“Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite, in whom there is no deceit!’” John 1:47 I can still picture in my mind, one particular morning in 1979, as I sat at the counter of a local diner in Fort Worth, Texas, reading this verse of scripture over and over again. The Spirit of God had just opened the eyes of my heart to what was impressed upon me as being an essential
“Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) As a very brief commentary on this verse, this article shares some reflections on the terms“ burdens”, “bear”, and “fulfill”.
We hope for many things in life. But we all have experienced disappointments – unfulfilled hopes. In his Letter to the Romans, Paul, stated that “hope does not disappoint”. What hope is he talking about? He said there is “a hope that is reserved for us in heaven”. That’s a future hope. He also spoke of “the hope of the glory of God”. Is that a hope for the here and now? Can we hope to experience “the glory of
From the moment of his birth throughout most of his life, Jacob “wrestled” with people – particularly his brother. He wrestled in order to position himself – that is, in order to get things the way he wanted them. It was his nature to wrestle with everyone he encountered before he finally wrestled with God. But after having his ultimate wrestling match with God – that is, after “wrestling for the blessing”, both his name and his nature were changed.
This article, which deals with the subject of “personal identity”, is an excerpt from the book “Wrestling for the Blessing”, which endeavors to show that Scripture reveals God’s desire to offer each individual in Christ a unique expression of their personal identity. This was clearly initiated in the Garden, lost through the Fall, restored collectively to the people of God in the Old Covenant, but restored on an individual basis for each person in Christ. Further, the personal application of
This article, which deals with the subject of “personal identity”, is an excerpt from the book “Wrestling for the Blessing”, which endeavors to show that Scripture reveals God’s desire to offer each individual in Christ a unique expression of their personal identity. This was clearly initiated in the Garden, lost through the Fall, restored collectively to the people of God in the Old Covenant, but restored on an individual basis for each person in Christ. Further, the personal application of
This brief article discusses the following aspects of Experiencing the Manifested Presence of God: Being “In the Spirit” Spiritual Perception “Under the Influence” of the Spirit A Foretaste of Heaven
The writer to the Hebrews tells us God is shaking the heavens and the earth – all created things. There is a revelation of “the shaking”, there’s a realization of “the shaking”, and then there is the fruitfulness of “the shaking”.
This is a brief essay on a passage in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. My “bottom line” flies in the face of a current tendency in much of the professing Church in western nations, including most of the so called “Ekklesia” movements. That tendency is to shun the reality and necessity of authentic spiritual leadership.[1] To be clear, by “authentic spiritual leadership” ministries I am NOT referring to those who have well-known, large, and popular, “successful” ministries. Nor am I
“The weakness of God” (1 Corinthians 1:25) – this is, indeed, a captivating phrase penned by Paul the apostle in his letter to the Church. This article is about weakness, meekness, the powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12), “a people being formed by the Lord” (Isaiah 43:21), and the commission of the Church. (Ephesians 3:10)
