“God waits to be wanted.” (A.W.Tozer) Don’t hesitate! Run to God! Acknowledge your needs and wants to God! He waits to be wanted! He waits to cover you with his grace. He waits to listen to you. He waits to gently wrap you up in his abundant love. “God walks with us. He scoops us up in His arms or simply sits with us in silent strength until we cannot avoid the awesome recognition that yes, even now, He is…
You’ve been raised on the Message of the faith and have followed sound teaching. Now pass on this counsel to the followers of Jesus there, and you’ll be a good servant of Jesus. Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take…
The Bible stories of John the Baptist have astonished me ever since I was a child. I’ve come to admire John the Baptist for several reasons. How he was called before he was born, how he did powerful, bold but humble ministry, and how his head was brutally cut and offered on a platter. I’ve always felt that John the Baptist was an example how we should serve God. John was chosen for his ministry before he was born. He…
Today my favorite quote is this one by William Blake: “I myself do nothing. The Holy Spirit accomplishes all through me.” That’s what being a Christian means. It’s not about me or my (in)abilities. People of the presence of the Holy Spirit do not need to be afraid of anything. People of the presence of the Holy Spirit does not need to bow to devil’s temptations or believe devil’s accusations of inadequacies or any other lies he wants us to…
It’s Melodic Monday! This week’s song is Brave by Nichole Nordeman. This song reminds us how important it is to have reality checks how we are doing with our Christian walk. We need to see if we’re still on the chosen path. It’s so easy to wander off the path without even realizing it. We need to keep on staying close to God, abiding in the Holy Spirit and following closely in Christ’s footsteps. We can’t make it on our…
Sometimes I’ve been accused to be a perfectionist but I have refused to be one. My goal is to always do my best and that’s enough for me even when my best is only mediocre (or even less): It is okay not to be good at everything. I also try to be graceful to myself when do to the circumstances I am below my abilities in something that I am normally good at. When I am good at something I…
Compassion makes life beautiful. Compassion makes life worth living. Compassion gives us a glimpse of heaven here on earth. Because God is is the epitome of compassion. If we want to be compassionate we need to become more like him. The fifth spiritual fruit discribed in Galatians 5:22 has traditionally been translated kindness (NIV/NRSV)or gentleness (KJV). The Message uses “a sense of compassion in the heart”. I think it is more provoking than kindness or gentleness. It gives us an…
Nobody wants to be empty, right? Empty means poor, sad, lonely. Empty means cold, old, dead. We don’t want to be associated with those things. We don’t want to be empty. We try to fix it. But we mess up. “God gives His gifts where He finds the vessel empty enough to receive them” writes C. S. Lewis in Williams and the Arthuriad. We are not called to be empty. But we are called to be empty enough. God wants…
It’s Melodic Monday! I felt that little encouragement is in order and picked a song that do just that in an amazing and powerful way: Stay Strong by Newsboys! You’re in the moment nowA bitter rouseA wandering eye and then The ties that bind start wearing thin, within You’re in the moment nowWhen all that you’ve been blessed withIs not enoughHere’s where the ground gets looseHere’s where the devils call your bluff Stay strongYou are not lostCome on and fix…
As we learn to live in God’s will it is important to learn to let go of our worries and let God transform our lives as he pleases. That might sound scary but it really works. We can either worry or pray. There is not room for both of them in a Christian. This is easier said than done but praying without ceasing is one of the most important survival skills for Christians. If you have a lot on your…
