Can we store up treasure for heaven? Are there things we can take with us? At first glance, it would seem impossible. There is nothing we can do to leap from earth to heaven and, even if we could, what could we possibly take along? An old Spanish proverb has it that there are no pockets in a shroud. And, yes, the Preacher did say that “we all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as…
Am I going crazy? I must be. I keep singing “the surrender blues.” What do I mean by that? Quite simply, that I shoot myself in the foot by not stepping completely into the grace of a yielded heart. I could be the happiest person alive (and so could you), if only I would trust more and fret less. Oh, how faith and grace smooth out the bumps in the road! My spiritual body gets black and blue from banging…
Have you ever been scared by a scripture? I have. Maybe you’ve been there, too. Let’s face it, there are lots of “texts of terror” in the Good Book. How do you shake hands with a Bible passage that ordinarily gives you the willies? I’m thinking of Hebrews 10:35-39 which terrorized my Christian youth. This scary scripture begins with “don’t cast away your confidence” and ends with “if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”…
Crucified with Christ? My walk with the Lord took a fascinating downturn on Sunday when I heard Him say, “I want you to lie down like a dead man in the midst of that situation.” When you are in a situation that is “killing” you, when everything you try to do by prayer and obedience seems to fail, perhaps it’s time to die more completely to self. In truth, I had been trying to say “not my will, but Thine…
