We can waste so much time on regretting things or wishing things were different. Or we might live in continual shame that incapacitates us, keeps us from becoming what we were meant to be. So if you’ve ever heard of God being merciful for his children, it’s time to put grace in practice. And if you haven’t heard about grace, it’s about time somebody tells you the good news of Jesus Christ. You see, grace is not a dogma to believe…
Sometimes you hear people saying there’s no way of knowing that we really need Jesus for eternal life. They don’t believe that whoever has Jesus has life because it does not make sense to them. But to me, it does not make sense to refuse Jesus. If you’re one of these people or know someone who could benefit from knowing the answer to this dilemma, may I suggest reading a few verses from the first letter of John? According to John,…
Christmas is not a day for Santa to bring gifts to well-behaved kids. It’s a day when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Actually, the birth of Jesus has such a huge impact on our lives that we celebrate it for 12 days. So, Happy Second Day of Christmas, all! Jesus is better than Santa in so many ways. For the starters, Christmas without Christ is just a big mess. Not something we want to celebrate for days for sure. But…
One of the blessings Jesus gave us was the direct access to God. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we can be made right with God. Hence, we are welcome to draw near to God. Our sins have been and will be forgiven so we can boldly approach God. There’s nothing that can ever separate us from God but us. If we do not draw near to God, we will miss out all the good things. We can choose to stay away…
Hearing God’s voice or experiencing his presence is beyond wonderful. But there are times in all of our lives when God is silent and feels distant. It’s not fun but it does not mean that God would not love us anymore. We need to know that the promises of the Bible are valid each of us every day. Not just on those days when we can feel it but also – especially – when we feel desperate and alone. That’s…
Today it has been exactly 500 years since Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of Wittenberg church. He did not know his actions would change history but they did. Luther just wanted to remind people of what faith was all about and what it was not. He wanted to get people back to the basics: we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Luther nailed it. There’s still nothing else that saves us. The power…
For a long time, whenever I was reading a list of spiritual gifts, the spiritual gift of martyrdom – the divine enablement to undergo suffering for the faith even to death – puzzled me. Of course, even then I knew a multitude of Christians have been martyred ever since the early church and persecution is still a factor around the world. I’ve always admired the martyrs and thought they’ve possessed something I don’t have. Where I did go wrong was…
Today I am in awe of God once again. I just realized God does not rely on me. What a relief! He knows me and my abilities…and how much I am lacking. Instead, God relies on grace. And so should I do too. Too often we try to rely on ourselves on everything, even when there’s no way we could ever deliver. We get stressed out and all the joy disappears from our life. It’s especially sad if we rely on ourselves…
How does your perfect day start? What do you need to get your day going well? Coffee and a newspaper? A cup of tea and little time for yourself? Or do you crave for some time with the Lord? I love starting my day with some quiet time with God (but I do understand that some people prefer to do it in the evening or some other time of the day). It readjusts my attitude, fills my heart with hope and…
Are you afraid of the future? You don’t have to be. Of course, it’s easier said than lived out but I truly believe it and try to live according to that belief too. Certainly, the future is scary if we face it all alone. But if we live our lives with God, there is nothing to be afraid of. Here are some verses and thoughts for a fear-free future. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope…
