The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. (Exodus 15:2, NLT) Miriam picked up her hem as she sprinted ahead. Her heartbeat quickened; her breath came in short gasps as she forged forward. Fear taunted as her hair whipped around her face. She had to keep focused on moving forward. She clutched at her heart. It was beating so fast she thought it might come out of her chest! She stole a cloaked glance behind her and gasped to catch her breath, realizing what was happening! A twitch pulled her lips into a small smile.…
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” — Ephesians 4:32 (NIV) We have all been wronged at some point and felt the desire to get even. But what is forgiveness? In the Bible, forgiveness means releasing charges against someone—letting go and canceling a debt. It is not an easy thing to do. A person may feel ready to forgive, but true forgiveness involves certain important elements. First, forgiveness must be a choice. It must be voluntary, not forced. It must be intentional—a decision to let go of pain. And it is often a process that takes time. What we want to avoid is allowing unforgiveness to grow into anger, bitterness, hatred, or a desire for revenge. Bitterness, in particular, can become a poison to our souls. It can lead us into sin and cause us to fall out of alignment with God and His blessings. God calls us to forgive others just as He has forgiven us. However, forgiveness does not mean we condone the wrongdoing, pretend it never happened, or allow others to continue hurting us. Instead, forgiveness frees us. It releases us from anger and bitterness, allowing God…
I’m okay, we often tell ourselves, but are we? We tend to put on a fake facade when we come to church because we don’t want people to see who we really are. After all, we have a reputation to uphold. We want others to see us as being all put together, a perfectly wrapped package with a beautifully tied bow. Inside, however, we are lying to ourselves and to others. Nor are we being truthful with God about our struggles. We’re not telling God that we’re hurting, struggling, and that the battle we’re fighting is becoming too much for us. We do not admit to God that we’re fighting so much and feel we’re one step away from waving the white flag of surrender. Instead of giving the battle to God, we continue to fight alone, knowing that the end will only mean a casualty—our casualty. Once again, the enemy wins because we are more worried about how people see us than we are about admitting we are struggling. We put on the fake facade of “I’m okay” and refuse to give the battle to God, even though He said it was His (II Chronicles 20:15). At some point,…
Second Timothy 3:16 tells us all scripture is “God-breathed.” The Greek word in this passage is theopneustos. It is the living, breathing, active Word of God that brings life and truth to all those who read it. When you open your Bible, you’re not reading words meant only for an ancient civilization. You are actively becoming part of a never-ending story that God began long before you came into existence. There is incredible power when you take those words, spoken and inspired by God over thousands of years, and repeat them back to Him in prayer. You pray not your…
“If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you,” John 14:15-18 Sometimes I find myself trying to figure out how the Lord can be everywhere at once. With the millions of people in this world, it is hard to understand how I can feel Him here with me. But I have the promise of Hebrews 13:5 “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Have you ever awakened in the night feeling cold? You reach for the blanket or comforter at the foot of your bed and wrap it tightly around you. Soon, you feel warm and cozy and can go back to sleep. For the past few years, I have lived alone. Yet I do not feel lonely. It is hard to explain, but I sense the presence of the Lord with me. As I go about my work…
“But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” Matthew 6:3-4 The last post was about letting the Holy Spirit guide us in our giving. I received a comment with the question: “How do you see that playing out in everyday life?” So, I will try to answer that question in today’s article. I want to emphasize that we are all different and have different incomes and obligations in our lives. God does not expect the same commitment from you as He does from me. So, I can only speak from my own experience. Here are some ways that I have felt the Lord wanted me to give beyond my tithes and offerings to my local church. Missions –send an offering to a missionary or the Pastor of a small church that may be struggling. Let the Spirit lead you. You may be the answer to a specific prayer. Homeless – a group in our church takes a day to deliver food and supplies to homeless people in our city. When you are out…