Month: June 2007

Concerning Spiritual Gifts

~ Joe ~ 2 Comments

Paul starts his twelfth chapter in 1 Corinthians by saying he doesn’t want us to be ignorant about spiritual gifts. This can mean two different things: 1) we may simply not know anything about these gifts of the Spirit and are therefore ignorant about them. Or 2) as in the case of the Corinthian church, we may have the gifts of the Spirit operating abundantly in our lives and think we know all there is to know about them, but in reality, we know very little about their true purpose, value, and use.

So let’s not be ignorant but instead let’s take a closer look at these nine gifts of the Holy Spirit.

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Walk Through Philippians 3

~ Joe ~ Leave a comment

Once in a while I like to take a “walk” through a chapter of the Bible. The goal is twofold: 1) it helps me keep individual verses within their proper context and 2) it allows the Word of God to speak into my life in a deeper way. I pray that as you walk through Philippians chapter 3 that God will reveal new insights to you regarding His Word, that He will ask you questions that delve deep into your core, and that He will cause a holy change to occur in your life and mine.

(When reading a “walk through” please note that my comments, thoughts, and questions are indented and the Bible text is not.)

Philippians 3 (NIV)
No Confidence in the Flesh
1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:7 to stay from vain repetition but here Paul is repeating to the Philippian’s a teaching he already gave them. Paul says it is a safeguard to them; so we can see that one thing worth repeating is the Word of God in the form of teaching and instruction. We can never get too much teaching from the God’s Word!

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Pits, Peaks, and Plateaus

~ Joe ~ 1 Comment

Yesterday, FOXNews.com had an article that covered a forum where the three leading Democratic presidential candidates talked about faith and values. One of the presidential candidates was Hillary Clinton who gets an “A” for effort regarding her talk on faith.

She had a few admirable statements, such as:

  • She probably could not have gotten through her marital troubles without relying on her faith in God.
  • “I am very grateful that I had a grounding in faith that gave me the courage and the strength to do what I thought was right, regardless of what the world thought.”
  • “I’m not sure I would have gotten through it without my faith.”
  • She was sustained by the prayers of others.

One of her last comments was, “At those moments in time when you are tested, it is absolutely essential that you be grounded in your faith,” and I think this statement is typical of most Americans. In fact, I think it exemplifies the status of American faith in God.

Although Clinton’s statement is definitely true, I think it’s almost more important to be grounded in your faith during the non-testing times.

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