Author: Dwight Clough

"… the kingdom of God is within you.” — Luke 17:21On Christmas Day the presents are wrapped with care. Some have beautiful bows and ribbons, some are plainly wrapped. But the beauty of the outward package does not always predict the delight that will be produced by what is inside.So also is the work of God. His most important work is hidden deep inside us. We look at each other and see the wrapping, and, most of the time, we can only guess what is inside. The scriptures tell us that the sons (the children) of God will be revealed. …

"Why am I working like a dog, never having any fun?" — Ecclesiastes 4:8When I was nineteen years old, I was at a party and a young woman my age asked me what I liked to do for fun.The question caught me unprepared. I honestly didn’t know. When I was growing up, fun was strictly my brother’s responsibility. Like many firstborns, I took in the message that fun was frivolous, and that I had more important things to do.I return to the question three decades later because of a conversation I had with the Lord one day. Let’s see ……

[Jesus] asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" — Luke 24:17This is an enormously important part of the Lord’s ministry to us. He is drawing us out. He wants us to talk to Him so that we can get our real beliefs out of the table for Him to deal with. Jesus could have appeared before them in dazzling splendor. He could have materialized in their path and said, "Hey, it’s Me." But He didn’t. He didn’t even make Himself readily recognizable. When God goes about changing our deeply held beliefs, He does so with care,…

… punishing the children for the sin of the fathers … — Exodus 20:5Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” — Matthew 19:14We followers of Jesus Christ have a new Father and He doesn’t sin. When we bring Him into the dark places of our lives, the sins of our earthly fathers lose their grip on us. We are set free from their downward pull.I so much want to be a good father to my children. But, like anyone else, I make mistakes. …

"Loose him and let him go." — John 11:44Big Idea #10. God doesn’t like a straight jacket any more than we do.One of the proudest moments of my life was in May of 1978 when I was chosen as the male graduating class speaker at Moody Bible Institute. This was my text: John 11:44. It was an ambitious text for a twenty-year old college about-to-be graduate — ambitious because I didn’t know what it meant, and I knew that I didn’t know.But I spoke on it anyway and it has become a theme for my life. Loose him and let…

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. — Hebrews 4:13Big Idea #9. Be honest … with yourself … with God … with your neighbor.I don’t know if everybody needs to learn this the hard way, but I sure did. I wanted so badly to please God, just as a child I had wanted so badly to please my parents. But I believed, deep down, that God would only be pleased with me if I did everything right. Of course, I didn’t know how to do everything right. I couldn’t do everything right.Logically, there is a simple conclusion here: …

[God] satisfies your desires with good things. — Psalm 103:5Big Idea #8. Every desire — good, bad and ugly — will take you to God if you allow it.What do you do with your evil desires? Take them to God! This is one of the most powerful lessons I have ever learned. All of us are tempted. We pray to avoid temptation, but when it comes, let it be an opportunity for God.God delights in satisfying our desires. Not to make us self-indulgent, spoiled little brats. Not at all. But rather so that we might drink deep the truth of…

Happy New Year!"Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe." — John 4:48Big Idea #7. Every "no" has a reason; let Jesus deal with the reasons.When people say "no" to God, this should not surprise us. Deep inside we all wonder, "Can we really trust this Guy who runs the universe?" and "What is He going to do with my dreams, my marriage, my kids, my plans, my fears?"And everybody has objections. If you and I are honest with ourselves and with God, there are places inside where we have objections. ("God, do…

And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. — 2 Timothy 2:24-26Big Idea #6. Break it down to baby steps; almost everybody has a place where they can say "yes" to God.This is a wonderful discovery. You don’t have to…

"Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, Sir," she said."Then nither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."– John 8:10-11Big Idea #5. Find the pain… and you will find the door.The more I meditate on this passage, the more wisdom I see in the approach Jesus used. As the story opens, a woman caught in the act of adultery, is thrown down before Jesus to see if Jesus will take a hard line on sin and insist that she be stoned according to the law of Moses. She had…