Do you want a "sign from God"? We all do, at times. We hope for some mysterious guiding voice from Heaven, some weird convergences of coincidences, or some other phenomenon to give us a divine nudge in the right direction. Is that wrong? Only if we let it keep us from obeying what God has clearly … Continue reading This Is Your Sign From God
Befriending the Cross
Are you an “enemy of the cross?” "No, I love Christianity," you may reply. But as the Apostle Paul defined it, an enemy of the cross isn't necessarily the same thing as an enemy of Christianity, at least as far as public appearances are concerned. Radical Islam and militant atheism would both be candidates. But in Philippians … Continue reading Befriending the Cross
One Thing American Christians Won’t Do
There was a big problem in Malachi’s day. The people had stone cold hearts. The Levites—the priests, unique men called to represent the entire nation before God—was asleep at the wheel, mistreating their wives and withholding tithes. Worst of all, they were questioning God—not humbly or sincerely, but as if to challenge him. The people … Continue reading One Thing American Christians Won’t Do
Slaughtering Self-Pity
Self-pity is suffocating. It is necessary and biblical to mourn over one’s circumstances or sins. But self-pity is of a different nature; it renders you unable to serve others, hope, or pray earnestly. It stems from faithlessness and introspection. It’s a stubbornness of heart, head, and hands. We’d do ourselves well to admit that most … Continue reading Slaughtering Self-Pity
The Idolatry of Nostalgia
It’s all around us, though each of us experiences it through different means. For some, it’s an old photo album sprawled across a coffee table, childhood summers by the poolside, or cherished family meals before life got complicated. For others, it’s the way their church used to be, how edifying their small group was before … Continue reading The Idolatry of Nostalgia
Why We Struggle to Carry Our Crosses
Perhaps the hardest words ever spoken by our Lord on earth are in Luke 14:27: “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” I can recall late nights with my college roommate wrestling with this passage, searching desperately for a theological silver bullet that would kill any tension … Continue reading Why We Struggle to Carry Our Crosses
Further Clothed, Not Unclothed
When the believer suffers affliction, the Holy Spirit places within him a certain yearning. For relief, indeed. But properly understood and experienced, the sort of craving relief from affliction imparted by God is of wholly different nature from man's regular self-preservation instinct. For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, … Continue reading Further Clothed, Not Unclothed
Tasting God in Your Food
Do you ever doubt God's goodness? He's filled the world with proof—if our eyes are open to it. Imagine you're in a city full of pagans who have little concept of an ultimate Creator God. Instead, they pay their dues to countless deities whom they believe have the power sustain them. There's a god for fertility, a … Continue reading Tasting God in Your Food
Alex Kocman 