If God is for us, who can be against us?

In Romans 8:31 Paul declares boldly: ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’ He is implying, of course, that nobody can be against us. Perhaps you are thinking: But many people are against me. The tax man is against me! My in-laws are against me! My boss is against me! My bank manager, terrorists, corrupt politicians, the list is endless. So, what is Paul getting at?

* First, we should remember that our real struggle is not against flesh and blood. Our greatest enemies are not the people I have just mentioned. There is a more serious battle going on in the life of a Christian.

* Secondly, Let’s read the verse in context. I’ll start at verse 28, which is a favourite for many of us.

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:28-32)

By Graham Brooke-Smith

Full story at War Cry ZA

How do we understand the cross of Jesus Christ?

How do we understand the cross of Jesus Christ?

Perhaps the only way is to stand under it? To become part of the story, seeing there, not so much a carefully worked out plan, but the tenacity of love. When we do our worst, God does God’s best.

The cross is humanity at its worst: it demonstrates, in painful detail, our terrible cruelty and the way we often use our ingenious cleverness to hurt others.

The death of Jesus is horribly familiar. Across the world are so many similarly pointless and cruel deaths. We can even become immune to their horrors. And the cross was a supremely clever way of killing people, carefully designed to make the death struggle last days. Jesus’ rather quick death was unusual.

 

Full story at Arch Bishop of York

God Is Our Provider

The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

“How are you?”

Over the last year, I’ve developed a bit of a script in response to that question. After vaguely describing the challenges I’m facing, I always end with, “but God provides.” I often use those words to comfort those around me. It’s easy to say aloud without thinking but, if I’m honest, I struggle to trust and believe that God is my Provider. When facing financial difficulty or job loss, what does it look like to trust God as Provider?

By Dorothy Carrovillo

Full story at The Life

Abiding in God’s Grace-His Free and Unmerited Favor

In the beginning, after God had created Adam and Eve, He loved to fellowship with them while they walked together in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve did not know about sin and evil because they were innocent and pure. God gave Adam and Eve only one commandment to obey. They were not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. From the beginning, God has given mankind the power of choice, and He has never revoked it.

Satan, a powerful fallen angel, deceived Eve by tempting her to eat of the fruit from the forbidden tree. He told her she could disobey God without any consequences, and that eating the fruit would give her godlike knowledge. Then Eve chose to eat and offered the fruit to her husband, and he made the same terrible mistake.

What a fatal choice! Their innocence was gone. They were guilty. Shamefully recognizing their nakedness, they tried to cover themselves with aprons of fig leaves. They became afraid of God and hid when they heard his voice. That was only the beginning of trouble. Adam and Eve were banned from the Garden of Eden and they became subject to sin and death. Even the earth was cursed because of what they had done.

Full story at GTBS

THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES

Do you receive whatever you ask of God in prayer? You can. Many believers don’t know that, but it’s true. Jesus Himself said so. He didn’t say it just once, either. He said it again and again. In John 14:13 He said, “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” In John 15:16 He said, “I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you.”

In John 16:23 He said, “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.”

Those are startlingly clear statements. They leave no room for the traditional religious idea that sometimes God says yes to our prayers, and sometimes He says no. Jesus didn’t mention anything about God saying no to our prayers. He simply said, “Whatever you ask the Father in My Name He will give you.”

Full story at Kenneth Copeland  Ministries Africa

What does it mean to be a cheerful giver?

2 Corinthians 9:7 (CEB) 

Everyone should give whatever they have decided in their heart. They shouldn’t give with hesitation or because of pressure. God loves a cheerful giver.

For God loves a cheerful giver. Being a cheerful giver isn't just about money; it's also about being thankful in giving our time and service. When I think of being a cheerful giver, I think of two halves to complete a circle. The first half is thankfulness, and the second half is gratitude. This might seem like splitting hairs. Maybe you're thinking, thankful and grateful are the same thing! For me, thankfulness is in my words; gratitude is in my actions. I believe gratitude is the better part of the circle.

Men, especially, try to fill a void in our hearts, usually with some type of vice. In my personal experience, it's not until we serve others that we fill that void. Most of the time, when serving others, we don't know the full impact on those around us. I see the impact every day in Honey Dudes. Honey Dudes provides a helping hand to widows, single mothers, and wives of our brave, deployed soldiers. Whether it is simply cleaning up a yard, trimming trees or changing light bulbs, we are the helping hands of Christ in the form of volunteer men willing to offer their time to provide help. Honey Dudes started with Trietsch, but has expanded across multiple churches in the community.

By Kevin Cummings

Full story at TMUMC Org