Chosen According to the Foreknowledge of God

Mystical Twilight Valleys


“[C]hosen[i] according to the foreknowledge[ii] of God….” (1 Pet.1:1-2)

We cannot understand anything about God unless we understand that He is the uncreated Creator, the Beginner without a beginning; He is outside of time and space; He always was, always is and always will be. Continue reading “Chosen According to the Foreknowledge of God”

My Redeemer Lives

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“I know that my redeemer [i]lives.”[ii]

Do you know who said this? You might be surprised if you don’t know. It wasn’t the person who wrote the song.

This statement is a triumphal statement of faith. We sing it as a joyful pronouncement of gratitude and proclamation of our confidence in God. These words convey hope. They are a reflection of overcoming faith, but there is much more to the story. Continue reading “My Redeemer Lives”

Your Kingdom Come

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“Your kingdom[*] come….” (Matt. 6:10) Jesus instructed his apostles, and therefore his followers, including us, to pray for God’s kingdom to come. That is a curious instruction, as many Jews at the time believed that the Messiah would overthrow the Roman occupation of Judea and return the land to Jewish rule. They were bitterly disappointed when that did not happen.

Did the disciples not pray hard enough? Did God fail to answer the prayer Jesus instructed them to pray? What does that mean for us today? We need to look back at the First Century for the answer. Continue reading “Your Kingdom Come”

Cross Purposes

Three Crosses & Rays of Light


“Your will[i] be done[ii]….” (Matt. 6:10). This statement that is part of the way Jesus taught us to pray is not just a onetime proclamation, but an ongoing imperative cry for an emerging and growing reality in the life of the believer and in the world. Continue reading “Cross Purposes”

My Help Is Not Within Me

Sun Thru the Woods


“[I]s it that my help is not within me….?” (Job 6:13)

That is a rhetorical question of course. We all know the story of Job. He was a man of wealth, influence and great blessing, and then it was all taken from him in a short time.

We like to think that we have the ability within ourselves to overcome any obstacle, even ourselves. Let’s face it: many of our obstacles in life are the result of our own doing, the flaws in our own character.

Continue reading “My Help Is Not Within Me”