Category — Relationship with God

A few days ago I experienced something rather disconcerting and embarrassing! I love to hike and spend time outdoors—the more remote the better. In the past I’ve prided myself in my ability to navigate using my internal compass and I rarely get lost.

I’ve been hiking lately on two ends of a large wilderness area and wanted to find a route to connect both ends in order to make this a loop hike. The first time I tried to connect the two trails I found myself in dense fog with no landmarks visible. After spending 45 minutes searching for a connecting trail, I had to abandon my attempt and go back the way I had come. [Read more →]

Five Tips to Get the Most from Reading the Bible

1. Always read God’s Word expecting to meet with him. Approach God’s Word relationally. Listen for his voice. What is he saying to you personally? What do you see from his Word that reveals God’s character and ways? Where do you need to align your life with his character and ways?

2. Set aside a regular time to read God’s Word. I don’t know about you, but I need the discipline of a schedule. It helps knowing that I always spend this time listening to and conversing with God. Self-discipline is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. We do not cultivate self-discipline by always being spontaneous or only reading and conversing with him when we feel like it. [Read more →]

Recently we challenged the men of our church to a New Testament read-thru using the schedule below. The point of the challenge is to get to know God better by spending time with him in his Word. And as we draw near to him and get to know him better, we cannot remain unchanged!

Already, men are reporting how God is meeting with them and changing them as they spend time with him in his Word!

Let me challenge you too, to draw near to God and deepen your relationship with him as you simply read his Word. If you’re not a reader or simply prefer another alternative to reading, check out the free tools for listening to the New Testament on your iPhone, Blackberry or MP3 player: www.sccprimed.org. [Read more →]

The letter entitled Hebrews in the New Testament offers numerous compelling reasons why we should (must) trust in Jesus Christ! Let’s investigate some of these reasons.

Before Jesus came, God had revealed his character and plan through the prophets. These men of God are renowned for their integrity and their exploits. Men like Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Daniel come to mind. These are men we look up to, honor and emulate. They courageously and faithfully represented God before others. We still learn from them. But they were mere men. [Read more →]

Whether you are familiar with A.W. Tozer or not I think you will enjoy the following. Tozer wrote the book The Knowledge of the Holy. Below is the first chapter of that book entitled, Why we must think rightly about God. This is my first attempt at bringing his early 20th century writing into 21st century language. His original work can be fairly tedious to read for most today. Please let me know what you think by your comments. Should I continue the project and complete the updating/editing of Tozer’s book?

The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer

Chapter 1: Why We Must Think Rightly About God

Lord God Almighty! I call upon you not as a god of our own making. You are the One revealed and proclaimed by the prophets and apostles, and best of all, by your own Son Jesus Christ!

Those who don’t know you call on you as someone other than who you really are. They do not worship you but a creature of their own imagination. Therefore reveal yourself to us that we may know you as you truly are so that we will love you and praise you fittingly.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [Read more →]

The Bible is truly an amazing book that offers us a rich source of knowledge about God, wisdom, history, prophecy and right-valued living. In fact, when studying the Bible it’s easy to become lost in the depths, intricacies and mysteries cached there. The words of Scripture are aesthetically beautiful, intellectually stimulating and timelessly relevant.

One time Jesus was speaking to a group of zealous Jewish people of whom he acknowledged, “You diligently study the Scriptures . . .” On the surface this sounds noble and good. Yet in the same breath Jesus said to them, “You have never heard [the Father’s] voice . . .” (John 5:37 & 39) How is this possible? How can one read, let alone diligently study God’s Word without hearing his voice? [Read more →]

A core teaching of biblical Christianity is the fact that our salvation comes by faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22). We understand that we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ and his finished work through his death, burial and resurrection. An equally important truth is not so well known, or at least understood. For not only are we saved by grace through faith, but our sanctification is also a work of God’s grace by faith.

In Romans, chapters 6, 7 and 8, Paul explains that in Christ we can now “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4); we are “no longer enslaved to sin” (6:6); we are to present the members of our body as instruments of righteousness to God (6:13); God’s plan for us in Christ is “that we may bear fruit for God” (7:4); and God’s design for us is “to be conformed to the image of his Son” (8:29). [Read more →]

Every fall in the Northwest we experience a weather pattern called an “inversion”.  An inversion weather pattern creates overcast and foggy conditions in the valleys making it cold, damp and dismal. The valleys and low areas are where most people live and work, so they’re often oblivious to the fact that the depressing weather they’re experiencing is localized. Sometimes an inversion will go on for days and can feel very oppressive. But travel a couple thousand feet higher in elevation during an inversion and you’ll burst out of the fog and dampness into warm, dry sunny skies! Not only is the sunshine revitalizing, but the view from above the clouds provides a bigger perspective on life.

All of us from time to time experience an “inversion” in our spiritual lives as well. We seem to get buried under the clouds of our daily grind. We forget the sunshine of God’s grace and presence and feel oppressed by trials and hardship. If relationships around us have grown cold our discomfort deepens and we may become joyless, sad and even depressed. [Read more →]

“Give a man everything he wants and at that moment, everything will not be everything.”  – Immanuel Kant

Christians often ask the question, “Is it wrong (e.g., is it a sin) to go into debt?”  But this is the wrong question to ask because it does not get at the cause of debt.  Self-inflicted debt is a symptom of the disease, not the cause. 

Our indebtedness has both cultural and personal roots.  Unless we have traveled the world extensively, we probably have no clue just how well off we are in North America.  While some of us struggle with what we see as serious financial challenges, few of us can relate with much of the world’s peoples as they rummage desperately for their next meal and a shelter for the night. [Read more →]

For 40 years God led Israel through the barren wilderness of the Middle East. In spite of their repeated grumblings and rebellion, God continued to love, lead and provide for his people. Even when they were unfaithful to him, he remained faithful to them. In all those years, God sustained this massive company of people by miraculously providing them with manna. Manna was a food substance like bread that God caused to appear on the ground each morning. The people of Israel gathered manna as their staple food through all those years.

 In year 39 of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness two men woke up one morning. One man got up, put on his outer garment and lifted the flap over the door of his tent to step out into the desert morning. As he ducked under the tent flap it dumped a load of sand down his neck. He cursed under his breath and angrily shook out his clothes muttering, “I am sick and tired of this infernal sand! I’ve got sand in my bed, sand in my hair, sand in my food! Everywhere there’s sand! I hate this life of constant moving and upheaval. And guess what’s for breakfast? Manna—again!”  [Read more →]