Does the call to holiness intimidate you? Do you feel it’s beyond your power? Do you know what? You’ve got that right. Holiness is something we can’t attain through effort. But it is possible to obtain holiness by God’s grace. It does not happen without the Holy Spirit’s presence is our life. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. (Romans 6:22, NKJV, emphasis…
One of the biggest blessings in life is to have a family of your own. Once upon a time I was a very happy single. The least favorite things of mine was coming home to a cold house after a weekend retreat or a conference trip. My way to handle it was to put some lights on and the thermostat on high and leave right away to do some grocery shopping. As I came home the second time it was…
Do you ever have doubts? How do you deal with them? This is crucial in your life of faith. Because we all have doubts occasionally. We just need to know what to do with them, right? Because of Christ we don’t need to give in. What to do then? The main thing is to give your doubts to Jesus. They don’t surprise him. And he has already conquered them, every single one. Give your doubts to Jesus and watch them…
Boldness, fearless confidence, and patient endurance seem to be the top qualities for a disciple of Jesus Christ. I so crave to embody all of them. I love quotes like “If God is your partner, make your plans BIG!” by D.L. Moody. God is big and nothing is impossible for him so we need to be ready to live large for Christ. But are we really doing that? Or are our plans too small after all? there’s no point to…
Today I want to talk about weaknesses. We all have them even though we don’t want to admit them. We use too much energy to cover them up. But that’s not wise. We will then miss something beautiful and profound: God’s strength in us. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my…
Do you remember to celebrate God and salvation in your every day life? Or do you take your faith and God’s blessings granted? Way too often we take the good things in our lives – spouses, friends, family, work, peace, health – granted. That ungratefulness leads us to all kinds of troubles. But how much more trouble can be created if we take God granted? We need to remember God and all he has done for us. We need to…
Life can be demanding. The world can be harsh. Yet I hope you choose to hope and believe no matter what. The last word is God’s. And that word is good for all who choose to hope and believe in Jesus. Hoping against hope, Abraham believed…(Romans 4:18, NRSV) Likewise we are invited to believe even when things look sad, bad or otherwise discouraging. Our hope is not in perishable things. Our hope is not set in philosophies or positive or …
Today’s word prompt is ‘same’. Right away I though of God Almighty who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. But I realize I’ve already written a thought-provoking post about that. So I had to think another way to approach the word ‘same’. What could it be? Then this Bible verse came into my mind: Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own…
Do you adjust your life to God? Or do you expect God to serve you? Your answers to these questions reveal who is the center of your life. People whose lives are based on selfishness think about selfish things, but people whose lives are based on the Spirit think about things that are related to the Spirit. 6 The attitude that comes from selfishness leads to death, but the attitude that comes from the Spirit leads to life and peace. 7 So…
Grace invites us to try on a new kind of wardrobe. One that God has chosen for us: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Did you just audibly sigh? Don’t worry, I know. The godly, spiritual wardrobe doesn’t quite fit! But I know a Master Taylor who can help us: The Holy Spirit. When we invite Jesus to live in our heart the Holy Spirit starts working on our new kind of wardrobe. Gently he keeps on working on us…
