Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Explanations’ Category

Expecting Good

Posted in Expectation, Explanations, Holy Spirit, Prayer, tagged on October 21, 2011| Leave a Comment »

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? … If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? – Jesus (Luke 11:11-13)

Some are afraid to ask for God’s Holy Spirit, afraid to commit fully to Christ — afraid he may require a change too hard or allow an experience too painful.

Not so. Jesus assures that when asked for his Holy Spirit it will be good — not something too hard (a stone) or something which will bite back (a serpent).

How could we expect otherwise.

— fritz

Read Full Post »

Hey, Who’s In Charge Here?!

Posted in Church, Explanations, tagged on October 5, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Earlier I wrote … to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves being in charge, denigrates my counsel … he not only refuses hospitality … but tries to stop others … Worse yet … he throws them out. Friend, don’t go along with evil. Model the good. The person who does good does God’s work. — 3 John 1:9-12

John, the most loving apostle of all, had some difficulty with a church member. Some people, having little to no influence anywhere else, see the church as the place they can throw their weight around.

Real life examples:

  • A wealthy parishioner tells a young pastor to quit preaching on one topic or another (See Jim Martin’s post, “Called or Just Employed”)
  • Years ago a parishioner pulled me aside to brag how he gave the sound system to the church and if I ever wanted to adjust anything let him know because he had the key
  • Two years ago the leader of a major denomination calls personal salvation a heresy and takes church property away from congregations who won’t submit to her authority (See article here)

But God and his people, the Church, move on and still meet — sometimes in homes, sometimes in rented buildings, sometimes even on church property where others dispute.

Jesus is committed to individual members of His Church wherever they are. He is still changing lives.

— fritz@langgang.com
Also see: Trouble In Church – October 4, 2011

Read Full Post »

Hand-In-Hand with God

Posted in Diligence, Explanations, God's Plan, Ruth, tagged on September 27, 2011| 2 Comments »

Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter … And her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz … And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said … unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? — Ruth 2:2-6

A little background to highlight one important fact about how God works:

God commanded land owners not to squeeze all they could from their property. They could not reap the corners of their fields and if something fell to the ground during harvest they could not pick it up — it was left for the poor.

Boaz, a wealthy land owner, followed these commands with a generous heart even when many did not.
Ruth, a poor foreigner, went to the fields to gather and ended up married, becoming ancestor to Israel’s greatest king!

This was God’s grace to be sure, but what if Boaz was stingy or Ruth that morning had said, “I think I’ll sleep in today.? God’s grace works hand-in-hand with our compassion and diligence.

We don’t know when God’s opportunities will happen — but they happen more when we are diligent, faithful, and obedient to God’s word.

— Also see “Coincidence Or Answered Prayer?” – August 20, 2011
— fritz@langgang.com

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »