#ailbe.org

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Stan Gale | Why is Jesus called the Word? It’s clear that John wants us to understand the Word as divine and eternal. He is God. Having established that, John goes on to say: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Stan Gale | In Him we are precious, valued, chosen not because we are choice but because of His grace. We are enfolded into Christ’s church not to be admired as we might admire the beauty of the great cathedrals of Europe, but to serve. Peter identifies us as a holy priesthood, tasked with the responsibility and joy...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

“For it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” (Lev. 17:11, NKJV)

by Stan Gale | Whenever I read the opening chapters of Leviticus I am taken aback by all the different sacrificial offerings (burnt, peace, grain, guilt, sin), the frequency with which they are to be made, and the detail in which they are presented. I am much relieved to be ministering on this side of the cross...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Stan Gale | With everyone staring death in the face and smitten with grief, Jesus turns their eyes to Him and declares Himself to be death’s remedy. To validate His claim, almost as an object lesson, Jesus would raise Lazarus from the dead, calling him by name to come to Him. With that call Jesus gave Lazarus the ability to hear and...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Stan Gale | In respect to procreation, God had performed the miracle of miracles. The Holy Spirit Himself had caused Mary to be with child. Not that we want to parse the conception of Jesus in biological terms, but we do want to see the uniqueness of Jesus as God the Son, taking on developing humanity like any other, in the womb of Mary...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Stan Gale | While the present creation is described as being subject to futility (Rom. 8:20), there is in store a new creation. Against the bleak backdrop of this fallen world, the apostle whets our appetites: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Stan Gale | The efforts we make show results by God’s workmanship. Peter reminds us that whatever adversity we are experiencing, whatever hardship we are enduring, whatever suffering we undergo, God has not lost sight of the plot...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Stan Gale | We submit ourselves to God, deferring to His rule and provision. We resist the devil, standing against his temptations, deceptions, accusations, and ambitions. We draw near to God, with the promise that He will be with us and for us as our fortress, shield, and strength (Ps. 18:1-3). We cleanse our hands...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Stan Gale | Unlike with the Coronavirus, when it comes to sin’s infection there is no vaccine against its contagion. All are born sinners, and find themselves alienated from God and objects of His wrath (Eph. 2:3). Nor can people develop immunity to it...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by T.M. Moore | All who ignore or resist the Word of God are deceived and living in the darkness of unbelief – even many who profess faith in Jesus Christ, as Spurgeon insisted. But when Jesus Christ opens the mind of people, nothing can keep them from seeing the light of truth, so that their hearts burn within...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Stan Gale | Light plays a prominent role in God’s creating work. When He said “Let there be light,” it was against the backdrop of darkness. “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep” (Gen. 1:2). Light dispelled the darkness...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Stan Gale | Why is Jesus called the Word? It’s clear that John wants us to understand the Word as divine and eternal. He is God. Having established that, John goes on to say: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Stan Gale | When we think of holiness, our first thought can’t be “I need to try harder to obey.” Rather, our first thought must be “I am set apart for God.” When we dwell upon that reality and all that means, the rest will follow as the tail follows the dog. If we are going to...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Stan Gale | Jesus says that every branch aligned with Him that does not bear fruit, His Father the vinedresser will remove. When Jesus says the Father takes away a branch, he is not speaking of someone losing salvation because they were slacking in their efforts at obedience. Rather, fruitlessness betrays lifelessness. The vine and branches is a metaphor for the visible church...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Stan Gale | Waiting for the return of Christ means lingering in a hostile world, in many ways experiencing a wilderness wandering, a sojourn of suffering. We participate in the plaintive cry of saints in the book of Revelation: “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell...

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Stan Gale | Four qualities set the tone for confronting others. “Go and tell him his fault” (Matt. 18:15) Let me begin by saying I know I’m wrong. The title should be “How to Tell Someone He or She is Wrong.” Being the stickler for grammar I am, I cringe to write something improper. The pronoun should agree...