I must first have the sense of God's possession of me before I can have the sense of His presence with me.
We all have the same Christ dwelling within, but revelation of some new need will lead us spontaneously to trust Him to live out His life in in that particular.
Man's thought is always of the punishment that will come to him if he sins. God's thought is always of the glory man will miss if he sins. God's purpose for redemption is glory, glory, glory.
Enemy-occupied territory---that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.
I also came to understand that our authenticity (or lack thereof) is made evident by the fruit that our life is bearing.
In every historical period, the religious groups that grow most rapidly are those that set believers at odds with the surrounding culture.
Casey was a faithful Christian filled with the spirit of the Christ; George is a hypocrite who says he is a Christian but then murders our brothers and sisters indiscriminately.
...American psychology effectively guaranteed its place as a cultural icon by helping to create the pathologies it simultaneously promised to treat. (p. 37)
Christianity has been successfully attacked and marginalized… because those who professed belief were unable to defend the faith from attack, even though its attackers’ arguments were deeply flawed.
So be satisfied and quiet, be contented with your contentment. I lack certain things that others have, but blessed be God, I have a contented heart which others have not.
Her model of self-control with food is why I have never had an issue in this area. Praise God for my mom's good example in how to eat.
God doesn't want your careful virtue, He wants your reckless generosity.
The New Testament views the church--rather than marriage--as the primary place where human love is best expressed and experienced.
We will see every human beings as Christ and we will help Hindus to be better Hindus, Muslims to be better Muslims, and Christians to be better Christians"(Mother Teresa).
The Christian versions of the household codes were clearly progressive for their time, but does that mean they have the last word, that Christians in changing places and times cannot progress further?
What if we saw differences in cultures, in moral choices, and in belief as reasons to engage people instead of excuses to disengage and quickly exit?
We must make decisions as if they affect those we've not even met because we realize they do. We must live respective of world family.
We can make our own plans and judge them by our narrow expectations, or we can experience life as the boundless reality of the One who created it.
Compassion doesn't arise from the belief that the evil in the world is somebody else's fault or that it is a result of poor choices a suffering person has made.
May we be faithful to observe our own lives, be humble enough to admit our sins, and resilient enough to let God realign us toward his purposes.
Before we apply Joshua to our lives, we need to make sure which side of the Jordan we are living on. Militarism invites God's wrath.
