Hearing god Or Hearing God
Humankind have a way of hearing a god who is not God commanding them. They say it is god, but it is not God. This god is one constructed by personal likes, dislikes, prejudices and fears, as well as by covetousness, competition and conquest. This god can “command” some horrific things. This god, we
God Models His Own Commands
The God revealed in Jesus of Nazareth does not ask us to do anything He has not already done. There is no sacrifice you make that He has not made. He who said, “Take up your cross” already took up His. He went the second mile. He turned the other cheek. He loved His
God Is Not Insecure
The One who planted the trees in the Garden of Eden gave humankind a choice. He is not insecure about our freedom. He is kind and patient with those who may be upset with Him. He is not unsettled when we get it wrong. He is not wringing His hands. He patiently keeps coming
Our Sovereign Lord
God is so sovereign that He gives us freedom to choose. He does not always get His way with nations and men. He calls those who will work with Him. Greater than a god who controls all the choices of all people is the God who still accomplishes His purposes by willing co-workers. The
Turn The Page
The teacher was reading a story to a young child. As soon as the child would hear the opened page read, she would say, “Turn the page, teacher. Turn the page.” As we grow older, it may not always be easy to turn the page, but we must. The sad chapters of yesterday must
Disintegration Or Restoration
Our disordered passions end in disintegration. Unless we turn by repentance, that will end in death. “While we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death” (Romans 7:5 NRSV). The Father has given us the Son and the Spirit
Our Baggage
We all are marked by the genetics of our ancestors. We have been shaped by positive and negative forces. We have made choices that have gone into making us who we are. We may have emotional scars and bitter memories. We have our joys mixed with our sorrows. We have personality traits that may
Silent Before Him
God is a complex Being. He is in a category all by Himself; angels, humans and other heavenly creatures are millions of light years in distance from His magnificence. He is far grander than we can ever begin to grasp. God knows the intricate complexities of everything in the universe: everything in the human
Good And Evil
God creates the good; evil is nothing but the distortion of the good. Evil must hide behind the good to make itself acceptable. This is why a wolf must wear sheep’s clothing. Evil’s promises wear the mask of the promises of God, but it is another disguise. Going the route of evil to get
Overcoming Temptation
The statement made about Jesus, “He was without sin,” is about more than Jesus’ preparation as the unblemished sacrifice; it is also a pattern of victory He has laid down for us as our example. Christ demonstrated in His temptations that we do not need to comply with the enemy of our souls. Satan’s
God Speaks
Our God is a speaking God. “He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel” Psalm 103:7. He who spoke in times past by prophets has now spoken finally and authoritatively through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-4). The Bible is a grand story that culminates with the arrival of the
A Benediction For The Suffering
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:10-11 NIV). Suffering is temporary in the grand scheme
The Spirit Points To Jesus
The Spirit in us points to Jesus. Both Simeon and Ana had the Spirit speak through them about the infant Jesus (Luke 2:25-37). Jesus said, “When He the Spirit of Truth comes,…He will glorify me” (John 16:13-14). The power of the Spirit has been used in self-serving ways by charlatans and money grabbers. The
Humility And Spiritual Warfare
“Humble yourselves…your adversary is seeking to devour you” (I Peter 5:6, 8). Included in this exhortation is to “cast your anxieties on Him…your adversary is seeking to devour you” (v. 7-8). Is not this warning us that pride and anxiety is a crack in the door through which the devil can gain a
Unrelenting Trouble
Troubles can hit us like a storm whose relentless winds just keep pounding. We hunker down, praying desperate prayers that it will soon pass. These times become moments when faith is demonstrated by our grip on the One to whom we say, “I will not let You go.” But remember, He has you in
Beyond Beautiful Thoughts
Our devotional life must move beyond mere sentimentality and beautiful thoughts. This can mask itself as true spirituality. Human words can be a beautiful thing to consider. Spirituality is rooted in a commitment to our Creator God. It is a blend of awe and worship, along with faith and trust. It is an inner
Repairing God-torn Barriers
At the moment of Jesus’ death the 90 ft. tall veil in the temple was split from top to bottom, opening the way into the Most Holy Place. The event would likely have been witnessed at that hour by a priest burning incense. For Christians, a new and Living Way is opened through Christ
Not My Will
We as Christians often speak of a surrendered will. We see this as the foundational decision on which to build a life of holiness. Yet we also believe that we are to choose, or will the good. These two ideas are not mutually exclusive. The answer is: to will what God wills. It is
Joy And Unconditional Love
When we hold persons as unworthy of our love it impinges on our own happiness and joy. Listing other’s flaws and foibles is seen as justification to not love. A measuring stick for other folks to get “our love” marks us as people who do not understand the great love God has for us.
Inescapable Presence/Love
“Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there; If I make my bed in Sheol (Hades Greek), behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
The Un-spared Son (3)
The sons and daughters of God are not spared from their crosses; God does not rescue His own from all of the sufferings of life. He even calls on us to make a living sacrifice of ourselves to Him. “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a
The Un-spared Son (2)
“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32 ESV). This verse has two “gives” that are very different but very connected. In the Greek the first give is about “handing over to powers
The Un-spared Son (1)
In Genesis 22 Abraham is instructed to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God. This is a hard story for us to understand. Later the law would make child-sacrifice illegal. Abraham did not have the law, but had an unshakable confidence in God’s command. The surrounding cultures did have child-sacrifice; so, it
Deification (3)
The pilgrimage toward holiness is not to an arrival, but it is a journey. It is a pursuit. It is social in that we pursue Christlikeness in how we interact with others. The pursuit of Christlikeness and the desire for it, is the normal path of the believer and is also what makes us
Deification (2)
Adam’s way of being like God was different from Christ’s way of revealing God. Adam wanted power and position; he wanted to be “like God” for all the wrong reasons. Adam chose the path of self-sovereignty. Jesus revealed God as One who “emptied Himself of all but love”. If we would be deified, then