2 Chronicles 6:18 “But will God really dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built!” This truly is a great question. How does a perfect, invisible, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent One dwell in any physical structure? Nothing can contain Him. … Continue reading Containing God – 2 Chronicles 6.18
The Freedom to Respond – Jonah 3.5,10
Respond - Jonah 3:5 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. Jonah 3:10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would … Continue reading The Freedom to Respond – Jonah 3.5,10
The Purposes of God – Job 9.17
Reading this article now several years after writing it, I wonder how I thought I could speak so confidently of God’s clear purpose in suffering. The favor and mercy of Father God is more tangible and clear than ever to me, His specific will; however, not so much. His perspective comes from a vantage point … Continue reading The Purposes of God – Job 9.17
The Evil Power of Resentment, Esther 5:13-14
Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.” Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go … Continue reading The Evil Power of Resentment, Esther 5:13-14
Spiritual Deafness – Luke 16.31
And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ When one begins to deny truth a very dangerous decline begins - … Continue reading Spiritual Deafness – Luke 16.31
The Reality of the Lord Jesus – 1 John 1.1
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was … Continue reading The Reality of the Lord Jesus – 1 John 1.1
Hate – Luke 14.26
Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot … Continue reading Hate – Luke 14.26
Never Bow – 1 Kings 19.18
"Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” In a culture of unmitigated evil that is constantly running after the gods of this world, such as the one over which Ahab and Jezebel ruled, the worshiper of God … Continue reading Never Bow – 1 Kings 19.18
PERSISTENT, PESTERING PRAYER – LUKE 18:1-8
He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not become discouraged... My middle name is Discouraged. My resolve is short lived (which is really a bit oxymoronic). My practice of prayer certainly doesn’t seem to reach the level of being called a ‘life’. I hear people talk about … Continue reading PERSISTENT, PESTERING PRAYER – LUKE 18:1-8
PURSUE UNITY IN TRUTH – PHILIPPIANS 4:3
Put Off and Put On – Ephesians 4.20-24
But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of … Continue reading Put Off and Put On – Ephesians 4.20-24
WHY VENTANAS?
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Remember Not – Psalms 25:7
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD! The early morning is one of my favorite times of the day. The house is quiet. The coffee is freshly brewed. My mind is rested and ready to receive. My … Continue reading Remember Not – Psalms 25:7
Confronting Evil – Acts 13.8
But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, stared at him, and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you … Continue reading Confronting Evil – Acts 13.8
Missing the Obvious – Acts 6:15
And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel. This fact mentioned by Luke seems quite significant, if you ask me. The falsely accused man, Stephen, now stands before the leaders of the Jews and suddenly takes on the appearance of a being … Continue reading Missing the Obvious – Acts 6:15
Propitiation – 1 John 2:2
FAVOR FROM FEAR – EXODUS 1:21
Spiritual Stamina – Matthew 24.12-13
"And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved." Let’s face it, lawlessness has increased. We live in desperately evil times. We are surrounded by wickedness and by those who pursue new, novel approaches to the expression of evil. It … Continue reading Spiritual Stamina – Matthew 24.12-13
Following After God – 1 Kings 15.11,14
1 Kings 15:11 Asa did what was right in the Lord’s eyes, as his ancestor David had done. 1 Kings 15:14 The high places were not taken away; but Asa’s heart was completely devoted to the Lord his entire life. Asa is recorded as one who did what was right in the Lord’s sight and … Continue reading Following After God – 1 Kings 15.11,14
Godly Judgment – 1 Kings 3.28
All Israel heard about the judgment the king had given, and they stood in awe of the king because they saw that God’s wisdom was in him to carry out justice. When people see that a leader is exercising God's judgment and carrying out His justice they will stand in awe and follow humbly. Leadership … Continue reading Godly Judgment – 1 Kings 3.28
Ventanas 