Why Is God Doing This to Me?
Two weeks ago, we took a look at Job’s suffering and questioning and the counsel of his ignorant “comforters.” Finally, tired of their useless ramblings, God breaks in and assures them that only he knows everything that can be known. In fact, only he holds in his hands the explanation for all that happens. We don’t, and can’t! Last week, we focused on the bedrock truth that we all fall back upon when we have no other understanding of our own
Feelings of Inadequacy
What do you believe about your self worth? Do you sometimes feel you have nothing to contribute? The only way to combat this false thinking is with the truth: We are designed by a brilliant creator God, who put us here by strong purpose for a strong purpose. When we finally leave the earth, whether early or late, we do so by divine appointment. There’s more. We are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26, 27), that is, we bear the
Living as the Body of Christ
I was talking to a strong believer who had stopped going to church and I asked him what it was that had changed for him. He thought about it for a while and came up with the things we usually hear: the infighting, the pettiness, the church games, etc., besides, he could worship God anywhere and he didn’t really see the purpose for the church. I love the body of Christ and consider it a privilege and joy to be a
If Only Ten…
What could happen if just a handful of people made a pact? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. -Matthew 6:31-34 Do we have to be part of a mega-church to accomplish something really big
By Divine Appointment
When we read Acts 27, the question often arises: How did the apostle Paul end up in this unscheduled stop on the island of Malta on his journey to Rome? The easy answer is that his ship sank and he washed up on the beach. In this life “stuff like that just happens.” But the Bible’s view of history is that nothing ever “just happens.” Things happen for a reason and they take place not simply within a nexus of cause and
A Gracious Offer
God offers us his friendship. How amazing is that? I remember hearing a sermon once where the preacher reacted uncomfortably to the idea of “God as friend.” To refer to God as “friend” was inappropriate or presumptuous, even derogatory. To him, God is “Almighty,” not “All-matey.” God in all his majesty, glory, power, purity, and awesomeness was not to be spoken of on the same level as just another person. Just to be clear, there’s nothing low or second-rate about friendship, or
What About the Cross?
The cross of Jesus as the centerpiece of the atonement and our reconciliation with God has never been an easy matter to understand. “If God required all that torture, blood, and pain for his beloved son, how does it square with a loving God? If you’re seeking clarity and meaning of Jesus’ crucifixion, just follow the historical events as they are reported, and then ask some basic questions about human behavior, the circumstances of Jesus’ death, and God’s involvement in it:
Do You Feel Ugly, Undesirable, Unlovable?
Judging from the billions of dollars of beauty products that are sold every year, it appears that we really don’t like what we see in the mirror every morning. Sadly, there is a short step from this to thinking that others see us in the same way, and eventually imagining that God views us in this light. What we need to keep in mind is the fact that God looks upon us with different eyes. While it’s true that he looks
Train Up A Child—Back to School!
Following up on “do not provoke your children,” (Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21), I want to look at Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” The Hebrew word is used three other times in the Bible and is used in the meaning of “dedicating” (Deuteronomy 20:5; 1 Kings 8:63; 2 Chronicles 7:5). So when we read “train,” the Proverb essentially speaks also of “dedicating” our children.
The Hallmarks of God’s Love
by Will Powell Introduction What do you think of when someone says, “Well, that’s his hallmark?” We use this expression to describe the most striking characteristic of a person—or of what they do. For example, “That had the hallmark of a world champion.” But word “hallmark” has its origins in identifying objects—particularly made of gold or silver—and whether they really were genuine. From AD 350 until today, hallmarks are used to stamp or laser inscribe these metals to indicate their purity. It
