Nobody wants to be empty, right? Empty means poor, sad, lonely. Empty means cold, old, dead. We don’t want to be associated with those things. We don’t want to be empty. We try to fix it. But we mess up. We don’t become full-filled on our own. What to do then? “God gives His gifts where He finds the vessel empty enough to receive them” writes C. S. Lewis in Williams and the Arthuriad. We are not called to be…
How do you obtain wisdom for Christian living? Do you bank on your own reason or do you somehow rely on God? I think we all would like to think we are trusting God and not ourselves, right? But are you really seeking God’s wisdom? Or do you end up accidentally relying on your own reasoning day after day? Too often what really happens is far from the ideal. We intend to pray but we forget. We want to read…
Sometimes we think we need to be perfect before God can use us. We try to hide our imperfections or paint over our brokenness. We think if our lives were flawless, we would attract people to God. But that’s not how it works. It’s not about us. It’s about the light in us. And that’s what attracts people to God. The fact that we don’t have to be perfect in order to be accepted by Christ. The fact that the…
Do you have some difficult faith topics that you push away from your mind as much as you can? I bet you do. I think we all do. One of my challenging faith concepts has long time been that ‘my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit’. Not because I would not agree with the statement. But because it is humbling to think that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. THE HOLY SPIRIT!!! Or didn’t you realize that your body…
Are you fully convinced that Christ is risen and lives and cares for you? Do you trust God will do what he has promised? Or are you tired of waiting for God to answer your prayers? This is why I am utterly thankful for the Bible stories, heroes of faith that leads the way for us. Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21 He was fully…
Do you have spiritual friends? Do you have at least one friend that shares your beliefs? If you are alone on your way to heaven, you’re in high risk of becoming spiritually barren. Yes, we are meant to grow together. We are a body of Christ. We are a family of God. There is no children without siblings in God’s family. Even Jesus cultivated spiritual friendships and showed us what it is to love your friends. This is my commandment:…
Have you accepted the reality of your sinfulness? Are you willing to admit that because of you Jesus died on the cross? Or do you deny your need for Christ? We would like to think we are not sinners. We would like to think it’s not our fault that Jesus died on the cross. But we could not be further from the truth. If we do not accept this fact, we are living in a lie. Then we either live…
On Monday of Holy week Christians traditionally read and contemplate on Jesus praying in Gethsemane. Luke concentrates on Jesus’ prayer and not on the failings of the disciples. Let’s see if there are any blessings hidden in the story. Let see what we can learn from Jesus’ agony in Gethsemane. And He came out and went, as was His habit, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples also followed Him. And when He came to the place, He said to…
Spring is here. I especially love how there is more and more light. It does invigorate us – at least me – so much. But there is a problem. You see, here in Finland we get light around the clock in summer time. Yes, it is wild. Yes, it is wonderful. But. It is hard to sleep when it’s so bright all the time. So what do I do? I block the sunlight out. Then it’s nice and dark and…
