Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ . Romans 5:1 What do you think of when you hear the word justified? Webster defines justified as “having or shown to have a just, right, or reasonable basis.” We use the term in case of justifiable homicide. The taking of another life in self-defense or trying to save the life of another would be ruled a justifiable homicide. You might be justified in a civil proceeding wher

One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts . Psalm 145:4 Mary White is a communications expert she said this about what a person's legacy is, " When a person dies, the mark the individual left on the world represents that individual's legacy. While a person's legacy can involve money, the concept of legacy is much larger than the value of an individual's estate. It is about the richness of the individual's life, including what that

But the Lord was pleased; To crush Him, putting Him to grief ;  Isaiah 53:10 Welcome to Grace Harvest Baptist Church on this Easter Sunday. As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ let us remember the cost of our salvation. God allowed His Son to suffer at the hands of wicked men. He was mocked, spit on, beaten, and crucified for the salvation of all that would believe in Him. It is hard to imagine that the will of God would be for His Son to be cr

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 In John 15 Jesus teaches us about abiding in Him. He explains that He is the vine and we are the branches and apart from Him we can bear no fruit. He goes on to explain that if we abide in Him we will glorify the Father. Jesus then says, “ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love .” Love is central to our walk with Christ. Without love we cannot be

The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want . Psalm 23:1 This is the opening verse to one of the most comforting Psalms in scripture. You would assume that most Christians are very familiar with the 23 rd  Psalm and that have even memorized the Psalm. But not so fast in your assumption. Albert Mohler wrote the following about Bible illiteracy in the church today: “While America’s evangelical Christians are rightly concerned about the secular worldview’s rejection of biblical Chr

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid ? Psalm 27:1 As a child I remember being afraid of the dark and I had a tremendous fear of the cellar. My dad was stationed at Edgewood Arsenal Maryland at the time. We lived in a beautiful old home on the Gunpowder River that led into the Chesapeake Bay. The basement was dark and spooky to an 11 year old boy. I hated to hear my mom or dad tell me to go d

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound ? Romans 6:1 When a person becomes a Christian, they are “born again” (John 3:3). They were dead in their sins and now are alive in Christ. However, until we meet Jesus face to face we will struggle with sin. Christians will have a battle with sin as long as we live in these earthly vessels. So, Paul, knowing this, reminds all believers that even as God’s grace has justified us before a holy God, it does

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience . Ephesians 5:6   We live in a day in which our nation has cast aside the commands of God against sexual immorality. Fornication, adultery, and homosexuality God calls sin, our nation now says that it is nobody’s business what goes on between consenting adults. We have legalized homosexual marriage and call it normal. We think nothing of two people living

And take … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God Ephesians 6:17 The first five pieces of the Christian armor are defensive. Equipment Christians can use to defend against spiritual attack. While the sword is also a means to defend oneself, it is primarily an offensive weapon. Why would an offensive weapon be listed with the other pieces of armor? Why would a Christian need an offensive weapon? The sword used by Roman soldiers was known as a gladius and in the hand