Christian Living

Peter was a man who, like all of us, was hindered by his flesh. He often spoke too soon, made promises he could not keep, and allowed his temper to get the best of him.

Here’s a faith-building exercise: Take one of the miracles of the Bible—any miracle will do—and write a list of reasons why it couldn’t be done.

As much as we wish it wasn’t so, the truth is, all of us have a mean streak. The “works of the flesh” (our flesh) include “hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife” (Galatians 5:19–20). We all have flesh, our flesh is selfish, and the selfishness of our flesh often comes out in meanness.

You know the traction-gaining tool for social media: hashtags. Whether it’s #WeAreN or #icebucketchallenge, people turn to hashtags to use their Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram posts to make a difference.

Every time I think I have it rough, the Lord causes me to think about Job. I am not sure there was another man who was tried to the breaking point like Job was.

The writer of Hebrews is making a fairly simple point: the way to maturity—solid, biblical maturity—is not becoming an intelligent person but becoming an obedient person.

If you’re like me, not everything on your to-do list or project list gets done. And yet, if you’re like me, it’s vital that certain projects do get done. Of course, the difference in what gets done and what doesn’t get done fundamentally relates to the choices we make in preparation and execution.

The Apostle Paul told the church at Corinth about another church on which God had bestowed a special grace. That church was in Macedonia and that grace involved their giving (2 Corinthians 8:1–15).

In the previous post we looked at three steps to take when you find yourself empty and depleted. Identifying the problem, however—while a great start—isn’t enough. Where do you go from here. I have found two final steps to be needful:

God is a miracle-working God! “Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee” (Jeremiah 32:17). Amazingly to me, however, is the fact that He allows us to have a part in the work He is doing. God could do things all by Himself as He did when He created the universe, but He desires to involve us in His miraculous works.

It’s easy to explain why we need renewal because all of us can easily identify with the all-too-familiar sense of depletion. But what do we do when we come to this point? How do we renew?

Often we read stories of great men of God in the Bible and wonder if we can ever be used of God in the way they were used. The truth is they were men, just like you and me. They faced the same battles that all men face.

What Christians regard as the great Day of Pentecost happened fifty days after the resurrection of the Saviour, and brought events of significance which are recorded in the second chapter of the book of Acts. The two outstanding features of Pentecost for us are these:

In the second half of Genesis we are introduced to two primary figures—Jacob and Joseph. These men lived very colorful lives. Let’s look at them and the lessons their lives have for us.

Every morning brings fresh opportunities—and fresh challenges. Sometimes the challenges seem to outweigh the opportunities. Sometimes it’s difficult to see the opportunities embedded in the challenges. Sometimes—with or without challenges or opportunities—it’s just a rough day.

There is an inescapable principle at work in Scripture. It is prevalent from the first few chapters of Genesis to the end of Revelation. It is a principle that is applied to the greatest servants of the Lord. It is a principle that is painful and time consuming in its application, but necessary to the process of preparation that every saint greatly used of God must go through.

In America we have been so profoundly blessed as a nation, that we sometimes forget how incredible our blessings are and the magnitude of the liberties we enjoy every day.

Paul loved the believers at Philippi and felt especially close to them. He wrote them about personal issues, and asked them to put aside their petty offenses and come together in unity: “I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord” (Philippians 4:2).

The principle of rest is woven into the pages of Scripture. But in our twenty-first century mentality of hurry, we often miss it. God built cycles of work and rest into creation. (See Genesis 2:2–3; Exodus 20:11.) Even Jesus highlighted the necessity of having times of rest.

The Bible is filled with fascinating characters. From Exodus to Deuteronomy, Moses and Aaron are prominent figures. They have interaction with many different personalities.