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Abba

June 19, 2012

When Jesus taught his friends to pray, he gave them a new name for God: “Our Father.” Addressing God as a father was a radical departure from Old Testament constructs. The Jews lived with a potent mixture of terror and awe when it came to God, with no such familiarity or warmth. He was called Almighty, the One Who Parted the Red Sea, and Maker of the Cloud by Day and the Pillar of Fire by Night. One could not presume to know him personally.

But Jesus expanded our understanding of God, even referring to him as Abba,  meaning “Daddy.” And through Jesus, God demonstrated his Abba love for us. Like a zealous tickler, he wanted us to experience his strong, knowing touch and our joy at the thrill of this contact.

Excerpted from Closer Than Your Skin by Susan [ … ]

Self-Control

June 18, 2012

…I’m reminded that the strongest dads in the world are the ones who can keep their own anger from kicking out the stalls and stomping around like a wild stallion.

And every time my kids see me step up to the plate, acting like an adult, playing referee to my own anger before I have to get called “out” by an embarrassing display of temper, they see a world-class exhibition of the Holy Spirit—the invisible force of the heavenly Father Himself—at work in my life. That’s when they learn a little self-control themselves, by example.

Excerpted from At the Heart of Every Great Father by Clark Cothern

Daily Reflection:

How has the Holy Spirit guided you through parenting trials?

A Reflection of the Redeemer

June 15, 2012

This image of refinement is something God touches on again and again in His Word. He is the true Refiner. We are His silver.

And the fire is the fire of His making, for through His fire our Refiner will perfect an awesome work, a divine work. He will take what is impure and make it pure. He will take what is dull and make it beautiful. He’ll take what is of potential value and reveal its actual value.

He will transform us into treasure.

He’ll refine us in the crucible so that He can see Himself in the silver— in you and me. And so the world, as well as the principalities and powers and hosts of Satan, can behold the triumph of the Redeemer.

Excerpted from As Silver Refined by Kay Arthur

Daily Reflection:

What in [ … ]

Helping Others on a Miracle Mission

June 14, 2012

When you and I ask to be sent by God, we are taking His urgent, heartfelt command and turning it into our urgent, heartfelt request. We are coming all the way over to God’s point of view on what we were born to do. We are declaring to God:

I hear Your command, but I realize that hearing and agreeing are not enough. Therefore, I am sincerely asking, God, please send metoday on a miracle mission. And I’m letting You know in advance, when You send me, I willgo!

When you pray this way, God knows that He can call on you, His highly motivated delivery person, at any time. Whether He reaches into your heart with a nudge or simply puts you at the scene of something He wants done…He knows you have already committed to act on His [ … ]

Grace Is All There Is

June 13, 2012

We can never get enough grace.

If there’s such a thing as a favorite theologian, Martin Luther tops my list. A sixteenth-century German monk, Luther stumbled upon the concept of grace while reading the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans: “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17, KJV).

Up until that time, Luther had spent his life trying to atone for his own sins, beating himself and spending hours on his knees confessing his sins, and then agonizing in case he forgot one.

But once the light bulb went on and he realized that it truly is by grace alone that we are saved and by grace alone that we live, he became one of the greatest grace teachers of all time. The just shall live by faith, which comes solely by grace.

As the story goes, someone once [ … ]

The Journey of “Yes”

June 12, 2012

After reaching a point of desperation and demanding that God show up and provide some direction, my eyes were opened. God wanted me to relax. He wanted me to be me, using gifts he had given me. He wanted me to concentrate on doing things I was good at, things that utilized the best of who I was. He wanted me to enjoy my life and my work for him. So I began to pay attention to the way I was wired. What was I created to do, and what had I been trying to do for which I had no real talent or gifts?

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 12 that every believer has been given gifts to serve the body of Christ. He also reminds us that no one person has all the gifts. This way the [ … ]

Punctured Roof

June 11, 2012

I was so broken and longing for something transcendent, for something higher than anything this world has to offer, that I decided to go to church. I didn’t even change my clothes. I jumped up and ran out the door.

I arrived late and found my way to the only seats still available, in the balcony.

It wasn’t long before I realized how different everything was in this place. I immediately sensed the distinctiveness of God. In the music, in the message, and in the mingling afterward, it was clear that God, not I, was the guest of honor there. Having suffered the bankruptcy of our society’s emphasis on self-fulfillment, I was remarkably refreshed to discover a place that focused on the centrality of God.

I didn’t understand everything the preacher said that morning, and I didn’t like all the [ … ]

Longing

June 7, 2012

I want neither a blood-’n’-guts religion that would make Clint Eastwood, not Jesus, our hero; nor a speculative religion that would imprison the gospel in the halls of academia; nor a noisy, feel-good religion that is a naked appeal to emotion. I long for passion, intelligence, and compassion in a church without ostentation, gently beckoning to the world to come and enjoy the peace and unity we possess because of the Spirit in our midst.

Excerpted From The Signature of Jesus by Brennan Manning

Daily Reflection:

What do you long for from your church?

Never Give Up

June 6, 2012

Hope is a catalyst. It can even move obstacles that seem immovable. When you keep pushing, refusing to give up, you create momentum.  Hope creates opportunities you never would have anticipated. Helpful people are drawn to you. Doors open. Paths are cleared.

Remember—action brings reaction. When you are tempted to abandon your dreams, push yourself to continue one more day, one more week, one more month, and one more year.  You will be amazed at what happens when you refuse to quit.

Excerpted from Life Without Limits by Nick Vujicic

Daily Reflection

Never give up!  What have you quit that deserves one more day, one more week, one more month, or one more year?