Not long ago, it was my turn to share from scripture at a men’s group I attend. As I asked the Lord what to talk about, I found my mind turning to questions: Am I growing spiritually? If so, how do I know? I decided to raise these questions at the men’s group to see…
Category: Discipleship
Which Nature?
The other day, a guy in a truck blew a stop sign, pulled right in front of me, and sped down the road. I was super annoyed and wished all kinds of misfortune on him (“LET HIM GET PULLED OVER, LORD!”). Seconds later, I thought about my reaction and judgments. The driver was reckless and…
The Inner Spirit of the Cross
The following is from a pamphlet by G.D. Watson. The act of crucifixion is one thing, but the spirit in which the crucifixion is to be borne is another. In some respects the act may be brief and finished, but the inward heart disposition that should pervade crucifixion is a continuous principle extending through life,…
Everything Will Fall
On December 1st I woke from a dream that left me unsettled. It was a long rambling dream, but I knew the end was from the Lord. In the dream, I was talking with a friend who pastors a church. He was telling me the church suddenly fell apart and closed. He said, “Everything seemed…
Laid into Suffering
In 1 Thessalonians 2:17 and 18, Paul remembers being forced to leave Thessalonica—their time cut short by a mob that attacked, abused, and jailed some of them (Acts 17:5-9). Paul talks affectionately of their desire to return but says satan hindered them. Acts 17:13-15 tells the full story: Paul and co. went to Berea after…
Copycats
For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, since you have also suffered the same things from people of your own country, just as they did from the Jews who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and persecuted us” (1 Thess. 2:14-15). For the second time,…
Repackaged Lie
We all fail in many ways, as James chapter three points out. Some flaws persist for years with only modest change. Recently, I was praying about one of my ongoing flaws. I have told the Lord more than once I never want to fail in this particular way again. I was telling Him this again…
Freely Owned
As famine worsened in Egypt, people came to Joseph seeking food. The grain Joseph stored up for Pharaoh over seven years was the only food in the land. For awhile, people paid money for grain. “Joseph collected all the money to be found in the land of Egypt.” Eventually, people ran out of money (Gen….
Another Spirit
The following is by my friend, Randy. It is longer than my typical posts, so what follows is an excerpt. You can read the full article here. *** “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be…
Budget Christianity
“And you, in your turn, followed the example set by us and by the Lord; the welcome you gave the message meant grave suffering for you, yet you rejoiced in the Holy Spirit; thus you have become a model for all believers….” (1 Thess. 1:6-7). Today in America, one can become a Christian with relatively…
