The more time passes in my walk, the more I am convinced of the process of "growing down". Just now, I was reviewing my old journal entries here. "You will become what you review" I once heard said. This time, as so frequently happens, I find what I wrote years ago refreshing. And wise. Perhaps I had more to say back then, but I'm glad for my own ( Read more... )

"But you have not so learned Christ." Eph. 4:20 ( Read more... )

It is a new year, but I should amend that the same resolution as last year is not quite the same, as if I had failed to keep it last year (albeit I kept it only imperfectly). It is a nuance of the resolution of my last three years. This was the grand resolution to live actively aware of God's presence. I have set myself a lifelong goal to live ever ( Read more... )

It seems I have been standing at a crossroads for a little while now. The way forward is before me. But how to pursue forward? Perhaps the crossroads is not a crossroads at all, but it seems so to me at this point. There seems now to be the more obvious thing drawing nearer, though still lacking details. God spoke to me in this gap ( Read more... )

"You also go into the vineyard and whatever is right, I will give you." (Mt. 20:4 ( Read more... )

A vision of the other day, had upon lying down to sleep before sleep came: Darkness. Confinement. A glimpse of light. A cave mouth yawning open into the daylight. I saw the saw-edged, shark tooth fangs, stalactite big. I was in the jaws of a beast. From the opening of the thing's mouth, a pair of hands drew me out into the light. I was a lamb, ( Read more... )

Let us learn the art of the emblem my friends, that wonderful aid to our improvement in spiritual things through the world which God has created around us. I was challenged once to this art and have only rarely taken it to heart, but now anew I see the great blessing it is that God created the world around us to point us to Him! Life is a parable, ( Read more... )

In prayer last night I sensed the Lord leading me to open my Bible and find His word for the night. A closed Bible profits nothing after all. So, I rightly divided the book near the middle and Ezekiel spoke of coming judgment: The righteous man who forsakes his righteousness will surely die. "Turn the pages" He said to me. So little by little I ( Read more... )

I've been thinking lately about what Christians should do when things don't change, perhaps can't change. Now, God is able to change the times of His people drastically and sometimes immediately and He promises to be with us always. His prophets spoke His word that at times invaders would not come in to their cities (Is. 36) And at other times they ( Read more... )

"Don't let the enemy steal your song." Words from a Nigerian pastor who preached once at my church when I was away. I listened to the sermon on Psalm 137 after it was given. The pastor said of the psalm, the callous retort of the those who plundered was given in mockery of the things of God. He said even in the most dire straits, we should have a ( Read more... )