Spring and sanctification: both are inevitable!

Elisha notes spring is inevitable

“This has been the week when the color of life has changed. We have been watching closely, knowing it was coming. A few days ago buds were forming on the trees, and branches, though still brown, had subtly changed shape as bud concealed blossom. Every spring, though expectant, there is always the delight of one day waking up, looking out, and life has changed color.

What yesterday was barren is today fresh, green, flowering, altogether new.

I was commenting to a neighborhood friend that even though I always know spring is coming and the process has begun, it always seems so sudden when the landscape changes and, one day, the trees are adorned in flowering buds. “Well,” my friend mused, “it was never a question of if, it was always a question of when.”

My mind replayed her words. It was never a question of if, it was always a question of when.

And this is, according to Elisha, an analogy about “The Inevitability of Sanctification“

Read Full Post »

Still, my soul, be still!

Still my soul be still
And do not fear
Though winds of change may rage tomorrow
God is at your side
No longer dread
The fires of unexpected sorrow

Chorus:
God You are my God
And I will trust in You and not be shaken
Lord of peace renew
A steadfast spirit within me
To rest in You alone

Still my soul be still
Do not be moved
By lesser lights and fleeting shadows
Hold onto His ways
With shield of faith
Against temptations flaming arrows

Still my soul be still
Do not forsake
The Truth you learned in the beginning
Wait upon the Lord
And hope will rise
As stars appear when day is dimming.

Words and Music by Keith & Kristyn Getty & Stuart Townend. Hear it sung here.

Read Full Post »

Rejoice in hope

Rejoice in hope! (Romans 12:12))

The hope of the glory of God, in which the apostle here affirms that Christians ought to rejoice, is provided as an important part of the believer’s armor—a helmet to cover his head to defend him against the attacks of spiritual enemies (1 Thess. 5:8).  It supports him when [he is] ready to be cast down . . .It soothes the bitterness of affliction when the believer is resting on the promises of God.  In prosperity it elevates his affections, and fixing his expectation of the glory that shall be revealed, disengages him from the love of this world  . . It comforts him in the prospect of death.”–Robert Haldane

Read Full Post »

A simple picture and profound truth

52home

 

Read Full Post »

Taking our eyes off Jesus

I appreciate Robert Rothwell’s honesty, exhortation, and reminders from this article “Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus” which in part reads:

Taking our eyes off Jesus is the most dangerous thing we could ever do. Paradoxically, it is also the easiest. We can let past hurts, troubles, or even good things like ministry distract us from the ultimate prize, which is Christ alone.

Keeping our eyes upon Jesus is rarely an easy thing. Our old, fleshly natures conspire against any attempt to remain faithful to the Savior. We can forget that our reward is Christ Himself and wander off into the vain pursuit of other things. We can allow the cares of this world to push us away from the Lord instead of looking to Him in the midst of our pain and difficulties.

Read Full Post »

Why is this happening to me?

Mark Altrogge reminds us that God doesn’t ever do something without a purpose and plan. In this post he shares several benefits of affliction in our lives including the following:

• Afflictions deliver us from pride.
• Afflictions make us sympathetic, merciful and slower to judge. 
• Afflictions remind us of the brevity of this life and make us long for heaven where our true treasure is.
• Afflictions stir us to pray and keep us dependent on God.
• Afflictions are opportunities for Christ to display his power in us.

And there are more right here.

Read Full Post »

Quenching the darts of fear with the shield of faith

Jon Bloom offers some timely words when we are battling fear in our lives (full article here):

“You “by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5, emphasis mine). You are guarded through faith by believing promises like these:

• God forgives all your sins (1 John 1:9)
• God has removed condemnation from you (Romans 8:1)
• Your heart need not be troubled (John 14:1) by the demonic tribulations in the world for Jesus has overcome them for you (John 16:33).
• God will provide you sufficient food for your needs (Luke 12:24).
• God will provide you sufficient clothes for your needs (Matthew 6:30).
• In fact, every need you will ever have will be provided for you (Luke 12:31; Philippians 4:19).
• You can sell your possessions and give to the needy (Luke 12:33) because your Father will gladly give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32).
• Nothing will be impossible for you (Matthew 17:20).
• You can have peace in any storm of life (Luke 8:25).
• Even if you’re persecuted, hated, and even killed for Jesus’s sake, not a hair of your head will perish (Luke 21:16–18)
• You will never really die (John 11:26)
• You will receive eternal life (John 3:16).
• Nothing will ever separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38–39).
• Every promise God has ever made to his people he will fulfill for you (2 Corinthians 1:20).
• If you abide in Jesus and his word abides in you, whatever you ask will be done for you (John 15:7; Matthew 21:22).
• The Holy Spirit will flow out of your heart like rivers of living water (John 7:38–39).
• You will never suffer soul starvation or soul dehydration again (John 6:35).
• Others will believe in Jesus through your witness (John 17:20).
• God will cause ALL THINGS to work together for good for you (Romans 8:28).

Believing these (and many more) will guard you as you run. And through these promises Jesus says to you:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)

So lay aside the weights of your fears (Hebrews 12:1) and believe in Jesus. Jesus is running with you (Hebrews 13:5) and he’s stronger than Satan (1 John 4:4).

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13).”

Read Full Post »

Live now like you wish you had if. .

Ray Ortlund writes:

I just found this slip of paper in a file folder.  My dad wrote this in 2004.  It was a personal statement, but also perhaps brief notes for a talk somewhere:

“If I had to do life over again, what would I do differently?  Why not do it now, from here on?

1.  Pray more.  So easy to talk prayer, do it on the run.  I read the Word, but then give prayer far less time and thought.

2.  Be more generous and giving to Anne, more lavish on her.

3.  Call and see my kids more.  I see and call others.

4.  I’d take more chances.  Live with greater abandon.  Football illustration.  [I don't know what this was.]

[Then on the reverse side]

5.  I’d take the world’s needs more seriously.”

If you had to live your life over again, what would you do differently? Why not start living like that today?

Read Full Post »

Are you suffering? Don’t harden your heart!

Sufferers usually want to receive comfort but the Biblical authors think they need some warning as well. Ed Welch points out some examples:

Read through Hebrews 3. There is no question—the author is, indeed, warning the suffering church. He stands in the Old Testament tradition of prophetic writing with its alternating warnings and comforts. And it is exactly what we need to hear because in times of suffering, faith wavers, and unbelief is rarely far away.

This unbelief comes in many forms when we experience hard times.

Why is he doing this to me?
God doesn’t really care—he doesn’t really hear.
Sometimes I think God is out to get me.
What have I done to deserve this?
No, I haven’t prayed about it. What’s the use anyway?
It’s not fair. I don’t ask for much from God. Why doesn’t he answer?

All these suggest that we do not really believe God is who he says he is. We decide what we want to believe about him based on our own interpretation of events, and then our hearts turn away from God rather toward him

This is not good.

The rest of the article shares some ideas about how we might come alongside and gently warn sufferers not to succumb to unbelief.

Read Full Post »

Real hope in overcoming anger

“Is the father that can’t control his temper with his teenage son hopelessly paralyzed in the quicksand of his own emotional immaturity? Can the woman whose father left her and her mother at the age of six have non-explosive interactions with men when she’s disappointed? Is there a future for the angry man who can’t seem to maintain a steady job because of his quick temper?

The answer is yes,” Dwayne Bond responds.

There is hope for dealing with anger!  The hope is found in the Word of God which contains real help on this issue that affects many.  Read Dwayne’s article “Is There Any Hope for Dealing with Anger?”  where he discusses some biblical principles regarding anger, notes some of the more common sources of anger and arms us with several verses that will help us counteract anger in our lives.

Read Full Post »