I'm currently reading through Who Speaks for God? by Charles Colson. It is a collection of very short essays regarding a variety of issues pertaining to Christianity. If you want to read a book that makes you think, you should check this one out. Although it is from the 1980s, it still discusses issues relevant for today's world.
One topic I found particularly useful was titled "In Search of Self". Basically, some people decide to abandon their commitments, such as spouses, jobs, friends, or churches, and decide to run off and try to find themselves by running a candy shop in Hawaii. Following some haphazard dream may sound great but as Christians we can't just dig deeper within ourselves to find the way. Our identity is in God and we need to seek after him wholeheartedly. Only in losing ourselves in God will we truly find ourselves.
That's just one of the topics Colson touches on in the book. Feel free to read further.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
More blessings take 2
I'm going to revise my position from the previous post. There's a verse somewhere in the bible that says that God sends rain on the good and bad alike. Rain is a blessing (when needed for crops).
I think that regardless of what you do, you will experience God's blessing in your life. Blessings are just one example of God's love that he bestows freely.
I think that regardless of what you do, you will experience God's blessing in your life. Blessings are just one example of God's love that he bestows freely.
More blessings?
I'm currently reading a book by John MacArthur titled The Body Dynamic. In it, he says that no matter what we do, God will not love us more or less. I agree with this idea, but how about this - Will God bless you more if you do good things, like reading the Bible or helping others out?
I think so. Perhaps not because you're being a goody two shoes, but because living the way God planned for you to live IS such a blessing. Granted, evil always seems to get in the way and bad things do happen to good people, and those bad things certainly don't seem like blessings. So in the end, does God bless you more the more good things you do?
I think so. Perhaps not because you're being a goody two shoes, but because living the way God planned for you to live IS such a blessing. Granted, evil always seems to get in the way and bad things do happen to good people, and those bad things certainly don't seem like blessings. So in the end, does God bless you more the more good things you do?
Friday, July 6, 2012
The sons of God
'Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us that we should be called the sons of God.'
These words from that old tune came back to me today as I was reading 1 John chapter 3. The NIV reads "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"
In his book titled 'Be Real' Warren Wiersbe highlights the importance of this verse by linking it back to the passage in Ephesians that says that while we were still his enemies, God, through Christ Jesus, brought us near himself (Eph 2:12-13).
These words from that old tune came back to me today as I was reading 1 John chapter 3. The NIV reads "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"
In his book titled 'Be Real' Warren Wiersbe highlights the importance of this verse by linking it back to the passage in Ephesians that says that while we were still his enemies, God, through Christ Jesus, brought us near himself (Eph 2:12-13).
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
God is a surgeon
I was just listening to a seminar by Steve Gladen, and he made a comment that I thought I would pass along to you. "God is a surgeon, not an assassin."
Let me explain.
Have you ever felt like God was taking a knife to you, trying to cut away the bad things in your life? Well, here's the thing, we don't have to be afraid of him wielding the knife! He's not out to kill us or condemn us. He's trying to bring us closer to perfection. So the next time you sense that you're on the operating table, don't freak out! God's not going to mess up. If you adhere to his guidance, you'll end up a lot healthier.
Let me explain.
Have you ever felt like God was taking a knife to you, trying to cut away the bad things in your life? Well, here's the thing, we don't have to be afraid of him wielding the knife! He's not out to kill us or condemn us. He's trying to bring us closer to perfection. So the next time you sense that you're on the operating table, don't freak out! God's not going to mess up. If you adhere to his guidance, you'll end up a lot healthier.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Prayer
Here's a prayer opportunity I heard about recently. Even if you aren't a pastor or lay leader in your church, consider praying through your church's directory every week (or two weeks, etc. depending on the size of your church). I think the time and commitment it takes to pray for the people in your church will draw you closer to God, as you ask him to work in their lives. Moreover, I think this prayer 'task' will also bring you into further fellowship and communion with your church family. Praying for people has a miraculous way of getting you to take a deeper interest in them!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Reading Plans
I hope you have all been able to find new reading plans or other methods for staying on top of your bible reading. The YouVersion bible app for the iPhone and iPad has been very useful for me because it has a large selection of reading plans that you can choose from and it will track your progress on each plan you start. If you haven't used this app yet, you should check it out. It will certainly help you stay on top of your bible reading!
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