broken systems, the constant division, the unending bad news—and feel like we are the only ones left trying to hold onto hope.

If you’re feeling like you’re the last faithful person left, hiding in a dark, lonely place right now, I want you to remember the prophet Elijah.

We Are Not Alone in the Silence

After a dramatic victory, Elijah faced a terrible threat and fled into the wilderness, eventually hiding in a cave. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah pours out his heart, convinced, “I am the only one left…”

He expected God to show up in a great, world-shaking display—a wind, an earthquake, or a fire. But God wasn’t in those things. Instead, the Lord came to Elijah in a low whisper (1 Kings 19:12). And in that quiet moment, God assured him: “You are not alone.” He had reserved thousands of faithful people who had not bowed to the world’s idols.

Like Elijah, we are not alone. We cannot let what is happening in the world today isolate us or keep us depressed and paralyzed. We have a profound and necessary role to play.

The Call to Get in the Game

Our role is not to stand back and beat our own drum to the rhythm of the world’s despair and chaos, expecting a different song to form in our hearts. Our calling is to live a holy life, set apart from the world, fully trusting God while we wait.

But what does that active holiness look like? The prophet Micah gave us the blueprint:

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8, ESV)

This is our job description:

  1. Do Justice: Fight for what is right in the world around you.
  2. Love Kindness (or Mercy): Extend grace, compassion, and the Golden Rule to everyone you meet.
  3. Walk Humbly: Remember the two great commands Jesus gave in the Gospel of Matthew: Love God, Love People. Everything else flows from that humble posture before the Creator.

Grace Upon Grace, and the Last Chapter

It can feel like God is slow to act as we watch the world struggle. But as the familiar sign says, “I’ve read the last chapter, God wins.”

The apostle Peter tells us that God is “not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). This waiting period is an act of grace upon grace. God has given us this time to get in the game and share the Good News of the Gospel with others.

There is hope, and His name is Jesus Christ. The same authority that directed the battering rams of judgment (as we discussed in our last post, Even When the Walls Fall: What Ezekiel 26:9 Teaches Us About God’s Control) is the authority that belongs to Jesus Christ. He has all authority over all rulers, all powers, and all creatures.

Our immediate call to action is simple yet profound: Watch and Pray.

Prayer is not a passive activity; it is a powerful spiritual weapon. As James tells us, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16, ESV). Let us use this time to pray boldly for the world, live faithfully, and share the hope that keeps us out of the cave of despair.

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exalt over you with loud singing” (Zeph. 3:17).

Even When the Walls Fall: What Ezekiel 26:9 Teaches Us About God’s Control

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

We all seek security. We build strong walls around our lives, whether they are financial stability, career security, or even personal boundaries. But what happens when those walls start to shake?

The ancient prophet Ezekiel faced a world where human empires were collapsing. The Jewish people saw their holiest city, Jerusalem, destroyed. Yet, amid this chaos, God delivered a prophecy against a city that seemed completely untouchable: Tyre.

The Context: The Pride of Tyre

In Ezekiel chapter 26, the great city of Tyre—a powerhouse of international trade, famous for its wealth and its seemingly impregnable island fortress—made a fatal mistake. When Jerusalem fell, Tyre didn’t mourn; it rejoiced.

“Aha! The gate to the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper.” (Ezekiel 26:2)

Tyre’s sin was commercial arrogance. They saw Jerusalem’s tragedy as their own financial opportunity, prioritizing profit over human compassion and God’s relationship with His people. They believed their walls of stone and their vast fleet of ships made them masters of their own destiny.

The Main Point: The Specifics of God’s Judgment

God’s response comes in the form of a detailed, terrifying military prediction, culminating in verse 9:

“He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and demolish your towers with his weapons.” (Ezekiel 26:9, NIV)

This verse, seemingly a footnote about ancient siegecraft, delivers the entire theological punch of the chapter. Here’s why it matters:

  1. God Chose the Instrument: God didn’t just promise judgment; he named the executioner: Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon (v. 7). This meant that the mightiest king on earth was merely a tool in the hand of the Sovereign Lord. God is the one directing the blow of the battering ram.
  2. No Wall Is Too High: Tyre’s walls and towers represented the pinnacle of human security and pride. By specifically mentioning the battering rams and axes, God declared that no matter how strong their defenses, their human efforts would be systematically broken down by a force He controlled.
  3. The Promise of Utter Ruin: The judgment didn’t stop with Nebuchadnezzar. The entire chapter promises that Tyre would eventually be scraped to a “bare rock” and its stones thrown into the sea. History confirms this was a long, phased process involving “many nations” (v. 3), including Alexander the Great, who literally used the debris of the mainland city to build a causeway to attack the island.

The Takeaway for Today

Ezekiel 26:9 is a resounding declaration that God is absolutely in control of history, nations, and events.

For us, the walls and towers of Tyre represent anything we build our lives upon instead of God: our own stability, our wealth, our reputation, or our pride. When those things feel secure, it’s easy to forget that God can dismantle them with terrifying speed and precision.

The good news is that this sovereignty cuts both ways. The God who justly directed the battering ram against the proud is the same God who is now directing all of history toward the final, gracious redemption offered through Jesus Christ.

The lesson of Ezekiel 26:9 is not just that human defenses will fall, but that only the King who directs the ram is worthy of our complete trust. When our own security fails, we are reminded to put our faith in the One whose authority extends over every empire, every economy, and every fortified wall.

God is still in control.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:9, ESV, Emphasis added).

Reframing the Trials: A Powerful Perspective on God’s Preparation

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

We pray to God for wisdom, and it’s a genuine request, so that we can stay in step with the Holy Spirit. However, do we realize it doesn’t happen overnight and isn’t delivered in a shiny box? There are some things to consider, such as whether it is acquired through trials and challenges.

We often wonder why we face challenging times, but we rarely think about what we’re learning from them. Maybe it’s an answer to our prayers. It just doesn’t look like what we expected, so we question God.

Does any of this sound familiar? Challenges are never easy while we’re going through them. We don’t literally ask for God to give us trials, but that’s precisely how we learn and grow. It builds character. Our daily choices often reflect the wisdom we hope to have someday, even if we aren’t aware of it.

It makes you think:

  • What daily choices am I making today that my future, wiser self would appreciate?
  • What does the wisdom I aspire to have look like in action right now?

It’s a beautiful way to frame personal growth—that aspiration is quietly guiding our daily efforts.

Without testing, there is no growth. Challenges strengthen us and show where we stand in our faith journey. Peter mentions being grieved by many trials: “So that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes through it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7, Emphasis added). In essence, those who believe are tested like precious metal, so that our faith is purified and proven to be genuine.

We often focus on the painful situation—the what we’re experiencing—instead of the valuable lesson—the why or what it is creating in us. Difficult times can be opportunities to build qualities like:

  • Resilience
  • Patience
  • Empathy
  • Deeper Faith

If a prayer is for strength, maturity, or a deeper connection, the answer may not be easy, but it is a challenge that requires developing those qualities. It involves shifting focus from circumstantial comfort to character growth.

Indeed, God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not ours (Is. 55:8, ESV), something we must remember to help it make sense. It’s a call to trust the process and the ultimate purpose, even when the immediate experience is confusing or painful. The “tough time” is the necessary ground for a new type of growth.

Paul says we are all being transformed into the image of God from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:10). This is the process of sanctification that happens over time, not an instant change. This includes, but is not limited to, our moral character, true knowledge, and many God-given abilities (ESV Study Bible Notes).

The New City Bible plan, where I am currently studying the book of James, titled “Wisdom for Practical Life,” emphasizes that godly wisdom is gained through years of learning God’s Word, allowing God to correct us through trials, and being humble. This includes discipleship, training, and being corrected by others, as well as admitting our pride, selfishness, and sin by putting them to death and following Christ faithfully. This relates to my previous blog, ‘Repentance and Rest: Key Elements to Peace.’ This is how we grow in godly wisdom, and how character is formed – in the simple actions and decisions of daily life.

Christ is formed in us, and wisdom is revealed in how we live (1 Cor. 1:30). God takes up residence in our hearts. Our actions, choices, and treatment of others reflect the guest residing in our hearts. It moves faith from a set of external rules to an internal drive for goodness. In turn, this helps us develop strength and resilience to face the challenges that come our way.

God did not leave us alone to handle them; instead, He helps us through them and encourages us to persevere and not give up. I hope this allows you to reflect on the trials and challenges you face in the future with a new, powerful perspective. Maybe whatever you’re going through is preparing you for God’s plan in your life.

The core reflection is to see the trial not as a roadblock, but as a training ground.

  • Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?” we can ask, “What is this preparing me for?”
  • Instead of feeling abandoned, we are reminded that we are being actively equipped.

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9, emphasis added).

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2, emphasis added).

Repentance and Rest: Key Elements to Peace

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

We all fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23, ESV). Don’t stop there…the rest of the verse says, “and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Last week, I discussed The Magnitude of Grace and God’s love for us. This week, I want to continue focusing on grace and emphasize the importance of daily repentance, which brings peace. As we seek holiness, we should ask for forgiveness of our sins to create more space in our hearts for the Holy Spirit to dwell.

When David sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Sam 11:1-17), it was hurtful not only to them but to God. When he humbled himself in repentance and asked God to “Create in me a clean heart, O God, renew a right spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10, ESV, Emphasis added), he was being completely honest with God. He recognized the wrong he had done and humbled himself before God, asking for mercy (Biblica Study Bible). This can be our prayer also.

The heart is what God sees and cares about. Some sins are apparent, like David’s; others may not be. If we’re unsure of our offenses, we can ask God to reveal them to us and pray for His help to change and bring glory to Jesus Christ in everything we do.

I mentioned that God desires for us to be with Him and be still; to acknowledge Him in all things (Prov. 3:6). Making this a daily discipline leads to peace and prepares us for success when challenges arise.

“In returning (Or repentance) and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength” (Is. 30:15, Emphasis added).

The ESV Study Bible emphasizes that the genuine way to achieve victory and peace is through repentance and rest. Additionally, by opening more space in our hearts via repentance, we invite more of the Spirit, which results in liberation from condemnation, guilt, shame, sin, death, the old covenant, and spiritual blindness to the gospel. This freedom also provides access to God’s loving presence (2 Cor. 3:17).

The promises of the old covenant pointed to Jesus, while the new covenant changes people’s hearts and makes them right with God forever. Some struggle to understand this concept until the Spirit of God removes the veil and helps those who turn to God understand it (Biblica Study Bible). Only through Christ is the veil taken away (2 Cor. 3:14).

The freedom that comes with the Spirit is completely real, and we are meant to live in that freedom for ultimate peace instead of the guilt and shame inflicted on us by the enemy’s lies. After we put the flesh to death, we are alive in Christ and are not to continue in sin but rather allow the Holy Spirit to transform us to the likeness of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:1-4).

This is what Jesus meant when He told the Pharisees to clean the inside of the cup first; they were worrying over cleaning the outside (or their appearance) when the inside was still filthy. He was referring to the obvious internal condition of their hearts (Matt. 23:26). By accepting Christ, one becomes all that God requires (2 Cor. 5:21). We are to put on Christian virtues, otherwise known as the breastplate of righteousness, as a guard against the things of this world that corrupt our hearts (Eph. 6:14).

This imagery suggests that this righteousness isn’t just a legal declaration, but an active, daily practice that protects the heart and mind from corruption and the spiritual attacks of the world. It serves as a reminder that a renewed identity in Christ should lead to a life of moral and ethical integrity, and that this lived-out righteousness is a defense against evil.

God supplies all the spiritual weapons we need, along with the power of the Holy Spirit inside us, to fight off the attacks and temptations from Satan. We are never alone in the fight and have everything needed for victory. God always provides a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13). We can also fight for one another.

This is why community with like-minded people is so important. “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Prob. 27:17, emphasis added). If we are struggling with sin in our lives, we can ask a trusted friend to pray with us and for us and hold us accountable.

Shift your perspective and make it a daily habit to rest in the shadow of the Almighty, humbly seeking forgiveness and mercy, and strive to become more like Jesus every day, pursuing holiness. Notice the peace that grows in your heart as you create more space for the Holy Spirit to work.

God wants the best for you. God sees you and hears you.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty (Ps. 91:1, Emphasis added).

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor. 3:17, Emphasis added).

“Do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:16, Emphasis added). “You shall be holy, for I am holy (Lev. 11:44, Emphasis added).

The Magnitude of Grace

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

God is love (1 John 4:16, ESV). His love for us is immeasurable. If He ever withdrew His love, we’d be in trouble. Thankfully, for us, God’s love is everlasting (Ps. 103:17), and He desires a relationship with us. That love drives His abundant grace toward us. The magnitude of God’s grace is epic; not to be taken for granted or underestimated.

We can sometimes get caught up in all the things we should do for God and forget that God is not a taskmaster; what He wants most is for us to be WITH Him. He wants us to acknowledge Him and be still (Ps. 46:10; Prov. 3:5), carving out time to spend just being with Him. God desires steadfast love and acknowledgment rather than sacrifices and burnt offerings (Hosea 6:6).

No matter what we do, God’s love is endless. In the Old Testament, even when Israel betrayed and was unfaithful to God, His redeeming love never ran out; it goes beyond human understanding (ESV Study Bible Notes, Hosea intro). This really stood out to me and helped me see just how great God’s grace is.

One of my favorite phrases in the Bible is that God wants to be our God and for us to be His people. The exact phrase “You shall be my people, and I will be your God” and similar variations appear at least 28 times throughout the Old and New Testaments. This promise, often called the Covenant Formula, is a central theme in Scripture, emphasizing God’s special relationship with His chosen people.

Key Occurrences

  • Old Testament: The phrase is most common in the Old Testament, especially in the books of the prophets. It first appears in Exodus 6:7 during God’s promise to rescue the Israelites from Egypt. It also appears repeatedly in Jeremiah and Ezekiel, often emphasizing God’s plan for restoration and a renewed covenant.
  • New Testament: The theme continues into the New Testament, especially in 2 Corinthians 6:16 and Revelation 21:3, where it is applied to the Christian Church, representing God’s promise to dwell among his people.

What does this show about God’s character? How do our desires compare to God’s? When we put Christ first in our lives, our desires align with His.

Jesus took our place on the cross and fulfilled the OT law for sacrifices. Our salvation hinges on God’s grace, not any works that we have done or will do (Eph. 2:8; Rom. 3:24).

God established the Old Testament sacrificial system as a way for His people to atone for their sins. Animals were sacrificed as a temporary substitute, their blood shed to cover the sins of the people. This entire system, however, was a foreshadow of the ultimate, perfect sacrifice to come.

The author of the book of Hebrews explains this in detail, arguing that the repeated sacrifices of animals were a reminder of sin, but could never truly remove it. Jesus, as the “once for all” sacrifice, offered his own life, a perfect and spotless life, to permanently and completely atone for the sins of all humanity. (Hebrews 9:11-14; 10:1-10)

This explains what is meant when it is said that Jesus “took our place.” The concept is known as penal substitutionary atonement, which means that Jesus, the innocent one, took the punishment—the penalty—that we, the guilty, deserved for our sins. He died in our place, as our substitute, satisfying the demands of God’s justice.

The verses cited above, Ephesians 2:8 and Romans 3:24, are cornerstones of this doctrine.

  • Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” This verse is a direct statement that salvation is not something we earn through our actions (“works”). Instead, it is a gift from God (“grace”) that we receive through trust (“faith”). This means there is no room for human pride or boasting, as our salvation is entirely dependent on God’s kindness and not on our own merit.
  • Romans 3:24: “…and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” This verse reinforces the idea that justification—being declared righteous in the eyes of God—is a gift of grace. It is made possible through the “redemption” that Jesus accomplished on the cross. “Redemption” here means to be set free by the payment of a price, which in this case was the life of Christ.

In summary, Jesus’s death on the cross was the perfect sacrifice that fulfilled the Old Testament law. This act, done out of love and grace, is the only basis for our salvation. We cannot earn this salvation, but we receive it as a gift when we put our faith in Christ.

We may have heard this countless times, but the magnitude of His grace and its significance might not have fully registered. Take a moment to pause, spend time with God, read His Word to learn more about His character, and thank Him for Jesus and the limitless grace He continually bestows upon us out of His love.

A few years ago, my life was a wreck – but God.

I resonate with a lotus or water lily because its meaning is a beautiful bloom that emerges from the mud. It shows that even in the most challenging circumstances (the mud), with God’s help, one can grow, overcome adversity, and emerge with grace and beauty, inside the heart where it counts most.

“The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7, NLT, emphasis added).

“Fear not, for I am with you; for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Is. 41:10, ESV, emphasis added).

Dog Days

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

While my husband and I listened to the news, someone mentioned the ‘Dog Days of Summer.’ Have you thought much about what that means? Apparently, I hadn’t, at least not beyond my childhood understanding. He explained that the “dog days of summer” refer to the hottest and most uncomfortable days of the season, typically about 40 days between July and August.

I chimed in, “That may be true, but it’s also the time when you can’t go barefoot in the dew-covered grass, especially when you have a cut on your foot.”

The look on my husband’s face was priceless. “What?!? I’m trying to follow you, but I have never heard of this before….” (he’s not from Kentucky).

When we stopped laughing, I looked it up and discovered that it was an Appalachian folk tale passed down from who knows when, claiming that the morning dew is poisonous during this time of year. Maybe you’ve heard of it, or maybe you haven’t. I suppose it depends on where you’re from.

Here’s what I found online about the true origin of the phrase:

The phrase has its roots in ancient Greek and Roman times and is not actually about our canine friends on Earth. It is a reference to the star Sirius, which is also known as the “Dog Star.” Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky and is part of the constellation Canis Major (The Greater Dog).

During the summer, Sirius rises and sets with the sun. The ancient Romans, who called this period dies caniculares (“dog days”), believed that the star’s heat added to the sun’s warmth, creating the extremely hot, humid weather.

Although modern science explains that summer heat is due to the Earth’s tilt toward the sun, the traditional dates for the dog days of summer remain widely recognized.

I don’t know much about Dog Stars, but I do know not to go out barefoot in the morning dew — or so I thought.

Now, as for the origin of the superstition, I found this:

It was believed that during the hot days of summer, the dew becomes poisonous. If you had scrapes on your feet, they could get infected, and this was called “fall sores” or “ground itch.” While the poisonous part is a superstition, there is a grain of truth to the underlying caution. High heat and humidity of late summer provide the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. Therefore, people who went barefoot with minor cuts on their feet would be more susceptible to infection from organisms found in the soil and damp grass. While the dew itself wasn’t poisonous, the conditions were ripe for getting an infection that would be difficult to heal.

This is an excellent example of a folk belief that gave a practical health warning, even if its reasoning was a combination of superstition and observation.

Can you relate to believing something from your childhood without question? It isn’t until we are confronted by the facts, usually in adulthood, that we even question their validity. I probably have many more examples if I think hard enough.

It made me chuckle, but it also made me think about the beliefs passed down through generations regarding God and the Bible, often without much thought or deeper investigation. This connects to false teachings not only during Paul’s and the apostles’ times but also in the modern day.

In his letters to Timothy, Paul warns about people seeking preachers who tell them what they want to hear, readily accepting myths that match their desires instead of the truth, to justify immoral behavior (2 Timothy 4:4-5; 1 Timothy 1:4).

They cloak it in enough truth to make it believable, but they modify it just enough to serve their desires. That’s the devil’s work. There are warnings about false teaching and not honoring God’s perfect Word. We are not to add to or take anything away from the Word of God (Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Prov. 30:5-6; Rev. 22:18-19).

Back to dogs: our Pitbull, Kerbi, likes to grab whatever he finds while we’re out walking and sometimes gets away with it before I can stop him. The other day, he must have swallowed a chicken bone because when nature called, a small, sharp shard came out the wrong way, causing quite a bit of bleeding and discomfort.

My takeaway: Be cautious about what beliefs you swallow – even a slight deviation from the truth can cause severe pain and damage in the end.

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4, Emphasis added).

The Intentional Pursuit

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV, emphasis added).

What does it mean to acknowledge God in all our ways? The New Living Translation reads, “Seek his will in all you do.” It’s an intentional pursuit, not something that happens overnight.  

The word used in the old text is yada, which means to know relationally or to be aware, knowing what to do with respect to God (Key Word Study Bible, 1732). In other words, to know God’s will in our lives, we must know him relationally.

This also relates to a time when David gave his son, Solomon, some great advice – to seek God with his whole heart and a willing mind (1 Chronicles 28:9, ESV). He went on to finish the verse by telling Solomon that “The Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought.” 1 Samuel 16:7 also speaks of this concept when the Lord tells Samuel that He and man see differently: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” In short, a person’s actions flow from the heart, where our inward moral and spiritual life stems, which is why it is vital to seek God with our whole heart.

Solomon faithfully built the temple but did not serve God wholeheartedly during his reign (1 Kings 11:4). This reminds me a Psalmist’s plea for a cleansed heart after turning away from God: “Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10). This heartfelt prayer reflects genuine repentance. Such a heart longs for a renewed awareness of God’s presence, aiming to restore the joy and gladness that come from being in God’s presence, as noted in the ESV Study notes.

Thankfully, through Christ, we are faultless before the throne of grace (Jude 1:24). Still, that doesn’t mean we don’t fall short and need repentance that brings us closer to God so we can experience that joy and peace and therefore, know Him more intimately, which in turn, helps us understand His will for us more clearly.

All aspects come together—God’s love for us and His wish to be in a relationship with us— help us in trusting Him with our next move, even when we don’t know where it will lead.

The foundation for making God-honoring decisions in everyday life is a relationship with our Creator, built on reverence and awe for God Himself. This is reflected in the verse: “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7 NLT, emphasis added). In this context, ‘fear’ signifies respect and awe. It also recognizes that all knowledge and wisdom stem from complete dependence on God, fostering humility and discouraging pride. It is more than just an attitude – it represents a way of life that acknowledges God’s power and authority, as well as our accountability to Him (Prov. 3:7; 15:33, NLT Study Notes).

Let’s transform these verses into a grateful prayer to God, affirming our trust in Him, our effort to align with His will in all things, and our thankfulness that He guides us.

Decision-making has always come as a challenge in my life. I think it stemmed from being a people-pleaser. I often made the wrong choices over the years, some with life-altering consequences. My fears of making the wrong choices have followed me into my later years and plagued me even in simple decisions. I’ve shifted from being a people-pleaser to a perfectionist, and I’m hard on myself when a decision doesn’t go well. Something I am working on, with God’s help.

However, I only recently realized that God is using my difficult circumstances to teach me better decision-making. Sometimes it seems like He’s pushing me, but maybe that’s just my stubbornness showing. To flip the script, I started thanking God for helping me. Even though it is painful and challenging, I trust Him with my whole heart and know it is a much-needed spiritual growth spurt that will help me in all aspects of life.

Not so ironically, I had been praying for God to help me make wise, godly decisions with confidence that align with God’s will. I ask for this not only in major decisions, but also in my daily life, whether personal or business-related. God answers prayers. The answers often come in strange ways – at least to us – because our understanding is clouded while we are going through it. But in the end, God makes it worth it and shapes our character through it.

The lesson is about decision-making. In every decision, I now pause, pray, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide me. Intentional prayer is crucial. There’s always time to pray, even if it’s just a quick ‘help me, Holy Spirit.’ Preparing beforehand is essential to facing challenges, and making daily life choices involves seeking God’s will and requesting wisdom early on, before a situation arises.

I’m still learning, but with daily practice, it becomes a natural response to any decision.

The Plumb Line and Grace: A Story of God’s Unfailing Love

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

In the Old Testament, a prophet named Amos, a shepherd and fig grower by trade, declared that sometime in the future, God would restore Israel through the coming Messiah, in which all nations will be brought to the Kingdom of God. Although Israel would still experience exile and God’s judgement, it’s not the end of their story (Amos 9:11-15, ESV).

Amos’s vision of a plumb line reveals that Israel fails to meet God’s standard and cannot escape judgment because of their so-called acts of worship and lack of concern for others (7:7-9). Their grand display of worship lacked sincerity and integrity, and they placed their focus on themselves rather than on God, not to mention their oppression of people (4:45; The Holman Bible Dictionary, 61).

We all fall short of the plumb line, but the Good News is that, because of God’s grace through Jesus Christ, we are forgiven (Rom. 3:23-24), and it’s not the end of our story either. God’s message of judgment was also a demonstration of His grace. The message served as a warning to Israel, but it also presented an opportunity for them to repent and be restored to God (5:4).

The problem was that they didn’t recognize their need for repentance. They were still worshipping idols even as they believed in the law of Moses, replacing sincere spirituality with insincere religiosity (ESV Study Notes).

It is the same with some today. The world says everything goes, and even if they believe in God, they may not see a need for repentance. Our need for a Savior extends far beyond mere belief. We are in dire need of His grace through Christ, which extends to an intimate relationship that outweighs religion and rituals every time. True faith requires a transformative change of heart and a personal connection with God’s grace, rather than simply adhering to external forms of religion.

That is the beauty of God’s redemptive story and His love for us. When Jesus said, “Come to me,” that is an invitation to trust Jesus personally, not merely believe historical facts about Him (Matt. 11:28). “All who labor and are heavy laden” in context refers to those oppressed by the burden of religious legalism imposed on people by the scribes and Pharisees. Still, the wider application is that Jesus provides rest for our souls (v. 29, ESV Study notes).

It is an eternal rest for all who seek forgiveness and freedom from the crushing legalistic burdens and guilt of trying to earn salvation by good works (ESV Study notes). The “yoke” in verse 29 is a metaphor for the law of works. John 1:17 confirms that the OT law came through Moses, but the NT Grace came through Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law (Rom. 10:4).

Paul’s writings reiterate this message. “Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian” (Gal. 3:24-25, Emphasis added).

According to The Holman Bible Dictionary, Paul, like Moses, affirms that without the law, we would not know what sin was (Rom. 7:7; Deut. 4:6-8). “Furthermore, he, like Jesus, captures the spirit of the OT law by reducing its demands to love God and one’s neighbor” (Rom. 13:8-10; Gal. 5:13, Brand, 996).

In summary, The Holman Bible Dictionary explains that even though not all the OT laws associated with the old covenant continue under the new, there is no wedge between the law of the OT and the grace of the NT. The old covenant and its laws were a form of grace. God redeemed His people and called them into a covenant relationship with Him. The grace in the NT calls for a response. Our obedience is a demonstration of love for God and does not come as a burden, but out of a desire to please God for rescuing us.

Both the OT law and the NT grace of Jesus Christ call for the redeemed to “respond to God’s grace with unreserved love for Him and self-sacrificing love for others” (Brand, 997).

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins” (Romans 3:24-25, NLT, emphasis added).

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matt. 11:28-30, emphasis added).