Today I’ve been inspired by some thoughts on waiting and I want to share them with you. May they encourage you on your faith journey as well! We who have hope in Christ are able to wait because we know God is good all the time. For in [this] hope we were saved. But hope [the object of] which is seen is not hope. For how can one hope for what he already sees? But if we hope for what is…
How was your Christmas? Did you have a good time with your family and friends? I hope so. But even the most joyous time of year can’t compare to what we have in Jesus. For real. Nothing compares to Jesus. Nothing. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! (Psalm 63:3, CEB) This little verse captures what really matters in life. God’s love and God’s grace are better than life itself. No matter how much fun…
Faith is a weird thing. You can’t see it. You can’t taste it or touch it. But you can sense it. You can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. You can see with the eyes of faith and you can know the truth. Yet it is very hard to describe to others. Without having seen Him, you love Him; though you do not [even] now see Him, you believe in Him and exult and thrill with inexpressible and glorious…
Why should we remember Jesus? Because he brought us life upon life. Because he frees us from (unvisible) chains. Because he has the words of eternal life. Why should we read the word of God? Because it brings us the good news. Because it frees us from the chains of the merely visible world. Because it testifies and reminds us of eternal life. The saying is sure and worthy of confidence: If we have died with Him, we shall also live…
Is your faith an abstract collection of doctrines or do you have a resurrection faith? That kind of faith that drives any trace of fear out? That kind of faith that laughs in the front of death? That kind of faith that boldly declares like Paul: If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s (Romans 14:8, NRSV,*? When…
Do you have Jesus in your heart? Good for you. But do you have inside out faith? Does your faith get an outside expression too? Does the workings of Jesus in your heart get you also work out your faith? These are fundamental questions. When our faith becomes an inside out faith, we are truly experiencing the joy of salvation. Sure, we are saved only by grace through faith in Jesus. But that is not the end of it. We…
Over and over again the Bible proclaims that if we repent, God will forgive us. This grace feels too good to be true. Yet it is true. Love, grace, and forgiveness form together the very essence of God. Because we are not able to become holy on our own, God sent his only son to redeem us. Because Jesus died on the cross for our sins, we can be forgiven by grace through faith in Jesus. But if we confess…
It is important to say ‘I love you’ yet those three words are not ones that change everything. They might change your marital status or bring otherwise happiness into your life. But the three words that I am talking about can change the eternal status of every single person ever lived. Talk about life-changing words. One of the most powerful Bible verses reveals these words that change everything: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is…
Today – being Friday the 13th and all – I want to remind you to take up the shield of faith. Above all, carry the shield of faith so that you can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Eph. 6:16, CEB) We are saved by grace through faith. But so often we forget that through faith we also receive God’s protection. God’s your Guardian, right at your side to protect you— Shielding you from sunstroke, sheltering you from…
Have you any plans to travel this summer? Where are you going? What are you taking along? A big part of any journey is planning and packing. It is important to have relevant gears with you. Not too much, not too little. And it is important to know where you are going and how to get there. Hence you need a map and possibly a passport. It is so also on the great adventure called faith. The revelation of God…
