Lately, certain Bible verses have become my prayers. Somehow each of these verses encapsulates so well what my heart has been trying to pray for. Thankfully, God hears even our groans. But it is a blessing to find words for the desires of our hearts. So this week I’ve been praying for godly wisdom with the words of James: But the wisdom from above is first pure [morally and spiritually undefiled], then peace-loving [courteous, considerate], gentle, reasonable [and willing to…
Sometimes we don’t want to share because we are afraid of not having enough left to ourselves. Does this sound familiar? We might not even realize it but our instinct is to look merely out for our personal interests. Not much sharing then. And when we do not share, we are not fully living. Because life is about compassion and caring not about cumulating stuff and resources. Dare to share. Because we are called to do so. Therefore if there is any…
Is sharing part of your life? Or is it something you put off for later? Or do you think sharing is overrated? If you’re a Christian, sharing is not optional. We are called to share what we’ve received with others. Whether it is the Good News of Jesus Christ or our time or some resources we have. Sharing is caring. And that’s a distinctive feature of Christian living. If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his…
Reading the Old Testament can be very rewarding. And I am not talking about the most popular places there. For example, this morning I was reading Zechariah 10:6-12 . What a powerful yet different way to hear how God cares for his flock. As you read it, be amazed how many times God says “I will” (13!)! It’s like God’s saying “I’ll do what needs to be done for them”. God is having compassion, gathering, signaling, guiding, answering, bringing his…
The first letter to Thessalonians starts the way I would like to be described and remembered. Every time we think of you, we thank God for you. Day and night you’re in our prayers as we call to mind your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope in following our Master, Jesus Christ, before God our Father. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, MSG’*) I would like to be a person recalled by my work of faith, my…
Are you well equipped for your faith journey? Do you have enough tools to tend your faith along the way? Is your spiritual arsenal big enough to fight the good fight of faith? Believe or not these are important questions. If you don’t have adequate faith skills, you are in great danger to wander away when storms rage. We need to build a spiritual arsenal in order to have a healthy spiritual life and stand firm no matter what happens…
Peter is one of the Bible characters whose spiritual growth impresses me time after time. He was passionate for Jesus from early on yet he didn’t first really understand what it meant to live for Jesus. But Peter was willing to learn, first from Jesus and later on from the Holy Spirit. Peter’s story is an encouraging example of heavenly spiritual formation, what it really means to grow in grace. Just think…Peter was the one who cut off the ear…
Compassion makes life beautiful. Compassion makes life worth living. Compassion gives us a glimpse of heaven here on earth. Because God is is the epitome of compassion. If we want to be compassionate we need to become more like him. The fifth spiritual fruit discribed in Galatians 5:22 has traditionally been translated kindness (NIV/NRSV/CEB) or gentleness (KJV). The Message describes it as “a sense of compassion in the heart”. I think it is more thought-provoking than kindness or gentleness. It…
