Posts Tagged ‘ a simple man of God ’
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17, ESV
The Word became flesh to point us to forgiveness and restoration with God, and the Holy Spirit empowers us to share this news with others to lead them toward faith in Christ.
“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
Ephesians 6:2-3, ESV
We honor as parents as fellow image-bearers of God, but also because the Holy Spirit leads us to love them as a sign of our love for our heavenly Father and His Son who loved Him and died for us.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10, ESV
We are woefully sinful, but God made a way for us to be clean and righteousness through the death and resurrection of Jesus and the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23, ESV
God has given us His Spirit to encourage and empower us to live and love like Jesus toward our Father in heaven and each other
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9, ESV
Our God has promised to always be with us, and He proved it through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Colossians 3:1, ESV
The Father sent His Son to die for us, but He raised Him and glorified Him. Now, the Holy Spirit draws us to Christ and to glorify Him in word and deed.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
Psalm 23:1-2, ESV
God wants to help us. He sent Jesus to forgive and restore us, the Holy Spirit to empower us, and the Church to encourage us.
Have peace in Christ.
Hot take?
I won’t lie: I have been tired of Pride Month for a couple of months already. As one source put it (I forget who said it originally), Pride Month is the new Christmas: it starts earlier and earlier, and all the businesses are in on it.
Unlike Christmas, though, the majority who celebrate it tend to demonize those who don’t.
Yes, some Christmas celebrants do that, and we have seen the Conservative backlash against the “War on Christmas”. But they are focusing on the wrong war, especially with the irony of the Conservative focus on freedom of speech (and personal choice).
Conversely, there are some Pride people who follow a more “live and let live” approach.
With Pride Month (which started in earnest with the Dylan Mulvaney Bud Light fiasco), the focus has always been “let us celebrate ourselves” as opposed to celebrating the birth of Christ. Yes, Christmas has largely become about getting what we want, but these two seasons started from polar opposite positions.
This is why I was happy to hear about a new option:
Prof. Robert George of Princeton University suggested that, rather than combating darkness, we focus on lighting candles.
As the name suggests, we focus on remaining faithful (Latin: fidelis) to the core values of commitment to God, spouses (one man and one woman), family (traditional nuclear family), community, and nation.
It’s not a radical idea. It used to be the basis for most people, especially in the West. Yet, even conservative people and groups are willing to compromise on some of these, often simply to refute and reject “the other side” or in a twist of libertarianism.
This is in fact biblical.
Look at Ephesians 5-6, 1 Peter 2-3, and many other passages that could be pulled up.
I say we start doing likewise, actually go out of our way to promote biblical values.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Proverbs 18:21, ESV
God created with His words, and He saves us by The Word. We can destroy a person with uncaring, unthinking words, but we can also help the depressed and hopeless with compassionate, careful words. Trust the Holy Spirit to give power and wisdom to our speech for good and life.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
Isaiah 43:2, ESV
God literally did these things for His People throughout history, yet, through the Holy Spirit, we know that God’s Son has saved us from the fires of damnation and chaotic sea of humanity. When this life seems un-navigable, He grants us peace and grace.
a simple man of God 