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The Delight of Despair
It may be that, like the apostle John, you know Jesus Christ intimately. Yet when He suddenly appears to you with totally unfamiliar characteristics, the only thing you can do is fall “at His feet as dead.” There are times when God cannot reveal Himself in any other way than in His majesty, and it is the awesomeness of the vision which brings you to the delight of despair. You experience this joy in hopelessness, realizing that if you are ever to be raised up it must be by the hand of God.
Our Careful Unbelief
Jesus summed up commonsense carefulness in the life of a disciple as unbelief. If we have received the Spirit of God, He will squeeze right through our lives, as if to ask, “Now where do I come into this relationship, this vacation you have planned, or these new books you want to read?” And He always presses the point until we learn to make Him our first consideration. Whenever we put other things first, there is confusion.
Having God’s “Unreasonable” Faith
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you —Matthew 6:33
When we look at these words of Jesus, we immediately find them to be the most revolutionary that human ears have ever heard. “. . …
Jesus suffered so that we might know joy!
God intimately knows our pain! And in Jesus, He bore our suffering so we can experience joy! Join us today on Discover the Word, for the enlightening conclusion of this week’s discussion titled, “Tearful Expressions.” Listen to Discover the Word.
Bring your disappointments to Jesus
How do we respond to disappointing news? What do we do when things don’t turn out as we hoped, and we have to deal with the disappointment? Today on Discover the Word, we explore that very question. What good does it do to take our disappointment to Jesus? Listen today to Discover the Word!
When Morning Comes
It was very late when we stopped for the night at a country inn outside of Munich. We were delighted to see that our cozy room had a balcony, although an oppressive fog made it impossible to see into the darkness. But when the sun rose a few hours later, the haze began to fade. Then we could see what had been grimly shrouded the night before—a completely idyllic scene—peaceful and lush green meadow, sheep grazing with tiny tinkling bells about their necks, and big white clouds in the sky that looked exactly like more sheep—huge, fluffy sheep!
Sometimes life can…
Bring your desperation to Jesus
Have you ever been so panicked that you felt like you couldn’t breathe? Today on Discover the Word, the team picks back up on the series titled, “Bring It to Jesus.” The discussion is on how we can bring everything to Jesus, especially our desperation. Listen today to Discover the Word!
Taking the Initiative Against Despair
In the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples went to sleep when they should have stayed awake, and once they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of having done something irreversible tends to make us despair. We say, “Well, it’s all over and ruined now; what’s the point in trying anymore.” If we think this kind of despair is an exception, we are mistaken. It is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize we have not taken advantage of a magnificent opportunity, we are apt to sink into despair. But Jesus comes and lovingly says to us, in essence, “Sleep on now.
The Christian’s dilemma of having dual citizenship
Christians face an interesting dilemma, living as dual citizens of both the country of their residence and the kingdom of God. So, how can we respect those in authority over us on earth, while also being faithful to the God of heaven? That’s a problem that Elisha faced in the book of Second Kings. Tune in […]
Scriptures that beg the question, “Why did we need to know that?”
Sometimes, you come across a section of the Bible that makes you do a double-take. Why did we need to know that? Today on Discover the Word, we’ll have a conversation on one such passage. It’s a disturbing part of “The Miraculous Life of Elisha.” Don’t miss it today on Discover the Word!
God’s not put off by our honest complaints
Any pastor can tell you that too much whining in the wilderness wears a leader down. It did for Moses. He complained to God and told Him the load of leadership was too much to bear! Today on Discover the Word, the group and pastor and author Jeff Manion discuss how God’s not put off […]
Complaining is more than just a bad habit
What, manna again? Complaining about their food and everything else they didn’t like, kept the Israelites wandering in the desert for forty years, delaying their destiny. Today on Discover the Word, we discuss with our guest, Jeff Manion, why complaining and grumbling is more than just a bad habit, it’s an enemy of our trust in […]
Finding our bearings when we feel forsaken by God
As strange as it seems, feeling forsaken by God is common to believers, but always painful. Join us today as we talk about finding our bearings by focusing on God’s faithful deliverance in the past. What can we learn by looking back?
How do we survive heart-rending grief?
When we go through a dark night of the soul, it can feel like God has abandoned us, like He’s hiding from our troubles. Join us today with our special guest, Jean Syswerda, as we learn how to pray the psalms during times of pain.
How to stay encouraged when going through dark valleys
Following God means we’re never standing still for long. The walk of faith is a constant journey. When walking through dark valleys, remember, hope is just ahead!
