What do you think? Why did God choose shepherds to be the first witnesses to the birth of Jesus? We all can give a reason or two why we think God did it. But few days ago I read a great column (in Finnish) by Rev. Dr. Eero Junkkaala who gave five possible reasons why God chose shepherds. I found them inspiring. Hence I want to share them briefly with you. Hopefully, they can give you a new way to look at…
How does being alive forevermore sound like? I was thrilled to read the word combination in the Bible a couple of days ago. Ever since I’ve been thinking about the awesomeness of it. And how totally dependent we are on Jesus to make it happen. You see, there is no way we can make ourselves alive forevermore. Well, we can’t even make us alive. We can’t take a single breath without God. Human beings are just that: human beings and…
As we are fast approaching Christmas I wanted to share with you this amazing video of the first Christmas. The reason of the season is not family nor friends. It’s not gifts, it’s not food, it’s not having jolly good time. They’re all most wonderful blessings but they’re nothing compared to the birth of Christ. Because that changed history. That changed my life and yours if you let it happen. Hallelujah – Written by Leonard Cohen & performed by Cloverton. Video…
What’s going on your life right now? How are you feeling? Hopefully you’re enjoying the present time. Sure, there are a lot of Christmas preparations waiting to happen, last minute things to tie up before the end of the year. But even these days are meant to be lived fully. If we always keep on waiting for tomorrow, next year, until the kids grow up, we are not really living, only merely surviving. And that’s not abundant life, folks. We…
Did you know that you have a place in God’s plans? Yes, God is calling you to enter deeper into his grace. God is calling you into a full partnership with him. How do I know this? The Bible tells me so. God is calling every follower of Christ – not just pastors – to make disciples and serve the body of Christ. What could it mean to you to live and work in partnership with God? Malcolm Smith has…
Do you ever wish to find your own star to follow? Like the wise men did? All they had to do was to follow the star. Wouldn’t that be easy? Or would we still find excuses to not to follow? When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with…
We are told to rejoice in the Bible. Many times. Why is it so important? Why should we bother? Well, being joyful is better than the alternative, isn’t it? But maybe there’s some blessings hidden in joy for all of us. Could Nehemiah be right? Could joy be strength for us? Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10, NIV,*). Joy Is Strength? If joy is strength, it changes how we see the Bible verses…
Do you know how to find your sweet spot in Jesus? You know, this is crucial for spiritual well-being. Only when we abide in Jesus, we are growing in grace and freedom. Religion does not make us happy but knowing and enjoying the heart of God does. People try to find their sweet spots in different places. But only making our sweet spot in Jesus makes a difference in our lives. That’s because Jesus gives life upon life and grace…
The whole Bible have promises upon promises to God’s children. Are they all meant for me too? Oh yes. Even the ones in the old testament. This is because of Jesus. All comes together in Jesus. All the promises of God become “yes” in Christ Jesus. How wonderful is that? Jesus came into the world so everyone who believes in him could have eternal life. Jesus is for all, may all be for Jesus. For no matter how many promises…
What do you desire most? What do you crave? The answer will define you. You are what your heart desires. As Christians, we are not to crave for a fancier car or a perfect new do. We are to crave for God. Our Christian calling is to grow in respect to our salvation, we are to crave for its ultimate fulfillment in our lives. Do you? Or is your Christmas shopping list first on your mind? Peter urges us: So…
