Author: Phil Rehberg

Weekly words of encouragement

We Will Flourish – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon. Psalms 92:12 (NIV) Whether or not you feel like you are flourishing now, God promises that you will. We all want to flourish, to grow in abundance and be fruitful. God made us to flourish (“be fruitful and multiply” Gen. 1:18) and so he made us with the desire to flourish. We have barriers to flourishing now – our weaknesses and the corruption all around us – but God will make you flourish in part now and fully in the next age. Our hearts flourish now as we abide in Christ and partake of his virtues. The Bible likes to compare God’s followers to trees in order to illustrate how we will flourish. Psalm 1:3 says we are like a tree planted by a stream; in other words, we have plenty of sustenance for growth. Continue Reading →

shame

Have You Let Jesus Defeat Your Shame?

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By substituting for our sin Christ also substituted for our shame. True shame is rooted in our sin or in sin inflicted on us. When humans rebelled in the Garden they became corrupt and they became aware of their corruption. In this way, all of us have shame. Some have a much stronger experience of shame because of life experiences. By curing us of our sin he cured us of the shame that comes with it. His crucifixion was the ultimate shameful event in history and it was the comprehensive payment for all our shame. Since there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Rom. 8:1), there is also no shame to bind us. Our New Adam self is shame-free because it is made in the image of Christ, though our old self might lead us into shame or others may inflict shame on us. When we live Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

God Protects Us – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. Psalms 91:14 (NIV) This verse reminds us of Romans 8:28 where God promises: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (NIV) In this age, God does protect us and does good for his faithful followers, but not fully. We know that he did not protect Jesus and his Apostles from harm. And we know that Scripture teaches us that we must follow in their footsteps to some degree. We know that we still suffer. So are we really protected? Yes, we are protected in our interior self. Our heart and mind cannot be defeated by destructive forces. We are one spirit with God (1 Cor. 6:17). Nothing can separate us from Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

We Will Endure Forever – Weekly Words of Encouragement

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[David’s] offspring shall endure forever,his throne as long as the sun before me. Psalms 89:36 (ESV) After the Psalmist recounts God’s covenant with David and how God promised to make him strong and blessed, he adds that God promised that his offspring and throne will endure forever. How did God fulfill this? Is this fulfilled by the fact that the Jewish people survived all the various military invasions by world powers and is still a nation today? We find the answer in Acts 2:30-31 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ Acts 2:30-31 Acts 2:30-31 (ESV) Thus, since he ascended to heaven and God enthroned him, Jesus is the one is on the throne of David now. He is divine-human king Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

We Can Count On God’s Goodness – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Psalms 86:15 (NIV) This Psalmist was being attacked by enemies, whom the Psalmist described as arrogant, ruthless and having no regard for Yahweh (God’s name). Then he declares the contrast between the character of his enemies and Yahweh’s character. He is completely different; he is compassionate, grace-full, patient, full of love, and full of faithfulness. For this reason the Psalmist pleads for Yahweh to help him, because Yahweh will do good while the enemies will do harm. God’s character is the anchor for our lives. Whether circumstances turn out the way we want or not, we know that ultimately we will experience God’s character. Our Father is compassionate with us so we know he will treat us compassionately. It is easy to forget God’s good character when he allows so much suffering and destruction Continue Reading →