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Vicarious Intercession
Beware of thinking that intercession means bringing our own personal sympathies and concerns into the presence of God, and then demanding that He do whatever we ask. Our ability to approach God is due entirely to the vicarious, or substitutionary, identification of our Lord with sin. We have “boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus.”
Spiritual stubbornness is the most effective hindrance to intercession, because it is based on a sympathetic “understanding” of things we see in ourselves and others that we think needs no atonement.
The Patience To Wait for the Vision
Patience is not the same as indifference; patience conveys the idea of someone who is tremendously strong and able to withstand all assaults. Having the vision of God is the source of patience because it gives us God’s true and proper inspiration. Moses endured, not because of his devotion to his principles of what was right, nor because of his sense of duty to God, but because he had a vision of God. “. . . he endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). A person who has the vision of God is not devoted to a cause or to any particular issue— he is devoted to God Himself.
Breaking the Chains
We found our visit to Christ Church Cathedral in Stone Town, Zanzibar, deeply moving, for it sits on the site of what was formerly the largest slave market in East Africa. The designers of this cathedral wanted to show through a physical symbol how the gospel breaks the chains of slavery. No longer would the location be a place of evil deeds and horrible atrocities, but of God’s embodied grace.
Those who built the cathedral wanted to express how Jesus’s death on the cross provides freedom from sin—that which the apostle Paul speaks of in his letter to the church at…
The Art of Forgiveness
One afternoon I spent two hours at an art exhibit—The Father & His Two Sons: The Art of Forgiveness—in which all of the pieces were focused on Jesus’s parable of the prodigal son (see Luke 15:10–31). I found Edward Rojas’s painting The Prodigal Son especially powerful. The painting portrays the once wayward son returning home, wearing rags and walking with his head down. With a land of death behind him, he steps onto a pathway where his father is already running toward him. At the bottom of the painting are Jesus’s words, “But when he was yet a great way off,…
Spiritual Warfare And The Armor Of God
In a modern world dominated by visible, natural science, is it reasonable to believe in the unseen, spiritual realm? Today on Discover the Word, the team and New Testament scholar Con Campbell conclude their two-week series in the book of Ephesians with a conversation about spiritual warfare and the armor of God. Be listening today on Discover […]
Wisdom For The Issues Of Today
What does a letter written to first-century Christians have to do with our lives today? A surprising amount! Today on Discover the Word, we’ll see how the early church dealt with many of the same issues we still face today. Explore the eternal wisdom found in the book of Ephesians when you tune in today […]
New Life Begins “In Christ” Alone
Turn on the TV at any given moment and you’ll find commercials promising you new confidence, new friends, even a new life, if only you buy their product! But today on Discover the Word, the team and New Testament scholar Con Campbell consider how new life begins “In Christ” alone. Be listening to Discover the Word today!
The Church Needs Diversity To Succeed
In baseball, pitchers are usually considered the most important player on the team. But are they? A team made up of only pitchers would lose every single game. And today on Discover the Word, we’ll see that like a sports team . . . the church needs diversity to succeed. Tune in to discover the […]
How To Live The Way God Intended
Every new car comes with a manual. A set of guidelines for how the car is meant to be used and cared for. And today on Discover the Word, Con Campbell joins the team for the second week of discussions about how we learn how to live the way God intended. It’s a look at […]
Understanding God’s Grace
Today on Discover the Word, the team and New Testament scholar Con Campbell wrap up their first week of a series in the book of Ephesians. They’ll be studying what it means to be alive “In Christ,” laying hold of a firm understanding of God’s grace that sets you free from sin and death. Be […]
Jesus Is Bigger Than You Can Imagine
When the Titanic was built, people couldn’t imagine how something that large could float! But today, ships are far larger and grander! And today on Discover the Word, you’ll see that Jesus is bigger than you could ever imagine. That means there’s always room for your faith to grow. So join the group at the […]
His Agony and Our Access
Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples….”Stay here and watch with Me.” —Matthew 26:36, 38
We can never fully comprehend Christ’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, but at least we don’t have to misunderstand it. It is the agony of God and man in one Person, coming face to face with sin. We cannot learn about Gethsemane through personal experience. Gethsemane and Calvary represent…
How Do You Live A Life That Points To God’s Glory
In a culture that cries, “It’s all about me!” how do you live a life that points to God’s glory, and not your own? Today on Discover the Word, the team and New Testament scholar Con Campbell explore how to truly live “to the praise of God’s glory,” as they continue their study in the […]
The Way to Permanent Faith
Indeed the hour is coming…that you will be scattered… —John 16:32
Jesus was not rebuking the disciples in this passage. Their faith was real, but it was disordered and unfocused, and was not at work in the important realities of life. The disciples were scattered to their own concerns and they had interests apart from Jesus Christ. After we have the…
Our Identity Rooted In Christ
Who are you? An answer to that question might consist of your name, a family history, a description of your job, or just a picture of your face. But today on Discover the Word, we will discuss with New Testament scholar Con Campbell the freedom and power we have when our identity is rooted “In Christ.” […]
