Promises for the Battle
Doug Knighton
Forgiveness #3—A Bigger Picture
You meant harm against me; God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones. Genesis 50:19–21 Joseph’s ability to see beyond the immediate cause of his misadventures years before, enabled him … Continue reading
Forgiveness #2—Prophylactic Grace
Put away every kind of bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and evil, slanderous talk. Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, being gracious to one another, just as God in Christ also was gracious to you. Ephesians 4:31–32 While the first thing we see in this text is a command, if we look closely, we can … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … about Grace in Action
When the Apostle Paul described the synergy undergirding his ministry he said, “God’s grace toward me has not been in vain. I worked harder than anyone; nevertheless, it was not I, but the grace of God that was working with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). As my wife and I talked with our children during the … Continue reading
Forgiveness #1—Sweet Hearts
When we carry a bitter spirit in our hearts we are guilty of unbelief. Being bitter means we do not believe God can or will adequately dispense justice in the world. So we harbor an unforgiving spirit; we angrily and continually view our adversaries as enemies. This bitterness eventually obliterates our joy and poisons everyone … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … about Conditions for Peace
Everyone wants to experience what Philippians 4:7 calls “the peace of God which passes understanding.” God’s peace “passes understanding” in that it keeps our hearts peaceful and calm even though we understand perfectly well that there is no human or natural way that we can be extricated from some difficulty that threatens our future. Philippians … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … about Grace and Reconciliation, Part 3
Last week we saw that reconciliation between two people is a function of grace (“the action that originates in the joy of one person in order to create a corresponding joy in another”): In anticipation of the joy of receiving God’s grace, we engage in a peacemaking activity designed to bring a conflicted brothers and … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … about Grace and Reconciliation, Part 2
Last week we determined that grace is the action that originates in the joy of one person in order to create a corresponding joy in another. God is rich in grace because he is rich in joy. We can be rich in grace because of our joy in God. Probably the clearest biblical example of … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … about Grace and Reconciliation, Part 1
When I was becoming an Army Ranger in late 1969, the cadre emphasized, in many ways, that we were members of a team, and that we would not succeed in our combat missions unless we were in tune with and in sync with one another. “Cooperate and graduate” became our mantra. Fast forward twenty nine … Continue reading
Guidance #8—Praising Guidance
If you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness, and your gloom like midday. And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places. Isaiah 58:11 Faithful Father, you have made it so clear how you want me to … Continue reading
Guidance #7—Immediate Guidance
An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Arise and go south” … And he arose and went; then he encountered an Ethiopian eunuch … And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” Acts 8:26–29 Technically, this is not a promise. But it does illustrate what seems to be the … Continue reading
Promises for the Battle 