Do you know that you are a VIP in God’s eyes? Sometimes we think that our life is so small or simple that it is not significant. Maybe not if seen through the eyes of the world. But God thinks you are a Very Important Person. God created you, gave his only Son to die for you and through the resurrection of Jesus Christ made it possible for you to be made right with him. God waits to hear from you…
Do you like to laugh? Or have you forgotten how? Holiness does not mean cheerlessness. Actually, we are called to be cheerful no matter what. We are called to sing ourselves into God’s presence. We are called to be joyful. Laughter and good cheer are God’s good gifts to us. On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. (Psalm 100:1-2, MSG,*) Laughter is indeed a gift from God. Life without laughter would be dull,…
Are you a perfectionist? Have you made ideal your idol? Sometimes we try so hard to make everything perfect that ideal really becomes our idol. But perfectness does not save us. Perfectness is an illusion that deludes us. The best way to deal with perfectionism is to learn to live in grace. Because grace is a game changer, eye opener, freedom-releaser. We can quit trying to be perfect and embrace trusting. The fulfillment of God’s promise depends entirely on trusting God…
God is love, right? The Bible says so. And most of people agree. God is also joy. Something we don’t always think about. Even that is not all. God is also peace. Really. God does not only give peace but he is peace. The Bible tells this too. So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. (Judges 6:24, NIV, emphasis added) Just like we can’t separate real love or joy from God, we can’t…
Are you God-expectant? God-ready? These two words stopped me in my tracks this morning. Am I truly God-expectant? Am I God-ready? Or am I just going with the cultural flow? God sticks his head out of heaven. He looks around. He’s looking for someone not stupid— one man, even, God-expectant, just one God-ready woman. (Psalm 14:2, MSG,*) I know I want to be God-expectant and God-ready. I think you do too. But are we? Do you live your days with…
How are you doing? Did you know that your well-being correlates with your prayer life? The more you pray, the better you feel. The more you pray, the more divine power you have in your life. When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Can’t you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There…
Lots of people wish it could be Christmas year round. How about Pentecost? Could we have Pentecost every day? Actually, yes. That’s called Christian living. For real. But when the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father,that is the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, He will testify and bear witness about Me. But you will testify also and be My witnesses, because you have been with Me from the beginning. (John…
All children of God are all called to grow into spiritual maturity. We are called to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. We are called to grow up in Christ. How is your spiritual growing up process going? “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” (Matthew 5:48, MSG,*) The key ingredient in the…
Are you marked by joy? Is it evident in your life that Christ lives in you? If he lives in you, your life should be brimming with joy. Because God is joy. God is indeed the source of joy. All joy comes from him. When we stick close to God, joy is present in our lives no matter how dark the world around is. When we dare to embrace the cross of Christ, we are filled with overflowing joy. And…
After all the Mother’s Day hype I was happy to read this on Monday morning: As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” He replied,“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Luke 11: 27-28, NIV) or like the Message version says it: “Even more blessed are those who hear God’s Word and guard it with their lives!” Happy are those…
