I am because God is. I love God, He is my Father, and the fact that He loves me too is overwelming. My course in this life is to worship God with all that I am and ever will be. FKI
I reviewed Paul's letter to the Philippian church today as I went about my duties. One portion struck me more deeply than it has before. Paul writes: "Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need." (Philippians 4:15-16) A little earlier in the same letter, he also says: "But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs." (Philippians 2:25) Paul was not in the habit of asking for support for the ministry he had set out to fulfil in obedience to the commission he had received. Even while writing to the Philippians, you can sense that he is more concerned about their welfare than his own. He seems c...
1. Legalism: Not About Rules, but Relationship. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” — Galatians 5:1 Here, Paul reminds us that Christ didn’t set us free just so we could create a long list of “dos” and “don’ts.” God calls us to live from love, not out of an obligation to tick off religious boxes. Legalism sneaks in when we start to measure ourselves or others by these checklists instead of God’s grace. Prayer : Lord, help me live from a heart of love, not from rules that hold me hostage to human approval. Help me to see others through the eyes of grace, not judgment. May I be a reminder that our faith is not a “rulebook” religion but a relationship with You. And, please, keep me humble enough to let others know they don’t need to meet my standards—only Yours. 2. License: Grace Is Not a Free Pass for Foolishness. “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use you...
The book of Judges kicks off with a unique style of writing. The writer begins by linking his present writing (the book of Judges) to it's predecessor Joshua. This is clearly notable when you realize that Joshua's death is recorded a second time in this writing. So, from chapter 1:1 to chapter 2:9, it's more of a throwback to prior events. What's happening in this portion had already happened, but in order to help his audience to connect with the flow, he begins from the past to the present. This style of writing was also employed in Deuteronomy and it's an important way of communicating. Then there's a shift. While Joshua was leading a different generation from the one Moses led, the judges as well will be leading and dealing with a different generation. It reads in Judges 2:10 that " after that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. " A generation ...
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