What Glenn Writes

I wonder if I look as foolish as I sometimes feel; that would be really foolish.

The way I go about life takes foolishness to a new level. The only reality television show I would qualify for is “Extreme Foolishness: The Glenn Edition”.

I mean, think about it: I go about life as if I was given a rickety old shanty to live in, for which I labor all day and defend with my life, when in reality I inherited a mansion I rarely visit, recognize, or acknowledge. Is this the way faith is supposed to work?

I call myself a believer. Yet, am I any different than the world? Do I live as if God’s love is within me, enveloping me, drenching me, consuming me, or overwhelming me? Is He my focus? › Continue reading

Many days have passed since my last article. Some may have noticed, others are getting this article and may be thinking it has been awhile, and still others may be groaning they forgot to unsubscribe. Whatever your lot, here is another article for you to do with what you please.

Today, one verse strikes me. I read it last night at church and share it with you here:

Romans 8:31, “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

As if he had said: What comfort do we get from God’s love?

God calls us to love to Him, which is the principle of holiness. We will not find this an easy road or one accepted by many around us. This is like trying to explain why you are getting married to someone who has never loved another… there is no basis for the understanding to take root. › Continue reading

Have you been wearing rose-colored glasses? I think there is a point in every believer’s relationship with God where we question if He can fully forgive our sin. This is most likely the point when we begin to understand the gravity of our sins and the ultimate payment meant for us. We take off the rose-colored glasses and take a strong hard look at ourselves.

We begin to see the ugly inside. We remember the sins committed when no one was around, the sins we caused, and the sins we allowed to happen. We may not dwell very long on these memories, but they are like the stink of bad meat in the fridge; the rank odor is always there and will always be there until we deal with the source of the smell. While the smell may fade some days, growing strong on other days, it is always there. › Continue reading

I referred to Jesus’ temptation in the desert in yesterday’s article, where Satan came to entice Jesus when He was weak. In this moment, Satan reveals one of his most used strategies: tempting us when we are weak.

I know it is convenient to look at the enemy on our own terms, to consider Satan as an enemy we understand, which is an error on our part. Satan has been around since the beginning of time and understands the physical world we live in as well as the spiritual world of which we have no knowledge. In fact, Satan and all the demons of hell have become very good at hiding themselves from our knowledge. Scripture records how it was regularly understood how demons possessed people and controlled their lives when Jesus walked the Earth, yet today we discount any reports of possession as fantasy, Hollywood, or something Inquiring minds want to know. › Continue reading

In yesterday’s article, we checked out the Hebrew nation being attacked in the desert by three different armies and how God rescued them. This was an example of God helping many people trapped in a hopeless situation. We all may find ourselves in hopeless situations; the test is not in avoiding the hopelessness, but in how we respond to it. Whether we are in a dark tomb, a desert wilderness, or something altogether different, how we respond to our circumstances is what defines us as a believer.

One of our greatest temptations is to shortcut the trial we are enduring. This is purely a human and natural tendency, but self-control is one of the characteristics of a mature believer. We may lose the benefit of the test if we shortcut the trial, meaning we may have to repeat the entire process at another time.

Gee, Glenn… what do you mean by a shortcut? › Continue reading

In our last two articles, found here and here, I made an analogy to living in a dark tomb created by the circumstances around us. Some readers may have difficulty in relating to the dark tomb or the helplessness. Not everyone can embrace the symbolism.

Is it the idea that there are so many believers and how can God help us all? Is it the idea that there are so many oppressors, godless and defiant, and how can God overcome them all? Is it the idea that we are so far-gone, how can God save us? Let’s consider what God has done in the past.

Check out 2 Chronicles 20, where we find all of Judah lead by King Jehoshaphat so far-gone in the desert they have no resources or backup of any kind. Here we have the many individuals of an entire nation, yet their enemy still outnumbers them. In the first verse of the chapter:

The Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat.

There are three nations coming against Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah! There are many helpless individuals facing certain death with no physical backup or resources in the desert. We certainly find them in a desperate situation… › Continue reading

My last article referred to times of hopelessness, when it seems like we are abandoned, lost, and have absolutely no hope by all worldly understanding. From a worldly perspective, we seem to think we are the only ones who have ever been in such depression or despair, that no one has ever endured what we are going through or has ever been so isolated. Of course, this is a lie…

The view from inside the tomb is always dark. What is stealing the light from your day? Is it financial worries or troubles? Is a relationship going sour? Is your job depressing you? Are you physically, mentally, or emotionally drained? Do you feel like you are stuck or trapped? › Continue reading

Sometimes I feel as if I am in the tomb. Have you been there? Are you there now?

Lazarus was there. Others have felt the cold death of the tomb creeping into their bones, stealing their breath, and overwhelming them with the weight of their circumstances.

Have you felt the pressure of the stone covering the entrance of the tomb like an obstacle in your day, trapping you, holding you in the chains of ruin or devastation? Are you draped in the burial cloths of depression? Are you being oppressed, chained in a persistent cycle robbing you of your strength or will to continue?

The view from inside the tomb is always dark. We are limited in our perspective and cannot see the light… we are chained by the situations bringing us into this darkness, yet we are not helpless. We have a promise. We have hope. › Continue reading