Experiencing the Grace of Christ in Everyday Life
...when we can, we will do well to help a brother or sister in the Lord turn away from behavior that harms the church and grieves the Holy Spirit. The following are four steps to responding Biblically to power-play in the church.
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:10 ESV As we saw in the last post, power-play in the church is a satanic scheme intended to bring division among... Continue Reading →
“…Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought... Continue Reading →
"But I am among you as the one who serves." -Our Lord Jesus, as recorded in Luke 22:27 Power-brokers, power-mongers, and power-players run our world. To some degree or another, most of us have come to accept that power-play is just part of living life in a fallen and corrupted world. We anticipate finding power-brokers in... Continue Reading →
We all know that we MUST forgive those that have hurt us. The Lord requires that we forgive our enemies; that we forgive the people that have injured us (Matthew 6:14; Colossians 3:13). We must forgive as we are forgiven. That is what we, Christians, believe; that is what we, Christians, pray (Luke 11:4). If... Continue Reading →
I once heard a message given by Jerry Bridges on the importance of preaching the gospel to one's self. I had never really thought much about the idea before hearing his message. He talked about the importance of keeping in the front of our minds the truth that we are accepted by God solely on... Continue Reading →
This is the sermon John Piper preached at Passion 2017. Sunday a friend told me to check it out. She said that her and her husband listened to it last week and that it left them dumbfounded - that it changed their whole perspective on sin and the essence of evil. So I heeded her... Continue Reading →
...OK breathe. And say it again. Now close your eyes. And surrender.
"And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." John 17:3 The new life that God has called Christians to walk in is an eternal life, which consists of knowing God. We cannot know God without knowing Christ. It is by faith in Jesus... Continue Reading →
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you…” 1 Peter 5:6 Acronyms help me remember things that I should remember- but that I sometimes too easily forget. Being humble, or having a humble-mind, as Scripture commands the believer to have (1 Peter 3:8), is... Continue Reading →
Born in 76, saved in 95, happily married since 96, moved from MA to TX in 97- did the reverse two years later. First child born in 99, second and third children (twins) born in 01, fourth child born in 03, fifth child born in 04- started homeschooling the same year. Moved from MA to NY in 05 and then moved again from NY to PA in 09- In all of it, totally feeling my weakness, absolutely embracing the cross, and in an amazing way experiencing the resurrection grace of God. So, I figured why not just boast in it? Hence, Boasting in Weakness: Appropriating the Cross of Christ for Life- 2014.
