There are only a few days left of this year and our thoughts are turning toward the new year. How should we approach it? What kind of resolutions should one make? How could we end this year well and start the new year even better? Valid questions and God will answer them when we take time to prayerfully consider them. My goal for next year (and the rest of my life) is to have a rich relationship with God. And…
Last week I shared that even Mary the God-bearer needed a Savior. We all do. But I get it that being called a sinner might not sound very uplifting. It might make you feel doomed. Well, according to the Bible you are doomed without a Savior. You’d be doomed without Christmas, without Jesus coming to rescue us. But because he did, being called a sinner can be comforting. What??? In the words of Martin Luther “When Satan tells me I…
The Bible keeps surprising me. Or maybe God keeps surprising me while I read the Bible. Christmas is near so I have turned to the Gospel of Luke and this time I paid attention to the words of Mary: My spirit rejoices in God my Savior. What’s so unique about these words of Mary’s song of praise, the Magnificat? 46 Mary responded,“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!48 For he took notice of his lowly…
Does grace fill your heart with joy? I hope so. We can already live the life of the Spirit here on earth. Do not settle for anything less. Because joy is a gift from God and it has nothing to do with circumstances. But it has everything to do with Jesus. Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine.The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance!(Ps.16:5-6, NLT) The…
Do you use your time and money for things that will not satisfy you? Do not keep doing the same old, same old over again expecting different results! Instead, seek something different to get better, more meaningful results. And without selling your soul for unworthy things while God offers you life upon life for free. I’ve never really understood why some people write Jesus off without exploring the possibilities of knowing him. Because Jesus will not disappoint you. I know…
Do you live as a child of God? Or do you still insist on passing on God’s gifts to you? This might sound funny, but we often refuse God’s blessings because we either think we don’t deserve them or don’t dare to receive them because others might be jealous of them. Crazy, right? Who are we to refuse anything God wants to give to us? God knows best so we should say “yes, please” to anything he suggests for us….
It is the month of November so every good blogger is to write a post on gratitude, right? Maybe that’s true but I am not writing this post because I should do it. I am writing this post because I wholeheartedly have come to believe everything is a gift from God. Truly. I did think so before but now I also know it in my heart. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…
Sometimes you hear people saying they don’t need to do anything because of grace. Sure, you don’t need to earn your salvation. Yes, it is all grace. But why would grace want to make you passive? Grace invites you into a loving relationship with your Savior, and living with Jesus does not make you inactive. Instead, grace makes you fruitful. I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much…
Are you anxious, panic-stricken, or fearful? I have good news for you. Even though it might look like it, God’s promises have not changed. You are safe in his arms, he loves you and has great plans for you and all his people. Behold, your God is coming. Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear,for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”(Isaiah 35:4, NLT) You can persevere because of God’s…
Nobody wants to waste his or her life, don’t you think? We all know life is precious because it is so short and fragile. So we are to embrace it and make every moment count, right? If you ask different people how not to waste your life, you get varied answers depending on their values. How would you answer? I would probably have said something along the lines of Jesus “If you try to hang on to your life, you…
