Living in the Finished work of Jesus Christ
Hello, my friends!
Today I want to dive into what is perhaps the most profound and important question any of us can ask ourselves: “Who am I?” The answer to that inquiry gets to the very core of our identity – the deep essence of our being that shapes how we see ourselves and move through this world.
Hello, my friends!
I've been doing a lot of pondering lately on the staggering truth of our righteousness in Christ. It's one of those concepts that can so easily become an intellectual theological idea rather than the mind-blowing, life-transforming reality it truly is. But when we grab hold of this with renewed wonder, everything changes!
Hello, my friends!
I was reflecting this morning on the profound significance of foundations – those unseen but oh-so crucial elements that everything is built upon. Whether we're talking about the foundations of a building, a relationship, or a life, the foundations determine the stability, integrity and shape of what will be constructed.
Hello, my friends!
When we look at the word “hope,” often in secular use, it's a term used to describe something that might happen, like it'll be good if it does happen. But biblically, the word “hope” is far different in its meaning. Hope in Scripture means something is definitely done; it's completed; it's a done deal already. All we are doing when entertaining the use of biblical hope is fully anticipating that which is hoped for coming to fruition.
Hello, my friends!
Today, I want to share a theme that struck me during my prayer time this morning, “Casting Off the Earthly Crown.” Crowns are mentioned in several parts of the Bible, like the crown of righteousness, the crown of life, and the crown of glory. We know that when we meet Jesus at the Bema seat, or Christ's Judgment seat, we'll be evaluated on whether we can receive our inheritance and rewards. For a saint walking in the spirit in their faith walk, they can be sure of keeping their inheritance and rewards. But for those who are regenerated, therefore becoming saints, and walk in the flesh all their lives, the assurance of rewards and inheritance is shaky.
Hello, my friends!
Over the past week, the Lord has mentioned the word “whosoever” to me twice in my morning prayer time, and once He ministered the word to me in my sleep. It's interesting that parallel to this, I have hurt my back for the 10,000th time, so sitting here at the computer is possible only due to anti-inflammatories and Panadol; it sort of helps. I hurt my back in the Army, and it's been a problem my whole adult life.
Hello, my friends!
This morning, I was reading in Ephesians about putting off the old man and putting on the new man. We have a new man that dwells within, a new creation, but sometimes, we don't naturally operate out of that new man, that new creation. Paul was instructing the church in Ephesus not to walk in the flesh but to walk in the spirit. His instruction was along the lines of, “If indeed you are a new man, a new creation, why put on the old dead man and operate as if you weren't new at all?”
Hello, my friends!
When we look at the life of Jesus on this earth, particularly in His ministry years, He spent time with specific types of people. He was interested in the downcast, the downtrodden. He was interested in the poor and the prostitutes. He was interested in anyone who was lost to the brokenness of this world but withstood all who were proud, often confronting them.
Hello, my friends!
Feeling safe, I think, is one of the most enviable and sought-after feelings one can have, next to love. I believe, obviously, love is paramount here, as we know, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear...” (1 John 4:18). We can be in a loving, close-knit family or community but still be afraid in some ways. All you have to do is look around the globe to see that in spades, as the world is a pretty insidious place and very uncertain, to say the least.
Hello, my friends!
This morning, I would like to explore a couple of words the Lord has been saying to me on repeat for many years. The first is “worm mouldings,” and the second is “plight of the concords.” The term “worm mouldings” started about 15 years ago and was really prominent in the first 5 years but has become less frequent over time, occurring just now and then. The phrase “plight of the concords,” which I thought for many years was “flight of the concords,” started about 10 years ago and has re-emerged in recent months. Well, both have, so my expectation is that both these words are being brought to prevalence in this coming season, whatever that looks like.