“And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us.” (1 John 5:14) Let’s revisit this scripture from last week. Confidence. Assurance. The privilege of boldness. Certainty. This is not wishful thinking or hopeful guessing. This is settled knowing. Abraham walked in that kind of certainty. God promised him an heir, and then the years piled up. Abraham turned ninety-nine. Sarah was long past childbearing. Every natural Read More
Category: Promise
God’s Plan: Consult Before You Commit
The Condition We Skip “And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us.” — 1 John 5:14 We love to quote this verse. We claim the confidence, the boldness, and the promise that God hears us. But too often we rush past four words that hold the whole verse together: according to His will. God Is Not Obligated to Your Plans Here is the pattern Read More
The Prepositions of Grace: In Him, By Him, Through Him
There is a language the Spirit of God loves to speak, the language of “In Him.” Scripture declares, “For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our being]” (Acts 17:28). This is not poetic exaggeration. It is the foundation of your existence. Before you were a believer, before you knew His name, your very breath was sustained in Him. But salvation moves that truth from the natural to the supernatural. Now you don’t just exist in Him, you live in Him. John’s Gospel opens with a declaration that changes everything: “In Him Read More
Count it all Joy!: Enduring the Pressure
“Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]..” (James 1:2-3). Notice what James does not say. He does not say count it some joy. He does not say rejoice when the trial is manageable, or when the loss is small, or when the diagnosis is treatable. He says count it all joy — the totality, the whole weight of it. Not a fraction carved off and handed to God while we keep the rest for Read More
Who Are You?: Knowing and Understanding Your Identity
Have you ever stopped to ask why you love what you love? Why certain people draw near to your spirit while others never quite fit? Why your mind moves toward the things it moves toward? These are not random details of your personality. They are threads God wove into you before you ever drew breath. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument], And before you were born I consecrated you [to Myself as My own]; I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5) God did Read More
Stand Firm: God’s Strength for Every Battle
Life is beautiful; it’s also a battlefield. Whether we recognize it or not, we are engaged in warfare every day. Some battles are visible—the struggles with finances, relationships, health, disappointments, and uncertainty. Others are invisible; the spiritual battles that rage in our minds, hearts, and souls. As followers of Christ, we must understand that while we live in the natural world, we are also participants in a spiritual war. The apostle Paul reminds us: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the Read More