My heart aches for religious people who know of Jesus but don’t truly know him. Religion doesn’t save us, only Jesus does. We are not called to rule-keeping, we are called to live by faith. For that we need Jesus. And he brings life upon life. So let Jesus speak within you. Let Jesus speak life into you. The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them…
Do you ever wonder if you’re getting into heaven by accident or, at least, not by your own merit but somebody else’s? Congratulations are in order if you realize it is Jesus’ merits that get you into heaven. Not yours on anybody else’s. So relax, all is done. There’s no hurry in grace. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph. 2:8-9, ESV)…
I have a question for you. What does it mean to you to be a Christian? Is your life somehow different? I hope so. Why would you otherwise claim to be a Christian if not for a redeemed life, right? William Wilberforce has said “It makes no sense to take the name of Christian and not cling to Christ. Jesus is not some magic charm to wear like a piece of jewelry we think will give us good luck. He…
I love spring and the joy of Easter season. I think all Christians do. But how could we bring this joy, this power into our everyday life? So that we could continue to live joyfully and freely as we are meant to do. This is the million dollar question. How can we integrate resurrection into our lives? Even though too many still think so, salvation is not just about getting into heaven. With the words of Randy Clark: “Jesus died…
Sometimes we think that our lack of certain qualities would bar us from God’s love and acceptance. But we could not be further from the truth. Really. We might even be embarrassed by our faults yet they are ways grace gets in us. Yes, that’s right. Because we need and want Christ, we get grace upon grace. And because we are broken, God’s light gets in us. In that sense, our faults pave away for grace to come. When we…
When I am at my weakest, God comes through powerfully. Like yesterday, I was preparing and teaching a class on the goodness of God’s grace with a sore throat. During the evening, it felt like God had given an extra measure of grace for us and we were all blessed even though I truly was not at the top of my game. Today I’m even weaker. The flue has got a hold of me. I’m weak like a kitty and…
As we approach Easter, it is good to contemplate on the sacrifice of Jesus and what it means for us. And how it shows in our lives. Or does it at all? Is Jesus’ death on the cross the sacrifice we trust or is it the sacrifice we dust once a year? These thoughts were inspired by this P.T. Forsyth’s quote “Christianity is not the sacrifice we make, but the sacrifice we trust.” It helps us to understand Christian faith…
Sometimes people ask me why I’m so driven to share the Gospel and advance the Kingdom of God any way I can. My answer is very simple. It’s all because of God’s love and his amazing grace. You see, I’ve been so cherished and loved by God that I can’t help but love God in return. And that we do by obeying him, following him, serving him by sharing his love and grace with others. God’s amazing grace has profoundly…
What is your favorite place in the whole wide world? Maybe a place where you are safe and secure and feel loved as you are? I hope you have such a place. But if not, know that you are more than welcome into Jesus’ arms. It’s not only the best place but also the safest place in the world. How come? Because it’s a place where we find rest, peace, and grace upon grace. And as Warren Wiersbe has said,…
When we are low, we don’t need lectures. There’s no need to point out the obvious. Instead, we need help and, especially, hope. And that’s what God provides us no matter how badly we have messed up. With God, there’s always hope. And then some. God gives hope upon hope. We can’t say the same about our enemy. Because his goal is to kill and destroy. When we’ve messed up, our enemy is more than happy to tell us just…
