Where do you put your trust? Yourself? Your job? Your bank account? Your country? Sorry to say but those are not worthy of your trust. Don’t put your confidence in things that aren’t eternal. Put your confidence in something that can’t be taken away. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. (Psalm 118:8-9, KJV) Nothing can keep you safe…
Do you think God’s promises are unrealistic? That it’s impossible to think you could ever overcome anything just because of Jesus? I have news for you. The name of Jesus is more powerful than anything in this world. How do I know this? The Bible tells me so many times over and I’ve experienced it in my life myself. Christ is the source of strength for anyone who wants to be his. Every God-begotten person conquers the world’s ways. The…
God decided long, long time ago that he wants to adopt you into his family through Christ. God also decided that he wants you to be the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. God wants you to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by Jesus. All this is said so beautifully in the Message version of the letter to Ephesians: How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s…
Do you know or do you want to know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life? The Bible is very clear on this. Especially this passage from the first letter of John spoke to me on the matter: My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. And how bold and free…
It has been news to me that still, 2000 years after Jesus walked on this green earth, people don’t know the difference between religion and faith. Actually, I am shocked to realize again and again that people still think Christianity is about following rules instead of following Christ. Is this news to you? Boy, do I have good news for you! For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually…
Is your faith an accessory or an addition to your life? Or is it the foundation of your life? Too often we push God and his will in a corner. Faith is nice and God makes us feel good but we leave it there. We go on with our lives without God and radical faith. “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words…
One of my favorite hymns is the one made from the poem “By Loving Forces” written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer in prison. He sent it to his family for Christmas to bring hope and assurance. And this hymn still does it every time. So if you’re in dire need of encouragement in the midst of hardships, this song is for you. I’ve always loved the Finnish hymn made from the poem. Today, I fell in love with the newer German version…
Lately, I’ve grieved over friends (and everyone) who have once known the joy of salvation and then chosen to forsake Christ for the world. In some ways, they’ve forgotten the good God has done for them. They’ve forgotten how good God really is and how much we need him. They’ve forgotten how to stay firm in the faith. When I was younger, it was great to fellowship with other young Christians. But the ranks have thinned out considerably. I used…
Are you feeling right now that God is way too silent or, at least, the connection is static at its best? Don’t worry. Help is near. God is near. Even when God feels distant. As Frederich Buechner has said “There is no event so commonplace but that God is present within it, always hiddenly, always leaving you room to recognize Him or not recognize Him, but all the more fascinatingly because of that, all the more compellingly and hauntingly.” There…
Sometimes you hear someone mention they’ll return to God when they get their act together. That makes me sad because they’ve misunderstood the process so badly. It’s not our job to put our act together on our own. We need Jesus for that. But Jesus is more than happy to help us out. Anytime. Anywhere. With the words of Oswald Chambers “If the Spirit of God detects anything in you that is wrong, He does not ask you to put…
