Cyber-Chapel Blog

Category: Thoughts

  • How to Motivate God

    In our study of Isa 37:3-6, I was struck with how Hezekiah motivated his request to the Lord for help against Assyria, and with the rich precedent for his request.

    How do we motivate our requests for God’s intervention? We often plead the dismal condition we face, and ask that God in his love would intervene. Our focus is on ourselves, our needs, and God’s attitude toward us. All of these have their place, but Hezekiah’s example can teach us a much more fundamental principle for motivating God in prayer.

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  • A rose by any other name…

    Some months ago an article in a magazine caught my attention. It was complaining about the increased gap between the rich and the poor in the US. The author acknowledged that even the poor had become much more wealthy over the past decade than they were before, but complained that the difference between them and the rich had increased. This increased difference, she claimed, was a problem, because it constituted “relative deprivation,” a serious sociological problem that has been shown to harm people’s health.

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  • How Should Elders Rule?

    About a year ago, a brother wrote me, “Have you studied the words translated as ‘rule’ and “obey’ in Hebrews 13:7, 17, and 24?  How do you see those words interacting with the present day view and use of authority in the church?” He was concerned with what he called “overbearing elders.” His question stimulated me to devote some attention to the topic, and others might profit from what I found.

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