Posts by Harvey Wittmier (Page 43)
Uplifting Words Can Build a Strong House
Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”Words have incredible power to lift you up or tear you down. Words can and do hurt. They can tear down in a moment what has taken years to build. The words we speak have power to benefit or diminish a person. As people who confess Jesus…
Jesus Is the Load Lifter
Until we are born again, all people live under the burden of guilt from sin. The ten commandments and the rest of the Old Covenant defined sin and set a benchmark for righteousness. The result was a heavy burden; a heavy load. It’s a load we are not designed to carry. People attempt to lift the load through self-help, psychology, secular therapy, drugs, sex, success, money, and even good works. Some even deny the existence of God attempting to remove…
The Active Lifestyle of a Believer
A Life in Christ is an active lifestyle. There is nothing in the life of Jesus or in believers in the New Testament that equates to passivity. They were an active bunch! They lived like they were at a green light all the time! They seized every opportunity to bring good news. Jesus seized the opportunity for a teachable moment with Mary and Martha. Jesus seized the opportunity for a miracle moment with the Syropheonician woman. Jesus seized a relational…
We Are the Land of the Living
Psalms 27:13 says “I am confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” As believers in Jesus we ARE the land of the living. We have been made alive by the finished work of Jesus on the cross and through His resurrection! Under the new covenant you and I are the “Body of Christ.” The Word of God says that the Church is a living body. We are a living, breathing,…
What Is Your Sense of Security Based Upon?
Many Christians feel secure in their relationship with God only when they’re ‘doing good’. Their sense of security is in their behavior and circumstances. Their security is not really in Christ and what Jesus did for them. It’s in their performance. Working to perform for God is ‘dead works.’ Paul called it “falling from grace.” We’ve fallen when we base our security and relationship with God on outward signs rather than inward change. The Apostle Paul’s greatest challenge was not…
God Can Take Bad Situations and Turn Them for Good
God can take bad situations and turn them around for good. Take, for instance, Philip from the Book of Acts. Philip was distributing food among the believers in Jerusalem. He was known as a spiritual man, but his real potential in ministry was unknown. Suddenly heavy persecution broke out in Jerusalem. Most of the believers fled for their lives seeking safety in surrounding towns and regions. Sounds like bad news, doesn’t it? However, Acts 8:4 says those who fled “preached…
God is Not a “Hard Man”
Some Christians have a harsh view of God the Father. Their view is similar to one of the men in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. One man was given five talents, another was given two talents, and another was given one talent. The first two men took risk and invested their talents and doubled their investment bringing affirmation from their boss. However, the man with one talent did not invest but hid his talent and got no…
Faith Versus Presumption
Faith is a strange concept to many Americans. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 that ‘faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.’ Faith requires believing in someone or something we cannot physically see. Faith is stable, unwavering and continual. Many people apply their faith the same way as they buy and sell stocks; buy if you think it will produce a profit. Sell if it doesn’t. They read about Jesus…
Even Science Requires Faith
The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 that ‘faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.’ A scientist exercises faith as he or she draws conclusions from evidence observed. Scientific evidence is seldom complete and irrefutable. Every year the scientific process leads to new discoveries in medicine, treatment of disease, and preventive health. The new discoveries unravel the old conclusions. Things science professionals so boldly advocated as worthy of their faith, and…
Upon What Are You Building Your House?
Faith is a strange concept to many Americans. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 that ‘faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.’ To be sure means to be firm, unyielding, and stable. As we look around us we see little in the corporate world, government, politics or the economy that is firm, unyielding, and stable. Our faith is like building a house. The stability of the house will depend upon…
Faith Is Being Sure
Faith is a strange concept to many Americans. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 that ‘faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.’ How sure are you this morning of the things you hope for? How certain are you of those things you can’t see with your natural eyes? When we ask ourselves this question we often don’t like our own answer. But we all have faith in something and someone,…