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Revelation 12:10-12 says: "And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!" (ESV) As Satan stood triumphantly watching the Son of God dying on a bloody cross, he was the one who was actually being defeated. And even as our ancient foe rabidly and aimlessly accuses us before God around the clock--using God's own law to prosecute us--his efforts fail miserably because the sins for which he accuses us have been wiped out by Christ's atoning sacrifice! Victory in Jesus? Yay and Amen and glory to God and Hallelujah and then some!

Message from Steve Crist on October 25, 2026

Job 7:6-10 says: “My days fly faster than a weaver’s shuttle. They end without hope. O God, remember that my life is but a breath, and I will never again feel happiness. You see me now, but not for long. You will look for me, but I will be gone. Just as a cloud dissipates and vanishes, those who die will not come back. They are gone forever from their home--never to be seen again." (NLT) It might be easy to dismiss Job's lament-filled prayer for its theological deficiency even as he suffers so terribly. We might be able to brush Job's lament aside if the reality of brevity--how quickly our lives race by--were only relevant to him. But of course his lament has relevance for us too. And what's determined in this weaver-shuttle-fast-life is something that won't be short-lived--that would be eternity. As for Jesus, eternity was certainly not a subject He ever avoided talking about. In so many of His red-letter words our Lord indicated that where and how we spent the next life would be determined by our faith in Him (or lack thereof) in this life. It begs then the question: Where do you stand with Jesus, with all He said and all He did?

The Hebrew people, out of reverence for God, referred to God with four consonants, YHWH. No syllables. Early translations rendered the name as Jehovah, but most translations these days render it more accurately, Yahweh or LORD using 4 capital letters. Shucked down to the cob and going all the way back to Moses and the burning bush, we learned the name of God Almighty is I AM WHO I AM. Early on in Jesus' ministry He kept WHO He was quiet. Many times doing miracles or casting out demons He told the recipient of His work not to tell anyone. But the miracles He performed were evidence of WHO He truly was. His teachings likewise. Then we come to the book of John where seven times throughout this gospel Jesus makes His own I AM declarations. While hearing those declarations from our Lord angered those who opposed Him, to His followers--including us--they stir our hearts to abject humility and unbridled worship. Why? Because Jesus is I AM incarnate!

Besides His disciples, we might wonder if Jesus had many friends, many good friends that is. But of course very little was written about Jesus the 30 years before His ministry began. We can easily assume that Jesus the carpenter, as well as Jesus the Messiah, the very Son of God, who lived a perfect life, had numerous friends whom He treated perfectly well. The NT actually mentions three people He was very close to--Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. The three were siblings. When we read about those accounts we come away realizing that Jesus was indeed, the Friend that sticks closer than a brother. And when we drill down on the Good News about Jesus, how He saved us from sin, death, and hell, we also know He has reconciled us--turned we, His former enemies, into friends. We humbly rejoice in the astonishing truth that by His sacrifice our Lord has turned enmity into friendship. As for that celestial peace treaty, purchased by His blood, you should also know there's still room for you to sign...

Out of Jesus' many parables, The Good Samaritan is clearly at the top in terms of familiarity and popularity. The lessons that can be gleaned from this illustration are countless and immeasurable. One wonders if the story Jesus tells the inquisitive lawyer was actually a true event. For two thousand years and counting, followers of Jesus have been gleaning from this parable and most readers can find themselves somewhere in each of the story's characters. But perhaps finding Jesus in the story is an even worthier consideration. While we might immediately conclude Jesus is best seen in the parable as the merciful Samaritan, it's fair to say that Jesus far exceeds that generous soul in terms of all He accomplished for fallen mankind. After all, it was we who were the ones cast down and bludgeoned by sin, facing certain death, and bound for hell. But Jesus rescued us by shedding His own blood, dying in our place, and bestowing upon us eternal life. Jesus, in other words, is a Neighbor like no other, not to mention our Savior and our Lord and our God!

Romans 15:1-2 says: "We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up." (ESV) Harkening back to Jesus, and throughout the NT, we find numerous admonitions regarding loving our neighbors and caring for one another. Even strangers are included in the mix. To paraphrase what one pastor-author wrote, "We treat others the way we perceive God treating us." It should also be noted that commands and admonitions should never be construed as mere suggestions. Our adoptions into the Family of God came at the expense of Jesus' shed blood on the cross. Therefore to realize our Adopting Father might have expectations as to how His children should behave toward one another should come as no surprise, instead His expectations should be humbly embraced. Our Father, claiming us as His own, makes us brothers & sisters in Christ. Loving and caring for one another gives evidence of WHO we belong to. And what a immense privilege that truly is!

As many commentators have accurately put forth, when the NT Scriptures use the word, "you," that "you" is typically plural. In the southern vernacular, the term "you all" or simply, "y'all," fits the translation even better. That said, even when the word, "you" is in the plural, it's not meant to disregard "you" in the singular. After all, if the verse is meant for "you" as in the plural, it's likely meant for "you" in the singular as well. In other words, each of us personally should find ourselves among the intended audience of the "y'alls" so we individually take to heart what was meant for the wider audience of "all." Nowhere is this more important than those texts that refer to the Good News of Jesus--His sacrifice for our sins, His saving grace, His merciful forgiveness of our sins, and His incredible promise of eternal life! While declared to many, know this truly: Jesus is definitely meant for YOU!

Psalm 84:1-5 & 10 declares: "How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at Your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, ever singing your praise! Selah Blessed are those whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion... For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." (ESV) These lyrics give the impression that the psalmist relished all he was writing about. And he further gives the impression it wasn't the bricks & mortar of that place of worship he was enamored with but rather with The One who manifested His presence there! How might the psalmist's inspired prose translate for us? Where might God's dwelling place be for us in the here and now? And where might it be forevermore?

Hebrews 13:1 says: "Let brotherly love continue." (ESV) Romans 13:8-10 echoes: "Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (ESV) "Brotherly love" in the Greek is Philadelphos which can also be rendered, Philadelphia. (Not to be confused with that city in Pennsylvania.) This love refers to the mutual love between children who share the same father. Certainly the greatest symbol of love in the universe is the cross. Two beams: one vertical, the other horizontal. One points to heaven and the other points to others. They remind us of the twofold Great Commandment. But these beams can feel immensely heavy at times. But WHO do we know that bore both of those beams perfectly? Jesus! And how might He help us bear them as well?