God is truly sovereign, and He carries out His will, sometimes through ordinary means and sometimes through remarkable turns. We know that no matter what we are going through, God is in control. May God keep you, may He shine His light on and through you, may He give you His peace. Amen.
Read MoreOnce we see that Jesus is God, His words and actions carry greater significance. By demonstrating His control over nature, we see that He truly is life, His words truly are spirit and life, and we live by His holy word.
Read MoreJesus came to earth with a multifaceted mission statement that involved nothing less than changing everything.
Read MoreDoes it surprise you to hear that God hates anything? God is patient, kind, merciful and just. He is love (see 1 John 4:8). Love and life are His essence. He loves the world, and desires everyone to turn away from evil, turn to Him and live through Christ Jesus.
Read MoreIn what specific ways have you and your life been transformed by God’s holy grace through Christ Jesus? What was your life like before? What is it like now? Like the bind man’s testimony, your testimony is important, and it will be used by God to remove the veil from someone’s eyes so that they too will see the Truth of Christ Jesus. Share it generously.
Read MoreThe drought was God’s judgment for Israel’s repeated cycle of evil and God’s decision to send Elijah to a foreign land to minister to gentiles was an indication that God had removed His favor from Israel. How did God’s chosen people, the people of the covenant, get to that awful place? What does this mean for us today?
Read MoreIn what ways are we, as individuals and as a nation, rebelling against God, rejecting God, angering God?
Read MoreDo you believe Jesus is the Messiah? Jesus points the disciples and us to Isaiah 53, the most shocking and graphic Messianic prophecy, explaining what is about to happen to Him, explaining why, and presenting it all as pre-ordained by God the Father.
Read MoreGod’s people asked, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7). What caused them to ask such a question?
Read MoreAs I ponder the exchange, I wonder whether many of us stopped with our first impression of Jesus. We met Him and were impressed, but did we leave the relationship there, rather than continue on the path following Him and through Him seeing extraordinary new things – the kingdom of God unveiled before our eyes. How are you continuing to grow with Him?
Read MoreWho is Jesus? Who is Jesus to you? May you know who He is. May you receive His gift of life. May you confess Him as Lord of your life. May your life indicate evidence of your transformed spirit. Amen.
Read MoreWe know the good news of Christ Jesus, we know the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us the moment we believe, we know we are forgiven and reconciled with God, but how does all that relate to my suffering?
Read MoreThink about your first encounter with God. Where were you, what were you doing when God grabbed you and forced you to realize that He is real, that He is really with you, that He is really present and really near? When did you gain intimate knowledge of Him in your soul – I am not talking intellectual knowledge, rather genuine knowing through relationship. When were your eyes opened?
Read MoreAs we look at how Jesus lived, we see that it is important to find time to be alone in prayer every day. Jesus was always finding time to be alone in prayer. He got up early, while it was still dark, to sneak off alone to pray. He stayed up late and stayed out alone at night in prayer. On certain occasions He prayed all night alone. His life was bathed in prayer.
Read MorePondering life and death, our purpose here on earth, the importance of seizing God’s saving grace while we still have breath in our bodies, and our responsibility to diligently spread the gospel, I am reminded of a quote attributed to D.L. Moody. He said, "Some day you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody is dead. Don't you believe a word of it! ... I shall be more alive than I am now."
Read MoreGod is actively at work molding, directing, transforming us for our good and His glory. He allows us to travel through darkness so we will stop relying on ourselves and trust Him. He actively works through the darkness, in the wilderness, transforming our hearts. What wilderness are you in now? Please know that God is with you. He is active. You are not alone.
Read MoreEach time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We have prayed the words most of our lives. Knowing that God often works through His ambassadors on earth, how often do we ask God to reveal specific ways He desires to use each of us in His glorious plan of implementing His will on earth?
Read MoreIs it possible that God allows us to endure darkness, pain, suffering and challenging times so that we might grow in faith and so that others might see God’s light shine through us? Is it possible to experience joy during the challenging times? Through God’s holy word we see the answers are yes, yes and yes.
Read MoreAs we walk through life, do we expect to encounter difficulties, or do we expect a life filled with trouble-free pleasure? Psalm 46 reminds us to expect times of trouble and to know that God is our refuge and strength. Jesus corroborates the message. He begins the Sermon on the Mount explaining that God blesses us through troubling situations.
Read MoreWhy does God allow us to suffer? Our best possible life is lived in communion with God. Through Christ Jesus we gain reconciliation with God, we are justified and forgiven, and as we grow in faith, grow closer to God, and relinquish our worldly baggage, we gain His wholeness, satisfaction, and life abundant. Each step along the entire process involves radical transformation through Christ Jesus, and our transformation is often painful.
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