Author: Phil Rehberg

weekly words of encouragement

Seek And You Will Find – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

Posted on by

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Luke 11:9 (NIV). In this passage Jesus is trying to tell us that the Father wants to give us good things. But he also wants us to ask, seek and knock. Why does he want us to pursue our requests like this if he already knows what we need? One reason is that he is waiting for us to acknowledge our need and our dependence on him. If he just gave us our desires without us asking we would not learn this dependence. Also, there are spiritual barriers in the spiritual realm that we do not understand, and our prayers have the power to break through barriers. Breaking these barriers is part of the dignity and authority God has given to humans, so Continue Reading →

christlike creed

The Christlike Creed Helps You Mature

Posted on by

When the church wanted to clarify its doctrines in the early centuries it developed the Apostle’s Creed. It would also be helpful to have a creed that summarizes the practice of the faith. That is why I wrote the Christlike Creed. It contains 9 stanzas of 3 lines each and summarizes the important attitudes and practices of the Christian life, including identity and destiny. It describes what a Christlike person looks like. In other words, it describes spiritual growth and discipleship. Consider how important it is to have a description of what a disciple of Jesus looks like. How can a church or ministry make disciples if the leaders or the people don’t know what a disciple looks like? Don’t we need to know what we are aiming for? This creed describes what a disciple of Christ looks like so we know what is important and what is less important. Continue Reading →

weekly words of encouragement

You Can See The Kingdom Of God – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

Posted on by

“At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. ” Luke 10:21 (NIV). This is one of my favorite verses. In this passage the 72 ministers Jesus had sent out had returned with news about the miracles and exorcisms God had done through them. And so Jesus rejoices because all these people got to see the kingdom of God! The Jews had waited for centuries to see the kingdom of God, and now it was here. Notice that Jesus was full of joy. We often think about Jesus’ suffering, but we need to remember that Jesus also experienced great joy and this joy was due first to the indwelling of the Holy Continue Reading →

Christians Are Not Popular

Posted on by

When I was in high school the “straight” kids could not be part of the “in-group.” The kids who drank, or partied or did drugs were popular. Off-color jokes and cutting others down also helped. But obviously this was just kids trying to be cool and popular and willing to compromise their conscience. In their view, Christians are not popular. The good kids just had to accept being outsiders. But when the “in-group” kids became adults it seemed that many of them matured and recognized what it meant to live a healthy life. They married and had kids and changed their ways. They became more responsible and less dependent on approval won through foolish immorality. But now it seems the whole country is like a high school. Few actually grow up anymore. Hedonism and boastfulness are the popular virtues. Honest reflection on meaning and values is rare. When the “good Continue Reading →

weekly words of encouragement

You Can Be Great In The Kingdom Of God – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

Posted on by

“For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” Luke 9:48, NIV. Once again Jesus declares that his kingdom is an upside-down kingdom. Humans strive to be great in this life but our status in the kingdom of God is not dependent on our status in this world. God is not interested in our worldly status or even in our popularity among believers. Instead, it is the one who is least among us who will be the most important in the next age, they will be great in the kingdom of God. In this passage Jesus was referring to children as being great. But based on his other teachings it appears that anyone who is willing to humble themselves like a child is great in the kingdom of God (Matt. 18:4). James says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James Continue Reading →