Weekly words of encouragement

God Exalts The Humble – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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“Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” Matt. 23:12 (NIV). In this verse Jesus continues to set us free from bondage to worldly success. In fact, those who exalt themselves in this world will be brought low in the next age. Instead,  Jesus teaches us to actively pursue humbling ourselves. We don’t just let it happen if it happens. Rather, we help others to succeed and we look for ways to honor others. We present ourselves as student no matter how much we know. We present ourselves as messengers for God, not the author of the messages. We think or ourselves as a child, always aware that we are still just growing up. The great encouragement is that God will exalt us in the next age, which is worth infinitely more than all the honors we could achieve in this life. See Continue Reading →

Reaching The End Of Your Character – Part Two On The Will

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This is part two on the will; you can find part one here. How do we know when it is time to let go of activating our will in a particular area of our life? We need to learn when we have reached the limits of our character. This is an important principle for understanding how our will cooperates with God’s will. The basic idea is that when we want to correct a fault or when we try to make progress in an area there is a point at which we cannot go further because we do not yet have the character to do so. God has not yet transformed us enough. For example, we may not be patient enough, or a habit is too strong, or we don’t have enough faith. Once we reach the end of our character then we need to wait for more grace from God Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

Servants Will Be Great In The Kingdom – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave.” Matt. 20:26-27 (NIV). This may not seem like an encouragement at first but it is a tremendous encouragement. Jesus promises that those who serve will be great in his kingdom. This promise encourages us because it sets us free from status-seeking in this world. Status in this world doesn’t count for anything in the New Creation to come. Being a servant and learning how to bless others is what counts in the next age. This is another feature of God’s upside-down kingdom. You can be the weakest, smallest, least-educated and most neglected person in your city but if you adopt a servant’s heart then you will be greater than everyone in your city who does not have a servant’s heart. Thus, God has healed the broken-hearted and raised up Continue Reading →

The Balance Between God’s Will And Ours – Part One On The Will

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Of all the dimensions of a human it is the will that most hinders our growth. It is not too difficult to grow in our knowledge of God and even fully embrace his truth. We can even develop a powerful desire for God and find our emotions directed towards God.But when it comes to the will we easily avoid making hard decisions. Unfortunately, there is no growth in maturity without developing a robust will. Embracing truth and desiring God do not produce maturity without activating the will. And in cultures where self-control is neglected and people are taught to just go with what they feel then the problem of the will becomes even worse. When God regenerates us in Christ we begin with an infant New Adam will. This will needs to grow through exercise like a muscle. If you had a dramatic conversion then perhaps you will enjoy a Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

All Sacrifice Is Worth It – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life” Matt. 19:29 (ESV). Jesus encourages us that God will reward us for sacrifices made in Jesus’ name. In the 1st century the extended family was all-important because it was your support network. Most people could not count on anyone else. Some people are in the same position today though it is easier for many to leave their network of relatives if they wish. But the principle is the same. When we follow Jesus we will have to leave behind the benefit of certain people and things in our life. It may be that friends or relatives reject us or that Jesus calls us to physically move somewhere else. The promise is that we will receive one hundred times what we Continue Reading →