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#Post#: 10260--------------------------------------------------
Why is endurance important?
By: guest24 Date: February 14, 2020, 8:37 am
---------------------------------------------------------
My study today began with looking into endurance...why should we
endure and what should we endure?
#Post#: 10262--------------------------------------------------
Re: Why is endurance important?
By: patrick jane Date: February 14, 2020, 11:26 am
---------------------------------------------------------
If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not
moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and
which was preached to every creature which is under heaven;
whereof I Paul am made a minister;
#Post#: 10276--------------------------------------------------
Re: Why is endurance important?
By: guest24 Date: February 15, 2020, 9:31 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Here are my study notes fom this week...Endurance is a huge part
of our fellowship with Christ. We are to endure. One of the
promises of scripture is that in this life, in this world, we
will have trouble. (John 16:33) With that being one of the
promises of God, it is understandable that we are commanded and
equipped to endure. We will face hardships because of the
world’s hatred for us. A world that first hated God and thus
hates us for the God that they see in us. But this promise of
enduring through hardship also carries a promise of deliverance
if we endure. (Matthew 10:22; Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13; Hebrews
10:32) God doesn’t just command us to endure, but He endures
with us and our stubborn pride. His endurance is to show His
patience and Love. (Romans 9:21-23) Even His righteousness
endures forever, (II Corinthians 9:9) his very word endures
forever. (I Peter 1:25)
In fact, endurance is the very mark of real Love. (I Corinthians
13:7) We need to endure through persecution, (I Corinthians
13:7; II Thessalonians 1:4) all the trials in this life, (I
Corinthians 9:12) Our endurance is to bring others to Christ. It
is a testimony to the Love, power, and mercy of the Living God.
(II Timothy 2:10) Endurance fulfills our ministry here on earth.
(II Timothy 4:5) Christ is our example of one who suffered and
endured and if we keep our eyes on Him it will strengthen us to
endure our own sufferings. (Hebrews 12:2-3) It also helps to
endure if we see our suffering as God’s Love through discipline.
(Hebrews 12:7)
When we endure, we are promised a reign with Christ. (II Timothy
2:12) We will be rescued from our suffering in His time and to
His purpose. Our rescue may not be from the suffering but from
the worldly goals and purposes for that suffering as we will
soon see, (II Timothy 3:11) It is the one that endures that is
blessed and known to be blessed. (James 1:12; James 5:11)
Endurance brings favor from the Living God even if the suffering
whether the suffering is just or unjust. (I Peter 2:19-20)
Endurance will also protect us from the testing that is yet to
come. (Revelation 3:10)
This life, this salvation that we are living in, is equated to a
race in Hebrews 12:1 a race that we are to run with endurance.
Romans 5:3 gives us another example of the purpose and joy of
endurance when it tells us that afflictions produce endurance
and endurance leads to proven character and proven character
leads us to hope, a hope that does not disappoint because God’s
Love is poured out in our hearts which gives us the Holy Spirit
and all the wonderful things the Holy Spirit does in the life of
the believer. Even all of scripture was given to us so that we
could have hope, endurance, and encouragement in our walk with
God. (Romans 15:1-6) When we endure the suffering that is before
us, we are uniquely equipped to comfort others just as Christ is
uniquely equipped to comfort us. (II Corinthians 1:3-11)
Colossians 1:9-14 talks about the importance of praying for one
another to have both endurance and patience with joy and
thanksgiving. Our endurance is an endurance of hope. (I
Thessalonians 1:2-10) An endurance that is in the power of the
Living God. It is an endurance that is directed by the Living
God. (II Thessalonians 3:1-5) I Timothy 6:11-16 tells us to
pursue endurance along with our pursuit of righteousness,
godliness, faith, Love, and gentleness. This endurance is an
equipping by God to the life and tasks He has created for us.
(II Timothy 3:10-17) We are to endure because of our
understanding that we have a better and enduring possession in
the Lord and our inheritance as His children. (Hebrews 10:26-39)
We can run with endurance because we have put off the sins that
weigh us down, because we keep our eyes on Christ and His
endurance inspires us. (Hebrews 12:1-2) We are to take joy in
the suffering that brings about endurance since the testing of
our faith produces endurance and that endurance is meant to
complete its work so that we are mature and complete in Christ,
lacking nothing from the Lord. (James 1:2-18) Endurance also
reveals the compassion and mercy of our Lord and God. (James
5:11) II Peter 1:3-15 tells us that faith needs to be
accompanied by goodness, we build on goodness with knowledge, to
knowledge self control. Self control is to be accompanied by
endurance which is used to build goliness which adds brotherly
affection and grows into Love. One growing upon the other. Our
endurance is known and in the Lord Jesus Christ, full of hope,
compassion and mercy. (Revelation 1:9)
II Corinthians 11:16-33 gives us a picture of some of the
sufferings that Paul endured to spread the gospel but if you
notice, what he most boasted of was not his endurance but his
weakness. It was in his weakness that God made him strong. (II
Corinthians 12:9-11) It is not our strength that allows us to
endure all manner of suffering but instead, it is the power of
God in us. None of the things we are about to look into came
about because of man’s strength, but rather it was possible
because of man’s weakness and God’s strength in man. The greater
things than those that Christ did while on this earth. (John
14:12-14)
In light of all the scriptures that talk about enduring and this
doesn't even include all that use the word persevere, it seems
to me that endurance is indeed part of our spiritual journey
#Post#: 10278--------------------------------------------------
Re: Why is endurance important?
By: guest17 Date: February 15, 2020, 10:33 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=Lori Bolinger link=topic=772.msg10260#msg10260
date=1581691035]
My study today began with looking into endurance...why should we
endure and what should we endure?
[/quote]
I haven't read all the posts yet. But my first thoughts are that
endurance affects our faith, trust, and hope in the Most High
God. We are beaten down by so many things; financial problems,
family problems, health problems, and spiritual attacks in
different ways. The things happening in the world around us
affects us and our endurance. Endurance is important because we
need strength, hope, and faith to not grow weary and give up.
#Post#: 10279--------------------------------------------------
Re: Why is endurance important?
By: patrick jane Date: February 15, 2020, 1:23 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I haven't had time to read and think really, but being
physically weary also makes the mind and the spirit weary. We
must pray for strength in Christ, within ourselves and our inner
man/woman. Pray for you mind to be renewed and for spiritual
strength and wisdom. This is in the wrong thread sorry.
#Post#: 17637--------------------------------------------------
Re: Why is endurance important?
By: patrick jane Date: September 16, 2020, 6:43 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[img]
HTML https://www-images.christianitytoday.com/images/119405.jpg?w=940[/img]
HTML https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/september-web-only/bible-passages-persevere-special-issue-graves.html
10 Bible Passages That Help Us Persevere
Study leaders, authors, and scholars share how Scripture has
sustained them during difficult times.
When life feels dark or the way ahead is unclear, God’s Word
remains a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Here,
ten women reflect on Scripture passages that have strengthened
and encouraged them during difficult times.
Jo Saxton on Matthew 14:22—36
As a child, I loved this passage. It resonated strongly with me
when I realized COVID-19 would change our lives. The rise of the
pandemic was like watching a storm brewing: Relatives around the
world shared their stories, school was canceled, and my work was
canceled or postponed. I read this passage multiple times a day
for over a week.
When Peter stepped out of the boat before the storm was still,
he walked on the words Jesus said to him. I am challenged to
walk on Jesus’ words to me amid life’s storms, even if they
don’t make sense. God not only speaks to us through the storms
of life, but he also meets with us and speaks to us in the heart
of the storm, when we’re at the end of ourselves and all hope is
gone.
As a child, I was stunned by the power of God. Now, this passage
reminds me of God’s tender kindness, the extraordinary lengths
he went to for his friends in need, and how he transformed their
lives. Jesus takes time to heal the crowd (vv. 35–36) even
though initially he’d avoided the crowd to get some rest. Would
I go to extraordinary lengths so my friends could encounter
peace, hope, and love?
Jen Wilkin on Psalm 139
As a young, overwhelmed mom, growing in my awareness of my own
limits, I needed a vision of a transcendent God to reorient me.
Psalm 139 delivers. “Search me, God,” David wrote. "See if there
is any offensive way in me” (vv. 23–24). His worshipful response
to meditating on the limitlessness of God is a desire to slay
what opposes God. I want to be the same: “Put to death,
therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature” (Col. 3:5).
I want my adoration of God to result in an abhorrence of sin.
In times of difficulty, we tend to look inward or to another
person or a created thing for help. Initially, I viewed Psalm
139 as God showing interest in all that made me special. But I
was surprised to connect the end of the psalm to the beginning,
which asks that God continue searching and knowing, testing me,
regarding my anxious thoughts and offensive ways. God reads my
sins and weaknesses perfectly, and I should ask him to keep
doing that. Healthy human relationships are predicated on
honoring one another as image-bearers rather than worshiping or
demanding worship from one another. When I put my sin to death,
my neighbor benefits. Right love of God leads to right love of
self and neighbor.
Wilkin is an author and Bible teacher from Dallas. Her books
include Women of the Word and None Like Him.
Jeannine K. Brown on Hebrews 12:1-3
I love the image of my journey with Christ as a race. We “press
on toward the goal” (Phil. 3:14) with passion and with
perseverance. It brings to mind Eugene Peterson’s phrase “a long
obedience in the same direction.” The author of Hebrews
challenges me to shed whatever hinders me in the race (12:1).
Moreover, in this race of faith, I have someone on my side who’s
fully invested in that same race. In Jesus, God is on our side,
and God is by our side.
Recently, I was struck by the language of joy when meditating on
this passage. “For the joy set before him,” Jesus endured the
suffering and shame of the cross. Jesus, who reveals God to us,
is characterized by joy. Additionally, the first line points us
back to Hebrews 11. While meditating on this image of a “cloud
of witnesses,” I think of my grandmother, whose faith was
enlivened at a revival meeting a century ago and who taught me
one of her favorite hymns, “Children of the Heavenly Father,” in
Swedish. I am not alone in my journey of faith. We are
surrounded by faithful others, both past and present. And Jesus,
at the center of our faith, is our guide.
Brown is a professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary and a
member of the NIV Committee on Bible Translation. Her most
recent book is The Gospels as Stories.
Anjuli Paschall on Mark 10:46-52
I have five kids. When I was struggling, drowning in diapers, a
dear friend asked me, “What do you want?” I could tell people
what I needed, but I didn’t know what I wanted. I would have a
desire—like wanting time alone—and stuff it or suffocate it and
then get so angry. I finally grew to understand that for me to
love others well, I need to be vulnerable by expressing what I
want.
When Bartimaeus gropes his way over to Jesus, they stand face to
face. Jesus wants to hear Bartimaeus tell him what he wants.
This passage reminds me: God loves me and says, Come over here,
get face to face, tell me what you want. It’s vulnerable to tell
Jesus what you really, really want. But expressing our wants and
longings shows the movement of our hearts, our formation, part
of what makes us whole. Speak your greatest heart’s desire to
God, whether people tease you, or it’s embarrassing, or it
doesn’t make sense. That’s Bartimaeus, right? Even important
people told him to be quiet, but he spoke up. May we speak
louder like Bartimaeus!
Paschall is a spiritual director and the author of Stay:
Discovering Grace, Freedom, and Wholeness Where You Never
Imagined Looking.
Carmen Joy Imes on Psalm 10
Years ago, I was under a gag order during an investigation. I
felt powerless and alone, with no one to advocate for me. Psalm
10:14 was balm to my soul: “You, God, see the trouble of the
afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand.” I
discovered how powerfully the Psalms address the powerless. They
gave me words when I did not know how to pray.
Some people struggle with the apparent violence of the Psalms.
In my crisis, I discovered that these psalms align with God’s
justice. Yes, God is merciful and compassionate, but he also
does not leave the guilty unpunished (Ex. 34:6–7). He not only
comforts us but is the kind of God who stops the wicked in their
tracks before they can do more harm (Ps. 10:15). The Psalms
bolstered my trust in a God who fights on my behalf. They also
chasten and challenge me not to participate in the oppression of
others. Now, when friends feel powerless or abandoned or
attacked, I pray the Psalms on their behalf. God does not ask us
to put on a happy face; violent psalms like Psalm 10 invite us
to come to God with our most desperate prayers.
Imes is professor of Old Testament at Prairie College. She is
the author of Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters.
M. Sydney Park on 1 Corinthians 2:1–5
This passage is always meaningful, especially in the past two
decades as we face a pervasive culture of self-promotion in the
evangelical church. Believers seem to have lost sight of the
necessary mindset of the church as outlined in Philippians
2:5–11: “Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who … made
himself nothing … becoming obedient to death.”
First Corinthians 2:1–5 reminds me of the palpable testimony
given to the world by the apostles. Conformity to the world is
not inevitable, but true proclamation of the gospel message must
come by means other than worldly wisdom. This requires
cruciformity not only in ethics and identity (being) but also in
our method. Paul reminds us that such complete conformity to
Christ crucified necessarily results in the mighty work of the
Holy Spirit and the power of God. The only way to love our
neighbors as Christ loved us is through self-sacrifice.
Park is a professor at Beeson Divinity School with a focus on
New Testament theology, biblical interpretation, and Greek.
Kristie Anyabwile on Psalm 18:30
Nothing is beyond the reach or the knowledge of God; his way is
perfect. Even though this pandemic and its effects are painful
and hard for so many people, God doesn’t change. That helps me
to put this season in perspective. It ain’t gonna last; it’s not
the end. All we see and experience in this life is but a vapor.
Nothing and no one can thwart the outworking of God’s
providence. He proves true and will effect what he intends to
accomplish in our lives and in the world.
The implied imperative in Psalm 18:30 is to seek God for safety
and security—but that’s not always easy because we have our own
ideas about what we think we need to have a sense of security.
Particularly during these coronavirus times, a verse like this
exposes our rugged independence and makes us aware of how out of
control we really are. This verse challenges me to be fully
dependent on the Lord, to seek him for refuge, and to not seek
security in the conveniences of this life.
Anyabwile is a Bible teacher and the editor of His Testimonies,
My Heritage: Women of Color on the Word of God.
Vaneetha Rendall Risner on Isaiah 43:1-2
When my ex-husband left our family, I was terrified. How would I
manage with my disability? Would my daughters walk away from
their faith? How would I manage my household on my own? I felt
betrayed and alone, my self-image shattered.
I love how Isaiah 43:1–2 tells me that God calls me by name. He
tells me not to fear. He redeems me—which gives me worth. This
passage reassures me that whatever I go through, God will be
with me and my trials won’t overwhelm me: “When you pass through
the waters, I will be with you.”
I’ve sensed God’s presence most closely in suffering—a gift he
offers to comfort us in pain. That doesn’t mean we won’t
struggle, suffer loss, or even die. I have a close friend with
ALS who knows all three will happen. What God promises here is
that we won’t be overcome with despair. No matter what’s going
on around us, we can be sure God will never leave us. He will
walk through every fiery trial with us. He will make sure the
rivers do not overwhelm us. And with God beside us, we know
there is nothing to fear.
Risner writes and speaks on suffering. Her books include The
Scars That Have Shaped Me and Walking Through Fire (Thomas
Nelson, January 2021).
Chrystal Evans Hurst on Philippians 4:6-7
My 15-year-old son had a traumatic birth, resulting in nerve
damage that led to difficulty in using his right arm his first
few months. I was especially anxious and worried during that
time—I so badly wanted him to be healed. Peace came over time as
I turned to prayer and focused on thinking profitable
thoughts—dwelling on what was good and right despite what I
couldn’t change.
This passage challenges me to maintain peace by continually
coming to God instead of only reactively coming to God when I
feel anxiety. If we only focus on the source of anxiety or pain,
then we miss the other wonderful things God is doing. Prayer is
a weapon, a tool, a source of strength and power.
We don’t have to handle it, or figure everything out on our own,
or move mountains in our own strength. We can bring our concerns
to God with thanksgiving, ask him for what we want, and then
yield to what he wants for us and for those we’re praying for.
Prayer will keep our hearts and minds from racing and ease our
physical bodies from the havoc stress can wreak on them.
Hurst is a speaker, worship leader, and author. Her books
include The 28-Day Prayer Journey and She’s Still There.
Ann Voskamp on Romans 8:31-32
As farmers, we have been living on the edge for 25 years. Our
life requires that we trust God at a really deep level—we have
droughts, we have bad weather, and so on. Romans 8:32 is our
life verse: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up
for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give
us all things?” This verse has given us Jesus. He will not
necessarily give us what we want, but he will give us what we
need. If he gave himself up for us all, gave me everything, then
he will give me what I need each moment. It is safe to trust.
Trust is the bridge from yesterday to tomorrow, built with what
God has done in the past. In trust, we can walk from the known
to the unknown. Today, with what we see happening in terms of
many of our livelihoods, it looks like the bridge underneath us
is going to give way. But when it seems to give way, we are
falling into Christ’s safe arms.
So, in trust, I can live generously toward others, thereby
destroying the myth of scarcity. We get to live life given
away—a cruciform life—and show the world what it means to live
in Christ. Stepping into trust is actually what faith means. If
I keep thanking him, it builds all those planks of trust for me
to step from the known into the unknown.
Voskamp is a speaker, blogger, and author of several books,
including The Broken Way and One Thousand Gifts.
Compiled by Marlena Graves, author of The Way Up Is Down and
Beautiful Disaster.
#Post#: 18315--------------------------------------------------
Re: Why is endurance important?
By: patrick jane Date: October 2, 2020, 12:08 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=patrick jane link=topic=772.msg17637#msg17637
date=1600299831]
[img]
HTML https://www-images.christianitytoday.com/images/119405.jpg?w=940[/img]
HTML https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/september-web-only/bible-passages-persevere-special-issue-graves.html
10 Bible Passages That Help Us Persevere
Study leaders, authors, and scholars share how Scripture has
sustained them during difficult times.
When life feels dark or the way ahead is unclear, God’s Word
remains a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Here,
ten women reflect on Scripture passages that have strengthened
and encouraged them during difficult times.
Jo Saxton on Matthew 14:22—36
As a child, I loved this passage. It resonated strongly with me
when I realized COVID-19 would change our lives. The rise of the
pandemic was like watching a storm brewing: Relatives around the
world shared their stories, school was canceled, and my work was
canceled or postponed. I read this passage multiple times a day
for over a week.
When Peter stepped out of the boat before the storm was still,
he walked on the words Jesus said to him. I am challenged to
walk on Jesus’ words to me amid life’s storms, even if they
don’t make sense. God not only speaks to us through the storms
of life, but he also meets with us and speaks to us in the heart
of the storm, when we’re at the end of ourselves and all hope is
gone.
As a child, I was stunned by the power of God. Now, this passage
reminds me of God’s tender kindness, the extraordinary lengths
he went to for his friends in need, and how he transformed their
lives. Jesus takes time to heal the crowd (vv. 35–36) even
though initially he’d avoided the crowd to get some rest. Would
I go to extraordinary lengths so my friends could encounter
peace, hope, and love?
Jen Wilkin on Psalm 139
As a young, overwhelmed mom, growing in my awareness of my own
limits, I needed a vision of a transcendent God to reorient me.
Psalm 139 delivers. “Search me, God,” David wrote. "See if there
is any offensive way in me” (vv. 23–24). His worshipful response
to meditating on the limitlessness of God is a desire to slay
what opposes God. I want to be the same: “Put to death,
therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature” (Col. 3:5).
I want my adoration of God to result in an abhorrence of sin.
In times of difficulty, we tend to look inward or to another
person or a created thing for help. Initially, I viewed Psalm
139 as God showing interest in all that made me special. But I
was surprised to connect the end of the psalm to the beginning,
which asks that God continue searching and knowing, testing me,
regarding my anxious thoughts and offensive ways. God reads my
sins and weaknesses perfectly, and I should ask him to keep
doing that. Healthy human relationships are predicated on
honoring one another as image-bearers rather than worshiping or
demanding worship from one another. When I put my sin to death,
my neighbor benefits. Right love of God leads to right love of
self and neighbor.
Wilkin is an author and Bible teacher from Dallas. Her books
include Women of the Word and None Like Him.
Jeannine K. Brown on Hebrews 12:1-3
I love the image of my journey with Christ as a race. We “press
on toward the goal” (Phil. 3:14) with passion and with
perseverance. It brings to mind Eugene Peterson’s phrase “a long
obedience in the same direction.” The author of Hebrews
challenges me to shed whatever hinders me in the race (12:1).
Moreover, in this race of faith, I have someone on my side who’s
fully invested in that same race. In Jesus, God is on our side,
and God is by our side.
Recently, I was struck by the language of joy when meditating on
this passage. “For the joy set before him,” Jesus endured the
suffering and shame of the cross. Jesus, who reveals God to us,
is characterized by joy. Additionally, the first line points us
back to Hebrews 11. While meditating on this image of a “cloud
of witnesses,” I think of my grandmother, whose faith was
enlivened at a revival meeting a century ago and who taught me
one of her favorite hymns, “Children of the Heavenly Father,” in
Swedish. I am not alone in my journey of faith. We are
surrounded by faithful others, both past and present. And Jesus,
at the center of our faith, is our guide.
Brown is a professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary and a
member of the NIV Committee on Bible Translation. Her most
recent book is The Gospels as Stories.
Anjuli Paschall on Mark 10:46-52
I have five kids. When I was struggling, drowning in diapers, a
dear friend asked me, “What do you want?” I could tell people
what I needed, but I didn’t know what I wanted. I would have a
desire—like wanting time alone—and stuff it or suffocate it and
then get so angry. I finally grew to understand that for me to
love others well, I need to be vulnerable by expressing what I
want.
When Bartimaeus gropes his way over to Jesus, they stand face to
face. Jesus wants to hear Bartimaeus tell him what he wants.
This passage reminds me: God loves me and says, Come over here,
get face to face, tell me what you want. It’s vulnerable to tell
Jesus what you really, really want. But expressing our wants and
longings shows the movement of our hearts, our formation, part
of what makes us whole. Speak your greatest heart’s desire to
God, whether people tease you, or it’s embarrassing, or it
doesn’t make sense. That’s Bartimaeus, right? Even important
people told him to be quiet, but he spoke up. May we speak
louder like Bartimaeus!
Paschall is a spiritual director and the author of Stay:
Discovering Grace, Freedom, and Wholeness Where You Never
Imagined Looking.
Carmen Joy Imes on Psalm 10
Years ago, I was under a gag order during an investigation. I
felt powerless and alone, with no one to advocate for me. Psalm
10:14 was balm to my soul: “You, God, see the trouble of the
afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand.” I
discovered how powerfully the Psalms address the powerless. They
gave me words when I did not know how to pray.
Some people struggle with the apparent violence of the Psalms.
In my crisis, I discovered that these psalms align with God’s
justice. Yes, God is merciful and compassionate, but he also
does not leave the guilty unpunished (Ex. 34:6–7). He not only
comforts us but is the kind of God who stops the wicked in their
tracks before they can do more harm (Ps. 10:15). The Psalms
bolstered my trust in a God who fights on my behalf. They also
chasten and challenge me not to participate in the oppression of
others. Now, when friends feel powerless or abandoned or
attacked, I pray the Psalms on their behalf. God does not ask us
to put on a happy face; violent psalms like Psalm 10 invite us
to come to God with our most desperate prayers.
Imes is professor of Old Testament at Prairie College. She is
the author of Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters.
M. Sydney Park on 1 Corinthians 2:1–5
This passage is always meaningful, especially in the past two
decades as we face a pervasive culture of self-promotion in the
evangelical church. Believers seem to have lost sight of the
necessary mindset of the church as outlined in Philippians
2:5–11: “Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who … made
himself nothing … becoming obedient to death.”
First Corinthians 2:1–5 reminds me of the palpable testimony
given to the world by the apostles. Conformity to the world is
not inevitable, but true proclamation of the gospel message must
come by means other than worldly wisdom. This requires
cruciformity not only in ethics and identity (being) but also in
our method. Paul reminds us that such complete conformity to
Christ crucified necessarily results in the mighty work of the
Holy Spirit and the power of God. The only way to love our
neighbors as Christ loved us is through self-sacrifice.
Park is a professor at Beeson Divinity School with a focus on
New Testament theology, biblical interpretation, and Greek.
Kristie Anyabwile on Psalm 18:30
Nothing is beyond the reach or the knowledge of God; his way is
perfect. Even though this pandemic and its effects are painful
and hard for so many people, God doesn’t change. That helps me
to put this season in perspective. It ain’t gonna last; it’s not
the end. All we see and experience in this life is but a vapor.
Nothing and no one can thwart the outworking of God’s
providence. He proves true and will effect what he intends to
accomplish in our lives and in the world.
The implied imperative in Psalm 18:30 is to seek God for safety
and security—but that’s not always easy because we have our own
ideas about what we think we need to have a sense of security.
Particularly during these coronavirus times, a verse like this
exposes our rugged independence and makes us aware of how out of
control we really are. This verse challenges me to be fully
dependent on the Lord, to seek him for refuge, and to not seek
security in the conveniences of this life.
Anyabwile is a Bible teacher and the editor of His Testimonies,
My Heritage: Women of Color on the Word of God.
Vaneetha Rendall Risner on Isaiah 43:1-2
When my ex-husband left our family, I was terrified. How would I
manage with my disability? Would my daughters walk away from
their faith? How would I manage my household on my own? I felt
betrayed and alone, my self-image shattered.
I love how Isaiah 43:1–2 tells me that God calls me by name. He
tells me not to fear. He redeems me—which gives me worth. This
passage reassures me that whatever I go through, God will be
with me and my trials won’t overwhelm me: “When you pass through
the waters, I will be with you.”
I’ve sensed God’s presence most closely in suffering—a gift he
offers to comfort us in pain. That doesn’t mean we won’t
struggle, suffer loss, or even die. I have a close friend with
ALS who knows all three will happen. What God promises here is
that we won’t be overcome with despair. No matter what’s going
on around us, we can be sure God will never leave us. He will
walk through every fiery trial with us. He will make sure the
rivers do not overwhelm us. And with God beside us, we know
there is nothing to fear.
Risner writes and speaks on suffering. Her books include The
Scars That Have Shaped Me and Walking Through Fire (Thomas
Nelson, January 2021).
Chrystal Evans Hurst on Philippians 4:6-7
My 15-year-old son had a traumatic birth, resulting in nerve
damage that led to difficulty in using his right arm his first
few months. I was especially anxious and worried during that
time—I so badly wanted him to be healed. Peace came over time as
I turned to prayer and focused on thinking profitable
thoughts—dwelling on what was good and right despite what I
couldn’t change.
This passage challenges me to maintain peace by continually
coming to God instead of only reactively coming to God when I
feel anxiety. If we only focus on the source of anxiety or pain,
then we miss the other wonderful things God is doing. Prayer is
a weapon, a tool, a source of strength and power.
We don’t have to handle it, or figure everything out on our own,
or move mountains in our own strength. We can bring our concerns
to God with thanksgiving, ask him for what we want, and then
yield to what he wants for us and for those we’re praying for.
Prayer will keep our hearts and minds from racing and ease our
physical bodies from the havoc stress can wreak on them.
Hurst is a speaker, worship leader, and author. Her books
include The 28-Day Prayer Journey and She’s Still There.
Ann Voskamp on Romans 8:31-32
As farmers, we have been living on the edge for 25 years. Our
life requires that we trust God at a really deep level—we have
droughts, we have bad weather, and so on. Romans 8:32 is our
life verse: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up
for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give
us all things?” This verse has given us Jesus. He will not
necessarily give us what we want, but he will give us what we
need. If he gave himself up for us all, gave me everything, then
he will give me what I need each moment. It is safe to trust.
Trust is the bridge from yesterday to tomorrow, built with what
God has done in the past. In trust, we can walk from the known
to the unknown. Today, with what we see happening in terms of
many of our livelihoods, it looks like the bridge underneath us
is going to give way. But when it seems to give way, we are
falling into Christ’s safe arms.
So, in trust, I can live generously toward others, thereby
destroying the myth of scarcity. We get to live life given
away—a cruciform life—and show the world what it means to live
in Christ. Stepping into trust is actually what faith means. If
I keep thanking him, it builds all those planks of trust for me
to step from the known into the unknown.
Voskamp is a speaker, blogger, and author of several books,
including The Broken Way and One Thousand Gifts.
Compiled by Marlena Graves, author of The Way Up Is Down and
Beautiful Disaster.
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Re: Why is endurance important?
By: patrick jane Date: May 27, 2021, 5:20 pm
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