Answered prayer is a result of faith is what we typically hear. It is what I heard recently. But, I immediately thought that that wasn’t completely true. There is more. God answered my prayers because He loves me. I’m beginning to think that answered prayers are based on love. God’s love for us. Now, that might seem unusual, not normal, remarkable, even shocking. Definitely unconventional. You see, I think we don’t realize how big a role God’s love plays in…
Or Over the Circumstances? Circumstances, just circumstances Circumstances are just that, circumstances. They do not define life. They don’t limit your spiritual growth. They don’t identify you. I have discovered they need not determine my peace and joy. They need not affect any aspect of my life in God. I’ve learned that God knows my circumstances. I’ve also learned that He is bigger than my circumstances. I can trust Him. The state of our culture, the unease we feel in…
Why do bad things happen? I’ve heard it said, “If there is a God, why does He allow evil in the world?” We want to protect our children, right? Is that how we look at God? What does the Bible say about evil and the source of evil? Beginning of evil Let’s start in the beginning, Genesis 3. There we find two people, a man and a woman, living a perfect life with all their needs met. Not a thorn…
Dear Reader, Do you sing the song “Holy Ground” in your worship service? We do. Like many, you probably feel His presence there. Where God is, is holy ground. We sing that song at church too. But I’m wondering who goes home leaving the holy ground behind? We might leave the feelings behind, but not God. So where is God?. He said through the prophet Jeremiah that He fills all space. And through King David, He said that David could…
Just the thought of being rewarded for some good I have done brings me a sense of anticipation. It encourages me to try harder. Sometimes it seems that any good we might do is canceled out by our failures making our efforts seem fruitless. Source of rewards Jesus wants to prevent those inevitable failures. Yes, they are inevitable because it is from our efforts. It is our resources. Flesh. Apostle Paul tells us that in him, the best of the…
Finding inner peace. Peace with ourselves. We all long for that. You know, the inner conflict we struggle with that keeps peace away. That inner tug-of-war between what self wants and what God is wanting for us. Remember how Paul described his inner turmoil in Romans 7? He wanted to do what was right, but found himself doing the opposite. Living independently from God is the path Adam and Eve chose. We struggle with that same temptation. In chapter 8…
Successful Christian Do you wonder how to make spiritual success real in your life? How do you overcome besetting sins? How to be more loving, patient, etc.? What has been done for us has already been done. There is no more for Jesus to do for us. It has already been done. He did it all through His life, death and resurrection. It is done. Even He said it as He was dying. Remember? He said, “It is finished.” How…
I would like to share an excerpt from my upcoming E-book called Walking on Water. Our Christian life is made real by faith. Walking on water is an example of believing and substantiating, making real the promises of God. Introduction Today we can choose to believe. Today we can choose to walk on water. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1 Walking on water is a picture of faith. Faith…
Can you begin this new and uncertain year with a pure heart? “But, I can’t,” you say? “My heart isn’t pure and I don’t know how to make it pure. I can try to be better, but there are stains and dirt from previous sins.” A pure heart contains no mixture. Part this, part that. Part God, part other. Jesus told us that seeing God is for the pure in heart. That leaves us in a dilemma. No one is…
Have you read the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5 lately? It talks about being poor in spirit and pure in heart. Jesus said that it will be the pure in heart that sees God. And He says that the kingdom of God is for the poor in spirit. Pure in heart? Do you know anyone that is pure in heart? What about poor in spirit? What does that mean? What does that mean today? Are they just nice-sounding words that…
