unfoldedhands.blogspot.com
Unfolded Hands: Do Not Be Afraid
http://unfoldedhands.blogspot.com/2012/11/do-not-be-afraid.html
Do Not Be Afraid. Do Not Be Afraid. Then we’re terrified when He actually does it. Because the God we think we know never just pops in for a visit, even if we invited Him to. If God shows up, there has to be some earth-shattering, about-to-be-shaken reason for Him to be here. Which is why when He comes, we don’t rush to Him with open arms and depths of gratitude; we cower in a corner and wait for Him to speak. To tell us just how much trouble we’re in or about to be in. And they know this is Him. These m...
recesswithjesus.blogspot.com
Recess with Jesus: Games We Play with God: Chicken
http://recesswithjesus.blogspot.com/2010/07/chicken.html
8220;For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.” - James 1:3-4. Strong in character and ready for anything. Paul adds that from perseverance, a first cousin of endurance, comes not only character, but hope. These are noble aspirations, the fruits of faithfulness we all long for. Perhaps a little too much. That’s got to be what’s going on here; the object...Job was t...
unfoldedhands.blogspot.com
Unfolded Hands: Demand Fullness
http://unfoldedhands.blogspot.com/2012/03/demanding-fullness.html
What happens in response to an honest prayer is not necessarily what happens next. It is one of the greatest lies about prayer in our generation, this “must be God’s will” principle that convinces us to settle for a God whose answer is a firm no, a deafening silence, or a lesser blessing. Even when it doesn’t seem like an answer at all. But it is a God we have sacrificed on the altar of impatience. A God we have given up for one drink of anything, something that will satisfy our ever-seeking hearts.
recesswithjesus.blogspot.com
Recess with Jesus: Games We Play with God: Introduction
http://recesswithjesus.blogspot.com/2010/06/introduction.html
It started with a game of “To Tell the Truth” in the garden, when God first questioned man about sin. A new relational dynamic emerged as man and Maker compared apples to apples. We’ve been playing games with God ever since. Even the giants of our faith rolled the dice. In their intimate encounters with the Living God, characters from the Old and New Testaments alike faced their Father head-on in battles of wits, fits, and hits. Israel dared God to deliver them. He double-dared them to just trust....
unfoldedhands.blogspot.com
Unfolded Hands: December 2012
http://unfoldedhands.blogspot.com/2012_12_01_archive.html
What happens in response to an honest prayer is not necessarily what happens next. It is one of the greatest lies about prayer in our generation, this “must be God’s will” principle that convinces us to settle for a God whose answer is a firm no, a deafening silence, or a lesser blessing. Even when it doesn’t seem like an answer at all. But it is a God we have sacrificed on the altar of impatience. A God we have given up for one drink of anything, something that will satisfy our ever-seeking hearts.
unfoldedhands.blogspot.com
Unfolded Hands: April 2013
http://unfoldedhands.blogspot.com/2013_04_01_archive.html
Do Not Be Afraid. Do Not Be Afraid. Then we’re terrified when He actually does it. Because the God we think we know never just pops in for a visit, even if we invited Him to. If God shows up, there has to be some earth-shattering, about-to-be-shaken reason for Him to be here. Which is why when He comes, we don’t rush to Him with open arms and depths of gratitude; we cower in a corner and wait for Him to speak. To tell us just how much trouble we’re in or about to be in. And they know this is Him. These m...
unfoldedhands.blogspot.com
Unfolded Hands: February 2013
http://unfoldedhands.blogspot.com/2013_02_01_archive.html
Prayer is not always easy. There are times in our lives when it is easier to fall than to fall to our knees. Situations where it is easier to lie down than to lay our burdens down. Days when we would rather give up than give it up to Him. Moments when we close our eyes, drop our heads, and there is simply darkness. That’s holding a mound of bills in one exhausted hand and a dwindling balance in the other and measuring the contrast of a God who said He was steady with a life that is anything but. Not to a...
recesswithjesus.blogspot.com
Recess with Jesus: Games We Play with God: Teeter Totter
http://recesswithjesus.blogspot.com/2010/07/teeter-totter.html
8220;Even now my witness is in heaven. My advocate is there on high.” - Job 16:19. When the weight of the world weighs us down, where is God? We look up, and it seems He is so far away. The sun shines somewhere behind Him; we can barely make out His form. Yes, we conclude, how blessed are we to have a God so wonderful and even so high. Our Advocate in Heaven. Our enemy marvels at our conclusion, at how content we are to accept an other-worldly God. He laughs that he’s convinced us that Heaven i...As long...