You have a place in God’s plans. Yes, God is calling you to enter deeper into his grace. God is calling you into a full partnership with him. How do I know this? Just by reading the Bible. Every follower of Christ is called to make disciples and serve the body of Christ. Not just pastors! Every single follower is called to partner with God. Malcolm Smith has said “We have one function in life: to be the manifestors of…
What does John the Baptist have to do with Christmas? First of all, his life was fully intertwined with Jesus. He was only few months older than Jesus and he was called to clear the way for Jesus. John knew his place in God’s salvation plan. He had dedicated his whole life for serving God. His message for us this advent season is: prepare your hearts for Jesus. What needs to go that we’d be able to fully concentrate in…
This time of year the hunt for the perfect Christmas gifts is on. I find this hectic shopping season a bit ironic. Because I strongly believe that we can’t buy the perfect Christmas gift. It is free for all. We can find what ever we’ve been looking for only in Jesus. This free gift of Jesus is bigger and more life-giving than we can ever imagine. Jesus is not just a sweet baby at Christmas. Jesus was crucified on the…
God has promised to bless his children richly. But these blessings are not material things. Nonetheless these blessings bring forth all the good things in life: God’s kingdom isn’t about eating food and drinking but about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14: 17, CEB) We can’t produce spiritual fruit on our own. And artificial fruit just does not do it. The only way to bear spiritual fruit is by abiding in Christ. Even then it’s never…
This is not a trick question. But by answering it you will realize whether your life has the right perspective or not. What is most important today? It’s not finishing your Christmas shopping. It’s not clearing your to-do list (even if it is full of good and holy deeds). It’s not championing your life, either. The most important thing is to abide in God and feel his loving presence. God loves you and you need to abide in Him. If…
Jesus was not just any teacher. Jesus came so the dark corners of our lives could be restored. Jesus came because without him we would not be whole. His life, death, and resurrection changed our destiny. Yet many of us still live in darkness. Jesus arrives quietly, humbly, and in peace. Do we recognize Jesus in the middle of our Christmas celebrations? Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion. Sing aloud, Daughter Jerusalem. Look, your king will come to you. He is righteous…
How much should we pray? Seriously. The Bible tells us “Pray without ceasing!”, “Devote yourselves to prayer!”,” Pray diligently!” and “Offer prayers and petitions in the Spirit all the time!” That’s a lot of prayer, don’t you think? How much should we pray? Leonard Ravenhill has said “To be much for God, we must be much with God. Jesus, that lone figure in the wilderness, knew strong crying, along with tears. Can one be moved with compassion and not know…
Why do we year after year fall into the same trap of consumerism and busyness? Why do we let the lies of the world consume our thinking and feeling so much that there’s not much space left for anything real? Why do we stress about performing a perfect Christmas? Don’t ruin everything and make an idol for yourself: a form of any image, any likeness—male or female— or any likeness whatsoever, whether of a land animal, a bird that flies…
“Gratitude follows grace like thunder lightning”, writes Karl Barth. I think so, too. There is nothing bigger or better in life than receiving grace through faith in Jesus Christ! G.K. Charleston has said “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.“ If we take time to wonder God’s mysteries in our lives we start to see God’s handiwork all around us. We need to cultivate wonder because wonder leads…
These tough economic times provide an ample playground for coveting. It is easy to see what we would like to have instead of looking at (and being grateful of) what we have. Are you a hostage of ingratitude?We’d like to think that coveting or craving what others have is not a sin. But the Bible is very clear about this. Just read what these two modern translations of the 10th commandment proclaims: Do not desire and try to take your…
