Thankful Hearts and Transformed Lives

Psalm 69:5 (NRSVue) - O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.Psalm 69 is a prayer for deliverance from persecution.In it, the Psalmist recognizes God’s omniscience.He understands that God knows everything.As such, God knows the sins that he has committed.God knows when we fall short as well.But God is both generous and forgiving,He has already planned for our redemption.We are redeemed through the blood of Christ.We are forgiven by grace.Paul understood this.He explained the spiritual blessing in Christ in his letter to the Ephesians.Ephesians 1:7 (NRSVue) -...

The Ultimate in Unity

Psalm 118:26 (NRSVue) - Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.Psalm 118 is a song of victory.It reminds us that those who come in the name of the Lord are blessed.As such, they become a blessing to others.The first chapter in the book of John speaks of Jesus.It refers to Jesus as “the Word Became Flesh.”It describes those who receive Him.It also indicates what they become.John 1:12 (NRSVue) - But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,Once we receive Christ, we become children of God.Thus...

The Kingdom is Like…

Psalm 22:27 (NRSVue) - All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.Psalm 22 is a plea for deliverance from suffering and hostility.In fact, Christ’s words from the cross hearken back to this Psalm.But verse 27 speaks of a time when “all the families of the nations shall worship before him.Christ also describes what this will be like.Among the many parables recorded in Matthew 13 is the parable of the yeast.Matthew 13:33 (NRSVue) - He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took...