For the past few days, we have observed the promises Jesus made in “The Beatitudes.” We are only halfway through the list, but it’s a good place to stop and summarize what we have seen in this inspired portrait thus far.
Read MoreCategory Archives: Fruit of the Spirit
A Promise for ”The Gentle”
What comes to mind as you read Jesus’s words, “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5)? Truth be told, we may get a false first impression. We may think, Blessed are the weak for they shall become doormats.
Read MoreA Promise for ”The Poor in Spirit”
At first glance, Jesus’s reference to “the poor in spirit” seems to refer to those who have little or no money—people of poverty with zero financial security. Wrong. You’ll note He speaks of being “poor in spirit.”
Read MoreThe Beatitudes: Three Observations
The introduction to Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount is no doubt the most familiar section of His message (Matthew 5:1–12). Commonly called “The Beatitudes,” this section is the most descriptive word-portrait of a servant ever recorded.
Read MoreServanthood Starts in the Mind
Wouldn’t you love to live courageously in spite of the odds? Doesn’t it sound exciting to be divinely powerful in day-to-day living? Aren’t you eager to become independently authentic in a day of copycat styles?
Read MoreSupernatural Ability of the ”Renewed Mind,” Part 1
As the truth of God’s Word penetrates our hearts, it displaces those secular mental barriers we have erected over the years. In fact, we receive several very exciting benefits. Paul names two of them.
Read MoreThe Authenticity of Our Words
Quite a while ago, a young man I had known for several years expressed an interest in living in our home and being discipled in the context of our family.
Read MoreThe Servant as a Giver
I like the tongue-in-cheek definition of philosophers one of my seminary professors would occasionally use. It’s classic: Philosophers are people who talk about something they don’t understand and make you think it’s your fault!
Read MoreA Fruitful Life
Have you ever been in an area of the country where there was a lot of fruit ripening in the sun? Maybe on some cool September morning you’ve taken a walk through the apple orchards of the Hood River valley or along the Columbia River in Oregon.
Read MoreTension in the Tank, Part Two
In the northeastern United States, codfish are not only delectable, they are a big commercial business. There’s a market for eastern cod all over, especially in sections farthest removed from the northeast coastline. But the public demand posed a problem to the shippers. At first they froze the cod, then shipped them elsewhere, but the freeze took away much of the flavor.
Read More