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…
I don’t know about you but I want to follow Jesus. It should be straightforward, right? But somehow we have made it complicated. Following Jesus means we want to become like him. So being more Christlike is our goal. But how do we put all our efforts into becoming the better version of ourselves instead of becoming more like him? Well, my friend. That’s the question. In the words of Bob Goff “Our problem with following Jesus is we’re trying…
Today I want to remind us living in fear is optional for children of God. Sometimes we think there is no choice available. But there is in Jesus. So do not live under the privileges of God’s children. When we are in Christ, we are not slaves, we are heirs of God Almighty. And that does change everything. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your…
Are you a follower of Jesus? Good for you. It means you are striving to become more like him, right? Our calling and goal are to be more like Christ and act more like Jesus. But what does it mean exactly? How can we go about it? The best way is to get to know him personally and we can do that by reading the Bible. The gospel of John declares Jesus was full of grace and truth. So should…
Isn’t it interesting that sometimes a Bible passage sticks to you and keeps speaking to you? This happened to me with the story of the wedding in Cana. I blogged about the beginning of it last week but the story didn’t let go of me. So here I am blogging again about the same Bible story but from a totally different angle. So today I am writing about the fullness of joy which we find in Jesus. It is the…
Today I am – once again – sharing about a Bible passage that used to puzzle me and that I have recently been blessed to see it in a different light. Do you remember the first miracle Jesus performed, how Jesus turned water into wine? I bet you do. Have you ever wondered why Jesus said no to his mother? I have. But now I have a new kind of appreciation for it. Because – once again – Mary shows…
Today I fell in love with Zacchaeus. Of course, I’ve read/heard the story of Zacchaeus many times and always appreciated it. But today I want to live like Zacchaeus. I want to seek Jesus passionately and welcome Jesus with excitement and joy, just like Zaccheus. Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a…
There are only a few days left of this year and our thoughts are turning toward the new year. How should we approach it? What kind of resolutions should one make? How could we end this year well and start the new year even better? Valid questions and God will answer them when we take time to prayerfully consider them. My goal for next year (and the rest of my life) is to have a rich relationship with God. And…
Last week I shared that even Mary the God-bearer needed a Savior. We all do. But I get it that being called a sinner might not sound very uplifting. It might make you feel doomed. Well, according to the Bible you are doomed without a Savior. You’d be doomed without Christmas, without Jesus coming to rescue us. But because he did, being called a sinner can be comforting. What??? In the words of Martin Luther “When Satan tells me I…
The Bible keeps surprising me. Or maybe God keeps surprising me while I read the Bible. Christmas is near so I have turned to the Gospel of Luke and this time I paid attention to the words of Mary: My spirit rejoices in God my Savior. What’s so unique about these words of Mary’s song of praise, the Magnificat? 46 Mary responded,“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!48 For he took notice of his lowly…
