The Way Prayer Works (part 1 of 6)

You know, with everything going on these days, many of us are struggling to remain motivated. Somehow things have not gone quite as we expected. Many of our plans have not seen fulfillment. As a result, we find ourselves asking, “How can I do better? How can I motivate myself really to do what I know I should do?” Last week I received a note asking a question which puts this rather graphically:

The Mysterious Riches of Christ (part 5 of 5)

Paul discussed the second dimension of the effect of his ministry — the distribution of universal knowledge. He says it was given to him “to make all men see what the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things is . . .” Isaiah, in that great ninth chapter of his prophecy, predicted that the people who walked in darkness would see a great light, that those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness, would the light shine. And then he goes on in that chapter to write that well-known verse:

An Attitude Adjustment

Let’s face it. Sometimes life gets tough. In our church, many of us are experiencing our difficulties. Mostly physical, but it doesn’t end there. But ya know, we don’t lie around complaining. Nope, we understand and embrace Paul’s encouragement:

The Mysterious Riches of Christ (part 4 of 5)

The glory of the mystery is right here: out of weakness comes strength! And when Paul could honestly say of himself, “I am less than the least of all the saints,” this was when he was able to describe a fantastically active ministry. In these next verses it is set forth in beautiful terms:

The Mysterious Riches of Christ (part 3 of 5)

Paul mentions a second thing he never got over: his amazement at the weakness of his own person. Notice his language here: “Yes, to me, less than the least of all Christians, has God given this grace . . .” I know some people think Paul is merely polite here, deprecating himself as we might. But I am sure that he felt deeply in his heart what he put into words. He wasn’t looking back to when he was a Pharisee. Rather, it was a present assessment of his worth: “the least of all Christians .” This is what Paul thought of himself.

The Mysterious Riches of Christ (part 2 of 5)

You will notice that there is a sense of amazement and wonder as Paul writes these words:

“I was made a minister of that Gospel by the grace he gave me, and by the power with which he equipped me” (Ephesians 3:7)

Our Mistakes in Worship

In his article entitled, “Many Christians Make These 2 Serious Mistakes in Worship,” Dr. F. Dean Hackett discusses something that has concerned me for many years. In our times of worship, are we actually aware of the songs we are singing?