Noise can distract us from the voice of the Spirit, but God often speaks through quiet moments if we give Him room and listen. As a parent it’s rare that I have a quiet moment, yet on one quiet afternoon I’ll always remember, God met me with a renewed perspective of grace. The house was […]
Read MoreCategory Archives: Grace
Celebrating with My Fellow Felon
Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. (Romans 3:27–28) As I drove to my friends’ house, I […]
Read MoreThe Reason for My Joy
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in […]
Read MoreGenerous with Grace
Before closing off our study of intolerance, two more sayings are worth our attention: The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered. (11:25) The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor,
The wicked does not understand such concern. (29:7)
The Wounds of Intolerance
Is intolerance one of your daily grinds? Be honest. Do you have difficulty leaving room for opinions you don’t agree with or the conduct of those who fail to measure up? I can think of a number of ways intolerance rears its head: The healthy can be impatient with the sickly. The strong have trouble empathizing with the weak. The quick have little patience with the slow.
Read MoreThe Dark Side of Tolerance
The founders of the United States formed this nation on the premise that each individual will one day stand before God and give an answer for his or her beliefs and conduct. The US was in fact the first modern state to establish an official policy of religious tolerance, which it formalized in the first amendment to the Constitution:
Read MoreTolerance at Its Best
In the best Christian sense of the term, tolerance is an important aspect of grace. Tolerance provides “wobble room” for those who struggle to measure up. Tolerance allows growing room for young and restless children. It smiles at rather than frowns on the struggling new believer.
Read MoreFront and Centre in the Mind of God
It’s humbling to think that the Creator of the universe, whose power, knowledge, and goodness know no limits, actually cares about us and loves us individually and personally. Think about how difficult it would be to reach the CEO of a major corporation to discuss your problems with a product. Or imagine trying to get a few moments alone with the President of the United States to talk about your foreign policy concerns.
Read MoreLabels
Let’s Label. That’s a favorite parlor game among Christians. The rules are easy to remember. Any number can play. But it’s especially appealing to those who are given to oversimplification and making categorical comments. Name-droppers thrive on this game. And it helps if you speak with a measure of authority . . . looking somewhat pious and pronouncing your words very distinctly, very dogmatically.
Read MoreBeing Wanted, Part Two
Chances are very good that there are those in your church fellowship, workplace, or family who feel unwanted, forgotten, unloved (and unlovely!)—and are more lonely than words can express. I wish to speak on their behalf and in their defense today. Strange though it may seem, these are often the people most difficult to love. Why?
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