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We love our kids, but do we love like God loves....without conditions, reservations, or reluctance? In this excerpt from his popular book How to be Free from Bitterness, Jim Wilson identifies the troublesome consequences of insufficient parental love and points readers to the glorious fruit of superabundant kindness, and patience and helps parents apply the eternal truths of Scripture to grow peace and joy in their homes. -
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” (Rom. 11:33). Our heavenly Father has given us unfathomable blessings, but we often fail to live as if they are truly ours. In thankfulness and Confession, Brad Scheelke encourages readers to meditate on and rejoice in the glorious riches of our inheritance in Christ. As we regularly give thanks for what God has given us, our thoughts and actions will begin to change . . . often in surprising ways. Gratitude also changes how we deal with sin. When we confess our sin, bringing it into the light of Christ’s riches, we now see not only the darkness of our own evil, but also the beauty of God’s holiness and grace. When we learn to practice thankfulness and confession in this way, our hearts will overflow in joy, in love for one another, and in glory to God. -
Jesus’ death paid for our sins - the guilt, the death, and the punishment. Jesus does not repay the man who got ripped off when we stole from him. According to the Bible, the person who comes to the Lord in repentance is to pay the one he stole from the value of the stolen goods plus one fifth of the value. But what if it is a candy bar you took twenty years ago? The amount stolen and the time since the theft do not make it yours. There are many Christians who are living subnormal Christian lives because they are too proud or too afraid to make restitution. They are like people with low-grade fevers; they are not sick enough to be in bed, but too sick to do anything worthwhile. Even if no one knows about the thefts, these Christians are poor witnesses for Jesus Christ. They may have confessed and repented in words, but if they do not make restitution, it is not true repentance, and they are not forgiven. -
In the study of warfare, great men have concluded that there are some overriding principles which, if followed, will always tend toward success in battle, and if neglected or ignored, will tend toward defeat or even destruction. These principles have been entitled the "principles of war." But not all warfare is waged on a battlefield: every Christian is called to be a soldier. Our fight is against Satan, our objective is the acknowledgment and fulfillment of God's commands, and our ammunition is the power of the Holy Spirit. In Principles of War, Jim Wilson outlines the time-tried, fundamental principles of war and explains how we can employ them in our daily spiritual battles as we fight a war which our commander in chief has already won for us.