Beside Still Waters

Suffering Made Sacred (1 Pet. 3:8-15)

Christians attempt to "imitate" Jesus when they are maltreated. The motive is "do what Jesus would do". The God glorifying response is to entrust ourselves to the Holy Spirit that He might manifest Christ in us when treated poorly, disrespected, or taken advantage of.

The ”Little While” of Suffering (1Pet. 1;6; 2:21-23)

This podcast addresses why God allows Christians to suffer. Suffering is not pointless but is used by the Holy Spirit to foster holiness and sacred communion with God into our lives, while simultaneously gracing us with enabling power to demonstrate good works towards others who are often the source of our suffering. 

Cross Raised, Self Razed.(Matthew 16:24-26)

Cross-bearing is simultaneously the cessation of the self life, be it beggarly or bounteous, and the gateway to a life full of God's grace and truth. Matthew 16:21-26 provides Jesus' summary statement on the way to living a full life or experiencing great loss

As Above So Below.(Matthew 16:21-27)

Why does God allow suffering? How would God respond if He suffered? Would God "change the rules" or lessen the pain if he experienced this common earthly phenomenon? Jesus, the perfect One, foretold, anticipated, and fully embraced this common human experience and revealed there is blessing at the end of every trial. 

When God Delays in Responding. (Matthew 15:21-28)

When God delays in responding to our heartfelt needs and prayers is always a difficult spiritual experience. During the delay, God is in the process of creating and executing a noble purpose by integrating grace and Holy Spirit generated fruit into our lives. 

Origins, Substitutes, & Results.(Matthew 15:1-20)

The Person of the Holy Spirit of God is He who hovered over chaotic earth, multiplied the widow's oil, hardened the waters under Peter's feet, and drove out Legion's demons. He will, if we yield to Him, manifest Christ in us, the Hope of Glory.

God is Passing By - Door Unopened.(2 Chronicles 16:1-14)

This is the final episode showing the result of misplaced faith. God intended trials to be the conduit for delivering and experiencing the blessing of his presence and the evidencing of his working. This episode addresses the negative effect that complacency, time, and other factors have on a single-hearted trust in God

God is Passing By - Episode 3.(2 Chronicles 29:1-11; 32:1-23)

This is the third episode revealing the thinking of the man whose heart is perfect toward God, and, the manner in which God manifested his glory to that man. God is willing, and wanting to apply providential, loving care towards all whose confidence is in him. This interchange between man's faith and God's willingness to respond is always glorifying to Him and life changing for us; this experience can be the believer's norm, if the requirements of faith are fulfilled.

God is Passing By - Episode 2.(2 Chronicles 14:1-7)

The ways of God are almost always mysterious except in answer to prayer. This is the second podcast episode showing how God reveals his glory when faith in his willing, providential, loving care is manifest and firmly fixed. This is the divine pattern evidenced in the lives of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. God's response to faith is always glorifying to Him and life changing for us. This experience of his glory can be the believer's norm, if the requirements of faith are fulfilled.

God is Passing By (2 Chronicles 16:9)

The ways of God are almost always mysterious except in answer to prayer. God reveals his glory when faith in his willing, providential, loving care is manifest and firmly fixed. God's response to faith is alway glorifying to Him and life changing for us. This experience of his glory can be the norm in the believers' life, if we fulfill the requirements of faith.