It is not in our human nature to forgive. We are attacked, we defend ourselves; someone treats us unjustly and we want justice done to them; someone is mean to us and we want to hit back. Even as the event recedes into the past we keep it alive with fantasies of revenge. Yet Jesus was clear – extremely clear – that we need to forgive! And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. (Mark 11:25)   Forgiving Others God has told us in no uncertain terms to forgive. It is true that God…

I love this passage from F.B. Meyer on II Tim. 2:1-4. There is grace enough in Jesus for every need, but we must avail ourselves of it. We can expect nothing less than hardship, since life is a battlefield. Our one aim should be to please Him who chose us to be soldiers. In order to be all that he would have us be, we must avoid entangling ourselves in the conditions around us. We must resemble a garrison in the town where it is quartered, and from which it may at any hour be summoned away. The less encumbered we are, the more easily shall we be able to…

What is perseverance and why does the Bible mention it a lot? Because we sure don’t see modern book titles like “30 Days to More Perseverance!” or “How to Persevere in Seven Easy Steps!” The secular definition for “perseverance” is “steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.” And this is true. But for Christians, there is more. The secondary definition is “Continuance in a state of grace to the end, leading to eternal salvation.” Let’s see what the Bible says about it. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering…