People who have joined a branch of the military or applied to and been accepted by a famous and much-loved university frequently have found upon living out the relationship with the institution that much of the glory and magic they were expecting didn’t really exist. Roman mythology has misrepresented the body of Christ and the Kingdom with earthly glories and fantasies. As a child, I was related to a congregation […]
Category Archives: Discipleship
Guaranteed Purpose
Because God wanted to show His unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope—like a sure and firm anchor of the soul—that enters the inner […]
Ethical Excellence
How is your work ethic? Do you do things that need to be done when they are outside everyone’s list of assignments, including your own? Do you check your work for excellence before publishing or submitting it? Do you honor your superiors, even the ones who are not nice or not honest? If you get all of that part of good behavior right, how do you rate regarding motivation? Do […]
Freed Slaves
The descendants of Israel who had become enslaved by Egypt were liberated from that slavery very dramatically. When they faced the difficulties and responsibilities of owning their lives, they preferred slavery, though (Acts 7:39)! In John chapter 8 (read verses 30-47) Jesus was talking to some Jews who believed Him. He told them that if they continued in His word, they would know the truth, and the truth would set […]
More Manure, Please
And He told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none. He told the vineyard worker, ‘Listen, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it even waste the soil?’ “But he replied to him, ‘Sir, leave it this year […]
Fixing Ulcers
Dr. Henry Cushing, a surgeon, is quoted as having advised, “Don’t operate on the stomach of a man for stomach ulcer – operate on his head.” His assessment was based on the thought that stomach ulcers are caused by anger and fear, not a weakness in the stomach.
Trusting Human Strength
This is what Yahweh says: Cursed is the one who trusts in adam, who makes human flesh his strength and turns his heart from Yahweh. He will be like a juniper in the Arabah; he cannot see when good comes but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land where no one lives. Blessed is the one who trusts in Yahweh, whose confidence indeed is the […]
Being Like Jesus
Look at how great a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God’s children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know Him. Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He […]
12 Steps or 2 Steps
Always a sinner, or dead and resurrected? Always an alcoholic, or healed and delivered?Romans 8:2 – the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Religion would have me believe that it is proper humility to call myself a sinner, saved by grace. Twelve Steps programs would have me confess at each meeting that I am a slave […]
Freedom Through Discipline
On days we are learning great new things that we can do to serve Jesus; we are studying Spanish one day: when we get to the translation of “ice cream,” we decide to take a break and get some ice cream. Our habits become the style that looks for the next break rather than the next breakthrough. We need to set our minds on things above, so that everything in […]