My hero E. Stanley Jones was encouraged by the thought that any time a spiritual enemy appeared in order to attack him, if he leaned in and looked at the enemy’s neck, he could see there the footprint of Jesus, from the day when He overcame that enemy. Having been buried with Him in baptism, you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised […]
Category Archives: Discipleship
Response to Mistakes
The next time you see someone (especially a believer) doing something that makes you angry or annoyed, consider that it is possible you are writing the script for how things will go in response to your next mistake as you respond to their mistake, because the measure you deal out to them is likely to be what comes to you, unless Jesus made a mistake (Matthew 7:1-2). Create a blessing […]
Upside Down
Does the world no longer need to be turned upside down (Acts 17:1-7)? If it does, what are we missing about the strategy or the structure or the power that caused the first believers in Jesus to be accused of having done that? What could we change about our individual lives or our corporate intentions that would improve our abilities to storm the earth with the Life of Christ? Even […]
Mystery and Purpose
We humans think that we only need two things to be noble: the knowledge of how to master the mysteries of life and make them obey us; the knowledge of how to master our identities and make them produce purpose in life. The one thing we need above both of those pursuits is knowing the One Who wrote the mysteries and Who laid out in front of us paths of […]
Matters of the Law
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. These things should have been done without neglecting the others. Blind guides! You strain out a gnat, yet gulp down a camel!” (Matthew 23:23-24 Holman Christian Standard Bible ©®) Jesus told the lawyers one day that 3 of the more […]
The Path to Righteousness
John knew the law given to Moses. He knew what righteousness from the law should look like. When he saw the Kingdom begin to manifest under the authority and work of the King, it concerned him that it was not stacking neatly into his columns of right and wrong. He knew Jesus was the Lamb of God, Who had come to take away the sin of the world. Because he […]
His Ways and His Rest
Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care. Today, if you hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on that day at Massah in the wilderness where your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they had seen what I […]
More Faith-full
I don’t become more full of faith by studying hard and often, or by praying more or by having other believers hold me accountable to it. Those disciplines may put me in a position or a condition in which it becomes easier, but I only actually increase in faith by being in situations in which I need faith. I grow in joy in situations in which joy doesn’t come naturally. […]
First Fruits
I don’t become more full of faith by clenching my fists and holding my breath and bugging my eyes under the pressure. I become faith-full by deciding to allow the Spirit of the Living God to manifest in and through me as the Spirit of Faith. Same for joy, peace, you know… I may have to re-make the decision 30 times an hour until I actually become convinced throughout my […]
Our Father’s Kindness
Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4 Holman Christian Standard Bible ©®) Repentance is the changing of your mind. You thought a certain way or believed a certain thing, then something happened, and now you think a different way or believe a different thing. It is what makes it possible for […]