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So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.   Genesis 1:27

We live in society where life is cheap. We, as a nation, have forgotten the value of humanity. I want to take this opportunity to remind of us a Christian theology for life. It’s really quite simple when you think about it from a Biblical perspective.

1) God creates life. The Genesis accounts teach us that God created all things. The crowning arch of His creation is found in the creation of Adam and Eve. God creates life in His own image. The Imago Dei (image of God) is found in every human being. We are not mere animals or accidents of evolution. We are created by the one true God who alone gives life.

2) God values life. God is the giver of life and values it above all. Human begins are not to murder because God values life. (Exodus 20:13) Every human life, no matter the hardship, has value in God’s sight. There are no accidents or mistakes with God. He gives life and He values it.

3) God’s people should value and protect life. Since God creates life and God values life we, His people, should take steps to value and protect life. No life is unworthy and every life deserves protection from conception to death. A stand to protect life may not always be popular. But, the willingness to preserve life is always right and moral. 

I will grant that these principles are simplistic to understand. Even a child can grasp them. I would also say that in a sinful, fallen world, sometimes complications arise. I’m thankful that we have these principles to guide us along the way.

May we give thanks today to the giver of life. He is worthy of all our praise and honor!

Tony French

See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. “So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ “For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him? Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today? “Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons.               

Deuteronomy 4:5-9

In this Scripture passage, Moses is conveying to the people the importance of the Word of God. There are a few lessons that still apply to us today. Let’s examine them from the writings of Moses.

1) We need to learn the Word of God. Studying the Bible should be a daily pursuit for the Christian. Our hearts are dependent on the precepts and principles of the Scriptures and they enable us to lead a life of Godliness and holiness. Christian, commit to read the Word, study the Word, and absorb the Word each day.

2) We need to obey the Word of God. Moses implored the people to not just learn the Scriptures but to obey them diligently. James also reminds us to be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only. (James 1:22) As we learn the Bible, we ought to put it into practice. The teachings of Holy Writ are counter-cultural and lacking in our day. It is up to Believers to demonstrate true Christianity by what we say and do.

3) We need to teach the Word of God. At the end of this passage, Moses pleads with the people to teach their children and grandchildren the truths of Scripture. This teaching is to take place in the Church and in the home in our day. If we don’t pass along the great truths of the Bible to those who are coming after us, who will? Let us teach the Word, live the Word, and example the Word by how live to those around us each day.

Learn the Scriptures, obey the Scriptures, teach the Scriptures. This is the plan for a life that honor’s God. May we go and go likewise!

Tony French

For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25-34

Jesus warns us about the danger of worry in these seven verses. Worry is common in our world today. However, we can overcome fear and anxiety through trusting in Christ.

Excessive worry has some difficult consequences for the Believer. Allow me to mention three in this post.

1) Worry doesn’t change anything. Jesus’ words make this point beautifully. Who can add a single hour to your life through worry? The answer is no one. Why live in worry when we can live in trust? Anxiety wastes time and doesn’t alter our situation one bit.

2) Worry depletes our spiritual resources. Anxiety requires a great deal of effort and energy. Worry takes from your emotional reserves without replacing your spiritual resources. It is a bottomless pit that will consume you. Be careful, child of God.

3) Worry weakens our faith. We can either feed our faith or feed our worry. We cannot do both at the same time. It is far better to invest in our faith than to live in worry.

Obviously, there is much to be concerned about in world and our lives. Worry will come upon us. As Believers, we don’t have to live in worry. When fear overtakes you, talk to someone, visit a Godly counselor, see your Doctor if necessary. We all need help from time to time.

But also be reminded to “seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness.” He will lead us through these times of worry. And for that fact, we are thankful beyond measure!

Tony French

We live in a time of fake news and media speculation. It’s difficult to know what to believe and who we can trust. Blessedly, we can trust God and His Word. Let me remind of a few eternal truths from the Bible today.

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

John 3:14-15

**Jesus is the way to eternal life. He died on cross for the forgiveness of our sins. His love compelled Him to give His life for us. This is the most glorious truth we have ever known.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

John 14:6

**Jesus is the only way to eternal life. The only path to salvation and forgiveness of sin is through Jesus’s sacrifice and resurrection. Isn’t God so good and kind to reveal the way of salvation and make the path so clear and unequivocal? This truth is so amazing and wonderful for us.

So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

John 20:21

**Christ has sent us into the world to deliver this good news. Christ death, burial, and resurrection are the heart of the gospel message. Because of the gospel, lives can be changed, sins can be forgiven, and the righteousness of Christ is added to our heavenly account. So many people need to hear this life-changing truth. And we are sent to share with everyone.

These are three truths every Christian can trust in and appropriate in their lives. You can count on them every day. I thank God today for the truth He has revealed!

Tony French

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

This post will focus on the peace of God. The peace of the Lord is what all God’s people desire and want. Yet, it remains elusive to Christians who struggle with doubt and fear. Paul’s teaching in verses 6 and 7 of Philippians 4 gives the Believer the roadmap to peace. An examination of these verses is in order.

Achieving the peace of God includes letting go of anxiety. How does one do such a thing? Letting go of worry involves focusing upon God and not one’s self. Moving past anxiety means remembering the Lord’s promises in His Word. And letting go of worrisome thoughts leads the Believer to rest in the power, presence, and sovereignty of the one true God, the covenant keeping God.  Discarding worry is paramount to realizing God’s peace.

The Christian is also commanded to be in prayer always and to allow thanksgiving to be a prominent part of their time with the Savior. Child of God, pray about everything and ask for God’s peace to invade your existence. Continue in thanksgiving and praise every single day. Gazing upon what one does not have leads only to despair. Being thankful for what one has been given propels the people of God to peace that passes all understanding.

Finally, let the requests of your heart be made known unto God. Ask in faith believing that God is able. He won’t always do what we want Him to do. The Lord is always faithful and does what is best for His children.

Achieving peace is a battle and sometimes Christians give in to fear and doubt. However, when we practice these precepts on daily basis, God’s people are able to live progressively free from fear. The people of the Savior will learn peace when they bring their thinking in line with Scripture and when they attack every anxiety through prayer.

We pray that God’s peace will be experienced and realized by each of you this week!   

Tony French

“You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Exodus 20:3-6

The first commandment teaches us to flee idolatry. God’s people are to worship God and no one else. Period. Blessings are promised for those who worship God and judgment is pronounced on those who worship idols.

Some may ask “does idolatry exist today?” The answer is a resounding yes. We may not worship gods of stone, iron, and wood. But we certainly have our false gods. Let me mention a few 21^st century idols.

**Money. Worship of money is common in our society. Some have replaced worship of God with worship of finances, material possessions and things.

**Notoriety. The advent of social media has produced an alluring call to be known. Clicks, likes, and comments have become the most important thing in the world to some. Being known has become their idol.

**Pleasure.  A reckless pursuit of pleasure is driving many to “bow the knee” to this idol in our time. Pleasure is fleeting and short-lived. Yet, a number of folks today seem to pursue a hedonistic lifestyle to the inclusion of everything else.

**Self. The worship of self is at the root of every idol when you truly consider it. Humans tend to love ourselves more than others and more than God. When that is the case, self-propagation, self-preservation, and self-worship are the inevitable outcome. Our greatest idol temptation is often what we see when we look into the mirror.

Let me say that money is not inherently evil. A desire to be know is not automatically sinful. And, God desires that we have pleasure in this life. It is when we prioritize these things over and above our relationship with Christ and seek them apart from God that we cross the line into idolatry.

Worship the Lord, dear Christian. Worship God for who He is. He is worthy!

Tony French

Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? “Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. “But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”  Luke 6:46-49

Jesus gives us three principles to learn in this passage. This parable teaches us to choose wisely when considering how we live our lives. We shall examine this familiar text and see how God would use it to help us.

1) There are two foundations on which to build our lives. One is obedience to Christ and one is disobedience to Christ. Those who trust Christ for salvation and seek to obey Him are building upon the rock. Those who forsake Christ are building their lives upon the sand. The true followers of Christ will last while those who reject Christ will be swept away. There are not many ways, only two. We either trust in Jesus or trust in something (or someone) else.

2) Every person is building upon one of these two foundations. There are no exceptions to Jesus’ teaching. People are either seeking to live for Christ or they are living for self. What we see here is a binary. Trusting Christ leads to life and forsaking Christ leads to destruction and separation from the mercy, grace, and goodness of God forever.

3) The troubles of life will be experienced by all. The “storms” of life come to everyone eventually. Jesus didn’t say if the storms arrive. Instead, He teaches us that the storms will arrive at some point.

The trials and difficulties of life reveal the foundation on which we are resting. The solid rock dwellers will be able to make it through this life and enter the presence of Christ. The sand dwellers will be swept away from the presence of Christ once and for all.

This is a powerful teaching. And it leads me to end this post with one question. What are you building your life upon?

Tony French

Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse. Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 150:1-6

How are we to praise God?

**Praise Him in every place.

**Praise Him for His works and power.

**Praise Him with music and song.

**Praise Him with instruments and worship.

**Praise to God is to be offered by everyone.

May God bless you this week!

Tony French

We live in a time of fake news and media speculation. It’s difficult to know what to believe and who we can trust. Blessedly, we can trust God and His Word. Let me remind of a few eternal truths from the Bible today.

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

John 3:14-15

**Jesus is the way to eternal life. He died on cross for the forgiveness of our sins. His love compelled Him to give His life for us. This is the most glorious truth we have ever known.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

John 14:6

**Jesus is the only way to eternal life. The only path to salvation and forgiveness of sin is through Jesus’s sacrifice and resurrection. Isn’t God so good and kind to reveal the way of salvation and make the path so clear and unequivocal? This truth is so amazing and wonderful for us.

So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

John 20:21

**Christ has sent us into the world to deliver this good news. Christ death, burial, and resurrection are the heart of the gospel message. Because of the gospel, lives can be changed, sins can be forgiven, and the righteousness of Christ is added to our heavenly account. So many people need to hear this life-changing truth. And we are sent to share with everyone.

These are three truths every Christian can trust in and appropriate in their lives. You can count on them every day. I thank God today for the truth He has revealed!

Tony French

⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.

Philippians 3:8-10

In this passage of Scripture, the Apostle Paul commits to three precepts in this verse that are still applicable to Christians in the present day. Let us be challenged and blessed by this Scripture this week. And I pray that God will encourage you as you study the Bible.

Paul’s first pursuit was to know the resurrection power of Christ. The resurrection of Jesus is the central event in all of history. When the Savior rose from the dead, hope was realized, God was exalted, and everything changed. Paul had a deep desire to know and experience a relationship with the risen Savior. May we pursue that type of relationship with Christ through His Word, His Church, His presence, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle’s second commitment was knowing Christ’s sufferings. He wanted to understand and experience something of what Jesus endured on behalf of sinful humanity. Paul suffered much during his ministry and probably understood better than most what Christ endured though no one can fully comprehend the Savior’s suffering.

Christians today may not be called to suffer to the same extent. Yet, we know that the way of the cross can be difficult, painful, and lonely. However, we always know that in the midst of the pain and heartache Christ is with us. Let us know Christ not simply in the good but also in the sorrowful.

Paul’s last task was to be conformed to Christ’s death. The Apostle committed to living in the reality of Jesus’ forgiveness and mercy. The past was under the blood and Paul was moving forward in the full salvation that he had received.

The same goal ought to be apparent in the lives of Believers today. We have been saved, forgiven, redeemed, and sanctified. Let us not go backwards into the life we once had. Go forward, Child of God, in full assurance of your forgiveness and redemption through the blood of the Savior. (Ephesians 1:7)

Tony French