Anthony Diaz 11/10/25 Anthony Diaz 11/10/25

Temptations And Gray Areas

Search me, O God, and know my heart. Pslam 139:23.

People often react with the explanation: “I can’t believe I said (or did) that. I didn’t even realize what I was doing until it was too late.” Satan had deceived them into thinking something wasn’t really a sin. Some claim there is no such thing as right and wrong. But God says otherwise. Giving in to temptation means to do wrong in the eyes of God. Every day we are battered by messages from the media, advertising, entertainment, celebrities, even our friends, with one underlying theme: “Live for yourself.” The world hammers away at us, trying to shape us into its mold. But God tells us not to conform to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2). When we belong to God, He alerts us when temptation comes knocking. We must be aware not only of obvious temptations but of the subtle ones—temptations of the tongue or emotions or thoughts or motives. There are times we face “gray areas,” things that aren’t necessarily forbidden by the Bible but still may not belong in our lives. When conflicted, we can ask these questions: Does this glorify God? Does it draw me closer to Christ, or does it make me preoccupied with this world? Will it harm my health or hurt me in some other way? Will it cause hurt to someone else? Wise Christians are guided by this thought: when in doubt—don’t.

Graham, Billy. Truth for Each Day : Daily Devotions to Renew Your Mind and Inspire Your Soul (a 365-Day Devotional), Thomas Nelson Incorporated, 2023. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=30516542.
Created from liberty on 2025-11-03 16:43:52.

Anthony Diaz 11/9/25 Anthony Diaz 11/9/25

Communing With God

In [Jesus] we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. Ephesians 3:12.

For many people prayer isn’t a joy but a burden. When they fail to pray, they feel guilty; when they do pray, they worry that they might not be doing it correctly. Or disruptions steal the time away. Or their prayers are wooden and lifeless. But prayer shouldn’t be a burden but a privilege—a privilege God has graciously given us because He enjoys fellowship with His saints. Jesus Christ died to destroy the barrier of sin that separates us from God, and when we give our lives to Him, we have a personal relationship with almighty God. But central to any relationship is communication. It’s true on a human level; what kind of relationship do two people have who never talk with each other? In a far greater way, our relationship with God involves communication—not just an occasional brief chat but a deep sharing of ourselves and our concerns with God. Prayer is simply talking to God, and God speaks with us through His Word. Both are essential—and both are gifts God has given us so we can know Him. Prayer is a gift from God’s hand just as much as the Bible. Time for prayer should be paramount in our daily lives.

Anthony Diaz 11/8/25 Anthony Diaz 11/8/25

Growing Our Faith

Faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. Romans 10:17 NLT.

Faith grows when it is planted in the fertile soil of God’s Word. Not only must we be saved by faith in God, but we must also live by faith, because we need God’s grace and help at every turn. “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). God wants our faith to grow stronger, and He has given us the resources to achieve this. They are like tools in the hands of a skilled woodworker. The first tool God has given us to strengthen our faith is the Bible. It is so essential that lasting spiritual maturity is impossible without it. If our faith isn’t rooted in the Bible, it will wither like a plant pulled out of the soil. Only a strong faith—a faith based on God’s Word—will protect us from temptation and doubt. Otherwise we will find ourselves “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14 NIV). For our faith to grow we need to let the Bible saturate our minds and souls. For centuries ordinary believers had no access to the Bible. Today it’s readily available in hundreds of languages, yet most Bibles remain unopened. We must not let this be true if we are to grow our faith.

Anthony Diaz 11/7/25 Anthony Diaz 11/7/25

Three Calls

“Whoever is of God hears the words of God.” John 8:47 ESV.

God is a personal God. He is not lofty nor hard to find. His Word tells us that He calls out to sinners—that is anyone ever born. God makes three calls. First, He calls us to the person of Jesus Christ: “ ‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the LORD, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow’ ” (Isaiah 1:18). They can be made as white as snow because of the cross where He died to cleanse us and save us for eternity. God also calls us to consecration. It means to “set apart.” The Bible says, “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God” (Romans 12:1). God calls us to serve Him. Many people have the wrong concept of what this means. Put simply, it means to acknowledge Him and obey Him according to His Word. If you are a dentist or a lawyer or a stay-at-home mother, get to know the Word of God and apply it daily to every phase of your life. Do not wait for a wind to come along and blow you in any direction. Make it your purpose in life to do the will of God, which is revealed in Scripture. It will change your life in remarkable ways that you cannot imagine. Surrender everything to Him because He has a plan for you.

Anthony Diaz 11/6/25 Anthony Diaz 11/6/25

A Beautiful Exchange

Put on your new nature. Colossians 3:10 NLT.

We shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking that the Christian life is negative in a way that suggests we must give up everything we enjoy. While the Bible tells us what we shouldn’t do, as in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), in order to live life to the fullest and in obedience to God, the Bible also tells us what to do, as in the beautiful message Jesus preached known as the Beatitudes (Matthew 5). The same Jesus that said, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11) is the same Jesus that said to His followers: I want you to be full of joy (John 15:11). God wants to give us that same quality of life. When God takes away a sinful habit, He replaces it with a better way of living. When He takes away gossip or cursing, He replaces it with words of love and encouragement. God doesn’t just want to remove the bad things in our lives; He wants to replace them with His goodness, to remake us from within. Those who imagine that the Christian life is negative and cheerless and dull, they are gravely mistaken. God never removes something from our lives without replacing it with something far better. Obey Him and heed what the Bible says: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). This is what gives us the strength to live a joyful life.

Anthony Diaz 11/5/25 Anthony Diaz 11/5/25

Growing In Maturity

We are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ. Ephesians 4:15 ESV.

On a human level we know maturity isn’t just a matter of age. We’ve all met people who were adults in terms of years yet acted like children. They are immature no matter their age. A mature person isn’t just physically mature but has grown up emotionally and socially. They’ve learned to be responsible and to realize that their actions have consequences. In a similar way, spiritual maturity isn’t just a question of how long we have been a Christian. Sadly, far too many Christians never grow and develop in their faith. They are in spiritual limbo. They are like the Christians to whom Paul spoke: “I . . . could not address you as spiritual people, but as . . . infants in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1 ESV). It is tragic when a child fails to develop into a capable, mature adult. Many times it’s because the adults in their lives have set the bar low. Even more tragic is a Christian who fails to develop spiritually. We weren’t meant to remain spiritual babies. Instead, God’s goal for us is spiritual maturity (Hebrews 6:1). The Bible also urges, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:2 NIV). The goal of a child’s life is maturity—and the goal of a Christian’s life is spiritual maturity.

Anthony Diaz 11/4/25 Anthony Diaz 11/4/25

Salvation Stories

Salvation is found in no one else. Acts 4:12 NIV.

People come to Christ in many different ways. Some conversions are sudden and dramatic. Some people are convicted of sin in church or at an evangelistic meeting in a basketball arena. Others find Christ through a television program where the gospel is clearly presented. Still others repent of sin at their bedside after reading the Scriptures. God speaks to the sinner’s heart no matter where we are. But there is only one way to salvation, and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Paul, before he became an apostle, approached the city of Damascus on a mission to arrest followers of Jesus, when a brilliant light suddenly blinded him. Later he recounted that he fell to the ground and heard Jesus say: “Why are you persecuting Me?’ ” (Acts 22:7). From that moment on, Paul began serving the One he had once rejected, and God used him to spread the gospel throughout the Roman Empire. The important thing is not how we come to Christ but that we do come, and that we are sure we are now trusting Christ for our salvation. We must humble ourselves in repentance of sin and receive the forgiveness that Christ Himself offers. Don’t let another moment go by without making that decision. Nowhere in the Bible are we promised a second chance after death, nor are we promised even one more day of life.
Graham, Billy. Truth for Each Day : Daily Devotions to Renew Your Mind and Inspire Your Soul (a 365-Day Devotional), Thomas Nelson Incorporated, 2023. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=30516542.
Created from liberty on 2025-11-03 16:32:34.

Anthony Diaz 11/3/25 Anthony Diaz 11/3/25

True Happiness

Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4.

Thomas Jefferson wrote about “the pursuit of happiness.” But while Jefferson was correct that we should have a “right” to pursue happiness, a problem is created when people pursue it without knowing exactly what they are looking for or where to find it. Happiness is a by-product, not an end in itself. Happiness cannot be pursued any more than one can pursue a cloudless day, grasp it, put it in a bottle, and then bring it out on a rainy day to enjoy again. True happiness is not superficial and fleeting, as a day at an amusement park might be. True happiness begins when one is in a right relationship with God. In fact, God is the only source of true happiness, because He offers those intangibles that we mistakenly believe can be found on earth: contentment, security, peace, and hope for the future. None of these can be found in a job, a human relationship, money, power, or position. They are God’s alone to give. That is why the Lord Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, told where ultimate happiness lies when He said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Happy is the person who has learned the secret of being content with whatever life brings and has learned to rejoice in the simple and beautiful things that come from the hand of God.
Graham, Billy. Truth for Each Day : Daily Devotions to Renew Your Mind and Inspire Your Soul (a 365-Day Devotional), Thomas Nelson Incorporated, 2023. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/detail.action?docID=30516542.
Created from liberty on 2025-11-03 16:26:04.

Anthony Diaz 10/30/25 Anthony Diaz 10/30/25

Jesus’ Purpose

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. 1 Corinthians 1:18.

A reading of the Gospels will reveal that Jesus did not impose Himself upon those who felt self-sufficient, righteous, and self-confident. People must come to the point of realizing their need for God’s forgiveness and salvation. Those who feel capable of meeting life head-on and under their own power will never find Him. While the Bible declares that people cannot earn salvation, there is a critical step that everyone must take in receiving Christ. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). There must be a recognition and confession of sinfulness and spiritual need before there can be a response from Christ. He came to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance. The natural man cannot comprehend the things of God, so how can people understand what happened at the cross when Jesus took our sins upon Him? It is only when we understand that Christ died in the place of sinners, for sin, that we find the elements of forgiveness. Jesus was born with the cross darkening His pathway. From the cradle to the cross, Jesus’ purpose was to die so that mankind may live. Jesus stepped out of glory and picked up His cross for us. Follow Him; He will never lead anyone astray.

Anthony Diaz 10/29/25 Anthony Diaz 10/29/25

Meekness

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5.

Eric Liddell, a missionary to China and an Olympic runner, was competitive and determined to use his abilities to the fullest. But his meekness, kindness, and gentle spirit won admiration even from people he defeated. He was described as “ridiculously humble in victory” and “utterly generous in defeat.” That’s a good definition of what it means to be meek. The world has been successful in convincing society that meekness is a weakness. This is not true at all. Meekness involves being yielded. The word yield has two meanings. It can mean to let go (be passive) or surrender for something greater. Eric Liddell let go of pride whenever he won a race, and he also gave honor and respect to anyone who beat him in a race. He was gracious. Jesus expressed this idea when He said, “He who loses [or surrenders] his life . . . will find it” (Matthew 10:39). When we surrender our will to the will of Jesus, it means that we let go of what we want and give ourselves to God to do whatever He wants for us. He blesses this obedience in ways that cannot be imagined, though it may not be what we anticipate. “He who believes in Him will not be disappointed” (1 Peter 2:6 NASB 1995). Pride comes from looking only at ourselves; meekness comes through looking at God.

Anthony Diaz 10/27/25 Anthony Diaz 10/27/25

Tapping Into God’s Power

I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. Romans 7:18 NIV

Many Christians know they should be better people, and they struggle with all their might to change their behavior. But most of their attempts at self-improvement fail, and they end up frustrated and discouraged. They can echo the words of the apostle Paul when he said that he desired to do good but often failed. Why is this? The problem is that we rely on our own strength instead of the strength that comes from God’s power. We not only need to know how God wants us to live; we also need the power to achieve it. God gives us this power through the work of His Holy Spirit within us. He is our constant, unchanging companion; He is our Guide. This is His promise: “He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). Possessing God’s Spirit within us isn’t a once-for-all event but a continuous reality every day of our lives. But we must tap into His truth—the Word of God—asking Him to lead and guide our every step, our every thought, and our every action. As we yield our lives to His lordship and give each day to Him through reading and believing His Word, and through prayer, we can look back each night and thank Him for fulfilling His promises to us.

Anthony Diaz 10/26/25 Anthony Diaz 10/26/25

Discerning Doctrines

God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. 1 Corinthians 7:23 NLT.

A comedian has said, “Enjoy as much as you can. Even if you live to be ninety, that’s not as long as you’re going to be dead!” We can laugh and throw it off, but there is a penalty to pay when God’s Word is disregarded. Death brings an end to physical life, but the life of the human soul lives on for eternity, in either Heaven or Hell. Godless influences are everywhere, persuading us toward idolatry and sexual immorality. Right moral living is not easy. We have at our fingertips every pleasure that mankind is capable of enjoying, and mankind has abused every gift God ever gave. Sinfulness and sensuality are inevitably destructive, dehumanizing, and demeaning to God’s creation. At times, they may create tension between what we want to be for God and others, and what we crave for ourselves. How do we overcome? By turning to God for His help by first repenting of sin and receiving His forgiveness. He enables us to live victoriously over sin that dominates the human heart. To His followers He says, “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20). He paid the penalty for our sin so that we can live righteously and bring glory to Him.

Anthony Diaz 10/25/25 Anthony Diaz 10/25/25

Victorious Living

God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. 1 Corinthians 7:23 NLT.

Anthony Diaz 10/24/25 Anthony Diaz 10/24/25

Sowing And Reaping

You will always harvest what you plant. Galatians 6:7 NLT.

How many decisions do we make in a day? How many of those will be big, important decisions? Sometimes we think our small decisions don’t matter, but all decisions have consequences. If we decided to eat nothing but junk food, eventually we would lose our health. The Bible warns us that a farmer harvests only what he plants. He doesn’t plant cabbage and get tomatoes. In the Old Testament, King Rehoboam stubbornly rejected wise advice and listened only to those who agreed with what he wanted to do. That caused conflict, and the nation of Israel split into two kingdoms. Part of the human makeup that distinguishes us from other creatures is our ability to reason and make decisions. We are free moral agents. Becoming “new” in Christ is a beginning, but it isn’t the end of our problems. It marks the beginning of our facing up to them. Being a Christian involves a lifetime of hard work and staying “in tune” with God. Life is filled with decisions. How will we make them? Often He puts us in the path of others who will give godly counsel based on His Word. But the most important thing is to seek God’s will in every decision. Pray. Turn to the Bible. The Lord waits to hear us call on Him, asking Him for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Anthony Diaz 10/23/25 Anthony Diaz 10/23/25

A New Path

No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11 NIV.

Whatever has happened in life so far—both good and bad—cannot be altered, and all the decisions and events that have made us what we are today are indelibly inscribed in the story of our lives. But hope for better days is attainable. How? By looking to the Lord. The future doesn’t need to be a copy of our past, nor does God want it to be. No matter what our lives have been like so far, God wants to put our feet on a new path—His path. And regardless of what we may think, His path promises joy, peace, and purpose—far beyond anything we could imagine. We all go through life building. We build upon learning and experiences, and just as a careful builder lays a solid foundation before constructing a building, so God’s Word gives us a solid foundation for building our spiritual lives. The first pillar of turning life around is to recognize our sin and repent of it, asking God to forgive us and save our souls. Through His sacrifice on the cross, sin was conquered. Jesus’ death and resurrection is the foundation of our hope, the promise of our triumph. We must make it our goal to build strong foundations for life—foundations constructed from prayer and the truths of God’s Word.

Anthony Diaz 10/22/25 Anthony Diaz 10/22/25

Always Near

“See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.” Isaiah 49:16.

God could have created us and then abandoned us and forgotten all about us. There are many who believe this. They assume God isn’t interested in them—so why should they be interested in Him? To them, God is distant, remote, and unconcerned about the problems they face every day. But this isn’t true! God not only put us on this journey called life, but He wants to join us on it, if we will only let Him. The psalmist asked, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Psalm 139:7). When we take a stand for God’s truth, some of our friends may drift away, not wanting to be reminded of the things of God. We cannot prevent them from walking away from us. But we can pray that they will not walk away from God. He will often use the life of a Christian to bring conviction to their hearts, which can result in them turning their hearts to Him. If we understand this truth, it gives us assurance that God will use us to lift up His name to others in spite of the ridicule we might encounter. No matter what happens, God will never abandon those who faithfully live for Him. Human friends may fail us, but God never will. Once we understand this, life is never the same.

Anthony Diaz 10/21/25 Anthony Diaz 10/21/25

The Greatest Need In The World

As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18 NIV.

Society is immersed in destruction brought about through slander, libel, and gossip. The strife in communities, families, business, politics, and even some churches is unbearable. What causes these behaviors? Sin. These are just samplings of what the Bible calls “works of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19–21). Rebellion, waywardness, lack of discipline, confusion, and conflict prevent happy relationships, happy homes, and contented hearts. God is interested in all of these things, and that’s why He has shown us the ideals for life on Earth. How can we change? How can we become peacemakers? The formula is simple. We must first make our own peace with God by repenting of sin and turning to Him and living according to His ways laid out clearly in Scripture. When we receive His salvation, He begins to work in our lives to produce the fruit of the Spirit, which the Bible lists as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). The trouble is that many want a society without God. When God is put aside, the result is indecency, bedlam, rebellion, and all that goes with it. Peace will be restored when individuals give God His proper place. The greatest need in the world is the transformation of human nature. We need a new heart emptied of hatred and greed, and this is possible through Jesus Christ.

Anthony Diaz 10/20/25 Anthony Diaz 10/20/25

Restless Hearts

He who heeds the word wisely will find good . . . happy is he. Proverbs 16:20.

This is the most entertained generation in history. Large-screen TVs pull in hundreds of channels. Sports teams take in (and spend) billions of dollars. Children are upset if they don’t get the latest games on their devices, and adults are always on their smartphones even when in a restaurant for a meal. There is a frantic search for entertainment, and it is a symptom of something deeper. Some have suggested that we are the most bored generation in history—and perhaps that is correct. Down inside is an empty place in our hearts—a restlessness, a search for inner peace. And the more we try to satisfy it with entertainment, the less content we become. People need something more to live for. Only Jesus can fill that empty space in our hearts, and He will, whether it is a child’s heart, a parent’s heart, or the hearts of the elderly. As we open our lives to Him and live according to His ways, He brings us opportunities to serve Him—and others—and we find that boredom goes away and joy fills our hearts. God’s Word points us to the future—to Heaven—where our hearts will be full and overflowing with thankfulness to God for what He has accomplished on the cross. And when we surrender to Him in this life, He fills us with peace and true contentment.

Anthony Diaz 10/19/25 Anthony Diaz 10/19/25

The Right Building Materials

That you may be . . . filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:10–11.

As an old man was dying, he told his grandson, “I don’t know what type of work I’ll be doing in Heaven, but if it’s allowed, I’m going to ask the Lord to let me help build your mansion, so be sure to send up plenty of the right materials.” This troubled the young man for some time until he realized what his grandfather was saying. “Store your treasures in heaven. . . . Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:20–21 NLT). Obviously the grandfather was sending a message to his young grandson that if he lives according to God’s Word, he will be sending up the right materials. God is busy at work preparing a place for each person who repents of sin and receives Christ as Savior. But what are these treasures? It is the fruit of our lives: obeying God, praying for others, witnessing to the truth of His Word, doing unto others in the name of Jesus. Storing up the truths of God’s Word in our hearts is also a key to walking in the right way. When we read and study His Word, it helps prepare us for whatever comes into our lives and helps us in the good and bad times. Walk with God and be faithful every step of the way.

Anthony Diaz 10/18/25 Anthony Diaz 10/18/25

God’s Secret Servants

Bless the LORD, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word. Psalm 103:20.

In the late 1800s, a German composer and his sister wrote a musical version of the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. Early in the opera, Hansel and Gretel become lost one night in a dangerous forest. Before they finally fall asleep, they sing their evening prayers, and fourteen angels come to surround them and keep them safe throughout the night. Fairy tales come from fanciful imaginations, but angels themselves are God’s secret servants and never fail at the tasks God gives them. Often when people talk or write about angels, they don’t base their beliefs on what the Bible says about them. But angels are real and God has commanded them to watch over us. They are usually unseen and unrecognized, and only in Heaven will we know everything they did to keep us safe. Angels crisscross the Old and New Testaments, being mentioned directly or indirectly nearly three hundred times. We face dangers every day of which we are not even aware. Often God intervenes on our behalf through the ministry of His angels. But we are not to worship angels; for it is God who empowers them, and they worship and glorify Him and stand ready to do His will. We can be glad about their presence and thank God for the ways He loves and protects through His angels.