One of the best things about Christianity is that we are not just saved, made right with God but we are also made whole. Wholeness is something everyone in the world wants. We want to feel complete. We want our lives to be wholesome. We want to be happy, whole, and peaceful. The way to wholeness is available for us in Christ. But only in Christ. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore…
Have you heard? Christ is risen! And with that everything has changed. Truly. Resurrection life is not business like usual. Jesus really died on the cross for our sins and he was buried like said but on the third day he was risen. But that’s not all, folks! Jesus was risen but sin stayed in the tomb. Christ conquered all the evil forces. Easter really isn’t “just” about being exited that our friend Jesus lives. God did not “just” rose…
Are you tempted to skip Good Friday and hop straight over to Easter? I hear you. I think it’d be great to pretend that all the cruel things on Good Friday did not happen. And, especially, denying our part in it, right? But that’s not how God planned out our salvation. It does involve blood, suffering, and dying. All for our sake. Our salvation was costly. We can’t forget that. We can’t skip Good Friday. Otherwise, our Easter joy would…
What can we learn from the temptations of Jesus? Or are they inapplicable in today’s world? Sure, it is not just about big temptations, it’s about our daily choices. It’s about putting God first in everything. [My thoughts here on Matthew 4: 1-11 are inspired by Eugene H. Peterson’s sermon notes found in Conversations – the Message with its translator.] The core of the temptations is to put something else first in our lives and God second. The things can be…
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…
The quickest way to unhappiness is the road the world thinks leads to happiness. Really. We tend to think if we only could satisfy our every whim and want we’d be happy. But we could not be further from the truth. When we focus on earthly and temporal things, we lose track of what really matters. Only when we focus on Jesus, we achieve what we were looking for from the beginning. For there are many, of whom I have…
These past few days I’ve been fascinated by three words (grow – flow- glow) and how they relate to Christian faith. And they do, quite beautifully too. They form a positive cycle of spiritual growth. Let me explain. The Bible tells us to grow in grace, right? You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18, NLT). Faith is not to be static but energetic and lively. How do we manage…
I love grace. Undeserved love towards us cleansing us from all unrighteousness….what’s not to like, right? But here are three reasons why I love grace on the top of its saving quality. Because there’s no way around it: God’s grace saves sinners. There’s nothing better in my book. But there are, at least, three other qualities of grace that needs to be mentioned. Grace is so amazingly wonderful that we can’t figure it out. It is beyond reason. How can…
Mercy will make your day. Nothing else will do. But mercy delivers, day after day. And so does this fresh, upcoming singer Ida Elina. She has a totally unique way to play her kantele, inspired by the gospel music and the slap-guitar players. And when you mix it with her amazing voice and most compelling words, you get a wow experience. Don’t miss it. It will make your day. And it will remind you of mercy, that five-letter word that…
Do you honor Jesus? If yes, how do you honor him? I am asking these questions because today we are celebrating the twelfth day of Christmas. Epiphany means ‘to make known’, ‘to show’, or ‘to reveal’. The kings revealed Jesus as the Lord and King to the world. But they also showed us how to approach him. Let’s find out what we can learn from the wise men. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during…
