Posted by: roth0003 on: April 1, 2009
Toward the end of the 5th chapter of Galatians, Paul lists some traits that are associated with the “old life”, then follows up by a listing he referred to as the “fruit of the Spirit”… love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. He concludes his teaching by saying, “Since we live by [...]
Posted by: roth0003 on: March 26, 2009
Many years ago, when I felt far from God, I was advised to read the following passage every morning and evening for one month… without particularly striving to do anything differently. By the end of the month, the distance between myself and God had shrunk considerably. I’ll be away from cyberspace for a few days, [...]
Posted by: roth0003 on: March 25, 2009
In the 1870’s, a succesful attorney named Horatio Spafford experienced a series of personal tragedies. Shortly after his only son died in 1871, he suffered financial ruin as a consequence of the great Chicago fire. He sent his wife and their four daughters to Europe, where he was to join them after attending to some [...]
Posted by: roth0003 on: March 24, 2009
De Sales said, “Those who never check such outbursts of temper eventually become victims of such rages that they are impossible to live with.” Most sin is like that, when you think about it. Our consciences become dulled when we stray short distances from the path God lays before us, and we can become hopelessly [...]
Posted by: roth0003 on: March 22, 2009
Have you ever noticed that sometimes when we ask God to help us to develop a virtue, we run into constant challenges that seem to frustrate our aims? Pray for patience, and there will be red lights and slow grocery checkout lives. Pray to become more loving, and there will be an onslaught of pesky [...]
Posted by: roth0003 on: March 19, 2009
Jesus didn’t come to make us comfortable. Frequently, he made people squirm, and there are times when he continues to do so. One example can be found in Matthew 12:34-37 when he confronted the Pharisees with these words: … how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of theheart [...]
Posted by: roth0003 on: March 14, 2009
One day a small opening appeared on a cocoon, a man sat and watched for the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go [...]
Posted by: roth0003 on: March 11, 2009
I recently reread the passage in Mark 6 which tells of Jesus’ walking on water and calming the sea. I was struck by verses 47-48 “When it was evening, the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing, for the [...]
Posted by: roth0003 on: March 8, 2009
On February 24, 1952, a young French playboy named Jacques Fesch committed a robbery and, while fleeing the scene, shot and killed a pursuing policeman. He was condemned to death. During the 3 ½ years of his imprisonment, he became a devout Christian. His letters, which reveal his struggles and, ultimately, his spiritual maturity, can [...]
