Posted on

Light in My Soul

Enlightened hearts. Here in Ephesians, it is Paul's prayer that the eyes of their hearts be enlightened. But what does it mean to be enlightened?

Posted on

How Being a Slave Gave Me Value. A politically incorrect blog.

"The translation of doulos by 'servant' rather than 'slave' [led] to the total effacement of its ancient significance (1965: 319). This ennobling title means the believer belongs to the Lord, who constantly "gives Himself away" in infinite love, through faith. Indeed, the doulos (slave) of Christ is His very Bride (cf. Rev 19:7-9). Accordingly, the faithful believer seeks to do all things in intimate partnership with Christ, as He births faith in the heart (cf. Ro 10:6-8,17; Heb 11:6). This is possible because the believer is joined to Christ as a genuine member of His very body (Jn 14:20; 1 Cor 12:13).

Posted on

Praying the Psalms- Psalm 20 A Psalm of Assurance and Rescue

Before we begin to pray this encouraging Psalm, let's take a few minutes to look at some heart-swelling truths to focus our minds on Christ during trouble. In verse 1 in the NKJV, David pens, "May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;" If you read this passage and see the phrase "day of trouble," you may think that it is referring to one great big, terrible day, like a natural disaster. But, in the original language, this word day can mean a time period, which could even be a year, or a long period of time. You may be walking through a difficult trial without end in sight. During this wilderness, the promises in Psalm 20 about the character of God and his heart towards his people apply to you through your entire difficult journey. The NASB does a vivid job translating verse one in this way, "May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high." The Hebrew literally means that the believer is, "elevated so unassailably safe, beyond the reach of attackers; (figuratively) to enjoy maximum safety and security because inaccessible, i.e. removed from danger when the approach is (literally) too steep o climb; unassailable stronghold, lofty refuge." (Discovery Bible Software.)