mrtonyfrench

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

“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

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:1

The words we find in this verse are nothing short of beautiful. Through Christ Jesus, our sin is removed and our guilt is vanquished. Those who receive the gift of salvation are in Christ Jesus. As a result of this, we are no longer condemned.

In John 3, Jesus relates to us the following statement: For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:17-18) The message is simple and clear. Those who believe in Christ are not condemned and are free from condemnation forever. Those who do not believe, are judged as guilty in God’s court already. There are those who are free and those who are condemned.

Dear reader, in which group do you fall? Are you a believer in Christ or are you guilty before God? If you are not Christian, realize that God will judge you as guilty. And realize that He has every right to judge us. Turn from your sin and believe in Jesus. He died for you and was raised to life again just as He said. Believe in Him and trust in Him by faith today. Call upon Him and ask to save you and forgive you. You will never regret trusting in Jesus.

Tony French

16 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, 17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, 18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; 20 But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Isaiah 1:16-20

The nation of Judah is being confronted with sin in Isaiah 1. Verses 16-17 give the remedy for their rebellion. What is the cure? They should turn from evil, do good works, and act justly. Washing, cleansing, and forsaking evil are the directives we see flowing through these verses. 

Christians should continually realize that we are followers of Christ. As such, the Father will confront us just as He disciplined His Old Covenant people. God’s correction is good in that it calls us to repent, catches us when we stray, and guards us from further spiritual damage. The Lord’s discipline is never pleasant in the moment. However, it is always for our ultimate good and righteousness (Hebrews 12:11).

Ultimately, Christians should realize the need for repentance in their daily lives as they reason together with God. Christ did the work of redemption on Calvary’s cross and through His blood our sins are white as snow.  Heeding the warnings of God and repenting of sin will result in blessing. Ignoring the admonishments of the Lord will lead to judgement and destruction.

Our Lord loves us enough to warn us when we stray from Him. Isaiah’s prophecy begins with a stern cautioning against heartless worship and a continual command to repent when we fail. The people of God would do well to heed these warnings from Scripture. The failure to repent and stay in close communion with God will lead to wasted time and unwanted consequences of sin in the lives of Christians.

The beauty of Isaiah 1 is glorious and majestic. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow.”  Our forgiveness flows to us through Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection. May Christ be praised forever and ever for His marvelous work on our behalf!

Tony French

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Isaiah 6:8

Send me, Lord. Send me to those who need help and strength. Here am I. Send me.

Send me, Lord. Direct me to those who need the truth of Scripture. Lead me to those who are lost and undone and give me the words to say that point people to Jesus. Here am I. Send me.

Send me, Lord. Send me and give me strength. Give me power to proclaim the truth of God’s Word in a gracious manner knowing full well that many will reject the truth of Christ’s salvation. Here am I. Send me anyway!

Send me, Lord. Equip me as your gracious servant and humble herald to proclaim the good news to all. Open my eyes that I may see the need all around me.

Here am I. Send me!

Tony French

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:8-9

Joshua was chosen to lead the people into the promised-land. Moses had passed from the scene, and Joshua was now the leader of Israel. God spoke to Joshua to instruct him and encourage him in this passage of Scripture.

In these difficult times, we are commanded to go three things in Joshua 1. Let us examine them today.

1) Read and study the Word of God. Stay in the Bible each and every day. It is life, breath, and bread to our souls. We cannot go on without God’s Word.

2) Trust and obey God. God has commanded us to follow Jesus in our daily existence. We are given the great gift of salvation. And our salvation will always propel us to serve God by serving others.

3) Be courageous and do not fear. Be strong and courageous and do not fear. Why? Because God is with you! He promised to be with us through every situation. He is with us.

Take heart, child of God. God is faithful to His Word. God is able to keep His promises. Trust in His power, presence, and provision day by day.

Tony French  

Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Isaiah 41:10

This verse from Isaiah is a powerful promise from the Word of God. Do not fear and do not be anxious form the crux of the command. Uncontrolled fear and unchecked anxiety have no place in the life of a Christian. We are directed again and again to overcome fear through faith.

The verse begins with the command but doesn’t end there. Isaiah (inspired by the Holy Spirit) gives us three reasons to trust in God and live above fear. The Lord has promised to perform three actions on our behalf. Let’s examine them for a moment.

1) God will strengthen us. God brings us strength in all times, in all circumstances, and in different forms. We receive strength through Bible study and prayer. Strength flows to us as we worship and fellowship with the church. The strength of the Lord empowers us as we serve. God has promised to enable and empower us to follow Him and to obey Him no matter the fears that are around us.

2) The Lord will help us. Life is imperfect and circumstances can be painful. But, God has assured us He will be there to help us.  The Spirit of God helps us each day. The people of God come along beside us and help us. What a glorious thought this is—the Lord is our help!

3) God will uphold us by His hand. He will stabilize us and cause us to stand in every situation. Christ taught us that we are all building our lives on one of two foundations. Some build their lives on the unstable, shifting sands of life while those in Christ build their lives upon the solid rock. (Matthew 7:24-27) God upholds His people as they trust in Him day by day.

Be of good cheer, Child of God. God will be with you and sustain until the end. May God bless you as you follow Him each day.

Tony French

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21

Our focus this week is upon the cross. The cross is important to Christians no matter the time of year. But it has a heightened import during Holy Week.

Why does the cross matter? What happened there that is worthy of remembrance and thanksgiving? Paul mentions three things in this verse that I will use to answer these questions.

1) At the cross, God’s plan for redemption was accomplished. The verse begins with the phrase “He made Him.”  Christ’s death upon the cross was not accidental or incidental. It took place by the sovereignty and expressed will of God for the salvation of all who will believe.

The promise of Genesis 3:15 was fulfilled in the Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Satan was defeated and Christ is victorious. Jesus cried out “it is finished.”  All that the Father had decreed for our redemption was fulfilled. All of it!

2) At the cross, Christ died for sinners. Jesus bore in His person the very sins of the world. He died as our substitute. He died vicariously in our place. Though He was perfect, He “became sin” for us. In doing so, Jesus fulfilled His words when He cried “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

3) At the cross, we become the righteousness of God. We are justified through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Our sin is forgiven and our guilt is removed. Also, the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us. We are declared righteous by the decree of God Almighty. We are made fit to stand in God’s presence not by our own goodness and works. We stand fully in Christ’s righteousness for all of eternity.

Yes, the cross matters. Without it we would be doomed forever. But through Christ’s sacrifice, we are made new and brought into His glorious kingdom. To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Tony French

Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless.

2 Peter 3:14

Peter’s teaching revolves around the New Heaven and the New Earth in chapter 3 of this epistle. His main point is that God will make all things new and bring us into the presence of the Savior. We will live with Christ in complete holiness as all things are made new.

This promise is glorious and we long for that day to arrive.

Verse 14 relates three dispositions that Christians are to have as we await that day of glorification. Our preparation to enter into the presence of Christ should revolve around these three areas. Therefore we shall discuss peacefulness, spotlessness, and blamelessness in today’s post.

Peacefulness

Peace should permeate our lives as we live for Christ and prepare for His coming. The promises of God, the provision of God, and the power of God, are all components of living a peaceful life. God is faithful to supply us and empower us to accomplish His will. (Philippians 4:13,19) The peace of Christ is one disposition we should all possess as we await His return.

Spotlessness

Believers are saved by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8-10) Our life in Christ is now one of growing in holiness and learning to be above sin. Obviously, we still sin from time to time. Christians still need the Lord’s forgiveness as we learn to be holy and separate. But, rebellion is no longer our master. The power of the Holy Spirit lives in us. This power is sufficient to lead us away from sin and to a life of faithfulness. When Christ returns, may He find His Bride to be holy and spotless in all things.

Blamelessness

The Greek word for blameless means “to be without censure.” In other words, let us seek to live our lives in such a way that no one will be able to accuse us of ungodly or untoward behavior. Granted, that is a very difficult task that can only be accomplished as the Spirit of God lives in us and directs us each day. It is what we are called to do. May Jesus find us blameless when He comes again.

“Even so, come Lord Jesus!” 

Revelation 22:20