We all want to grow in our faith. But sometimes it feels like nothing is happening. Rest assured, when you stick to Jesus, the Holy Spirit keeps on working on you and you are maturing no matter how you feel. You see, it really is the work of Christ in you. But, yeah, reading the Bible and all the demands God lays on us can be daunting. Yet I have an encouraging word for you today. When in Christ, all…
Do you live as a child of God? Or do you still insist on passing on God’s gifts to you? This might sound funny, but we often refuse God’s blessings because we either think we don’t deserve them or don’t dare to receive them because others might be jealous of them. Crazy, right? Who are we to refuse anything God wants to give to us? God knows best so we should say “yes, please” to anything he suggests for us….
It is the month of November so every good blogger is to write a post on gratitude, right? Maybe that’s true but I am not writing this post because I should do it. I am writing this post because I wholeheartedly have come to believe everything is a gift from God. Truly. I did think so before but now I also know it in my heart. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…
Nobody wants to waste his or her life, don’t you think? We all know life is precious because it is so short and fragile. So we are to embrace it and make every moment count, right? If you ask different people how not to waste your life, you get varied answers depending on their values. How would you answer? I would probably have said something along the lines of Jesus “If you try to hang on to your life, you…
It’s been exactly two weeks since our family landed in Ethiopia. It’s been a fantastic experience so far. People are friendly and the coffee is strong, so what’s not to like? Well, the rainy season is a bit tiresome but it will pass. Other than that there’s only one thing that has been tough. You see, there are beggars wherever you go, they even knock on car windows when the traffic slows down. The easiest way to deal with this…
When you walk with Jesus, you can’t hide your inner joy even though the world around you might not recognize the source of your strength, peace, and joy. If people are happy with superficial living, and just splashing on the surface, they will never find the treasures of deep grace diving. That’s a shame, don’t you think? Mainly because they can never find the pearl of deep-sea, Jesus. If you keep my commands, you will live in my love, just…
Do you remember the story of the wise and foolish builders? I’ve always marveled at how beautifully and simply Jesus described the importance of faith as our rock. But somehow I’ve forfeited the fact that just agreeing with Jesus does not make us wise. “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are…
One of the things we forget or take for granted is that we are called into fellowship with Jesus. God is not done with us when we are saved. He invites us into an intimate relationship with Jesus. That’s an ongoing thing like any other relationship. And not just on Sundays. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Cor. 1:9, NIV) We are to live our whole lives in Jesus. We need…
Very often I am asked how to live faith out in everyday life. It’s a great question, don’t you think? If you do know how to live faith out, faith is not just great theology, it’s a fulfilling way of life. And that’s what we all want, right? I’ve always thought the answer to this question is somewhat hard to explain but then I read from Ephesians how Paul explains it in two verses: In conclusion, be strong in the…
Valentine’s Day is approaching, so there is a lot of talk of love these days. That’s fine but so often we forget the most important love of all. So I enjoyed Bob Goff’s tweet the other day “Jesus didn’t tell us to become religious. He told us to be like Him, and He was love.” What a relief we don’t need to be religious. Instead, we are told to be like God, and he is love. So we need to…
