Savedthroughfaith.com

btw, Pats by 4 on Sunday. I enjoy visiting friends homes and looking for the most obscure coffee cup when they offer. It is fun to try to complete the narrative of their lives from their coffee cups. For better or for worse, cups preach. Maybe the guy is generous with his money or blood (still strange for a coffee cup) or faithful at work. Whatever the case, they tell us a story. In Ezra 1 we have cups that tell a pretty profound story. After con...

I have been reading through Thomas Watson’s The Body of Divinity and have been so encouraged. I do hope these words of truth likewise impact you: The enjoyment of God’s sweet presence here is the most contented life: he is a hive of sweetness, a magazine of riches, a fountain of delight, Psalm 36:8,9. The higher the lark flies the sweeter it sings; and the higher we fly by the wings of faith, the more we enjoy of God. How is the he...

We have flipped our calendars to the new year with excitement and optimism. And as Christians this means that Bible reading plans are making their rounds and are being gobbled up by well-intentioned, eager hands. I celebrate this as a good thing. But hold on for a second, I have a quick question. What did you read yesterday? No, not what chapter, but what did you read? What from God’s Word got ahold of you to produce a response? Did anythi...

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2.7) This is a familiar passage to be read and considered during the Advent season. It is embedded with so much rich theological beauty and truth for the Christian. Here we have the Son of God become the son of a virgin. The one who swaddled the stars with darkness (Job 38.9) is now swaddled ...

Have you ever noticed that when you eat certain types of food, particularly spicy foods, that the scent from the food stays with you well after the meal? If you were to happen to exercise the next day all of those around you would be aware of your spicy culinary experience. This is the unfavorable sweat. But, I have also learned to appreciate what I will call, “Gospel-Sweat.” This is a sweat that comes from people marinating in the...

This quote greatly encouraged me to rest in the perfection of Christ’s work. This resting brings me to treasuring him. I pray it encourages you too. (the emphasis in underlining is my doing)… At the cross this “righteousness” was found; human, yet divine: provided for man and presented to him by God for relief of conscience and justification of life. On the one word, “It is finished,” as on a heavenly resting ...

Years ago I worked in a financial brokerage. In particular I worked in compliance. We were very meticulous about ensuring that we said and did everything right. One phrase I remember seeing regularly is, “Past performance is not indicative of future results.” In other words, just because a fund or company has done well in the past does not mean that it will do well in the future. Typically this is appended to data that demonstrates s...

I recently came across this quote from John Piper. He is talking about loving covenant faithfulness between God and his people. This pledge God has made to his people is unbreakable. No famine or death can break it. I saw it in a parable. I was visiting some of our elderly people in a nursing home. I got on the elevator with a woman in a wheelchair who was old, misshapen, and confused. Her head wobbled meaninglessly and she uttered senseless�...

Everyone is prone to discouragement. No matter our vocation, we all face the temptation to feel like what we are doing does not matter. I can remember working in the military and wondering how much my work really supported the mission. I recall working in Insurance Compliance and debating in my mind as to how in the world all of these reports and analysis really did anything. These are natural and common questions. From my seat there is no other...

With Thanksgiving on tap for tomorrow I need to remind myself of the priority and the basis of thanksgiving. If you are like me you can identify with the impact of spiritual Tryptophan, that drowsiness that sets in while we are supposed to be reclining at the gospel table. In Colossians 3 we have consecutive verses punctuated by a command to be thankful. (3.15) And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in o...