Today, I was contemplating on the text on Pilate washing his hands for responsibility of Jesus’ death. I understand his dilemma: the crowd wanting Jesus dead and Pilate wanting to keep his job while (he and) his wife not finding Jesus guilty. What to do? Whom to serve? And did the hand washing work? Did he get rid of his guilt or not? How about you? Do you wash your hands like Pilate? How does that work? I’m afraid washing our hands…
Some encounters have left me a bit dumbfounded lately. I’ve met some friends and acquaintances who are Christians and they told me they’ve been looking for answers for their problems from New Age or mindfulness or something else but not from Jesus. I find it very sad that Christians don’t know Jesus and his power. They haven’t learned to embrace Jesus for all who he is. Somehow, they don’t know Jesus is all they ever need. Jesus is always enough….
Have you ever wondered what it means to live for Christ? It is very contradictory to what we hear otherwise. The world wants us to find ourselves and live for ourselves and go after what we want. Yet, the Bible tells us to live for Christ. Nothing less, nothing more, nothing else! What does it mean though? For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that…
Because of Jesus we can walk right up to God. Without Jesus we do not have an access to God. But because Jesus died on the cross and was raised on the third day, we can approach God without hesitation. Quite a gift, isn’t it? Now we can draw near to God and we are more than welcome in his presence. And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of…
It’s Ash Wednesday. It reminds us that we were made from dust, and to dust we will return. These are wise words from the beginning of Genesis (3:19). Yes, we are mortal. We need to count our days right. But also we need to pay attention to what we give our time and energy. Everything but God is dust. Hence everything but love is dust. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy,and where thieves break…
Currently, I am reading through the book of Isaiah. I’m in awe of all the prophecies of the Messiah and how perfectly they came to be in Jesus. Today, I was reading about how a shoot will grow up from Jesse’s stump. Especially, the second verse describing the Spirit of the Lord resting on Jesus, took my breath away. I want that too. Give me the Spirit of the Lord – all of it! And the Spirit of the Lord…
I have this habit of falling in love with words, especially with words from the Word. Today the sentence I say over and over again is from Psalm 32: I live and breathe God” (Psalm 34:2, MSG,*). I want to live and breathe God. What does it mean? Live and breathe God This sounds like a very intimate way of living, doesn’t it? For sure, it’s not a long-distance relationship if we live and breath God. It’s an ongoing, all-in kind…
Do you have hard time believing that God does not remember the things he has forgiven you? I hear you. I’ve written a lot about our need of forgiveness, the importance of forgiveness, even what living forgiveness means. I’ve done it because I believe forgiveness is one of the most life-changing things because it brings freedom. It leads us from brokenness to wholeness. But this does not happen if we don’t truly believe forgiven means forgiven and that God forgives…
Have you tried to please God and failed miserably? Join the club. We can’t please God by self-improvement and we can’t be good on our own. Blessedly, that is not the end. We are not saved by works but by God’s grace. God’s plan to redeem, restore, and refine us is rock-solid. We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried…
Do you know the beauty of Christianity? Because of Jesus no middleman is needed to approach God. Jesus paved the way for all of us. He came to die for our sins and make us right with God. Since then all who believe in Jesus have a direct access to God. Amazing! Astonishing! Absolutely marvellous, isn’t it? Why then don’t you use this privilege more? But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son,…
