OUT OF THE BOX

PETER'S EXAMPLES "Get thee behind me, Satan" -Matthew 16: 16-17, 22-23 We learn through our mistakes if we remain humble, teachable, and easily entreated. At one moment Peter received a great revelation from the Father; the next moment he was influenced by the enemy. In one moment he was praised for his insight; the next moment he was rebuked for speaking without knowledge. Experiences such as these helped Peter to grow in discernment. If Peter and the other disciples had to learn through their mistakes, how much more should we expect to do the same? Instruction and discipline are the way of life. We should not be surprised and ashamed when we need them. "Lord, let us build three tabernacles..." -Luke 9: 33 Peter stood in the glory of God and, even there, spoke foolishly. He wanted to build tabernacles to Moses and Elijah. The Father had to silence him and move Peter's focus back to Jesus. It is a mistake to think a person is infallible just because ...

As Israel approached Canaan, God warned them not to harass or harm Edom, Moab, and Ammon. Edom was descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. Moab and Ammon were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. They were, figuratively speaking Israel’s cousins. The Lord referred to them as their brethren and told Moses not to attack or harm them. In studying the scriptures relating to these three nations, we might learn some lessons in how we relate to and deal with our spiritual “cousins.” The issues are very clear when we deal with the non-Christian world. They reject the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. But the dynamics becomes a little more complex when we deal with fellow Christians who disagree with us on some doctrinal points. They may be in error, but we cannot automatically say they are of the devil and evil. The New Testament does not tolerate heresy and false prophets, but it does call for humility, wisdom, and grace in dealing with them. Here are a few points to remember. Matthew 13...

  SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT GOD’S SENDING JUDGMENT I wrote the paragraphs below as a response to a good friend who was uncomfortable with one of my previous posts dealing with God’s judgment. Please feel free to post a comment or send an email with any questions or thoughts you’d like to share. ---Billy Long (broblong@gmail.com). The first motivating thought in my post is that there is a God, as opposed to the Atheist who thinks God does not exist and who thinks He is irrelevant to earth’s events, and as opposed to the deist who thinks God simply walked off and left us to ourselves. There is a God who manages the affairs of earth, and we must acknowledge and call upon Him. When I say “nothing is out of His control” I am saying that nothing is “out of control,” that is, God is not helplessly standing by watching. I would not make a blanket statement saying bad weather is God’s judgment. The book of Job says that God sends weather for correction and for mercy (Job 37:1). The weather is lik...

  Below is a list of principles that will be helpful in your walk with the Lord and in facing the adversities and difficulties of life. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Ephesians 6:10 Realize we are on a battleship and not a cruise ship . We must face “Og” (the enemy at the border), cross the Jordan, and deal with “giants” in the land we will possess. Christians often tend to expect victory without battle...and if there is adversity, they tend to expect battle without victory. If we continue and stand in faith, we will see battle...but also victory.   1 Cor 15:32; 16:9   Don’t be disillusioned by adversity, hardship, and struggles of battle. We are called to patiently endure and persevere. In the beginning we stand with untested faith. We are often naïve to the potential carnalities and failures in ourselves and others. Those who don’t face these issues redemptively risk becoming “burnt stones,” afraid to try again. ...