Promises for the Battle
Just Thinking
I Was Just Thinking … About Encouragement to Pray
The privilege of prayer is high on the list of blessings Christ has made available to those who commit their future happiness to him. In prayer believers draw near to God and experience the joy of having God draw near to them (James 4:8). As creatures created to represent God, we find rest for our … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About Celebrating Easter
Easter has always been a religious observance. Two thousand years ago in what is now Great Britain people celebrated the arrival of spring, which was associated with the activity of the goddess Eastre. The rabbit was the earthly symbol of this goddess because its fertility spoke to people of the vibrant life that emerged at … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About Patiently Following the Plan
Shortly before the day that we now call Palm Sunday, Jesus walked into the village of Bethany and raised his friend, Lazarus, from the dead. This event did not go unnoticed. Word spread. This sign, as John’s gospel labels Jesus’ miracles, was the capstone of a series of signs that began when he turned water … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About Day to Day Faith
For those who patiently trust him, God promises many wonderful blessings. He promises that all things will work together for good to those who love him (Romans 8:28)—which surely includes trusting him. We may, however, have to wait a while to see how some distress that presently weighs upon us will bring us to enjoy … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About Opposing God’s Glory
Isaiah 3:8 uses a figurative expression to describe disobedience to God which has greatly helped me in understanding what sin is; and, more importantly, just what we can do to maintain fellowship with God. Isaiah says, “Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord to defy … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About Patient Faith
The biblical writers frequently remind us of the necessity to believe God. Hebrews 11:6 says, for example, “Without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” but this same book of Hebrews also stresses our great … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About Why We Work Now
One of the impressions I formed as I traveled around Afghanistan in 1974 was that the people seemed to build ruins. Because they used sunbaked mud for the walls of their structures, buildings that were not carefully maintained quickly disintegrated as they succumbed to the forces of nature. Similarly, it seems as if every dystopian … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About the Works of God’s Hands
The authors of Scripture insist that God works with a “mighty hand and an out stretched arm,” and that it is to our advantage to let our awareness of this truth affect how we live. For example, before imparting the behavioral code we know as the Ten Commandments, Yahweh reminds Israel that he is the … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About the Gratitude of Faith
The Bible clearly teaches that thanksgiving is essential to prayer and fellowship with God. We should never draw near to God without expressing our thanks. “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, and bless his name” (Psalm 100:4). Thanksgiving should accompany all our prayer requests. “In everything by … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About Strength Through Adversity
Sometimes evangelists, in our desire to see people turn to Christ, lay such emphasis on the blessings believers will experience that converts may enter the Christian life without being fully aware of the suffering it necessarily involves. One significant emphasis in the apostles’ message to new Christians, however, was that they will indeed suffer. As … Continue reading
Promises for the Battle 