Month: October 2020

possible faith

Try The Possible Faith Exercise

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God is always challenging us to deeper faith. One way to expand our faith is by a fairly simple exercise I call the “possible faith” exercise. It is simple but surprisingly effective. In addition to binding us closer to God in Christ, this exercise should help reduce anxiety and other distresses. Possible Faith Exercise Recall something in your life that is distressing or causing anxiety or fear. If you can’t think of anything then you can just focus on the general state of your soul, or consider unbelief, pride, finances, relationships, loneliness, occupation, disappointments, personal tragedy, health, perfectionism, bad attitudes, bad habits, etc. Recall any promises from Scripture that might relate to your situation. These can be general or specific passages. Imagine having unqualified faith in God, especially full faith in his Scripture. Ask yourself “How would I feel, how would I think and what would I do if I Continue Reading →

expectations unwanted thoughts

What Should We Expect From God?

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One type of faith is faith in God’s promises for all believers at all times. We are always justified in expecting God to fulfill such promises. But there is another type of faith that causes many problems. It consists of expecting something from God that he has not promised for all believers, something which he is justified in giving or withholding. Of course, when we ask for something from God that he has not promised for all believers we should still ask with faith that he will give it. But you might ask: “Sometimes our requests are not his will so how we can have faith that he will give something when we don’t know if it is his will?” The answer is that we can have faith like a child. When a trusting child asks their father for something that they think their father will think is good, then Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

God’s Love Is A Command And A Song – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,and at night his song is with me, Psalms 42:8 (ESV) God doesn’t just love us, he commands his love for us. It is his decree for the universe that he loves us and his love is unshakable, it is steadfast. His love is the anchor for our lives because no one can cancel a command of God. It will remain forever. We suffer for a little while here, but in his New Society in the next age we will soak in his love forever free of all sin and suffering. What else would he do for us if he loves us? When the night comes his love is a song in our hearts. It is is music to our souls. Its melody and harmony sooth our anxieties and lull our spirits into peaceful repose. The lyrics capture our minds and his instruments Continue Reading →

spiritual hedonism

Are You Tempted By Spiritual Hedonism?

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One of the deepest unhealthy attachments for maturing disciples of Jesus is spiritual hedonism. It has many variations and its veins reach deep down to the core of our being. It is best to assume that it will be a threat to your maturity for the rest of your life. No matter how much we grow spiritual hedonism will invent new ways to infiltrate our soul. Spiritual hedonism is the disordered attachment to pleasure (we use the words “sweetness” and “consolation” interchangeably with “pleasure”) from God or from following God. Our old self naturally desires to fall in love with the pleasure we receive through God instead of God himself. This is deeply ingrained in us because God made us for pleasure but our desire for pleasure was corrupted in the fall of Adam. Now our desire for pleasure creates distortions in our spiritual growth. In the next age, God Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

We Will Yet Praise Him – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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Why, my soul, are you downcast?Why so disturbed within me?Put your hope in God,for I will yet praise him,my Savior and my God. Psalms 42:11 (NIV) Psalm 42 is the psalm that begins with the Psalmist declaring that he thirsts for God like a deer thirsts for water. Then he explains his thirst: “My tears have been my food day and night” (Psalm 42:3, NIV). Later he wonders is God has forgotten him in the midst of oppression from his enemies. Sometimes it will feel like God has forgotten us. All we can see is the painful circumstances surrounding us. We cry out but nothing happens. In such times it is easy to forget how God has proven himself to us in the past. We have experienced his Spirit in our hearts; he has delivered us from trials. Therefore, our distress is an opportunity to learn deeper faith. This comes Continue Reading →