Somehow we humans want to be better than we are. We’d like to be perfect. But we are not. There’s no one without fault. “There’s not one totally good person on earth, Not one who is truly pure and sinless.” (Ecc. 7:20, MSG) God knows this. That’s why he sent Christ to the world. So we would have a way back to him. Because we could never make it on our own. Why is then that we’d like to fake…
One of the most important questions in life is: Who is Jesus to you? The answer to that question shapes our life and destiny like no other. Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God, our Lord and Savior. There is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, the human Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a payment to set all people free. (1 Tim. 2: 5-6, CEB) We find freedom in Jesus. There’s nothing better in…
Some people wish that God were like Santa. He’d give us what we want. But the problem is: we don’t know what is best for us. Some people do think God is like Santa. And when they don’t get what they want, they throw God over board. But God is not like Santa. Or, like Harry Emerson Fosdick has stated, “God is not a cosmic bellboy for whom we can press a button to get things”. But if you think…
Last week we talked about how Zachariah doubted God’ ability to give him a son. Because of this he was unable to speak until the day of the circumcision of his son. He got his voice back after he had written on a tablet “His name is to be John”. Oh, how Zachariah praised the Lord! “Bless the Lord God of Israel because he has come to help and has delivered his people. He has raised up a mighty savior…
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…
Sometimes people ask me “Why should I believe in Jesus?” or “What’s so special about Jesus?” Or they ask “Do we really need Jesus?” or “Couldn’t we just be nice? Or choose whatever would suit us best?” The one thing they are all asking “Is there power in the name of Jesus?” Let’s find out! The whole concept of God is abstract until we meet Jesus. Because Jesus is God with us. What sets Jesus apart from any other teacher or…
Are you a sinner? Do you need grace? I am and I most certainly do. We’d like to skip the reality that we are sinners. We’d like to escape from all the ugly stuff in life and live in a la-la land. But it doesn’t work. There is no way around it: we are all sinners! And only the blood of Jesus can save us! So, yes, we do need Jesus. Our lives depend on God’s grace! Lord, have mercy!…
I love the Bible. But it does condemn me pretty much on every single page. What to do then? Do I have any chance 4 eternity? Do you remember the story of the rich man who asked what he needs to do to get eternal life? Jesus lovingly told him to sell everything, give it to the poor and follow him. The man’s face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with…
Do you sometimes wonder whether God is late? Do you sometimes ponder whether his timing is off? It is hard to wait for God’s timing. It might seem God’s timing is off. But we can rest assured God knows what he is doing. When we read the whole Bible we get a better glimpse of what God is doing in the world. Jesus came into the world exactly at the right time. The world was not ready for the Messiah…
