Charis

In reading Ezekiel 36 yesterday, verses 16–21 caught my attention; God talks about sending His people into captivity because of their behavior. Look at what He says in 20 and 21:

“When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD; yet they have come out of His land.’

“But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.” (NASB)

Their bondage prompted slurs against God.…

Yesterday, Chris taught one of the best lessons I’ve heard from him. As a conclusion to a series on changing our thinking, he explained the power of words. This is a topic that is deeply important to me, in large part because I’ve experienced the power of both wrong and right words to bring about change…

For a while now I’ve been turning over the word delight, trying to internalize what it means for a believer. Consider these passages:

• “his delight is in the law of the LORD” (Psalm 1:2)
• “He delivered me, because He delighted in me” (Psalm 18:19)…

I was listening to the Martins today singing “Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting,” and I heard the lyrics in a way I had not before…

Reading Utmost this morning led to me 2 Corinthians 3, in which Paul compares the fading glory of the old covenant with the lasting, greater glory of the new. I read the chapter several times in different translations—I felt like there was something there just beyond my grasp. Parts of this chapter are very familiar, and sometimes we have to get past what we think we already know to see what a passage really has to say…

How many of us are expecting Jesus Christ to quench our thirst when we should be satisfying Him! We should be pouring out our lives, investing our total beings, not drawing on Him to satisfy us.

I am challenged by this statement…