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…
Are you anxious, panic-stricken, or fearful? I have good news for you. Even though it might look like it, God’s promises have not changed. You are safe in his arms, he loves you and has great plans for you and all his people. Behold, your God is coming. Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear,for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”(Isaiah 35:4, NLT) You can persevere because of God’s…
Sometimes I am accused of being too joyful and hope-filled. But come on! Is there such a thing as being too hopeful? Not in my book because my hope is in Christ and there is not such a thing as having too much Christ. You see, my joy or hope is not based on circumstances, wishful thinking, or denial of pain. My hope is based on God and his Word telling me God will have the last word and not…
What’s your takeaway from Easter celebrations? For me, it is the radical hope we are now offered for free. Because Jesus walked out of the tomb, we have hope everlasting. Eternal life is now open for all who believe in Jesus. This is radical, life-changing, and liberating. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all…
I don’t know about you but I feel like my bones are dry and my spirit is weary. Truly, I need God to revive me, to give new life to me. I need the power of resurrection to renew my spirit. How about you? Are you standing in the need of Jesus? Because without Jesus, we have no hope. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become…
When the world gets gloomier by the minute we need to remind ourselves we have plenty of hope to compensate for any gloom and doom we encounter. I know it’s now easy but if we deliberately draw near to God, his grace will fill us with his hope. You see, Jesus is the living way. Jesus is alive and offers us hope upon hope 24/7. Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood…
July is here and it is time to rest. Sometimes it is hard to let go or we might even feel guilty about vacationing. But guess what? Rest is holy. How do I know this? Actually, rest is the first thing in the Bible that God makes holy. See for yourself! By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and…
Today I want to remind ourselves of the resurrection reality in the everyday life of Christians. Too often we live like nothing would have changed, like the resurrection of Jesus would not have happened. But it certainly did (even though it does sound crazy, doesn’t it?) and you should live like you believe. And that’s what you want, right? So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not…
This year the season of Lent seems to start a little earlier than usual or am I the only one who is a bit surprised? Nonetheless, I find this season of preparation a huge blessing. We need it to truly appreciate the tremendousness of Easter once it rolls around. And maybe we could stop worrying so much. God’s got this. Paul David Tripp tweeted today “The story of redemption is historical proof of the unstoppable sovereignty of God. In a…
How on earth do I think we could still live with great expectations when the world is distressed for so many reasons? That is a million-dollar question, don’t you think? How can we live hope-filled lives when life as we know seems to be just a memory? Let’s find out the answer. Peter guides us this way: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through…
