View the story “The Cross & Dying to Sin or What Grace Is All About” on Storify] Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin’s every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it…
Today is Martin Luther’s birthday, the day after mine. That’s why I’ve always felt a deep kinship with him. I love the passionate way Martin Luther talks about God’s grace. Luther’s most famous hymn “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” is such a good example of his unwavering faith in Christ Jesus. The hymn is a paraphrase of Psalm 46. The hymn is widely and ecumenically used which brings me much joy. A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark…
Life is a journey. With the words of Billy Graham “My home is in Heaven. I’m just traveling through this world”. This life is not everything there is. God is waiting for us to get home. Life is a gift. It’s fragile and it’s precious, and it’s over before we know it. We need to be mindful how we use our time here on earth. But if God is the center of our lives, then everything gets meaning. Then even…
Does faith and luck have anything to do with each other? Not if we think that luck has nothing to do with God. But if we see God as a giver of luck or blessings, then faith and luck are closely related. Even the beatitudes could be translated “Lucky are those”. The Greek work used here is ‘makarios’ and it means “the ones to be congratulated” or “the ones who are fortunate”. Jesus starts his sermon on the Mount with…
Do you believe that God loves you for real? Have you let that sink in your heart? Or is it only a nice, intellectual concept for you? God’s monumental love for us is a fundamental fact of Christian faith. If you don’t yet fully embrace it ask God to enable you to believe it. When you really grasp this lovely fact it opens you up to be fully human and fully alive. Because your value comes from God: you are…
It’s great that we trust God. But we are also called to follow Christ. We can’t omit the cross and Christ. Dietrich Bonhoeffer states “Christianity without discipleship is Christianity without Christ.” As followers of Jesus we can’t dictate our own terms or decide what we are willing to do. We can’t write our own program to suit our whims and wants. We can’t limit our following to our comprehension. In the Cost of Discipleship Dietrich Bonhoeffer shares the timeless advice…
Ignoring God leads to an empty life. We can try to fill our lives with different things. But because we were created to God’s image we long to be with God. That’s why we can’t find happiness outside of God. Like Blaise Pascal has said “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” The stronger the dissonance between…
A new week is here. Are you ready? Are you filled with enthusiasm and fresh courage? Don’t worry if you are not. If you’re dealing with pain or wandering in desert: It is all right. The main thing is to be authentic, to not deny your suffering. There are no quick fixes. But even when we are out of enthusiasm and fresh courage we are not out of mercy. Even when we are out of energy and clear guidance we…
When something odd and new comes around we are suspicious. When something unexpected happens in our lives we tend to cling to the old and familiar. Even if we are unhappy with the old. Because it is, at least, something we know. Too often we pass by good things because we don’t dare to taste, touch or try something new out. That almost happened to the people of Israel when God sent them bread from heaven, manna (Exodus 16). In…
Do you wholeheartedly believe that God Almighty loves you dearly? If you have any doubt of God’s amazing love for you or if you just want to be reaffirmed of the glorious fact devour this passage from Zephaniah: The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival. (Zephaniah…
