Last week I started blogging through Mary DeMuth‘s and Frank Viola‘s brand new book The Day I Met Jesus: The reavealing diaries of five women in the gospels. The woman of the second diary is found in Luke 7:36-50. I’ve always been in awe of the woman who wet the feet of Jesus with her tears and wiped them with her hair and soothed his feet with perfume. Would I dare? Do I love Jesus as much as she did?…
Have you met Jesus? Do you know what it is like to be experiencing grace? Last week I promised that I will be blogging through Mary DeMuth‘s and Frank Viola‘s brand new book The Day I Met Jesus: The reavealing diaries of five women in the gospels.The first diary is of the woman who caught in adultery. Then they all went home, 8 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all…
I always enjoy checking out the verse of the day provided by Biblegateway.com . Today I was blessed to read a familiar passage in the Message translation. It put it in a new light. The content is the same but the wording is so empowering. I will emphasize what especially touched my core being. “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your…
Fully grasping the depth of God’s love is most likely out of our reach. I think God’s love is so endless that we just don’t have the capacity to fully know it. Or, at least, it is a life-long process. Everything in God’s time. But even just getting a small glimpse of God’s love leaves us awestruck. God so loved the world, each and everyone of us, that he gave his only son that no one would perish. Jesus paid…
Is receiving the grace of Christ an amazing race or amazing grace? It is a relief to know it does not require to be the winner of the amazing race to receive the grace of Christ. There is nothing we can do to earn the grace of Christ. It is the amazing gift from God; it is amazing grace. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when…
The world news are very upsetting, don’t you agree? Every week we read about some horrific news. It makes us homesick to God. We long for a place where righteousness is at home, where we can all be at peace. Blessedly, heaven is such a place and we are all invited. Even the price has already been paid by Jesus. Hence anyone who believes in Jesus is more than welcome there. Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow,…
How was your Christmas? Did you have a good time with your family and friends? I hope so. But even the most joyous time of year can’t compare to what we have in Jesus. For real. Nothing compares to Jesus. Nothing. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! (Psalm 63:3, CEB) This little verse captures what really matters in life. God’s love and God’s grace are better than life itself. No matter how much fun…
Are you trying to leave your problems in the past? I have a better idea. Do you know why? Your history is part of you, there’s no way you can leave your past behind you. But don’t despair. I really do have a better idea. Something that works time after time. Namely facing your problems, sins, any kind of emotional wounds with Jesus. With the words of Francis Frangipane “For the past cannot be forgotten, it can only be forgiven…
It’s getting dark very early these days. Even the days seem gloomy. We yearn to have more light. We try to get rid of darkness by putting up Christmas lights. But no amount of Christmas lighting can take away darkness of our lives. Only God can do that. Psalm 36 verse 9 has been giving me comfort and perspective as it gets darker and darker around us: For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see….
Do you know the difference between grace and mercy? I was reading a prayer of Daniel and I was awed by the humbleness how he approached God. He realized we really don’t deserve anything from God. Yet he boldly approached God for appealing for his compassion. I was thinking that’s how we all should approach God: humbly yet boldly. It’s true we don’t have anything to offer God. But yet he is inviting us to come to him. It’s not…
