Roots by the River

The last sentence in Ezekiel is, “And the name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE.” What a wonderful name for a city! When He came to earth as a baby, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy recorded in Matthew 1:23: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel (which means ‘God with us’).” Then in Revelation 21:3, “A great voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God himself will be with them.’” Finally, we have the promise in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” At least three of these texts are speaking of God’s close relationship with His church. They speak of His faithfulness in His imminence. Thank God!   Written November 1990.

“We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children…. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory” (1 Thess. 2:6-7, 11-12). Did you know that the Apostle Paul likens himself to a gentle , nursing mother and like a father who encourages and comforts ? Are you that kind of a father to your own children? Are you that kind of father to your spiritual children?   Written March 1994. This post coordinates with today's reading in the Same Page Summer Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com . We would love to have you reading with us.

According to the dictionary, joy and happiness are almost synonyms. Since Christians live in the English-speaking world, they are largely influenced by the world’s definitions. The cover story in the most recent issue* of National Geographic Magazine is “The Search for Happiness.” The subtitle is, “What we can learn from Costa Rica, Denmark, and Singapore—the most joyful places on the planet.” In each of these “happiest” places, the government has provided for people’s salaries, living, healthcare, and other physical provisions through high taxes. In other words, “happiness” is not having any responsibilities to be anxious about. That is the world’s view. There is a biblical solution to anxiety which is entirely different, and which the world cannot understand. It is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These words are in the world’s vocabulary, but anybody who is not a Christian cannot have any of them as part of his life. I...

This is a post for those who are getting old or considering themselves old, from 65-100. Right now, I am 91.* I will be 92 in October. I have my own house, but I cannot live in it alone because of my physical inability to move around. One of my sons lives with me. All of us will have to make some adjustments. That includes money, relatives, your own ability and willpower to stay independent, etc. My advice is if physically and financially you can live independently, you should certainly do that. If you do, you will still need to have visits from your family frequently. You need your family. Even if you don’t need them to take care of you, you need them for the fellowship. The more fellowship you have, the longer you’ll live. If you can stay independent do it, but only if friends and relatives can see you often. In my case, I can’t walk, and I can’t do much physically. So, whether I like it or not, someone else has to get me up, get me showered, and get me dressed. I am blessed to have ...

  Several passages of Scripture have been in my meditation the last few weeks.* “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:34b-37). “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6). During the last few months,* I have been conscious that my words have not been always gracious. Apparently, my heart has not been stored with good things, or the overflow would have been gracious words. I have confessed and now want to store my heart so full of good that the overflow will be always good.   * Written November 1988. This post coordinates with ...

  "Since you died with Christ…” (Colossians 2:20). "Since then you have been raised with Christ…" (Colossians 3:1). "For you died…" (Colossians 3:3). Although these sentences were written to the new church at Colossae, we believe they apply to all Christians, if they are true. They are either true or false. If true, they are past-tense certainties . They are not future, or conditional, or perhaps or maybe . They describe something that has already happened in us, and the commands that follow are predicated on those certainties. If Christians have trouble with the commands, it may be because they have trouble believing that they have died with Christ, or it may be because they have not died with Christ. (In other words, they are not Christians.) All future obedience is based upon the complete work of Christ which has taken place in us. Read Romans 6 a few times.   Written January 1989. This post coordinates with tomorrow's reading in the To the Wo...

What wealth of meaning and blessing when the words are combined: holy in Christ. Here is God’s provision for our holiness, God’s response to our question, “How can we be holy?” When we hear the call, “Be ye holy, even as I am holy,” it seems as if there is, and ever must be, a great gulf between the holiness of God and man. But in Christ is the bridge that spans the gulf—or better still—His fullness has filled it up. In Christ God and man meet. There the holiness of God has found us and made us its own, has become human and can indeed become our very own. To the anxious cries and the heart-yearnings of thousands of thirsty souls who have believed in Jesus and yet know not how to be holy, here is God’s answer: Ye are holy in Christ Jesus. Only listen to these words and believe. Repeat them, even a thousand times, until God’s light shines, until your heart is filled with joy and love and the words echo back: Now I see it. I am holy in Christ—made holy in Christ Jesus! - Andrew Murra...

This morning,* Bessie and I were reading John 15:15-21: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.” We were impressed again with the either/or of belonging to Christ or the world. And it is the world that recognizes the difference and takes action. The question is, does the world recognize you as someone to love, or to hate? *Written November 1987. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com . We would love to have you reading with us.