Promises for the Battle
Fear
Advent 2022 #3—Fear Not!
The glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them: “Fear not! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is … Continue reading
Contentment #7—Contented Desire
Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; those who come to me shall not hunger, and those who believe in me shall never thirst. … the water that I give shall become in them wells of water springing up to eternal life.” John 6:35; 4:13–14 The paradox of contentment is evident in these promises: … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About Present Contentment
Hebrews 13:5 commands us to be content with our present financial circumstances, so that we don’t act unlovingly. A literal rendering of the Greek is “Be content with the present things.” While the “present things” surely include our possessions and money, they refer also to everything that is a part of our life situation. Surely … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About Fear and Faith
Fear is real and rational when reality confronts us with what appears to be danger. However, when we perceive Jesus’ presence, our perception of reality changes. As followers of Jesus we can fight fear with faith by acknowledging that Jesus’ supernatural abilities are immediately available to us whenever he makes his presence felt. Consider Peter’s … Continue reading
Transformation #5—Fearful Transformation
Evil individuals are rebellious to the core. They do not fear God, for they are too proud. The words of their mouths are treacherous and troubling; they never consider doing good … How happy is the person who fears Yahweh, who takes great delight in obeying his commands. Psalm 36:1–3; 112:1 Fearing God will transform … Continue reading
Success #1—Gracious Success
The idea of “success” is often on our minds at the beginning of the year. So let’s spend a few weeks considering some of what God has to say about success, particularly about the fact that we won’t be successful if we don’t act. Paralysis is not always a physical condition. Sometimes we are paralyzed … Continue reading
Grateful Imitation
Just before the Passover feast, Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end. … Jesus knew that the Father had handed all things over to him, and that he had come … Continue reading
Humility #4—Humble Graciousness
Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:5–7 Fear and arrogance … Continue reading
Christmas Infinities
I am the door; those who enter through me will be kept safe, and will go in and out and find sustenance … I came that they may have infinitely more than the necessities of life. John 10:9–10 What do Ebenezer Scrooge, George Bailey, Jack Campbell and Sidney Milburn have in common? They are all … Continue reading
Freedom #11 — Serving in Freedom
You were called to freedom, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-centered action, but through. love, serve one another. Galatians 5:13 It is good to be free. Many of us think highly enough of freedom to expend ourselves securing and preserving it for others as well as ourselves. Our desire is … Continue reading
Promises for the Battle 