Not Affecting Wisdom

The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely you will be judged, unless your life is also the more holy. Do not be proud, therefore, because of your learning or skill. Rather, fear because of the talent given you. If you think you know many things and understand them well enough, realize at the same time that there is much you do not know. Hence, do not affect wisdom, but admit your ignorance.

The Imitation of Christ, Thomas A Kempis

Are the 10 Commandments relevant today?

One of the most well-known passages of the Old Testament is the 10 Commandments. Many of us learned about the 10 Commandments in Sunday school children, but can you think of a time, as an adult, when you heard a sermon or received instruction on the 10 Commandments? It makes one wonder if the 10 Commandments really matter very much anymore. Do they matter in our daily Christian life, or did Jesus, his words, and his teachings push aside the 10 Commandments and make them insignificant?

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Growing In Humility

The Gospels are full of stories about Jesus and the remarkable and selfless humility he demonstrated in his life, toward God and his fellow man. As followers of Christ, we are to imitate Christ and his humility and follow his lead. But how do we know if humility is increasingly present in our life? If we feel confident that we are growing in humility or think humility to be one of our strong points, then we are probably not as humble as we believe ourselves to be. So, how do we know if we are truly growing in humility?

 

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A Hunger For Humility

Christian believers are called to be imitators of Christ. One quality that marked Jesus' life in its entirety was his humility. The Scriptures describe him as being gentle and humble of heart. 

 

But humility is something that is in short supply these days, even among Christians. We often get so upset and angry over the smallest trifles in our daily lives, particularly when we feel that our person or reputation is being impugned in the slightest way. But Jesus showed us a better way...

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Book Review: In God's Presence by J.I. Packer

I have been reading In God's Presence by J.I. Packer this year. Packer is most well known for his timeless work Knowing God. He has authored countless books, and was named by Time magazine one of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America. Packer is an excellent writer, but I think he is so influential because he has the unique ability to simplify complex theological issues so they are understandable to the average lay person. 

 

His devotional book, In God's Presence, accomplishes exactly this. Packer tackles what it means, over 365 days, to be a member of the family of God. The daily readings are full of Packer's brilliant insights and formatted so that readers are able to better comprehend a piece of biblical or theological truth, before moving onto the next day's reading. Each daily devotional includes a prayer as well as meditation questions to spur the reader on to deeper thinking about the topic of the day.

 

As Packer himself has said, "As a writer, part of my job is to case the world of scholarship, like a woman bargain-hunting, to find what would be worthwhile for the thoughtful layman to know." In God's Presence is well written and full of logical and practical biblical truths to help followers of Christ grow in their walk with God. 

The Secrets Of Spiritual Joy

The Scriptures tell us to "Rejoice in the Lord always." The word rejoice is synonymous with joy, so the bible means that we are to have joy in the Lord always. But what is joy exactly? Joy is not about having a cheerful disposition or a life that is always full of fun and laughter. Instead, joy is a state of being in which contentment reigns. And God has revealed that there are sources of spiritual joy accessible to all His children.

The first source of joy is loving God. Our love for God is possible because...

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Rooted In God

It is good for us to have trials and troubles at times, for they often remind us that we are on probation and ought not to hope in any worldly thing. It is good for us to sometimes to suffer contradiction, to be misjudged by men, even though we do well and mean well. These things help us to be humble and shield us from vainglory. When to all outward appearances men give us no credit, when they do not think well of us, then we are more inclined to seek God, who sees our hearts. Therefore, a man ought to root himself so firmly in God that he will not need the consolations of men. 

The Imitation Of Christ, Thomas A Kempis

How do we make our homes spiritually healthy places?

A few days ago I hit the one year mark of living in my current home. A year ago I was unpacking boxes after an 18 month long process of trying to sell my previous house. 

 

During that year and a half, I experienced some great disappointment, like when the first contract fell through just days before the closing date. My family and I waited for almost an entire year before we received another offer, and most days I wondered why God was making us wait so long.  

 

But God had some lessons to teach me during that period of waiting...

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Going Into The Great Depths Of God

If you yourself do not cut the lines that tie you to the dock, God will have to use a storm to sever them and send you out to sea. Put everything in your life afloat upon God, going out to sea on the great swelling tide of His purpose, and your eyes will be opened. If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in calm waters just inside the harbor, full of joy, but always tied to the dock. You have to get out past the harbor into the great depths of God, and begin to know things for yourself - begin to have spiritual discernment.

My Utmost For His Highest, June 8

I want God's light to shine from me, but I am not sure it does. Will it ever?

I have been taking some time recently to reflect on the topics I have written on lately. Usually, the topics I write on are things that God is currently teaching me, which often makes it a challenge to write in the third person. Third person makes it sound as though I am an authority on what I am writing, when really God is challenging me and working on me about my writing topics.

 

One issue I have been reflecting on this week comes from my article, The defining characteristics of Christ's church. I describe how people in Christ's church are to be full of joy and radiate God's presence. Since I wrote that article, I have been thinking, "Do I radiate God's presence, and am I really full of joy?"

 

I can fairly confidently answer "no" to both of those questions....

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Too often I take the Cross for granted. But why?

The cross of Jesus Christ was a remarkable event in history. Sometimes, when I think about the cross, I take it for granted because it is part of the story of Jesus that I know so well. But every once in awhile, when I stop and think about the significance of the cross, and the magnitude of what God did for me on the cross, I am stunned.

 

From the very beginning of history, God had a problem...

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What characteristics define Christ's church?

Following Jesus is not an individual experience. When a person comes to Christ, following repentance for his sins and a profession of faith in God's Son, he enters into a new family and community, also known as the church. In this community, all the members are surrendered to God and acknowledge his lordship over their lives. But what did Jesus say his church should look like? What defining characteristics should mark the lives of the people in the church?

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What is a true disciple of Jesus like?

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? Webster defines the word disciple as "one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another." People who follow Jesus are to do more than just confess their faith in Him. Christians who follows Jesus are to be His present day disciples, just like the twelve disciples in the Gospels. But what characteristics mark the lives of true disciples of Jesus?

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The Importance Of Imitating Jesus

Christ's followers are called to be imitators of Him. But some christians' ideas about imitating Jesus seem to include some very un-Jesus like behavior. They are angry and condemning and self-righteous which can turn non-believers away from the Gospel message. But is this how Jesus was? What does the Bible say about Jesus and the ways in which His followers are to imitate Him? 

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What makes Jesus so different?

Jesus was a revolutionary figure. Not in a political or military sense, but He was revolutionary in a religious sense. Yet many people view Jesus as divisive, condemning, and judgmental. But is this how He truly was or just how some people imagine Him to be? Could someone so unattractive have changed the religious landscape of the world so dramatically? Probably not. What was it that made Jesus irresistable to so many people throughout the centuries and enabled His teachings take root?         

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Meditating vs. brooding

Many people, christian and non-christian alike, are brooders. Usually the term brood has a negative connotation attached to it because often people brood in selfish ways. As they selfishly brood, people indulge in ugly and unattractive thoughts and feelings toward another person or situation. 

But brooding can be beneficial. If it is done to analyze problems, discover solutions to difficult situations, or create positive strategies, brooding can be a healthy activity. And just as healthy brooding is important in a person's life so also christian brooding is important in a christian's life. This is because christian brooding is another term for meditation, which is a vital element in a believer's relationship with God...

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