Completing the Justified
He makes the righteous (the justified ones) perfect (complete). This means we are all in progress. This means that justification is only the beginning; there is a process to following this man Jesus. He has called us, not just to follow Him but to be like Him. He calls us to a life of
Following The Internal Christ
Life can be confusing; questions can abound. We have not been left alone to walk alone. He is with us. He goes before and behind. He walks besides us. He dwells with us. He is there to speak truth and direction to our mind and spirit, if we will but hear and heed His
Faith as Relationship (3)
“Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who
Faith as Relationship (2)
“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share
Faith as Relationship (1)
“Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.” (Hebrews 3:5–6 ESV) Hebrews 3:1
Patient for Growth
When I review the history of how my own views have evolved, I need to remember to be patient with the people around me who are now where I was. So much of our evolving understanding and spiritual formation happens over long periods of time. It is a kind of self-righteousness and arrogance that
Energy of God
“You shall receive energy from Me after the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8, paraphrased). Peter’s energy failed as he depended on himself to keep his word to not deny his Lord; ours will too. Weakness is the state of depending on ourselves; strength is depending
Called by Name
Jesus calls His sheep by name and they recognize His voice. Our Shepherd names us. Whenever we hear the Great Shepherd call our name we intuitively know that it is God calling. The Great Shepherd knows our names and longs for a personal heart-bond. Being like Jesus means that we build relationships with real
The Mind of God
Can we know the mind of God? Not on our own. Not by our conjecture. We know God through the Spirit of God. He shows us Jesus. He shows us the mind of God; He reveals the thoughts of God. True spirituality is derived from being in contact with God through the abiding presence
The Indwelling Christ
(NOTE: Sorry for the missed devotional yesterday. We had a technical problem that is now fixed. So, you are receiving two today. Thanks for being a faithful reader. ) The indwelling of the Christ in our hearts is not magical; it is relational. He dwells with us, not for us to use Him for
He Remains Faithful
The last line of an ancient saying always puzzled me. (2 Timothy 2:11–13 ESV) “The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he
Creativity
Humans are made in God’s image. A part of being thus made is the God-given power to be creative. It is amazing what humans have created over the course of human history. Laziness, fear and procrastination are enemies of creativity. Few people discover what they need to do by an audible voice. What do
Holy Living Context
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13 ESV). Some
Things Not Up For Trade
The salesman said, "Anything I have is for sell or trade". About products and merchandise, you would expect a salesman to say that. This morning I've been thinking about things not up for sale or trade in my life. I will not trade the Kingdom of God for all this world has
Ignorance Is Destructive
Knowledge must be preferred to ignorance. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge” (Hosea 4:6 ESV). The original context is the neglect of truth that comes through God’s law, but there is a much wider application. What we do not know, what we refuse to learn, what we
A Table Set by Grace
Come and eat. Come and drink. If you have no money come. If you do have money, you cannot buy your way; this is a table set by Grace. Mary said, “He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands” (Luke 1:53 NLT). Christ has come as
Necessary Power
The disciples were still hungry for political power even after the cross and 40 days of witnessing the Risen Lord. They still had not gotten over their hunger for a Rome-crushing victory, for their side to win. They wanted political power when what they needed was Holy Spirit power. Jesus bequeathed no other power
Blind spots
Good drivers watch their blindspot as well as being aware when they are in someone else’s blindspot. In our spiritual lives we often have blindspots, blind to our own weaknesses and vulnerabilities. We can be sure that the enemy of our soul is fully aware of these. The way we can be cognizant of
“Jesus, I Trust You”!
The most important thing we can do in every moment and every situation is to trust Jesus. Things and people have a way of edging into His spot, so we end up not trusting our Lord. In the middle of your confusion, uncertainty, oppression, temptation, flashbacks, weakness, grief, darkness, storms, etc., start saying “Jesus,
Living out Commitment
"Commitment is doing what you said you would do, after the feeling you said it in has passed” -St. Camillus. Who of us has had our high resolve to act disappear as the morning fog because we never really acted on it? We felt an inward stir that prompted an impulse to action. We
On Forgiveness (4)
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14–15 ESV). Why is my forgiveness tied to the way I forgive others? Jesus came as the King who announced Jubilee (Luke 4:18-19).
On Forgiveness (3)
Without forgiving the offender, we are into self-justification and into seeking the support of our friends for our position against the “rascal”. When we don’t deal honestly with our own faults, we always find it necessary to rationalize our own behavior while demonizing our adversary. When we rehearse the old hurtful stories with another
On Forgiveness (2)
Jesus give us the way of forgiveness and how not to retaliate on the cross. Heaven’s angelic armies were a voice call away. The voice that could have called angels called on God to forgive His enemies and all sinners. Jesus in His sinlessness and innocence was totally undeserving of the evil done to
On Forgiveness (1)
Forgiveness gives silence to our cry for justice, revenge and satisfaction. Forgiveness gives silence to my rights and winning. In that silence there is not only peace, there is spiritual and mental health. If that silence is not sought, anger can open the door to resentment and bitterness. This gives “place to the
Clay and Fire
How can clay be strong enough to hold water back? I remember going to look for clay when I was a boy. We would find it in layers by the banks of a small stream that we called a branch. It would be oozing with water and the water that came down the creek