THE NINETEENTH DAY OF AUGUST IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. A gracEmail subscriber writes: "As hard as I have tried to believe in God and Christ, for over 40 years I have never conquered my doubts. At rare times I can almost say, 'I know,' most of the time the best I can do is pray 'help my unbelief'. I try hard to please God. The harder I try, the more inadequate I feel. I get tense, angry, and profane, then repent and repeat the same cycle. As far as I understand myself, I want to love. I want to believe. I want to persevere." * * * Jesus promised that whoever … [Read more...]
JESUS THE LIBERATOR
THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF AUGUST IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. It's a simple truth but exceedingly profound--Jesus came to rescue sinners, not to condemn them (John 3:17). We already know that we are sinners; we do not need anyone to tell us that. Deep inside we know our private addictions and secret compulsions, whether to pride, self-centeredness, lust, alcohol or other drugs, rage, power, possessions, or whatever. We also know by experience that we cannot break these bonds in our own strength. By ourselves, we can only grit our teeth, make new resolutions, maintain … [Read more...]
Family Notes 12/08/2015
THE TWELFTH DAY OF AUGUST IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. A STORY OF CRIME, FORGIVENESS, AND REPENTANCE Misty Wallace was eighteen years old when Keith Blackburn, 18, shot her through the face. Miraculously, Misty survived and eventually she was able to forgive the man who shot her. Today, after serving ten years in prison for attempted murder, Keith holds a Master of Divinity degree and is a chaplain in the Indiana prison system. Misty is Indiana Regional Coordinator of Bridges To Life. Together, they share their overlapping stories on a daily basis at venues around the … [Read more...]
BE ASSURED, NOT AFRAID
THE NINTH DAY OF AUGUST IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. A recent email pleaded, "I have been searching for years to find some assurance of salvation. I know my weaknesses, I pray continually for forgiveness. I don't know why I'm able to tell you all of this, but I do love Christ, have been baptized, and want to go to heaven. I just want some peace in my heart." * * * Hear what God says to you and you will find comfort; trust what he says and you will have peace. We are accepted by God in the person of his son, Jesus Christ, and we know Gods evaluation of him. God … [Read more...]
SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP MALE & FEMALE
THE SECOND DAY OF AUGUST IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. There is much discussion today regarding church leadership and its exercise by male and female disciples. Unfortunately, this discussion often generates more heat than light. Needed instead are calm and thoughtful believers who can observe and discern biblical details, analyze the scripture data, successfully bridge the gap across twenty centuries, then work patiently with other brothers and sisters to faithfully apply ancient biblical principles to today's circumstances. These were my goals when I prepared the … [Read more...]
THE RIGHT TRUE CHURCH — 2
THE TWENTY-SIXTH DAY OF JULY IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. A gracEmail subscriber has encountered at least two groups of Christians, each claiming to be the only true church. "What is that all about?" the subscriber asks. * * * The year 1054 is remembered in church history as the year Pope Leo IX excommunicated Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople and declared himself head of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. The Patriarch responded in kind and the Great Schism was under way, thereafter with East (Constantinople) and West (Rome) both … [Read more...]
Family Notes 22/07/2015
THE TWENTY-SECOND DAY OF JULY IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. CAN JESUS SURVIVE RELIGION? One of the great strengths of the Christian faith has been its ability to endure, accommodate, and use the cultural shifts across the centuries without losing its essence. Even in its most misguided forms, the Christian religion has continued to pass along its central message about Jesus death, burial, and resurrection. People in the most abysmal of churches in the most corrupt of cultures still have been counted among the redeemed. There were people in a church Jesus pronounced … [Read more...]
THE RIGHT TRUE CHURCH
THE NINETEENTH DAY OF JULY IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. A gracEmail subscriber has encountered at least two groups of Christians who each claim to be the only true church. "What is that all about?" the subscriber asks. * * * Various Christian groups have claimed to be more true, authentic, scriptural, or historic than others, and therefore in some way superior. Different groups base their claim on different kinds of evidence. The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox churches all say that the original apostles passed their authority to bishops … [Read more...]
Family Notes 15/07/2015
THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF JULY IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. TRUE HUMILITY If someone tells you that somebody else is saying awful things about you, don't defend yourself against the accusations, but reply, "He must not know about the other faults that I have, if these are the only ones he mentioned." -- Epictetus, Enchiridion. LOVE, NOT TERROR Increasingly, believers around the world are finding the traditional doctrine of unending conscious torment to be a slander against the character of God. It has no scriptural basis and should be discarded as a horrible … [Read more...]
NOW FOREVER HUMAN
THE TWELFTH DAY OF JULY IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. A gracEmail subscriber heard someone explain Jesus' humanity as follows and requests my critique based on the Bible: (1) To rescue us from sin and death, a Savior had to be both human and divine. (2) Before he was born, Jesus was part of God in heaven. (3) In becoming Jesus, God put on humanity as if he were putting on a coat, but he never took off his deity. (4) Jesus lived, died, was raised from the dead, and ascended to heaven. (5) When he did those things, Jesus took off his humanity … [Read more...]
