Month: August 2021

Weekly words of encouragement

God Blesses The Righteous – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

Posted on by

Light shines on the righteousand joy on the upright in heart. Psalms 97:11 (NIV) The lost may find temporary pleasure or prosperity in their unrighteous pursuits and hobbies, but these benefits are nothing compared to the blessings of the righteous. Anyone who has believed in Christ and abides in him is righteous. And for us God gives light. We can see what road we are on and where we are going. We can see the obstacles and pits on our path and go around them. In God’s light we see what others cannot see. The righteous also have a joy that others cannot have. Our joy comes from our fellowship with the Lord, who shines his light on us so we can fellowship with him who dwells in infinite light. We rejoice that we are his and he is ours. We rejoice that he has illuminated the way of righteousness Continue Reading →

mask

Unmask Your False Self

Posted on by

Humans have a habit of creating a false self. We love to pretend that we don’t have the faults, weaknesses, and pain that we really have. In order to get others to value us we construct a false self that we think they will like. A false self can also stem from pride or the desire to control. Thus, even if you are overcoming shame and self-rejection you can still give in to the temptation of hosting a false self. A very common false self for those who have been believers for some time is a false self that appears more Christlike than they really are, usually created by them in order to gain honor from other Christians. This is a religious false self, and it can grow very secretly. We are naturally inclined to present ourselves as more whole than we really are, so we need to consciously resist Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

Yahweh Reigns – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

Posted on by

The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad;let the distant shores rejoice. (Psalms 97:1, NIV) When it feels like our world is collapsing, or at least that everything seems crazy, we can still rejoice. Why? Yahweh reigns over all the earth. He is the only one who knows how to manage a sinful world with kindness and justice. And he has the power to do it. He gives people freedom but he still accomplishes his purposes because his ways are far beyond ours. Therefore, we can be glad when trials come. We may also be sorrowful but joy still resides in our spirit if we fix our eyes on the Lord. All who follow the Lord can be glad and rejoice. Yahweh reigns and his reign will be complete after the Son returns and establishes justice on the earth. Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted – Weekly Words Of EncouragementNovember Continue Reading →

look in mirror honesty

Are You Honest With Yourself?

Posted on by

If humans can avoid what is obviously true, consider how easy it is to avoid what is less obviously true. We can easily deny a truth that is lurking behind our actions or the actions of those around us. Even more, we can deny truths about our heart. It is easy to avoid the truth about our motives and attitudes just by not gazing on our heart. Worse still is the problem of hidden corruption that we can’t find even with constant self-reflection. Our corruption is so deep and immense that if God showed it all to us at one time I suspect we would immediately plunge into depression and despair. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9, NIV). God wants us to see the truth about ourselves because the truth will set us free. He doesn’t require us to see Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

We Are His Sheep – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

Posted on by

For he is our Godand we are the people of his pasture,the flock under his care. Psalms 95:7 (ESV) A shepherd’s goal is to protect and support the sheep. A good shepherd has the tools and skills to accomplish this. The shepherd knows when the sheep are in danger even if the sheep do not know. The shepherd acts to protect them from the danger. Likewise, God is our shepherd who watches us. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. We journey in his pasture. He sees what we are doing and guides us along the good path. He does not prevent all suffering; he allows it to transform us. But he does offer protection and support for our soul in all circumstances. He will teach our soul how to grow and flourish in every situation. He is available if we seek him, abide in him, and keep our gaze on him. Continue Reading →