Key Connections: Thorns, Joy, and more…

Here are some of my favorite quotes from Christian articles around the web, including bringing Christ joy on earth, Paul’s thorn, and more. If you found a quote you really like, then be sure to send it to us so we can share it with others!

10 Ways to Bring Christ Joy Only Possible on Earth (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

The only bearing witness to Jesus that you will ever do is in this world. There are no lost people in heaven and those who believe know him and enjoy him forever.

When God Changes Your Plans (Lindsey Tollefson, Women Encouraged)

Even when you’ve planned something good, if God takes it away, have faith that His gift is even better than whatever you were trying to achieve. God’s goodness and mercy follow us everywhere, even when circumstances are different than what we wanted. We just have to choose to see them.

The Meaning of Romans 8:28 (Frank Thielman, Zondervan Academic)

Romans 8 also reminds us that God is busy recreating this world and that those of us who are united with Christ by faith are being transformed, and the church is being transformed and is God’s pilot unit for what the world should look like.

He’s transforming the church, and eventually he’ll transform this whole world to bring suffering and oppression to an end.

Go and Tell: Church Social Media (James Faris, Gentle Reformation)

Church social media accounts act as platforms to generate gospel content that will find its way into the social media feeds of those who have never known of the existence of that particular congregation or who need to hear the truth in some form but were not looking for it.

The Gospel in Genesis (Crossway)

God called frail humans to represent him: Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Each of these men was profoundly flawed, a point to which the Bible gives ample testimony. Yet God gave them grace upon grace, keeping his promise, at whatever cost, to bless them and through them to bless all humanity.

Why Translate the Bible? (Aaron Shryock, The Master’s Seminary)

Today, thanks to decades of research and mission work, we know that there are 7,361 languages. Of these languages, only 683 languages have a complete Bible. That means that only 9% of the world’s languages have the full counsel of God. An additional 1,534 languages have a New Testament. However, 2,163 language communities are still waiting for a translation.

What if Paul’s Thorn in The Flesh Was This? (Josh Rasmussen, Borrowed Light)

There has been much speculation on what Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was. Some have speculated that it was a chronic medical condition, a human adversary, or some sort of temptation to sin. The speculation is wide ranging, and likely will always be so. Not knowing exactly what it is can actually be helpful to us – Paul’s point here is that God used something undesirable to keep Paul from sinning by becoming prideful