Do you know how grace in action looks like? It’s when someone who feels unworthy gets a glimpse of God’s love through a random spiritual act of kindness. It’s when someone for the first time, or for the 100th time, feels the grace of God because someone practiced what they believed. Grace is in action when someone forgives, loves, serves or offers grace. Grace is in action when our heart opens to receive God’s love and grace. Grace is in…
Do you ever choose in the battle within what’s wrong even when you know what’s right? That’s way too familiar for all of us. Even Paul wrote: I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. (Romans 7:19-20, NLT) Do…
What kind of excuses have you given to God? How do you rationalize your refusal to obey? This week I learned there is something Kurt Bubna, Moses and I have in common when it comes to choosing either the route of obedience or excuses. How about you? Kurt Bubna writes in his new book Epic Grace, Chronicles of Recovering Idiot that he did not want to become a pastor because he was terrified of public speaking, had no desire to…
Life is sometimes really yucky. Sometimes it really feels that all we do is shoveling dirt. How could we conquer the mount of dirt in our lives? How should we respond to all the dirt thrown our way? One thing is certain. If we store inside of us all the accusations or wrong doings we’ve experienced, we will burst or, at least, feel yucky. We need to learn to deal with the dirt in our lives. Otherwise we will drown…
Do you blame God for the messiness of your life? Do you think it’s God’s fault that your life is complicated? Do you think it’d be God’s responsibility to keep your life smooth? You are not alone. But you are still mistaken. You see, ways of God are straight. Always. But sin makes our paths unnecessarily crooked. Hence it is not God who complicates our life. What a God! His road stretches straight and smooth. Every God-direction is road-tested. Everyone…
Worrying seems natural to many of us. Worrying might even seem like the only way to go. But, let me tell you, it doesn’t have to be so. There is a way to say goodbye to worries. But it’s nothing we can make happen. But Jesus can. Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming…
Do you need constant renewal? I certainly do. Yesterday’s grace and peace won’t work today. I need my daily refill in order to live out of love and not out of fear. If you don’t trust my word on it, follow Jesus’ example. With the words of Andrew Murray: “While others still slept, He [Jesus] went away to pray and to renew His strength in communion with His Father. He had need of this, otherwise He would not have been…
Do you know how to enjoy God? Do you know how to practice the enjoyment of God? These are not trick questions, just very basic questions. (I wish I could hear all your responses right now. But, please, do comment below.) There are many ways to enjoy God but they all have one thing in common: God can only be met and enjoyed in the presence. God is the great I AM. He is not I WAS or I WILL…
Have you ever experienced the sweetness of God? Because that is the essence of God. We only get little glimpses of it at this side of eternity but it’s real. It’s real, sweet, and wonderful. Knowing God is to know his sweetness. Being loved by God means being enveloped in his sweetness. Living in the Spirit is about enjoying the sweetness of God. The sweetness of God is readily available for all his children. It’s not magic but too often…
Have you messed up? Don’t you measure up? Are you tired and at the end of your rope? I have good news for you! That’s exactly why God sent Jesus into the world. Because we do mess up. Because we don’t measure up. Because we are imperfect. Because we can’t make it alone. “Or, you may fall on your knees and pray—to God’s delight! You’ll see God’s smile and celebrate, finding yourself set right with God. You’ll sing God’s praises…
