By: Tony Clay, Associate Editor There is a feeling that every person wants to avoid. That is the feeling of being forgotten. A child playing a sport continues to look over at his parents to see if they are watching and if they saw him or her score. A worker wonders if his or her effort went unnoticed by the supervisors. A struggling Christian wonders whether anyone sees the battle he or she is quietly fighting. One of the most beautiful pictures in the Old Testament is found in the clothing of the high priest. When Aaron entered the Holy Place, he wore a breastplate containing twelve stones, and those stones were engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel. God said, “So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel…over his heart, when he goes into the holy place, as a memorial before the LORD continually” (Exodus 28:29 NKJV). Think about that. When the high priest went before God, the people were symbolically carried over his heart. Their names were not left outside. They were represented before the Lord. Yet, as meaningful as that picture was, it was still only a shadow of something greater. Aaron could carry names on stones, but Jesus knows His people personally. Aaron entered an earthly holy place, but Jesus has entered Heaven itself. Aaron eventually died and had to be replaced, but Jesus “continues forever” and has “an unchangeable priesthood” (Hebrews 7:24). That means the faithful Christian is not forgotten

By: Tony Clay Most spiritual decline does not begin with a public failure. It begins quietly. A person does not usually wake up one morning and decide to become hard, worldly, dishonest or distant from God. The change starts earlier and deeper. It starts in the heart. That is why Hebrews 3:12 gives a serious warning: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God” (ESV). Notice the order. The writer does not say the fall begins first in conduct. He says it begins in the heart. Before the feet go elsewhere, the heart has already moved. This matters because many of us judge ourselves mainly by visible things. We ask whether we attended, served, gave or avoided obvious sins. Those things matter. Scripture, though, keeps pressing deeper. God is concerned not only with what we did but with what is happening inside us while we do it. A heart can drift while a routine stays intact. A person can still show up to worship and slowly lose tenderness toward God. A Christian can still say the right things and begin to feed private resentment, pride, envy or unbelief. Someone can still look steady while becoming less teachable, less grateful, less honest in prayer and less eager to obey. That is why the warning in Hebrews is so important. We are told to “take care.” That means pay attention. Do not assume the heart stays healthy

By: Tony Clay Most spiritual decline does not begin with a public failure. It begins quietly. A person does not usually wake up one morning and decide to become hard, worldly, dishonest or distant from God. The change starts earlier and deeper. It starts in the heart. That is why Hebrews 3:12 gives a serious warning: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God” (ESV). Notice the order. The writer does not say the fall begins first in conduct. He says it begins in the heart. Before the feet go elsewhere, the heart has already moved. This matters because many of us judge ourselves mainly by visible things. We ask whether we attended, served, gave or avoided obvious sins. Those things matter. Scripture, though, keeps pressing deeper. God is concerned not only with what we did but with what is happening inside us while we do it. A heart can drift while a routine stays intact. A person can still show up to worship and slowly lose tenderness toward God. A Christian can still say the right things and begin to feed private resentment, pride, envy or unbelief. Someone can still look steady while becoming less teachable, less grateful, less honest in prayer and less eager to obey. That is why the warning in Hebrews is so important. We are told to “take care.” That means pay attention. Do not assume the heart stays healthy

By: Tony Clay Christians rightly hold the Bible in the highest regard. Scripture is not merely an ancient collection of religious writings; it is the Word of God given for our instruction and salvation (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Because of this, we must strive to maintain a balanced and healthy view of the Bible—a view that honors its authority while also using it properly. A balanced view begins by recognizing that the Bible is God’s complete and sufficient revelation. We do not need additional messages, visions or modern revelations to know God’s will. Through Scripture, God has already provided “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). This should give us confidence. When we open the Bible, we are not searching for guesses about God’s will, but we are reading what God has revealed. At the same time, a balanced view means handling the Bible carefully and honestly. It is possible to misuse Scripture by taking verses out of context, forcing a passage to say something it was never intended to say or focusing so narrowly on one idea that we ignore the rest of God’s Word. The Bible was written in different books, genres and historical settings, and faithful readers should take the time to understand those things. A balanced approach also keeps the big picture in mind. The Bible is not simply a list of isolated commands; it is the unfolding story of God’s work to redeem mankind through Jesus Christ. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture

Being happy in Jesus isn’t hype; it’s the steady joy of belonging to Jesus. He said, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11 NKJV). Circumstances change, but Christ doesn’t change (Hebrews 13:8). Stay close to Him, trust His Word, obey His way and joy grows deep. This week, practice rejoicing. “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).

A balanced life is not the same thing as a life where everything goes smoothly. It is a life anchored in Christ, steady enough to face good days and hard days without falling apart. Most of us know what it feels like to get pulled off center. Stress rises, patience runs thin, and we start reacting instead of thinking. We can try to manage those moments with sheer willpower, but lasting change comes from a heart that is being shaped by the Lord, and there is no quick fix for this. Scripture reminds us that this kind of stability is possible. James tells us to “let patience have its perfect work” so that we can become mature and complete (James 1:2–4 NKJV). Paul added, “…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7). Those are not empty slogans. They are promises about what God can produce in a person who keeps turning to God. This is how spiritual balance works in real life. It’s seen in the choices we make every day. “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32). True strength isn’t just about what you have the ability to do or to achieve. It’s about what you can control inside. It also means choosing not to let your words hurt others. “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth,

A new year doesn’t make us new, but Jesus does. Start the new year with mercy and direction. “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22–23 NKJV). Then, set for your aim, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13–14). Every year is His. Make sure, in your life, 2026 is, too.

In a world overshadowed by confusion and moral decay, light is more than a symbol; it’s essential. When Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12 NKJV), He was doing more than offering comfort; He was issuing a call. His light exposes what is hidden, guides the lost and transforms the hearts of those who follow Him. The question we must all ask is this: “Are we walking in the light or merely standing near it?” The apostle John built on Jesus’ declaration in 1 John 1:5-7. “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Walking in the light means more than believing Jesus exists; it means living transparently before God and others. It means truth over hypocrisy, integrity over convenience and fellowship over isolation. It’s not a life of sinless perfection but one of humble direction—continually stepping into the light of Christ where forgiveness and fellowship abound. Jesus not only said that He is the light, but He also said, “You