In Spirit and Truth

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” 1 John 3:1 NKJV This verse has been a bad penny for me lately. It’s popped up everywhere! It’s such a simple phrase. It’s so simple that we have relegated it to children’s songs. But John didn’t write it to children, he wrote it to grownups like you and me! Behold! What a bold word to use. “Look here!” , “Take a peek” , “ Catch a glimpse” , “PAY ATTENTION!” Behold the way God loves us! We wretched (yes, even you), poor sin-slaves, accepted, adopted, children of God. It’s the most amazing rags-to-riches story yet! And better yet, we are children of God! Not just accepted family, not co-workers, not held to account as adults at all, but children. I have a story in my past, and perhaps you have a similar one. I was unloading the dishwasher, and I dropped a piece of china, and it did what china does when it hits the floor…It shattered! My mother did not berate me for being so careless with

Have you ever been stressed? Ever been a little anxious? Me too. The things that weigh us down can be as small as trying to make something fit into our schedules, to as big as the health of a loved one. But no matter what things weigh us down; God has a better way to handle our stress. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (NAS Philippians 4:6) Now I’ve heard this verse a million times, and I would guess that you’ve heard it too, but there is something in here that I think we often miss. “…by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” How well does our God know us? If you are like me, we find it easy to worry even in our prayers. Even as we approach the Prince of Peace we are so overcome by anxiety that we end up pleading with God to meet our needs; but our anxiety, stress and worry are unnecessary! Just a few verses later, Paul tells the Philippians, “ An