Joy: The Fruit of the Spirit of Christ
By Alastair Hayward The Scripture verses we are looking at are Isaiah 65:18 and Galatians 5:22-25. In this corona time, it can be particularly difficult to be joyful as the regulations seem to change every week, sometimes even more often. Each time the rules seem to get stricter. Last Christmas, our plans were thrown into disarray when the UK announced a stricter, Tier 4 lockdown. Our son was to be in Munich for the holidays, but he had to cancel his plans.
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 88 – Hopes and Dreams
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. –Proverbs 16:3 Does this mean that God will make all our plans succeed? As Dr. Snyder says, that would be chaos! The word that is important in this proverb is "commit." Dr. Snyder explains, "…this is a piece of wisdom that encourages us to commit and submit all our business, activities, and plans to God so that if they are good and in line with his highest will, they'll come
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 87 – The Right Stuff
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. -James 1:12 So does this mean God helps those who help themselves? Do we have to pass a test to see if we have "the right stuff"? Dr. Snyder says if this is the
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 86 – Where Our Help Comes From
I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip--he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you--the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 85 – In a Name
But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. –Hebrews 1:2-3 This is a beautiful passage and is a wonderful reminder of who
The Life that God Blesses
I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart! -Psalm 119:32 The imagery here is striking. We would expect the Psalmist to say, “I walk in the path of your commands,” for that’s the usual Hebrew expression for going in God’s way. But to run along a path is to have that way so straight and so removed of obstacles, ambiguities, and sudden turns that it’s safe to move at a rapid pace. So it is in the
Knowing God’s Creation
By Will Powell Introduction I am not sure how you have been spending your “extra time” during this pandemic. Perhaps you have tried to use the time profitably, by starting some new project. I know some of you have—writing a book or starting a photography project. Or it may be a more practical DIY project around the house. Or maybe kitchen creations are your thing. I also have some projects—and there are more planned! But why do we turn to these projects?
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 84 – The Number of Our Days
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. –Psalm 139:16 Oh, my goodness! This is bad news for those misguided souls searching for ways to prolong their lives. No doubt they don't believe God exists and that He's in control of their longevity on earth. "What this means in practical term is that not only is the number of our days divinely determined, but what occurs within each one of those days (even
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 83 – The Journey
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. -Jude 1:24-25 Doesn't this verse make your heart soar with hope? "It is the entire gospel in a nutshell." "A great part of keeping up prayer in the face of great odds or discouragement is the
Your 100 Day Prayer: Day 82 – Money, Money, Money
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." -Hebrews 13:5 How often have you heard people say that money is evil? I like what the book says about money: "The real problem with money is not the possession of it but the love of it, the place it occupies in our heart… "Nothing touches us so deeply as a crisis of finances.
