The work of the Holy Spirit always begins on the inside and works its way to the outside. The tendency of the human spirit is to manage external appearances in order to mask internal realities.
The Pharisees’ holiness program was outside-in, whereas the Kingdom Jesus was bringing was an inside-out approach.
Discipleship is the journey of deconstructing all that is false—not with an external application of the truth, but through the deep unconditional embrace of the One who is truly True: Jesus
If discipleship feels like a heavy or onerous burden to us, we aren’t being discipled by Jesus.
Temptation affords an opportunity for you to embrace total dependence on God.
Everything depends on the God of love and the love of God. This is not circular reasoning. The love of God is the logic of the Godhead.
The two fundamentals of discipleship are the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Do we know the Scriptures? Do we know the power of God? There is a real sense that unless we “know” both we know neither.
To the extent that we place our hope in the Democrats or the Republicans, or the man-made institutions and machinations of our government—to that extent, we are hopeless.
In sending his Son and inviting the world to receive him, God has opened himself up to the pain of our rejection. Anytime we invite another into our world, we surrender our power to them.
The Bible is remarkably consistent in its upside-down, counter-intuitive realities. Down is the new up. Least is the new great. Last is the new first.
Assurance of salvation is the gift of the Holy Spirit to the humble. Presumption is the self generated security that smacks of pride.
Temptation affords an opportunity for you to embrace total dependence on God.
