John Ortberg has a clever way of describing the ABCs of faith.He says we must Abandon our old life, Believe God’s promises are trustworthy, and Commit to a new journey. The reason I like this is because it’s biblical. First, in 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul writes: “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The … Continue reading The ABCs of faith
spiritual growth
The right attitude in prayer
In Daniel 9:18-19, this inspiring man of single solitary devotion gives us an example of the ideal attitude we should have in prayer.This is what he says: “For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay … Continue reading The right attitude in prayer
What God is doing in you, not just around you
Xu Yonghai was imprisoned in China because he was working for the legalization of house churches. Here in North America we might take this sort of thing for granted. But over there it is very serious (and dangerous) business. Not only was he imprisoned, but he was sentenced to be executed. His last stop was a … Continue reading What God is doing in you, not just around you
Lent and the significance of “forty days”
Today is Ash Wednesday. It marks the beginning of Lent, the forty-day period (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter. The word itself, Lent, was chosen for convenience. It traces to an old English word for “springtime,” lencten. More literally, it means “lengthen,” which is a reference to the lengthening of days after a long, dark winter. … Continue reading Lent and the significance of “forty days”
Giving God a makeover?
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).Theologian J.I. Packer makes the following observation:“In 1963, J.A.T. Robinson’s ‘Honest to God’ was heralded by an article in one of England’s national newspapers entitled “Our Image of … Continue reading Giving God a makeover?
He uses even our feeble efforts
“…put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).In “The Happy Hypocrite” Lord George was an immoral man with a bloated face. He fell in love with a lovely young lady. He figured that she would never love him back. So, as the story goes, he covered … Continue reading He uses even our feeble efforts
Short one-sentence prayers from the Bible
Prayer is vital to the Christian life. But let’s be honest, we can get stuck. Even if we don’t get stuck, we probably want to go deeper.Prayer is deceptively simple. A very basic definition is that it is talking with God. So, why can it be so hard—either to get out of a rut, or to … Continue reading Short one-sentence prayers from the Bible
God can handle the truth
“Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart” (Psalm 51:6).In 1992 a movie came out called “A Few Good Men.” It’s been a while since I saw it, so there are a lot of parts I don’t remember. But one line stood out, and it … Continue reading God can handle the truth
Surround yourself with people who make you…
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17).I sometimes see T-shirts or online memes that say something like this: “Surround yourself with people who make you happy.” I get it. But that’s an unfortunately shallow way to look at life. Now, before you think I’m being too harsh or … Continue reading Surround yourself with people who make you…
What’s happening in your heart matters
We’ve been talking about prayer.Did you know that when it comes to effective prayer, what is happening in your heart matters?Recently I was struck by Psalm 66:18. The psalmist says: “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”When someone “cherishes” something they are adoring it; they are protecting it. … Continue reading What’s happening in your heart matters
