That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home. (Ephesians 2:19-22 MSG) God is building a home - not just a residence, but a home. When most of us think of home, we think of a place where one is welcomed, settles in, and is able to really feel safe. Some may not have come from a very 'safe' or 'welcoming' home life, though, so their interpretation of Jesus 'building a home' m...
True wisdom and real power belong to God; from him we learn how to live, and also what to live for. (Job 12:13 MSG) How to live and what to live for - these are two frequently sought after things, aren't they? We want to know the ins and outs of living well - 'making it' as society would refer to it. We also want to know what to avoid - so we don't fall into mishaps. We seek advice from one source after another, often neglecting the source that is right there in front of us - God's Word. We neglect time in prayer because we think it is too hard to know what to pray or that there must be some 'secret formula' that gets God to listen to our prayers. All the while, God stands at the ready to show us both how to live and what to live for - we just haven't looked to the right source, or listened to his wisdom in what to choose when presented with various choices. Wherever did we get the idea that we could figure life out on our own? That is an out and out ...