And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, Acts 17:26 (ESV). It is within this greater context of unity that humanity's diversity rightly appears.
HOLINESS - FROM WILDERNESS TO WITNESS
“The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says ..
THE PROPHETIC AND THE PASTORAL
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherdsa]">[ and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ Ephesians 4:11-13 (ESV)
EMPTIED FROM VESSEL TO VESSEL
The words, emptied from vessel to vessel, are so suggestive! The Holy Spirit in making use of such an expression means more than we may think from a surface or careless reading. The figure has to do with wine-making. It tells one of the methods used in producing a clear, rich, well-refined wine. It is poured into a vessel and allowed to stand for a certain length of time under respective circumstances perhaps of heat, cold, light of darkness. Then it is poured again into another.
KINDNESS OF GOD
God's kindness towards us, has shown us how to be kind towards others. All good things come together out of God's love. The kindness we show to others grows even more as we understand God's loving kindness towards us. "so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2:7 (ESV)
TRUSTING IN THE PROMISES OF GOD
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
CHERYL SANDERS - RECONCILIATION
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
PANORAM, PATTERNS, PURPOSES
God patiently guided his charges through the divine pattern he established, yet they continued obstinately to follow their own way, murmuring and complaining all the while at their results. His patience, though tried, endured. Patterns serve as directions we use to complete a task. When we fail to follow the patterns God has given us, his abiding mercy and unending love are still the precious redemptive gifts he provides for our lives.
WHAT IS IT TO BE A SON OF ABRAHAM
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
AREAS THAT NEED TO BE ORDERED IN OUR LIVES
God brought order out of chaos during the creation of our planet. Genesis 1:1-2 (ESV) God loves order. This order becomes more apparent the deeper you study creation. God desires to help us create order out of our chaotic lives. Set your priorities to guide your expense of resources. Your family, marriage, future, and ministry are more important.