Promises for the Battle
Grace
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 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
Behind the Scenes #6—Godly DNA
Just as the body is a unit with many members … so too is Christ … God has placed each of us in the fellowship just as he desired … God has engineered the body so that by giving greater honor to the lesser member there will be no division in the body, but that … Continue reading
Behind the Scenes #3—The Grace of Suffering
When you face opposition, strive together for the faith of the gospel … that you suffer for his sake as I do … So then in my absence, be very careful how you effect your deliverance, because God is at work among you, both to will and to work as he pleases. Philippians 1:25–2:13 God … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About Enjoying Blessings
Have you ever taken inventory of the blessings that we have in Christ? It would be a long list! Three of the items on your list would surely be: (1) the promise of Psalm 50:15 that if we call upon God in the day of trouble, he will deliver us, so that we might glorify … Continue reading
Servants #9—Last Thought
As the eyes of a servant look to the hand of his master, as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes will look to Yahweh, our God, until he shows us favor. Psalm 123:2 Over the last couple of months, we’ve considered promises which will motivate … 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
Wonderful Thanks
The final two months of the year in our culture seem to bear the general designation “The Holidays.” To be specific, this time of year is defined by Thanksgiving and Christmas. For the past 34 years I’ve been writing poetic prayers as a way of focusing my heart in celebration of these different expressions of … Continue reading
Promises for the Battle 