Dec 14, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Dec 14, 2011 | 9 comments
“Ah, you who hide deep from the Lord your counsel,
whose deeds are in the dark,
and who say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?”
You turn things upside down!
Shall the potter be regarded as the clay,
that the thing made should say of its maker,
“He did not make me”;
or the thing formed say of him who formed it,
“He has no understanding”?” – Isaiah 29:15-16 (ESV)
As the Prophet Isaiah warned against in this passage, while we may be able to conceal our true intentions and desires from others around us, God isn’t fooled. Our hearts and minds are well known to the One who formed us, and when we seek to hide ourselves from His view, in fact we only deceive ourselves.
Dec 13, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Dec 13, 2011 | 2 comments
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” – Romans 8:26-27 (ESV)
While all of us to some extent “know how” to pray, it can be difficult to understand exactly what we truly need to pray for. We may think we know what we want, but in many cases receiving what we ask for would prove disastrous in some unseen way. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit within us knows our true needs, our hearts and our desires, and can frame our petitions to our Heavenly Father accordingly.
Dec 12, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Dec 12, 2011 | 6 comments
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”” – Hebrews 13:5-6 (ESV)
As we look around this Holiday Season, we’re inundated by the world’s attempts to convince us that “more stuff” is what Christmas is all about. When we take our sights off of the wondrous event this Holy Celebration remembers, we miss out on the most important Christmas Gift the world has ever known.
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.
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. 
