Posts by chinagrovefbc
Be Filled
God does not want us to live the Christian life in our own strength. Ephesians 5:18 (NIV) says, “Do not be drunk with wine . . . but be filled with the Spirit.” Four essential truths come from this little verse in God’s Word: 1. The filling is commanded. God does not give suggestions like, “Hey, if you get some time, you might want to consider being filled with the…
Procrastination
Charles R. Swindoll writes in his book Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life [page 182] the following: “Allow me to introduce a professional thief. Chances are you’d never pick this slick little guy out of a crowd, but many, over the years, have come to regard him as a formidable giant. Quick as a laser and silent as a moonbeam, he can pick any lock. Once inside, his…
Commit
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV) Well it’s that time of year again when in a fit of optimism many of us make great…
Steps
In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. – Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) Think with me about the patriarch Joseph. His brothers had sold him into slavery. It was an unexpected turn, especially in light of the dreams he had recently had. Those dreams foretold his family bowing down to him. Becoming the property of wandering traders didn’t seem to…
Put Up Your Antenna
We proclaim to You the One who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw Him with our own eyes and touched Him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen Him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that He is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then He was…
Ask For Wisdom
I’ve been giving some thought to James 1:5 recently. It goes like this: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” Why would God set up a process for us to obtain wisdom? He could just give it to us. That would be so much easier. Yet, think of it this way, asking for His wisdom and…
His Body Together
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ…If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the…
Have You Trusted In Jesus?
In a span of 8-9 days he won the hearts of a busload of preachers. We were visiting the Holy Land, and the personable man was our Jewish tour guide. Each day he greeted us with his wonderful smile, clever sense of humor, and incredible knowledge of Israel. From the story of Abraham and Isaac to the account of Jesus’ resurrection our guide had it all down. Yet as the week…
Choose To Fellowship
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another… – Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV) Many years ago, former American POW’s were interviewed to determine what methods used by the enemy had been most effective in breaking their spirit. Researchers learned…
Just Blowing Wind?
I experienced it again. You know those times when you are meditating on Scripture and suddenly…Aha! You see something that you have missed the numerous times before when you were reading that same passage. My latest experience came from reading the following verse:I experienced it again. You know those times when you are meditating on Scripture and…