It is disheartening to hear news of illness and death of loved ones. Even Jesus wept for his friend Lazarus. Illness, suffering and death are part of life here on earth but we are not without hope. Even if it might look like Good Friday ended every good thing it is not so. Even though it might look like the tomb is the end of everything it is not so. Even if it might look so that dead is the…
Some people think that living your life through faith would be boring. They could not be further from truth. Faith is not for the faint of heart! This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” (Romans 8:15, MSG) God has called you out of death into resurrection life. When Christ becomes your Savior your own self is crucified and we are resurrected into new…
Do you let Jesus carry your burdens? Or do you still carry them on your own? Is your faith only intellectual or have you really let Jesus rule your heart? Do you trust Jesus to carry your burdens? Do you let Christ serve you, give you true freedom? Or do you still suffer alone? But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that…
Do you feel that you are buried alive? Do you feel that you’re facing a lot of dirt? Do you feel everything is dark around you? It is all right. Don’t be afraid. It might be that you’ve been (re)planted. A seed needs time to grow before it will see the light. The replanted one needs time to grow its roots deep in the new soil. It all happens in quiet invisibility but we might feel terrible growing pains. But…
Last Sunday our family was leaving church without attending the coffee hour because it was already 11.30am. I was explaining our children that there were no lunch served just coffee and dessert this time. Our son responded saying “Right, they served the main course in the worship.” Pretty profound theology for a 5-year old! This exchange came into my mind while reading the 10th chapter of Luke in the Message. The story of Martha, Mary & Jesus got a whole…
We all want to live well. Just too often we mess up things and forget how to live blessed in God’s way. Instead of praying we worry. And by worrying we forget the most important thing of life: our relationship with God. Too often we want something our way so badly that we forget to see what’s happening around us. Our fists are so tightly closed that we receive nothing God tries to give us. “Cursed is the strong one…
Grace is free but not cheap. We can’t earn grace but still it is not cheap. Because cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate, states Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Grace is free but costly. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. (Matthew 13:44, NRSV) “Costly grace is…
Would you like to shut off the news? Are you afraid of what is happening in the world? Do you feel small and helpless when you think of wars, nuclear catastrophes, terrorism, economic situation, and the future? In the middle of turmoils we need to be reminded that God has not forgotten us! Fear not! God has good news for us: ‘You’re my servant, serving on my side. I’ve picked you. I haven’t dropped you.’ Don’t panic. I’m with you….
What are your biggest fears? We might fear losing our home, losing our job or losing people that we love. But we are not to build our lives around our houses, jobs nor people! We are to build our lives around Jesus Christ our Lord. Then we will never be sorry. When Jesus Christ is our cornerstone of our lives we are never homeless, we are never jobless, we are never…
When we live in grace God does not treat us as sinners anymore. We are his saints. But it does not mean that we would not be sinners anymore. We are not practicing sinners, that’s true. But we are recovering sinners. This does not mean that we could do whatever we want to and then ask for pardon. God forbid! A saint can’t willfully and actively continue to sin because we have been washed clean and died to sin. But…
