Some encounters have left me a bit dumbfounded lately. I’ve met some friends and acquaintances who are Christians and they told me they’ve been looking for answers for their problems from New Age or mindfulness or something else but not from Jesus. I find it very sad that Christians don’t know Jesus and his power. They haven’t learned to embrace Jesus for all who he is. Somehow, they don’t know Jesus is all they ever need. Jesus is always enough….
Because of Jesus we can walk right up to God. Without Jesus we do not have an access to God. But because Jesus died on the cross and was raised on the third day, we can approach God without hesitation. Quite a gift, isn’t it? Now we can draw near to God and we are more than welcome in his presence. And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of…
The world is going crazy, it seems. Also, the everyday chaos seems to get worse and worse. Yet, we do not despair. We do not get discouraged. How come? Because, we have hope. And that is not just any wishful thinking or positive psychology. It is solid hope that delivers, rescues, and redeems. Our story does not end when we die. Because of Jesus our hope is always valid. That’s why we are set for life. And beyond. God, the one…
What do you think? Why did God choose shepherds to be the first witnesses to the birth of Jesus? We all can give a reason or two why we think God did it. But few days ago I read a great column (in Finnish) by Rev. Dr. Eero Junkkaala who gave five possible reasons why God chose shepherds. I found them inspiring. Hence I want to share them briefly with you. Hopefully, they can give you a new way to look at…
How does being alive forevermore sound like? I was thrilled to read the word combination in the Bible a couple of days ago. Ever since I’ve been thinking about the awesomeness of it. And how totally dependent we are on Jesus to make it happen. You see, there is no way we can make ourselves alive forevermore. Well, we can’t even make us alive. We can’t take a single breath without God. Human beings are just that: human beings and…
God is always with us. What a wonderful fact, don’t you think? No matter how badly we screw up, God is right there helping us, encouraging us, guiding us. Also, God is with us when the world fails us, Jesus carries us when our own feet can’t do it. He carried even our failings, our weaknesses to the cross. That’s why I sing Hosanna. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. (Isaiah 53:4,…
Do you want to have something in common with God? Good for you. I want that more than anything. So, how do we get there then? The answer is Jesus. Without Jesus we have nothing in common with God. Here’s how you test for the genuine Spirit of God. Everyone who confesses openly his faith in Jesus Christ—the Son of God, who came as an actual flesh-and-blood person—comes from God and belongs to God. And everyone who refuses to confess…
Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the Wittenberg church door 499 years ago today. He was worried about the church’s way and wanted to call the church back to the grace of God. My favorite of all the 95 theses is #62 “The true treasure of the Church is the Holy Gospel of the glory and grace of God.” When the body of Christ remembers this, all is well. And this goes to each individual member too. That’s why…
Bob Dylan won the 2016 Nobel prize in literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” I’ve been touched by the faith-filled lyrics of Bob Dylan. He might not be the most typical Christian but he is a powerful example of the power of God’s grace. With the words of C.I. Scofield “Grace is not looking for good men whom it may approve, for it is not grace but mere justice to approve goodness. [Rather]…
Grace is straightforward. It’s uncomplicated. It’s plain-sailing. Why then do we make it complicated? Difficult to understand? Demanding? Because grace is a sure thing for all who believe in Jesus. It is a gift from God for all who welcome Jesus. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. (John 3:16, CEB) God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you…
