The Transforming Word of God

Have you ever thought about your love for Christ? I have. I wish I could say I truly love Him with everything that is in me. I can't help but think about Jesus' encounter with Peter on the beach after His resurrection. Peter was probably still suffering from guilt over his thrice denial of his Lord. Jesus singled him out and asked him, "Do you love Me?" three times. We've all heard the messages about which Greek form of the word "love" was being used both in the questions and the answers. Suffice it to say, Jesus was asking Peter to search his heart in preparation for the commission to feed His sheep. [See John 21:15-19] Somehow, after meditating on this passage, I connected it with Paul's prayer in Philippians 1:9-11, a prayer I have often used to pray for my loved ones and for myself. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be p...

I'm not sure why I chose to study Hosea next, but I'm finding it more of a blessing this time through than ever before. My first thought as I began the book was, "Can you imagine living through life with the names Hosea gave his children?" At the same time, those names may have presented many opportunities to teach about God's love as well as God's justice. And when "No More Mercy" was asked why her father would give her such a name, she could explain that it represented Israel's consequences for not remaining loyal to their God, that one day God would say "I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, 'You are my people'; and he shall say, 'You are my God.'" But what spoke to me even more were the verses concerning God's relationship with His chosen people, Israel. And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy....

How often have you heard someone say, "I don't need church; I can worship God better in the woods"? I know I've heard that said often enough. The truth is, there are times when I can worship God better in the woods, by the lake, in my own  home. As I've said before, however, worship is an attitude of the heart. But church is so much more than worship. Yes, we get together to corporately worship God in music, in prayer, in learning, in fellowship with others. It is the "others" that is so crucial to church. Granted, we are sinners saved by grace gathering together. Some of us are well-versed in Scripture; some are just beginning to study the Bible. Some of us are Christians who have walked with God for years, who have gained a certain level of maturity, although even mature Christians stumble and fall; some of us are brand new Christians, learning and growing. We even find seekers in our midst, people who do not yet have a personal relationship with G...

Have you ever had someone in your life who just seems to watch for you to trip up? Who is sweet to your face but talks about you behind your back? Who hasn't? I don't think I have such a person in my life at the moment, but a few years ago I did. And I wrote about my thoughts, about the hurt, about the effect God's transforming Word on my attitude. I want to share some of that here on this post. The woman I wrote about was well-respected, was biblically well-versed, but she lacked compassion—at least for me. I saw her as the embodiment of 1 Corinthians 13:2, which reads, "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." In fact, by associating her with that verse, I felt vindicated about my antipathy toward her. But any peace I gained from that thought was very temporary. With the next report of her comments criticizing me, all my feelings rushed back...