Meditations on Matthew 18 and Psalm 22 Read the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35. Let it sink into your soul. If the body of Christ would master just this one parable, the whole life of the church, our families, our relationships with others would be radically changed. Pray for that. Start with … More What Jesus Was Thinking on the Cross?
Sunday Musings The following quote comes from Richard Sibbs, but it was shared with me by Roger Knowlton. Roger is one of the men from TEAM 500, a group of pastors of the Evangelical Free Church of America who serve churches between 500 and 1000 souls. Two weeks ago, I was able to spend three days … More Bringing a Man from Nature to Glory
Sunday Afternoon Musings The reformer Martin Luther described the Christian spiritual life as consisting of three primary operations under the guidance of the Spirit. In Latin, those three operations were, Oratio, Meditatio, and Tentatio – Prayer, Meditation, and Struggle/Affliction. The disciplines of prayer and meditation over the word of the living God is pretty straight … More Affliction: How a Good God Loves His People (Sometimes)
Friday is for Heart Songs No affliction can extinguish our joy because Christmas joy led, in the fullness of time, to resurrection rejoicing. 2 Corinthians 6:3–10 (ESV) 3 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: … More Affliction Cannot Extinguish Our Joy
Friday is for Heart Songs There are six statements in Psalm 119 that have arrested my attention. Each of them speaks to how the psalmist views himself in the world. I think of them as the “I am” statements of a heart saturated with the word of God. I think of them as the self-image of … More The Self-Image of the Psalmist
Tuesday is for Prayer Read Psalm 39 We only slow down when we hurt. The rest of the time, we run around like we know what we are doing and stay just ahead of the puppy barking at our heals calling us to stop and pet him. He won’t bite. He wants to play. God is … More “Surely Every Man is a Mere Breath”
Sunday Afternoon Musings Imagine a pastor whose congregation of wealthy members . . . refuse to come to church refuse to let anyone else sit in their pews remove chairs that are placed in the aisle so that standing visitors have to remain standing burn the chairs that someone else paid for for the visitors … More Endurance: What Does it Take to Make You Quit?
Friday Musings Psalm 102:1–7 (ESV) A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord. 1 Hear my prayer, O Lord; . let my cry come to you! 2 Do not hide your face from me . in the day of my distress! . … More Why Doesn’t God Make it Easy?
Wednesday is for Prayer Listen to the Voice of God. (Joshua 1:1-9) As you listen to his voice, God will give you direction (2-4). He will remind you of his promises (5). He will tell you of great truths (5-9). “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this … More Will Affliction Drive You to Prayer or Despair?
Weekend Musings Inside Psalm 119 and the Poetry Project (My son inspired me to keep working on a project I thought of a couple of years ago. The idea is to write a poem of personal reflection for each Psalm in the psalter. If you search on the word “Poetry” or “Poetry and Prayers” inside … More Affliction and the God Who Teaches
ChosenRebel's Blog 