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…
Nobody wants to waste his or her life, don’t you think? We all know life is precious because it is so short and fragile. So we are to embrace it and make every moment count, right? If you ask different people how not to waste your life, you get varied answers depending on their values. How would you answer? I would probably have said something along the lines of Jesus “If you try to hang on to your life, you…
Do you obey God only when you agree with him? Or do you obey God without questioning? There’s a huge difference between these two attitudes. The other leads to trouble and the other leads to life. How do I know that? The Bible tells us so. You are called to obey God even when you do not like it. Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord your God be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to obey whatever he…
Do you ever wonder what God wants you to do? We might think God’s will must be something complicated so that’s why we don’t even try. That’s sad, isn’t it? Because then we miss our purpose as well. For a long time, I’ve been trying to figure out the simplest way to know God’s will for me. And, yes, it’s prayer, of course. But what kind of prayer, right? Let’s find out. And then, just the other day, I came…
The war in Ukraine has shaken us all. How is this possible in the year 2022? I guess, we humans truly are a sinful bunch. We truly need Jesus. Maybe this is a wake-up call to all of us to see what’s really important in life and what’s superficial and vainglory. May we all be reminded that in the world there is no peace without Jesus. But with Jesus, we have peace that is real even in the midst of…
For quite some time now I have started my day by surrendering myself, my life, and that particular day to Jesus. It has blessed me and taught me how to walk with God throughout the day. But something was still missing. God showed me I needed another habit to the end of the day. And that’s how I learned the bookends for any blessed day. What’s the other bookend then, you ask. It’s as simple as the one in the…
Complacency is dangerous. It can spiritually kill us. And that’s not something we want, right? Yet we are in danger if we are not alert. Feeling smug about ourselves and valuing comfort over compliance to God puts us on the dangerous ground whether we realize it or not. That’s why need to examine ourselves and ask the Holy Spirit to show us whether we are straying away from the path God has for us. Removing impurities leads to the wholeness…
The emotional Holy Week roller coaster starts with Palm Sunday and its sweet taste of success and popularity as the crowds cheer Jesus on as he entered Jerusalem. It follows with the bitter taste of failure and betrayal as Jesus is crucified on Good Friday. Thankfully, the ride does not end there. We finish the tour with the elated resurrection joy on Sunday. How do you deal with all this? Jesus takes all our false expectations, all our self-righteous thoughts,…
Lately, I’ve been pondering on two stories Jesus told according to the Gospel of Luke. The first one is the parable of two builders and the second one is the parable of the sower. They’re both perfect for Lenten reflection. Jesus is asking “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46, NIV, emphasis added,*) You see, faith requires heads, hearts, and hands. Faith is not just a belief system we embrace, right? It…
