goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Please Be Seated

By Linda Tancs

We usually hear the refrain “Are you sitting down?” when someone has something provocative to share. But being seated is more important than you think. In fact, it’s evocative of power and authority. Teachers and judges, for instance, traditionally exercised their office seated, so the chair became a symbol of authority. In the Old Testament, the Chair of Moses (mentioned in Matthew 23:2) is a symbol of teaching authority. Christians recognize the Chair of St. Peter as a symbol of the authority and primacy of the first Bishop of Rome and, for Catholics, the teaching authority of the Pope. Interestingly, the Latin word for “chair” is “cathedra.” Thus, to speak “ex cathedra” is to exercise one’s teaching authority “from the chair.” Now there’s a seat worth reserving.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Mercy

By Linda Tancs

In West Virginia, the jury must decide in the sentencing phase of a first-degree murder trial whether the defendant should be accorded “mercy,” which changes the sentence from life without parole to eligibility for parole. So, in some cases, a defendant will receive “life with mercy” and, in other cases, no mercy. Imagine a defendant receiving the edict that he or she will “receive no mercy.” In our economy, a defendant can earn mercy. In God’s economy, mercy is a part of His nature and cannot be earned by us. His mercies never come to an end (Lamentations 3:22-23). Be thankful for that.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Narrow or Wide

By Linda Tancs

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln once said that “a river always follows the line of least resistance; that is why it is crooked.” That observation brings to mind Jesus’s admonition against pursuing the wide road that leads to destruction, an eschatological reference implying that those who choose consumption, pleasures and distractions find themselves separated from God (Matthew 7:13-14). The wide road is a like a crooked river; it can be a place of temptation, bitterness, revenge, anger, frustration, greed or unforgiveness. There’s no room for the Spirit there. Follow the Spirit, the river of life.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

The Company You Keep

By Linda Tancs

As a child, you may have been cautioned by your parents or others to be careful of the company you keep. Indeed, others can have a powerful influence on you, for better or worse. The apostle Paul warned the Corinthians about the effects of keeping bad company (1 Corinthians 15:33). The best way to avoid that outcome is to let God choose your companions. Ask Him to bring godly influencers into your life so that their good behavior rubs off on you.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Meddling

By Linda Tancs

Everyone knows a meddler, a busybody. Some are more famous than others. Take King Charles III, for instance. He once admitted he was an “interferer and meddler” as heir to the throne, airing his opinions fully and freely. It’s the kind of trait that the apostle Paul warned against in his message to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 4:9-11). In short, mind your own business. Keep that in mind the next time you’re tempted to interfere in the affairs of your neighbor, relative or coworker.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Never Let Them See You Sweat

By Linda Tancs

The expression “never let them see you sweat” means to stay cool and collected no matter the circumstances. It’s probably the kind of thing that Jesus had in mind when he exhorted his followers not to look like they’re fasting (Matthew 6:16-18). In other words, don’t let your circumstances give you away, especially when under pressure or facing a challenging situation. Don’t make a spectacle of yourself.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Stewardship

By Linda Tancs

Stewardship is a term found several times in the New Testament. But what is a steward? A steward is one who is entrusted with managing or looking after the property of another. In the natural, a steward is charged with using another’s property responsibly to meet the needs of others. Biblically speaking, it is no less so. In fact, everything that exists belongs to God. The apostle Paul referred to himself as a steward of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 4:1). There is no higher form of stewardship, no greater duty, than to make the highest and best use of God’s Word in ministering to others.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Walk It Out

By Linda Tancs

We often hear advice to “walk it out.” It’s often used prescriptively as an exhortation to process one’s emotions.

Walking is a common theme in the Bible, designed to illustrate and encourage a relationship with God. For example, in the story of Enoch we’re introduced to a man who walked faithfully with God for 300 years (Genesis 5:22). In Genesis 17, God invited Abram to “walk before” Him (Genesis 17:1). Also, when the patriarch Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, he recounted his ancestors who had walked faithfully before God (Genesis 48:15-16). And in the New Testament, Paul instructs us to “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16). Walking is a healthy activity. When you add God to the equation, you get an unbeatable benefit.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

The God Who Sees

By Linda Tancs

El Roi is a name for God in the Old Testament that is usually translated as “the God who sees me.” (Genesis 16:13). His eyes are always on you, which is boasted of by natural parents as having “eyes in the back of their head.” Nothing escapes a parent’s attention, or God’s. That doesn’t mean you never feel invisible or perhaps have indeed been forsaken. When others can’t, don’t or won’t see you as you need to be seen, just remember that God always sees you.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

The Kite of Faith

By Linda Tancs

I once read a story about a boy who was flying his kite so high that it was obscured by low clouds. The only way he knew the kite was there was when he felt a tug on the string. Faith is like that. (2 Corinthians 5:7). You don’t have to see it to believe it, but you’ll know it by the tug.

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As part of FOOT FORWARD MINISTRIES (a teaching and speaking ministry), Go Forward in Faith represents faith-based meditations for personal and professional growth. Join the Facebook group @goforwardinfaith.