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I Am Hidden with Christ
"For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). Several years ago, a pastor made an appointment to see me. He said he had heard of my ministry, and he needed to talk with me. He had struggled for [...]
Singing praises at midnight
"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them" (Acts 16:25 ESV). What a time to start singing! And what a time to start singing praises! If it was you or me we would be [...]
Tasting the Good Word
"Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity... For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word [...]
The Word is Delicious
"Your words were found, and I ate them; and your word was to me the joy and gladness of my heart" (Jeremiah 15:16). "When your words showed up, I ate them -- swallowed them whole. What a feast!" (Message Bible). "Your words are what sustain [...]
He put His seal on us
And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee (II Corinthians 1:21-22). Suppose I want to buy a hundred [...]
Surely you know?
"Do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?" (II Corinthians 13:5 ESV). "Surely you know that Christ Jesus is in you?" (GNB). It would seem that Paul found it difficult to understand a Christian who was unsure of the presence of [...]
Always in triumph
"But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere" (II Corinthians 2:14). It amazes me how many who teach "in Christ" truths emphasize a conditional or negative slant [...]
Out of and into
"Out of my bondage, sorrow and night; Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come; Into Thy freedom, gladness and light, Jesus I come to Thee". So reads the first verse of the popular invitational hymn by William Sleeper. It is based on a solid biblical foundation. [...]
The little words of the “in Christ” life
It is the small words that make a big difference in understanding the Bible. In a book I'm reading at the moment, the author writes, "God uses three Greek prepositions to reveal "in Christ" truth." I would probably include more than three but they are [...]
Many-ands and No-ands
In the first decade of my life as a minister I read an article "Little Words of Great Meaning" by Henry Jacobsen in the Christian Life magazine. Conjunctions, prepositions and so on; you know, the "ands" and "buts" and "ins". I have in my library [...]