Dec 9, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Dec 9, 2011 | 6 comments
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV)
As another year will soon be behind us, it’s only natural to ponder how our mortal shells have aged. However for those who are in Christ, instead of focusing on our “outer selves” and their continuing decline, we can find joy in the knowledge that our spirits are in a state of constant renewal. The things of this world may be fleeting, but when we have a relationship with Jesus we’re able to fix our sights on the eternal.
Dec 8, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Dec 8, 2011 | 3 comments
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:4-7 (ESV)
Prayer is an amazingly powerful gift that God has given to us. When instead of allowing our day-to-day struggles and trials to breed anxiety within us, we open our hearts to the Lord and humbly petition Him to lead us in His will, we find that the perfect peace of Christ washes away our fears. While the results of our conversations with God may not manifest how or when we expect, we can rest assured that they’ve been heard and answered nonetheless.
Dec 7, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Dec 7, 2011 | 5 comments
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” – Matthew 5:11-12 (ESV)
Many times each day we’re in positions where we could reach out in Christ’s love, but for fear of scorn or ridicule, choose not to take that leap. Jesus knew that those that followed Him would run into many forms of persecution, and made it very clear that while sharing His message would likely lead to conflict, the eternal treasure we receive for remaining committed far outweighs our trials here. Have you shared the love of Christ today?
Dec 6, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Dec 6, 2011 | 5 comments
“From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” – 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (ESV)
We all have events in our past that trouble us; those moments that in our times of weakness Satan drags back out as weapons to bring about doubt and pain in our hearts. Yet, as the Apostle Paul so eloquently reminds us in this passage from his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, when we’re spiritually reborn in Christ we become a new being; clean, fresh and forgiven when we lay those burdens at His feet.
Dec 5, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Dec 5, 2011 | 5 comments
“Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.” – Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 (ESV)
Our lives are a gift from God; in times of prosperity, times of struggle, times of toil, and times of rest. If at all times we find the joy of Christ in those Blessings we’re given, then we not only lead happier, more fulfilling lives, but at the same time we also glorify God’s benevolence in the process.
Hi, I’m Phil Malmstrom, a.k.a. Phather Phil. I’m self-employed, father of two wonderful young men, an ordained minister who delights in spreading Jesus’ Message of Hope and Love, a science-fiction junkie, an aspiring photographer and above all that one of God’s Children who rejoices in His Blessings each day. 
