Month: September 2019

Weekly words of encouragement

Peace Amidst Tribulation – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, ESV). Jesus had just given a long talk to his disciples and encouraged them that they will have joy and be able to ask anything from the Father in Jesus’ name. But these words in verse 33 are not just for the disciples; they are for all his followers. When we abide in him we have inner peace even though outside, in the world, we have tribulation. This is a great description of life during the overlap of the former age and the kingdom of God. Since Jesus brought the kingdom when he came his followers get to experience the kingdom inside themselves. Thus, in the midst of a turbulent world we have something that no other group can Continue Reading →

Social justice

Pursuing Social Justice In Christ – Part 1

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Anyone who longs to see justice and harmony in society should be ecstatic about Jesus’ teaching on the kingdom of God. Jesus’ goal is a perfectly just society. When we seek social justice in Christ we know that we will bear fruit, whether or not we change an entire society. When we give our lives to provide a better living for humanity our “success” does not depend on outcome. Whatever the results, our efforts to produce change display the light of the kingdom of God for anyone around us to see. The pressure to make sure we achieve our desired results is off of us. God does his part and we do our part and we trust God for the outcome. Ultimately, God will establish complete social justice. As we pursue social justice, what we seek and how we seek it shows others the goodness of God and gives them Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

The Spirit Teaches Us Truth – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” John 16:13 (ESV). Jesus spoke these words to the twelve before he was crucified. When the Holy Spirit came he truly did guide the Apostles into all the truth and we have this truth in their writings. And everyone who believes also has the Spirit of truth indwelling them. He also leads us into truth. He takes the words of Scripture and teaches them to our hearts. Our responsibility is to “walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16) while we absorb Scripture so that we can be “rightly handling the word of truth” 2 Tim. 2:15 (ESV). But how do we walk in the Spirit, especially when we don’t feel him? We do so by making the choice to depend on the Spirit instead of just ourselves, and then to have faith that he will guide us. Continue Reading →

judge discern

More Guidelines For Discernment (Discernment Part 4)

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Last week we gave some guidelines for discernment. This week we present some more specific guidelines for making a discernment decision. The greater the impact on our lives the more we should seek multiple confirmations. At the least there should be deep confidence or a big undeniable confirmation. Impressions from God are generally “gentle, light, and sweet, as a drop of water entering a sponge.” Impressions from evil spirits are “sharp, noisy and disturbing, like a drop of water falling upon a rock.” However, an impression from God can make us anxious, hurt, sad or afraid because of the content of the impression and our normal reaction to it. Thus, it may not bring peace at first and it may take us a while to surrender and accept the message. We should reflect on where the impression would eventually lead us. Is it a good end? Does it please God Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

Our Deep Desire To Be Fruitful – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” John 15:5 (NIV) Humans don’t do well if they think their life is pointless. We don’t do well if we can’t be productive. We want something good to come from our lives. This is how God made us. When he put Adam and Eve in the Garden he told them to “be fruitful” (Gen. 1:28). We were made to produce good things and our soul will feel empty if we can’t do so. Moreover, we have a desire for deep fruitfulness. We don’t just want to build buildings, farm for food, or invent new medicines, although these are all good pursuits for fruitfulness. We also want to be fruitful in the hearts of others. We want to help satisfy the deeper desires for joy and peace in human Continue Reading →