Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we […]
In chapter 12 of Paul’s letter to the believers in Rome, Paul gave much good advice on what it is like to live the life of a believer. In verse 12, he wrote, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (English Standard Version) Joy, patience, faith. Let your joy be fastened to what you are hoping […]
Is your mind more like a landfill, or a garden? Landfills are just dumping ground for whatever comes along. They are places where the things of yesterday may or may not break down. Things there rot and breed flies. A garden converts the waste from the past that is mixed in it into fertilizer, and uses it to produce fruit […]
Jesus is, by some mystery, present with us when we are where we should be. When His disciples asked Him for the sign of His coming and the end of the age, He gave them a long answer (Matthew 24&25). Included, in 25:31-46, is His prophetic description of His judgement of the nations. He will judge them with regard to […]
A stream passes through a forest. A couple are carrying a canoe through the forest with great difficulty until they find the stream. Then, they are liberated by the stream from the difficulties of the forest. If they become liberated from the banks of the stream, or the direction of the stream, they have lost their freedom from the forest. […]
Enthusiasm literally means being filled by or possessed by a god. (EN= in; THUS=theos) Enthusiastic new believers lead more people to commitment to Jesus than seasoned evangelists do. Enthusiastic salesmen sell more products than salesmen who know more about the product and the customers by better education in those areas. Puritans made the term enthusiastic an insult because they didn’t […]
A good plan for moving deeper in the Spirit and gaining more of Him is to increase the level of your surrender. The more He has of you, the more you will have of Him. Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is […]
Not many people are technology-free enough to have a watch that needs to be wound. When winding watches was the norm, though, if you didn’t do it, your watch failed to keep the right time because it stopped ticking. If you carry your lunch to work or school, you have to prepare for having it when you need it. You […]
Paul wrote this about Abraham’s confidence in Yahweh’s habit of keeping His promises: He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, because he was fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. Therefore, it was credited to him for righteousness. (Romans 4:20-22 Holman […]
It’s pretty awesome when believers gather and wonders happen. People being healed, freed from demons, getting saved and worshiping Jesus as if there is no veil between the holy of holies and the front row; it is sometimes clear that Jesus is raised from the dead and wants to influence our meetings with that fact. I am convinced, though, that […]