If we are free in Christ….why do we need to bother with holy living? If we are not under law….why should we be holy? It is true that we are set free by grace through faith in God. And that we can’t do anything to earn our salvation. But holy living is not about trying to save ourselves. Holiness is our way to love God back. Holy living is about acting out our love for God. It cost God plenty…
Do you want to live fearlessly? Good for you. Because fear cripples and cramps joy out of living. And joyless living is only surviving from day to day. We are meant to thrive, to enjoy the days we’ve been given. How then can we achieve the state of fearlessness? The first step: PRAYER! Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a…
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…
Are you on your way to heaven? Do you know how we are supposed to spend our time waiting for the second coming of Jesus? Let’s find out! I don’t think, friends, that I need to deal with the question of when all this is going to happen. You know as well as I that the day of the Master’s coming can’t be posted on our calendars. He won’t call ahead and make an appointment any more than a burglar…
Grace invites us to try on a new kind of wardrobe. One that God has chosen for us: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Did you just audibly sigh? Don’t worry, I know. The godly wardrobe doesn’t quite fit! But I know a Master Taylor who can help us: The Holy Spirit. When we invite Jesus to live in our heart the Holy Spirit starts working on our new kind of wardrobe. Gently he keeps on working on us and…
My last post was about repentance, forgiveness and becoming holy by God’s grace. I still stand behind those words but God has been teaching me some more on the subject during the weekend. I don’t want anyone to think that salvation depends on anything but God’s grace. Even though the Holy Spirit brings some matters to our attention so that we could repent (and we are wise to do so) we can never be fully aware of and hence repent…
Many of life problems are based on the forced separation of God and love. But love is inseparable from God. There is no true love without God. Love means following his commandments, and his unifying commandment is that you conduct your lives in love. This is the first thing you heard, and nothing has changed. (2 John 6, MSG) We are called to live in love. But we are unable to do it without God and his grace. Jerry Bridges…
The demands of everyday life are great. Sometimes I do wonder how we all manage to get by with all the things we are asked to do. Juggling seems to be the style of living for many of us. Yet life is meant to be enjoyed, people cherished, and God worshiped. We all want peace, love, and harmony. How do we get there? The trick here is to do something the world despises: put ourselves last. But by putting God…
