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A brief bit of encouragement for the journey from God's Word. Today's Scripture reading: 2 Samuel 2 To support this devotional ministry: https://faithbaptiststerling.com/give/ Music: "Awaken the Dawn" by Stanton Lanierhttps://www.stantonlanier.com CCLI #20109360

Biblical Life                                    "Are We Alone or Deceived?"                        2 Corinthians 4:4   Darkness from the Devil (4a)  Psa. 89:11 The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.                   Who is Satan?    -           Satan (Zec. 3; Nu. 22; 1 Sam. 19;29) -           Devil (1 Ki. 11; Lu.4) -           Destroyer (Rev. 9)  -           Prince or ruler of this world (Jo. 12; 14; Eph. 2) -           Old Serpent and Great Dragon (Rev. 12)   Light of the Gospel and Glory of Christ (4b) the image (or exact likeness= icon) of God.                3 Reasons Aliens Haven't Visited Earth?     1.      Space is just too big   2.      Our atmosphere and environmental conditions could be toxic to alien life  3.      They probably don't exist   Jo. 12:35-36 35 So Jesus said to them, "The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."

When The Seeing Go Blind This message centers on John 8–9 and the difference between true spiritual sight and religious blindness. The man born blind knew he could not see, and that awareness positioned him to receive what only Jesus could give. The Pharisees, however, were convinced they already saw clearly. Because they believed they had life, truth, and God figured out apart from Jesus, they rejected the very Light standing in front of them. Jesus' healing of the blind man becomes a living picture of salvation. The man begins with limited understanding—"a Man called Jesus"—but as he responds to the light he has been given, his understanding grows until he confesses Christ and worships Him. Meanwhile, the Pharisees move in the opposite direction. They investigate the miracle, question the witnesses, reject the evidence, and become increasingly hardened. The one who admitted his blindness received sight; the ones who claimed to see remained blind. The teaching also emphasizes Jesus as the One sent by the Father. Throughout John, Jesus repeatedly speaks of being sent with divine authority and a divine assignment. He does not work independently; He works the works of the Father who sent Him. That truth carries over to believers: Jesus continues His witness through His people, and we are called to work while it is day, faithfully carrying out what God has entrusted to us. Another major theme is the danger of believing in a Jesus of our own interpretation rather than receiving Jesus as He actually reveals Himself. In John 8, some initially "believed" Jesus, yet soon resisted His Word and ultimately wanted to kill Him. Their problem was that they accepted what they though

1 in 40 babies are now born through IVF – 96,000 per year. To achieve this, nearly 4 million embryos were created. With 12 million IVF babies since 1978, there are now nearly half a BILLION embryos who will never see the light of day. Is the chance to have one child worth the lives of so many others? Kevin speaks with Josh Holler, author of "Misconceiving IVF: An Essential Guide to the Perils of In-Vitro Fertilization."

In contemporary evangelistic practice, the pastoral response to an awakened sinner often seeks immediate emotional relief, offering swift assurances of safety and a bare presentation of gospel facts. In stark contrast, historic Reformed soul-care—exemplified by John Bunyan's Evangelist, Jonathan Edwards's revival treatises, Thomas Scott's annotations, and the lived experience of David Brainerd—operates on the conviction that true saving faith requires a deep, experimental realization of human inability under the Law before gospel comfort can be rightly embraced. Rather than offering premature assurance to those alarmed about their souls, these historic voices advocate holding forth "more light" to dismantle all self-reliant "twigs" of moral reform, enforcing the urgent command to "flee from the wrath to come." By examining Evangelist's seemingly paradoxical counsel alongside Edwards's theology of religious affections and Brainerd's self-examining piety, this study demonstrates that stripping away false security is not ministerial cruelty, but the highest act of spiritual mercy—forcing the sinner out of self-righteousness and driving him toward true, enduring refuge in the cross of Christ.

He Knew This message and teaching centers on this truth: Jesus knows exactly what He is doing. John introduces us to the Christ, who is eternal God, the source of life, the giver of eternal life, the Light that darkness cannot overcome, and the Lamb who perfectly accomplished the Father's purpose. Because He is sovereign, sufficient, and faithful, we can trust Him even with the parts of life that seem unpleasant, thorny, confusing, or "undrinkable." The water turned to wine in John 2 becomes a beautiful picture of Christ's transforming power. Jesus took ordinary water from purification vessels and produced something unexpectedly excellent. In the same way, He can take the hard-to-swallow experiences of our lives—trouble, disappointment, weakness, failure, loss, and pain—and redeem them for His purposes. We may never call the painful circumstance itself good, but we can eventually testify, "God was good to me in it." He can turn trouble into testimony, scars into compassion, messes into messages, and weaknesses into platforms for His strength. Three questions help us recognize God's work in every season: Is He glorifying Himself through this? Is He conforming me to Jesus through this? Is He preparing what He is doing in me to benefit someone else? Romans 8 reminds us that the ultimate "good" God is working toward is conformity to the image of His Son. What He teaches us through suffering often becomes grace we can later share with another person walking through seasons of troubles and trials. John 1 then establishes who this Jesus really is. "In the beginning was the Word." Jesus did not begin at Bethlehem. He is the eternal Word, God's perfect self-revelation, Creator

Kenneth Copeland has taught for decades that physical healing is always God's will, yet his continuing health problems have led his granddaughter Courtney to ask why he remains in pain after a lifetime of teaching divine healing. In this episode of Sound Theology and Discernment, Justin Peters examines Copeland's declining health and Courtney's questions about Word of Faith teaching. Justin explains why the prosperity gospel's promises of guaranteed health and wealth cannot withstand the biblical reality of sickness and suffering. Scripture does not promise believers perfect health or financial prosperity. The true gospel proclaims Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life, died for sinners, and bodily rose from the dead. Everyone who turns from sin and trusts in Christ receives forgiveness and eternal life. More Sound Theology and Discernment: https://servantsofgrace.org/justin-peters-sound-theology/ This video first appeared on Justin Peters' YouTube channel and is posted here with his permission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZHgYQDC5Cw&t=1s

A brief bit of encouragement for the journey from God's Word. Today's Scripture reading: 2 Samuel 1 To support this devotional ministry: https://faithbaptiststerling.com/give/ Music: "Awaken the Dawn" by Stanton Lanierhttps://www.stantonlanier.com CCLI #20109360

How are we to be Salt of the Earth? Preached at Reformed Presbyterian Retirement Home (now Concordia), Pittsburgh, PA