Tried With Fire

We've been studying Philemon in our small group. We've discussed what would it mean for a person or a church to receive back someone who has sinned against you, run away, and now repented. What was it like that first Sunday morning after Onesimus came back? How did he feel? How did Philemon and his family feel? But more importantly, if the Gospel is true, what would those brothers and sisters have done in the light of that? Someone wondered what would be a comparable situation in our day. Well, I can easily think of one. What would I do if God grants my husband repentance? What should I do if he seeks reconciliation even if it is impossible for our marriage to be reconciled? (i.e. remarriage) There is part of me that would cry tears of joy at his repentance and restoration, but if I'm honest I will have to deal with overcoming the hurt and the pain as well. This is where the rubber of the Gospel meets the road. This post by Timmy Brister relates a real life incident of a b...

I was up later than was good for me and woke up before the alarm this morning with worry twinges. Although I believe in the total sovereignty of God, there are times when I revert. A thought crosses my mind that if I don't do X or Y, somehow that will hinder what God has willed. Even now sometimes dread will come over me because I did not do the right thing at the right time and in the right way . As I was lying awake and praying about this, it hit me that the root is pride. I want that sense of security that comes from my doing something rather than God doing something. I also want the sense of accomplishment even in my obedience. Jeremiah was right to say that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. I believe that John Bunyan said that there was enough sin in his best prayer to damn him. The flip side is when I fail and blow it, God isn't the least bit surprised or shocked. When I fail to trust Him or have mixed motives even in my desire to...