On the days when 6 things break, and we don’t have resources to have even 1 of them repaired, or when a loved one is struck down, or the news regarding our work or our home or our relationships is unbearable, the blow can expose the material from which we are made. Our constitution is revealed in tests. The hammer that smashes glass forges steel. When circumstances crush you, respond […]
Category Archives: Discipleship
Spirit-filled
A fool takes no pleasure in trying to understand;he only wants to express his own opinion. Proverbs 18:2 Complete Jewish Bible During the time of the Charismatic Renewal movement, the phrase “Spirit-filled” became popular as a way of describing someone who had experienced an influential encounter with the Holy Spirit. The tag was sort of an identifier of people who were “in” and contrasted them with the people who were […]
Training Younger Saints
Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV) Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Saul will try to get you to wear his armor, while he counsels you that you should not face Goliath, because he is afraid, and you should be, too. The Holy Spirit of Yahweh will instead equip you and encourage you and lead you to victory […]
Broken In
Old, comfortable, worn-out shoes are easy to walk in without much thought. I am in awe on days when I am praying over some women’s feet because I notice how injured they happen to be from wearing tall heels on pointed-toed shoes. I wonder how painful the process of injury was. I wonder how much pain their ankles experienced as they walked with balanced steps while struggling to stay balanced […]
Listening
The absolute best way to get information and advice from your God in the midst of a crisis is to learn to listen to Him daily. Ask what’s for lunch. Ask what’s next. Ask what things mean. Ask what to say. Ask what to read. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He […]
Lemons
Some people like lemons. Some like limes, but not lemons. Some don’t like either. If the lemon is a car, nobody likes it. If you bought a car that turned out to be a lemon from a dealer who gave you a warranty, you could take it back and have it fixed. If you had to take it back 8 times, you would want to trade it for a replacement […]
Powerless
Pretend that a $156,015.00 2019 Porsche 911 is sitting in my front yard. With no battery. I suppose that if you could get a battery for $87.00, the car would still be worth $155,928.00. It still looks great in my driveway. How much are we devalued if we are powerless? We may have the look, the talk, the relationships, the library and the rest, but if we are not sufficiently […]
Serious Peace
Peace with Yahweh and inner peace from His Spirit are more valuable and more powerful and more effective than peace with my enemies can be. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the […]
What is Normal Christianity?
What characteristics of a believer’s life are common enough or basic enough to be considered “normal?” What is the difference between that definition of normal, and one that would define it based on Christ’s opinion? When does normal equate with average? Paul prayed this over the believers in the congregations of Ephesus: For this reason I bow my knees before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on […]
Perfected in Love
And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. In this, love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; for we are as He is in this world. There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love […]