2011 - Page 18 of 25 - Flowing Faith

Do You Doubt the Resurrection of Christ?

April 25, 2011 Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith Comments 2 comments

Easter is such a huge event in the lives of Christians that we prepare for it for 40 days and now we celebrate it for 40 days. The meaning of resurrection really needs this much intentional reflection time. It is so unbelievably amazing and profoundly wonderful! But, most of all, it is life-changing! It’s resurrection, resurrection, always resurrection, that undergirds what I do and say, the way I live. If there’s no resurrection, “We eat, we drink, the next day…

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Witnesses of Resurrection & Followers of the Risen Christ (re-post)

April 24, 2011 Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith Comments 2 comments

The empty tomb on the Easter morning is a terrific symbol of Christianity. The tomb was opened so we could get in to see that Christ was risen. Christ did not need the tomb to be opened for him to get out. All the time God helps us to see the power of the resurrection. We have a mighty powerful God! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! God has prepared us the way back to him in Jesus….

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The Tomb Is Not the End!

April 23, 2011 Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith Comments 4 comments

It is disheartening to hear news of illness and death of loved ones. Even Jesus wept for his friend Lazarus. Illness, suffering and death are part of life here on earth but we are not without hope. Even if it might look like Good Friday ended every good thing it is not so. Even though it might look like the tomb is the end of everything it is not so. Even if it might look so that dead is the…

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God vs. World = God Wins

April 22, 2011 Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith Comments 0 Comment

The English-speaking world calls the day Jesus was crucified Good Friday. The same day is called “Long Friday” in Finnish. The Finnish version emphasizes the long hours on the cross. The English version emphasizes the outcome of the crucifixion of Jesus. Either way it is because of us that Jesus was crucified. It is pretty hard to admit that we are such sinners that without the sacrifice of Jesus we would never have an access back to God. It is…

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Book Review: The Sacred Meal by Nora Gallagher

April 21, 2011 Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith Comments 2 comments

During this Holy Week I’ve been reading The Sacred Meal by Nora Gallagher. This is a book in the Ancient Practices series published by Thomas Nelson. The Sacred Meal is about the practice of Holy Communion. What makes this book special is the writing style of Nora Gallagher. Reading the book feels like sitting at a coffee shop with a good friend and comparing notes on the Lord’s Supper. The book is not a theological reference book but a conversational…

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Through Repentance to Readiness

April 20, 2011 Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith Comments 0 Comment

Throughout this season of Lent I’ve been trying to ready myself for Easter joy by praying, fasting, and listening to God. Today I will share the biggest repentance trigger of my Bible readings this Lent. Does this speak to you as loud as it did for me? Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, “Stay here while I go over there and pray.” Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he…

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This Spiritual Adventure of Yours

April 19, 2011 Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith Comments 12 comments

Some people think that living your life through faith would be boring. They could not be further from truth. Faith is not for the faint of heart! This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” (Romans 8:15, MSG) God has called you out of death into resurrection life. When Christ becomes your Savior your own self is crucified and we are resurrected into new…

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How Deep the Father’s Love for Us

April 18, 2011 Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith Comments 2 comments

Melodic Monday reflects on How Deep the Father’s Love (by Phillips, Craig, and Dean). What a powerful song! What a powerful love! What a powerful salvation story! That God would give his only son to make a wretch his treasure! The song points out so well that it was OUR sin why Jesus suffered on the cross. It is OUR voice that is mocking God. We deserve death and we get resurrection instead! All because of Christ Jesus! Hallelujah! Let’s…

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Why Do You Wave Palms?

April 16, 2011 Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith Comments 0 Comment

We are entering into the Holy Week by celebrating Palm Sunday by remembering the day Jesus rode to Jerusalem to fulfill his destiny. While doing so Jesus fulfilled also the prophecies of the Old Testament. “Shout and cheer, Daughter Zion! Raise the roof, Daughter Jerusalem! Your king is coming! a good king who makes all things right, a humble king riding a donkey, a mere colt of a donkey. I’ve had it with war—no more chariots in Ephraim, no more…

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Random Spiritual Acts of Kindness

April 14, 2011 Mari-Anna Stålnacke @flowingfaith Comments 6 comments

Lately God has been teaching me about reaching out to others as the Spirit prompts me. I call these happenings random spiritual acts of kindness. They are not about us. They are all about God. These are happening because Jesus whispers something to us and we can’t shrug it off. Believe me, Jesus is very persistent in whispering until I agree to do as prompted. We just have to obey no matter how odd it is. Or how minor it…

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