Forgiveness is a word that gets bandied around a lot. Phrases like “forgive and forget,” or variations, like “I will forgive but I won’t forget,” trip easily from our tongues, often with little thought—let alone genuine—attached to them. Yet Jesus is explicit on the reciprocal nature of forgiveness. “If you forgive others for the wrongs they do […]
Most of the tools in this series are just like tools in a mechanics’ toolbox. You get them out when you need them to perform a specific task. In the next couple of articles, I’d like to discuss some tools that have a more general use. They’re like some of the things mechanics use in […]
In the last article in this series we looked at courage. In this one we’re examining surrender. While surrender might seem to be the direct opposite of courage, it’s actually a powerful tool in its own right. The very word ‘surrender’ has several negative connotations: losing a fight, lacking the ability to impose ourselves on […]
Previous articles in this series have looked at a variety of tools that are available to you, 24/7 and entirely free, to help you get to the New Earth. The next tool is faith. Jesus tells us just how powerful faith is in Matthew 17:20. “If you had faith no larger than a mustard seed, […]
Discernment is the art of learning what is right for you. Isaiah 44:19-20 is a classic example of discernment—or the lack of it. “They don’t have enough sense to say to themselves, “I made a fire with half of the wood and cooked my bread and meat on it. Then I made something worthless with […]
In the previous post in this series, Boundaries, I wrote about the necessity of consolidating our emotional boundaries by stepping out of our comfort zone and saying ‘no’ to any situation where we give away our power. In theory this is easy but in practice it’s very hard—and at times it seems almost impossible. Let’s […]
Developing healthy boundaries is a vital part of the journey to the New Earth. Many of our psychological issues arise from poor, missing or over-extended boundaries. In this context, what are boundaries? If we own a property, that property has a boundary. It delineates what is part of the property and what is not. Energetic […]
We’ve all been raised with at least some awareness of the 7 deadly sins. What exactly are these sins, so fundamental to the Christian concept of original sin? Mark 7:20 contains one of Jesus’ most damning verdicts on the human condition—one of many. I don’t think I have ever heard anyone quote it. Matthew 15:10-20 echoes […]
In Matthew 6:25, Jesus tells us not to worry: “I tell you not to worry about your life. Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink or wear. Isn’t life more than food or clothing?” (Matthew 6:25 CEV) Yet now, more than ever, there seems so much to worry about. We live in a highly […]
It’s easy to conceptualise heaven and hhell as opposite ends of a spectrum; that we all sit somewhere in the middle, our proximity to the celestial realms or the pits of fire and brimstone determined by thought and deed as we make our way along the road of life. Jesus asks us—and we sometimes even […]