(i) The Holy Spirit comes from God. - The new birth (John 3:3, 7). - “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Luke 3:16). (ii) The Holy Spirit changes us. - “Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” …
Continue reading The Holy Spirit comes from God. The Holy Spirit changes us.
Third Sunday in Lent: Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-11; John 4:5-42 Called to serve the Lord, we begin with worship, praying and listening to His Word. Worldly people create problems (Exodus 17:3). Moses asks, ‘What shall I do...?’ (Exodus 17:4). Indecision asks, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ (Exodus 17:7). He gives victory …
"The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and …
"Throw them into the burning fiery furnace" (Daniel 3:20). Life can be like a "burning fiery furnace." We are not alone in this "burning fiery furnace." Jesus is with us. He has suffered death for us - and,now, he suffers with us. Through faith in him, we look beyond our suffering to his triumph. Whatever …
"And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped" (Exodus 4:31). They heard. They believed. They worshipped. "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of …
In Jesus Christ, there is both mystery and revelation. There will always be mystery. There will always be something that's beyond our understanding. There is, also, revelation. Jesus impresses himself upon us. He calls us to come to him with faith. In Romans 16:25, Paul speaks about "the revelation of the mystery." What are we …
"‘The time has come,’ Jesus said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’" (Mark 1:15). Jesus draws near to us. He brings to us the power of a new life. It's not a new life that's created by our faith. It's a new life that comes to us from Jesus, our …
Romans 15:1-33 - With Christ’s example, ‘the encouragement of the Scriptures’ and the enabling power of God, let us love one another,‘with one heart and one voice’ (1-6). This is the way of glorifying God. Trusting in Christ, ‘the root of Jesse’, we are blessed by ‘the God of hope’, filled with ‘the power of …
I was reading Romans 1:1-7. I was asking the question, "What's this about?" There's one simple answer to this question: "This is all about Jesus!"
"Call upon the name of the Lord" (Genesis 4:26). Down through the centuries, people have called upon the name of the Lord. We know the names of some of the people. Most of the names we'll never know. We don't need to know their names - but we do need to know the name of …
"God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood—to be received by faith" (Romans 3:25). God's grace always comes before our faith. It's not our faith that saves us. It's His grace. Salvation is never our achievement. It's always God's gift. Salvation comes to us through the death of our Lord …
"This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him" (1 John 4:9). As I read these words, my thoughts went to the words of John 3:16 - "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only …
Ps 68:1-35; Rom 5:1–11 God is ‘our salvation’. He is the ‘God of salvation’ (Psalm 68:19-20). God’s salvation covers our past, present and future. (a) You have been saved. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have received the forgiveness of our sins (Romans 5:1). (b) You are being saved. God is at work in our …
"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were …
Continue reading Union with Christ in His death and resurrection – facts, faith and experience
We hear about disease, pain and grief. It is all very disturbing to us. What are we to do with our anxieties? Let us take them to the Lord in prayer. When we take our concerns to the Lord, we are reminded of something else - our sin. In Psalm 25:18, the Psalmist spoke to …
Continue reading Disease, Pain, Grief … Jesus is the Way to eternal life.
"Enter not into judgment with Thy servant: for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified" (Psalm 143:2). In ourselves, we have no hope of salvation. We are sinners. There is no way of saving ourselves. It cannot be done. We're attempting the impossible. It will only end in failure. This is our hopeless situation …
"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). When He's in your heart, He has to come out. The Saviour is not be kept to ourselves. He's to be shared with other people. We pray, …
Continue reading Confess with your mouth … Believe in your heart …
How do we get from this – “Lord, you are the God who saves me” (Psalm 88:1) – to this – “darkness is my closest friend” (Psalm 88:18)? – “An enemy has done this” (Matthew 13:28).
God’s people are under constant attack – from Satan, the enemy of God and his people. Satan is a determined enemy.
How are we raised from the “darkness” of Psalm 88:18? How are brought into the assurance of salvation of Psalm 88:1?
We must remind Satan that he’s, also, a defeated enemy. We do not claim that, by ourselves, we are able to triumph over Satan. We direct Satan’s attention to Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. We remind Satan that Jesus “loved us and gave himself for us” (Galatians 2:20). We remind Satan that “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). Satan will attack us, again and…
View original post 130 more words
Second Sunday in Lent: Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17 Human failure and divine faithfulness This is a divine Story, carried forward by God’s grace and power. God’s very great promises (Genesis 12:1-3) find their ultimate fulfilment in the coming of God’s eternal Kingdom (Revelation 21:10). We have not reached our heavenly …
First Sunday in Lent: Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7; Psalm 32; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11 Created by God and for God, we have sinned against Him. We noted, in Genesis 1:1-3, the importance of getting our priorities right - God, God’s Word, God’s Spirit. Here, we emphasize the importance of these priorities. We are under God. We …
Romans 1-3 ‘I am not ashamed of the Gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith’ (1:16). Let us say, with Paul, ‘God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Galatians 6:14). Let us be ‘set apart for the gospel of …
This message was preached as part of a series in which we looked at what the books of the New Testament say about "the Kingdom of God." Since the focus is really on Martin Luther, I've given "Learning from Martin Luther" as the main title, with "The Kingdom of God: Romans and Galatians" being given …
Continue reading Learning from Martin Luther (The Kingdom Of God: Romans and Galatians)
ROMANS1:1-32 - ‘I am not ashamed of the Gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith’ (16). Do you think it was easy for Paul to maintain such commitment to Christ, such confidence in Christ? What kind of world did he live in? – A world of ‘ungodliness …
Romans4:1-25 - Salvation is not a ‘reward’ to be ‘earned’. It is God’s ‘gift’ (4-5). Salvation comes from the Lord. ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only Son’ (John 3:16): Without the love of God, the gift of God, the Son of God, there can be no salvation. The way of salvation …
Romans8:1-39 - Each of us must choose. We can ‘live according to the flesh’ or we can ‘live according to the Spirit’. We can ‘set the mind on the flesh’ or we can ‘set the mind on the Spirit’ (5-6). The new life in the Spirit is just the beginning. God is preparing us for …
In today's world, there's plenty of bad news - but there's, also, Good News (Mark 13:10). In Mark 13:7, we read about the end - "the end is not yet." In Mark 13:8, we read about a beginning - "These are the beginning of sorrows." Beyond "the beginning of sorrows", there is "the end." The …
Continue reading In today’s world, there’s plenty of bad news – but there’s, also, Good News …
"You get nothing for nothing. You only get what you pay for." Is this cynicism - or realism? Let's think together about something else - something that lifts us above all of this - the love of God, the grace of God, the mercy of God, the gift of God, the peace of God, the …
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 29:15-28; Psalm 105:1-11, 45b (or Psalm 128) or 1 Kings 3:5-12; Psalm 119:129-136; Romans 8:26-39; Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 Trust in the Lord. He is working in us to do us good. The tables are turned on Jacob. The trickster is tricked! The ‘trick’ was according to the ‘custom’ that the …
Continue reading Trust in the Lord. He is working in us to do us good …
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28; Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b or 1 Kings 19:9-18; Psalm 85:8-13; Romans 10:5-15; Matthew 14:22-33 Strengthened by the Lord, we are led in the way of victory. In the story of Joseph, we see human sin and divine grace. We see jealousy (Genesis 37:11) and its effects: ‘where jealousy …
"I’m not ashamed of the Good News. It is God’s power to save everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). Jesus wasn't ashamed of us. He went to the Cross for us. This is the Good News. Jesus is our Saviour. May we be unashamed of Jesus. May we be glad to speak of Him who died …
"I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received" (Ephesians 4:1). How are we to live a life worthy of our high calling? Let's go back from Ephesians 4:1, back to Ephesians 2:8-10. There, we learn about grace, faith and works - in that order. We begin with grace. We …
"It is God's kindness that is trying to lead you to Him, and change the way you think and act" (Romans 2:4). God doesn't want to leave us the way we are. He wants to change us. He wants to make us new men and women. He wants to make us men and women who …
Continue reading God’s Love Is Reaching Out To Us – To Change Us.
"The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived" (1 Kings 17:22). The raising of the widow's son confirmed Elijah's authority as God's prophet. Here, we look beyond God's prophet, Elijah, to God's Son, Jesus. We look beyond the raising of the widow's son to the resurrection of Jesus, …
Continue reading From the raising of a widow’s son to the resurrection of God’s Son
Hosea 1:1-2:23; Romans 6:1-14; Psalm 87:1-7 The grace of God is amazing - “I will show My love to the one I called ‘Not My loved one ...’” (Hosea 2:23). We are now to live as those who have received grace (Romans 6:1-2). We put the past, with its sin, behind us. We look to …
When we read the Word of God, we learn about God - and we learn about ourselves. We learn that we were created by God - and we learn that we have fallen away from God (see Genesis 1-3). We learn that we are sinners - and we learn that we have a Saviour (see …
Read the words of John 3:16 and Romans 10:9. Put your name into these great verses. Make it personal - Jesus is my Saviour. Jesus is my Lord.
"Within Your temple, O God, we meditate on Your unfailing love" (Psalm 48:9). What do we do when human love fails? We look beyond human love. We look to divine love. God's love never fails. It's an "unfailing love." We should think, often, of the love of God. We should think of Jesus - "God so …
"Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24). Here, we read about our sin and God's salvation. Once we have received God's salvation, we must not forget about our sin. We have been …
Gen 3:10–15, Isa 64:6, Rom 10:11, 2 Cor 5:21, 1 John 1:9 Through Christ's Death On The Cross, God Has Provided For Us A Full Salvation! Having chosen the way of sin, we are ‘naked’ and ashamed (Genesis 3:10). The Gospel teaches us that ‘there’s a way back to God from the dark paths of …
The proclamation of peace with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1) must be carefully dissociated from a proclamation which says, "'Peace, peace', when there is no peace" (Jeremiah 6:14; Jeremiah 8:11).
We encourage one another in the Lord when we gather together for worship (Hebrews 10:25). The preaching of Christ strengthens our faith (Romans 10:17). What a great encouragement it is to know that "God is pleased through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe" (1 Corinthians 1:21).
Welcome to the twenty-third stage on our journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday: Living as a new creation - our response to love, eternal love, the love of God Romans 6:3-11 What shall we say, then? Should we continue to live in sin so that God's grace will increase? 2 Certainly not! We have died to …
Romans 1:1-32“I am not ashamed of the Gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith” (Romans 1:16). Lord, we thank You for Your Gospel. It is Good News. It comes to us with power. It brings to us salvation. Help us to believe Your Gospel, to release its …
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does …
“However much any theology will bear the imprint of its environment, it must be remembered that, when it is really living and sensitive, Christian theology does not only submit to the cultural and conceptual framework of its time and place, but also regenerates and reforms it sometimes very drastically.” (E. L. Mascall, Theology and the …
Continue reading “Do not be conformed … Be transformed … ” (Romans 12:2).
"John Wesley’s Forty-Four Sermons" (published by the Epworth Press in 1944: reprinted in 1977) - These sermons were first published, as four volumes, in 1746, 1748, 1750 and 1760. The language will seem, to the modern reader, to be very old-fashioned. There is, however, a great deal, in what Wesley says, that we need to hear today. My …
Through faith in Jesus Christ, we come to God, our loving, heavenly Father. In Christ, we see God's Fatherly love.Enjoying God's Fatherly love - This is more than our entrance into God's family through faith in Christ. It's living as a member of God's family. It's discovering how much we are loved by God. It's …
Continue reading It’s God’s Love For Us That Creates, In Us, Our Love For Him.
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 22:1-12; Psalm 13 or Jeremiah 28:5-9; Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42 Let us look to Christ, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” In Genesis 21:22-34, we see Abraham in his relationship with the world. In Genesis 22:1-14, we see Abraham in his …
Continue reading The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world …
"They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you, says the Lord, “to deliver you." (Jeremiah 1:19). Jeremiah was given a difficult task - but he was not on his own. God was with him. He would face plenty of determined opposition - but he would not be defeated. God …
Relating his understanding of divine sovereignty and divine freedom to the interpretation of Romans 9-11, Berkouwer wrote, "Words like 'sovereignty' ought not to be approached abstractly via a formal concept: this can only create the impression that we are capturing our own understanding or words in transparent definitions and then applying them directly to God …
Continue reading Divine sovereignty and divine freedom in Romans 9-11
Berkouwer maintained that, when Romans 9-11 is understood as referring to "God's revelation of mercy ... and not to a 'naked sovereignty'", the illegitimacy of man's protest against God and the "mystical delight" of Paul's doxology are seen quite differenty from their deterministic interpretation (A Half Century of Theology, pp. 90, 93; Divine Election, pp. …
"When people work, their pay is not regarded as a gift but something they have earned" (Romans 4:4). When God is at work in us, bringing us to faith in His Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, everything is very different. His salvation is His gift to us. It's not our reward from Him. Grace gives …
Continue reading Think, often, of what Jesus has done for you …. Thank Him for dying for you …
'He has blinded their eyes... I would heal them.' (John 12:40). What are we to say about these words? Are we to say, "It is God who blinds their eyes"? or Is there a difference between He - "He has blinded their eyes" - and I - "I would heal them"? Could "He" be understood as a reference to "the …
God's purpose was moving on. He had begun with Israel. Their deliverance from bondage in Egypt was a mighty demonstration of His saving power. This was only the beginning. God was moving on to Jesus - "the Saviour of the world" (John 4:42). In Jesus Christ, crucified for us, God was reaching out, in love, …
Continue reading "His dominion shall be … to the ends of the earth" (Zechariah 9:10).
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will …
"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 15:5). Let us keep on encouraging one another - to keep on worshipping the Lord. Where …
Continue reading Lord, help us to keep on going – with you and for you.
"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). What a wonderful Word from the Lord this is! Wherever we look in our life, we feel that we are condemned - but, here, God says something else about us. he says something very wonderful. Jesus was not condemned. He is …
The context in which man finds himself placed by the revelation of God is thoroughly existential. He is involved in the totality of his existence. Through the continuing activity of the ever-present and ever-active Spirit of revelation, man is called upon to respond to the God of revelation. The emergence of faith is the result …
"When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions" (Psalm 65:3). "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20). The story of our life is the story of our sin - and it's, also, the story of God's grace! His grace is greater than our sin! As we travel through our life, …
beinspired2inspire
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 12:6-7
Grow in Faith And Grace With Daily Christian Living Resources
"Plant a seed today, save a soul tomorrow."
Life is meant to be enjoyed not just endured
Hope for Today will inspire you to live a life connected to Christ by empowering you to fall in love with Jesus through personal spiritual growth. Teaching you the power of your identity and authority in Christ. Encouraging you in your inheritance as an ambassador for the kingdom of God!
👑God's royal diadem👑
Finding security, purpose, satisfaction, and joy in life
Colossians 3:2
Sharing the Word from our World at Wynterhall
It's all about life and it's glory. No negativity in it though it always remains in everyone's life.It is our duty to make sure that negativity doesn't stop us from living a life of King Size.
cross walker
Words to inspire your everyday life
Mary Ellen Wright - Writer, Teacher, Speaker
Daily Reading God's Word
NW MENS COALITON
Daily Words of Wisdom from the Study of Proverbs
About the Word, about living, about us, about Him
Establish Thy Word To Thy Servant As That Which Produces Reverence For Thee.
Reflections on Faith, Disability, Blogging, Books & More!
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High...will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Dance Like David
Psalms and poems of praise to the Lord
"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." -Colossians 3:2
Ellen Grace Olinger
Blog for poet and singer-songwriter Malcolm Guite
Fresh Inspiration for a Loving Generation
Christian devotional reading. Bible discoveries. Gems from the Word of God for everyday life.
Growing Plants, Flowers, and Faith, garden photos, bible verses, and praise.
A chronological study of God's Word
Pastor Levi's Sermons from Baker, MT
Practical Daily Devotions for the Real World
||Growth instructor||Coach||influencer
Every beat of my heart belongs to I AM! 💙
Ringing the bells for Christian traditions and getting our story out there. If we don't, who will?
#toobusybeingalive Romans 6:11
Connecting on a deeper level
Making connections between the Word and the world
“Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it” (Gen 28:16). Here we wonder about encountering G-d at the intersection of Bible and Life--typically prompted by the (Episcopal) Book of Common Prayer.
Seeking to be absolutely surrendered
The teaching ministry of Calvary Chapel Tyler & random thoughts from Tim Burns
Good Morning from Arizona!
Celebrating the contribution that Christian organisations make to society and the world!
A liturgical Bible study based on the Roman Catholic lectionary.
"For this is how God loved the world: He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life. For God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but so that through Him the world might be saved." (John 3:16-17)
