Legalism is one of the worst enemies of grace. It tries to steal the joy of salvation. It tries to make us believe that somehow our salvation is depending on something we should do or leave undone. Legalism tries to tell us that if we follow certain set of rules we will be somehow saved. As human beings we were born sinful; there’s nothing we need to do to stand in need of salvation. There’s nothing we can do to…
Just today I was asked on Twitter “Why does God offer glimmers of hope only to yank them back ???” and felt that this is a question that deserves a little longer answer. I believe this is a real sentiment of many people in today’s tough economic climate. But I assure you: God is not a deceiver. What God says, goes. What God promises to us will be fulfilled. Times change but God doesn’t. God is the same yesterday, today…
Sometimes we think that our life is so small or simple that it is not significant. Maybe not if seen through the eyes of the world. But God thinks you are a Very Important Person. God created you, gave his only Son to die for you and through the resurrection of Jesus Christ made it possible for you to be made right with him. God waits to hear from you and rejoices when you bring your joys, sorrows, concerns, dreams…
Lately God has been waking me up (literally) to see my sinfulness. God has reminded me of some choices I have made in my life and led me to repent for them. Even though during that time of my life I did not even think they had been questionable. I did not know any better then. Selfishness does not produce good fruit. Selfishness paves the way to destruction whether we realize it or not. Go home and wash up. Clean…
One of the dangers of any relationship is taking the other person for granted. Then we fail to appreciate the value of the person. Then we assume certain amenities for granted. It is bad enough when we do that with our friends of family. But sadly we also do this with Christ and the amazing grace. Lord, have mercy. Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace…
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13, NIV) God, indeed, sticthed us together in our mothers’ wombs but that is not the end of the story. God is calling us to be daily stiched with God’s grace. The first step is to surrender to God’s will. Because, as Martin Luther states it: “God creates out of nothing. Therefore, until a man is nothing, God can make nothing out of him”. ~Martin…
I can’t live without prayer. I know some people rarely pray. They might even intellectually believe in the power of prayer but they don’t really practice it. Or they go through the motions of prayer but they don’t really believe in the power of prayer anyway. Somehow they can live without prayer just fine. But that’s not me. I can’t imagine going through one single day without praying. It is hard to explain why I can’t live without prayer but…
Picking up your cross is not popular. This world talks about everything but the cross of Christ. Even Christians would like to take the good and easy parts of the gospel and leave the tough ones out. We all would just like to hear about God’s love and leave the carrying your cross part for others. Francois Fenelon asks us a hard question: “He asks nothing but death, and you desire nothing but life. How can you put up to…
Many of life problems are based on the forced separation of God and love. But love is inseparable from God. There is no true love without God. Love means following his commandments, and his unifying commandment is that you conduct your lives in love. This is the first thing you heard, and nothing has changed. (2 John 6, MSG) We are called to live in love. But we are unable to do it without God and his grace. Jerry Bridges…
The way to life – to God! – has been given to us in Jesus. The empty cross is a sign of victory over death and sin and brokenness. We are saved and guided to the way of Life by grace through faith in Jesus. We are not to look for shortcuts to God. There sure are plenty of empty promises floating around: quick answers, easygoing formulas for success and happiness. But those are not directing us to the way…
