Facing the truth is sometimes very hard. Accepting the blame is not fun or easy. But it is necessary in order to live authentically. How about you? Do you accept the reality of your sinfulness? Sure, it’s one of the hardest things to do. But it is also one of the things that bless us the most. Because when we come to terms with our sinfulness, we are ready to receive the only effective remedy for sin known to humankind:…
How do you feel about God’s grace? I am in love with God’s grace. Because it’s everything I ever need. And it’s new every morning. Also, it is more than I can even imagine. I’ve written many posts about God’s grace but it does never get boring or old-fashioned. First of all, God’s grace saves us through our faith in Jesus Christ. Second, grace is ability, energy, and power. What does that mean? Grace is ability, power, and energy But…
As part of my morning devotions today, I was reading Isaiah 49 and loved reading how God will never ever forget us. The text said that even if our mother would forget us, he will not forsake us. You see, God has engraved each of us on the palms of his hands. That’s pretty special. There’s nothing that can separate us from God’s love. You can’t beat that. But it was much later than I realized how special it was…
Today, I want to encourage you deeper into God’s grace. You see, we are all invited to live and move around in God’s grace. We don’t have to tiptoe around or stay around the entrance in God’s kingdom. Because of Jesus, we are all welcome right into the center of God’s sweet presence. God loves to save sinners but, folks, that’s not the end. He has beautiful things in store for all his children. You see, grace activates you to…
Do you have a lot of “shoulds” in your life? You should this and that and every other thing. The first step of letting go of shoulds is to change your vocabulary. Replace all the “shoulds” with “it’d be great if”. It’d be great if all things worked out. But if not it’s not the end of the world. This is all great and has helped me to put less pressure on me but I have even better news for…
Gratitude is the most underused spiritual weapon. Often we don’t even realize gratitude or thanksgiving is a spiritual weapon. But it is. A powerful one. Let’s find out why we should use it. And then use it for the rest of our days. Not just for the benefits but because it’s fun and easy and it will bless us more than we can ever know. And the alternative is awful: For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as…
Downsizing seems to be a big trend these days. I find it delightful that people are starting to think less is more. So far people have been wanting more and more stuff (like stuff could ever bring real happiness). But I really do think less is more. Not only when it comes to material things but also when it comes to spirituality. So less is more in spirituality also. Hence, the recipe for fulfilling life is simple: Less junk, more…
I openly admit that I love reading the Bible, I believe it’s the living Word of God. People often tell me that they don’t have time to read the Bible. But I think anyone can commit to reading a verse (or two) every day. It won’t even take a minute to do it. Yet, it has an eternal impact on our lives. It reminds us what is important and what is not. Let me give you an example. Just reading today’s verse of…
It is quite a faith journey to learn to celebrate your weaknesses. Celebrating is not our first response to our weaknesses. But that’s what the saints who have gone before us have taught us. First, the apostle Paul and then many others. Watchman Nee summed it up this way “Outside of Christ, I am weak; in Christ, I am strong.” We truly are weak in ourselves but so strong in Christ. Hence, we don’t need to hide our weaknesses but…
Has God flooded your heart with his love and grace? Do you love Jesus in a new and fresh way? Why don’t you sing to the Lord? And, please, sing a new song. If Christ has rescued you from the land of death, do not sing those old songs from there anymore. You see, it’s time for a new song. I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy…
