This time of year the hunt for the perfect Christmas gifts is on. I find this hectic shopping season a bit ironic. Because I strongly believe that we can’t buy the perfect Christmas gift. It is free for all. We can find what ever we’ve been looking for only in Jesus. This free gift of Jesus is bigger and more life-giving than we can ever imagine. Jesus is not just a sweet baby at Christmas. Jesus was crucified on the…
Why is Christmas such a big deal? Does it really matter that Jesus was born? Yes, it does. Without Jesus we would live our lives in dark without hope. Without Jesus there wouldn’t be a chance to be made right with God. Without Jesus we would still stumble in the dark. Christmas matters because YOU matter to God. The birth of Jesus was promised hundreds years before it happened: Therefore, the Lord will give you a sign. The young woman…
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…
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…
Are you feeling blue? Has life sucked all energy out of you? Do you need a little boost? Here’s an important verse (used in two different psalms!) to lead us into the right path on our search for spiritual adrenaline into our souls: Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God— soon I’ll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God. (Psalm 42:5…
Are you in need of life-giving, life-nourishing words? Do you feel dragged down? You’ve come to the right place. I want to share with you a gem in the Bible: the chapter 55 in Isaiah. We need to read and re-read this every time we feel spent, tired or over-whelmed (or all three at once). Because here God offers you love, grace, and joy. All three at once. “Hey there! All who are thirsty, come to the water! Are you…
We all know God is love. But God is also Joy! All the joy in the world derivatives from God. And there is no joy apart from God. No matter how hard people try to tell you so. All the attempts to have fun are poor substitutes for joy. God was, is and will be JOY. “God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic— before he did anything else. I was brought into being a long time ago, well before Earth got…
Do you remember Hannah who yearned to have a child? How she felt crushed in soul but prayed to God anyway. How she prayed for a son and promised to give him back to God. (1 Sam. 1) Her prayer was an authentic plea right from her heart. Before the year was out, Hannah had conceived and given birth to Samuel. Hannah did what she had promised to God. After she had weaned (much later than today) the much wanted…
If we want to be filled with joy, we need to be filled with God. The world offers passing entertainment but God offers real, lasting and exuberant joy. The joy God gives is not artificial or forced but delightful and true. It’s a gift from God. Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God’s people, Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil. So, God’s people, shout praise to God, Give thanks to our Holy God! (Psalm 97: 11-12, MSG) Evelyn…
One of the many temptations in life is to forget where our blessings come from. We explain the blessings away thinking things happened by accident or it was serendibity. Or we take the credit for ourselves. But the middle verses of the Bible emphasize the importance of counting our blessings and remembering them. And giving credit where credit is due. O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name! O my soul, bless God, don’t…
