In the final moments of his life, Jesus, battered and broken on a cross, uttered words of incredible grace to a man who had lived a life of sin. In what would become one of the most profound demonstrations of divine mercy, Jesus extended forgiveness to a criminal—a thief whose life had been defined by wrongdoing. This act, as captured in the Gospel of Luke, has long baffled and inspired those who contemplate its meaning.
Often, many people view the resurrection of Christ merely as a historical event that supplies us with Christian doctrine without understanding the vast implications it has for believers. The following points attempt to make the implications of the resurrection of Christ more real and practical to us.
Angels are an intrinsic and dynamic part of the Christmas story. Christmas simply would not have occurred without these God-sent messengers from heaven. We don't know if the angels were clothed in flowing, white robes, if they had a halo that sparkled, or even if they flew with wings into the Christmas scene. What we are assured of, however, is these angels carried the heart of God concerning the momentous event that was about to take place.
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28–30 MSG
I confess, hurry has been a huge undercurrent in my life. While I'm not sure where it started, I am sure of one thing: along the way, I became addicted to the adrenaline rush of hurry. Unfortunately, that's dangerous for my body, soul, and relationships. Sigh… In light of that, over the past 10 years, I've been seeking to let go of the constant feeling of being rushed. I'm not going to lie. It's not been easy, and I am not there yet.
As we usher in a new year, many of us naturally reflect on the past and plan for the future. For Christians, this season provides a profound opportunity to align our lives with God's will and seek Christ and His Kingdom with renewed passion. Let Matthew 6:33 serve as our guiding light: "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." In this blog post, we'll explore practical and spiritual ways to prioritize Christ and the Kingdom as we embark on the journey of a new year.
Oh noooooo! Our Christmas tree fell over!! We bought our live tree last year. (1) Day One: We put up the lights and didn't like the way it looked. We took the lights down and bought some more to go add. (2) Day Two: Then we spent most of the day decorating and re-hanging the lights. Finally finished. The next morning our tree fell over – water all over the floor, strings of lights ridiculously tangled together, and favorite ornaments were smashed. (We had an 8' tree, and we put it on a little table because this is a high ceiling.
When I visited Egypt a few years ago, a pastor from a church in Cairo told me about an outreach he had organized in a rural community. Medical professionals from his church set up a clinic in a village and advertised that they would be providing free care. When the doctors and nurses arrived at the location, residents were already lined up for the complimentary consultations.
When we consider faith for healing, it is easy to isolate our "I believe" statements to just the healing part. I can absolutely believe that God is able to heal me, and desires to do so. But the Lord reminded me the other day, the kind of faith that results in "…your faith has made you well…" is the kind of faith that encompasses every part of our lives – not just our healing. It's the kind of faith that believes in His goodness and power in every detail of our journey.
I have always been a planner. I'm a goal-oriented person, so I like to have a plan and then check things off my list. However, over the years, I've learned an important lesson - ;life doesn't always go as planned! Whether it's a little plan or a big plan - your daily schedule or your career strategy - it can be disappointing if everything doesn't work out the way you had hoped. And many people fall apart when their plan falls apart.
Follow Up
