Believe!

While the world may claim there are many paths and gods leading to heaven, the Bible states otherwise. Although many people speak of multiple gods and ways to reach heaven, the Word clarifies this in Isaiah 43:10-11.—“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me, no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior.

The Mystery That Is God

An elderly grandmother listened as her husband read the Scriptures, mouthing the words along without her Bible. She knew each word by heart. Later, she told her grandson, “In every season of my life, I have understood those words and God in different ways. It will never grow old because He is always more than I can ever discover.” 

I read that story and couldn't help but think of David's words in his song in Psalm 145:3—Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his

One Day

Today I have a guest poster who is one of my professors at Grace School of Theology Dr. Fred Chay, used by permission of course:There are no old people in Heaven-Steve Lyon-Neurologists, dermatologists, ophthalmologists, otolaryngologists, general practitioners, and don’t forget the dentist and the endodontist, a.k.a. root canal man; what do they all have in common? They are rich. What does it mean when you need to see all of them in one year? You are old, you are in trou

Heaven is the Place

Let’s start with a heartfelt prayer: Heavenly Father, I sometimes feel distracted by the worries and fears about the world around me and what the future holds. But I find comfort in knowing that You are sure and victorious. You have beautifully promised to prepare a special place for me in heaven, and I eagerly look forward to Your return to bring me home. Please fill my heart with peace and strengthen my faith in Your wonderful plan. Give me the courage and joy to share

Walk in Fear

Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:13,  “also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.” 

William Sangster, a British Methodist minister, learned he had progressive muscular atrophy and couldn't recover. He then crafted four life resolutions.

Sangster likely considered Solomon's approach t

A Thorny Life

Yesterday, after church, I shared a lighthearted moment with my three elders, joking about having three thorns in my flesh, just as the Apostle Paul did. While we don’t know exactly what his thorn was, many enjoy speculating. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-8, Paul explains that a thorn was given to him—likely a messenger of Satan—to keep him humble, despite pleading three times for it to be removed. God responded that His grace was sufficient, and His power is made perfect in weak

Cries from the Heart

One of my seminary professors advised us in ministry to try and stay ahead with sermon preparation. He recommended having a tentative outline ready a few months in advance, as unexpected issues often arise in ministry. That said, I have begun looking and reading Lamentations, you don’t find too many in today’s church that teach on this Old Testament book. 

One cannot help but walk away from reading Lamentations without understanding why its author, Jeremiah, is known as th

In the Beginning

  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said.… And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. (Genesis 1:1–3, 30–31)

When God created the world, He was pleased with what He made. It was good. He brought something into existence from nothing, which is truly amazing for us to grasp. God doesn't need

The Believers Standard

A crucial truth that a believer must understand comes from 2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be fully equipped for every good work.” 

How many times have you tried drawing a straight line freehand? It might seem straight to you, but when checked against a ruler, it’s not. The line may look good by eye, but the ruler reveals its true crookedness. Using

FREEDOM!

We Americans love to claim we are free. Have you ever said, “It’s my life. I’m free to do whatever makes me happy?” To some extent, you are. But remember, pursuits like popularity, relationships, alcohol, drugs, or perfection often control you, not the other way around. Eventually, these choices stop feeling like choices. Instead of freedom, you become a slave to them.

Before I came to Jesus, I was a slave to sin. Even if I tried to be good, I wasn’t free in God’s eyes.

Stay the Course

I read about a small Wisconsin town on Lake Superior's shore that eagerly anticipates winter and their yearly dog sled derby. The frozen lake's surface was lined with small fir trees, outlining a one-mile course across the ice. Spectators gather on the steep slope along the shore to get a clear view of the whole course.

All the contestants are children, from older boys with multiple dogs pulling their large sleds to a small boy, no more than 5 years old, who entered the ra

Forgive!

How are you doing? No, really, how are you doing? I was reminded this morning of the model prayer Jesus taught in Matthew 6:12. It’s there we read: “12 and forgive us our debts,  as we also have forgiven our debtors.” It’s difficult to honestly start your day when you carry the hurt done to you that has not been forgiven. Let me share a story about a daughter who taught her mother a lesson about forgiveness.“Mama! How do you spell ‘Louis’?” the little girl asked her mothe...

If Only FOr One

Some days are really tough to get out of bed. There are many possible reasons, but often our motivation feels completely gone. As a well-known politician once asked, “What difference does it make?” One reason might be that we feel overwhelmed by the size of what we face today. A businessman and his wife took a needed getaway at an oceanside hotel. During their stay, a storm arose, causing massive breakers. The storm woke the man, who lay listening and reflected on his dem

God’s Got You!

As a kid, my friends and I would ride our bikes to Elmwood Park. There, we would sometimes build dams across a creek using nearby materials like rocks and wood. We did this mainly because we could. Have you ever built a mud dam to trap water and create a pool to sail your makeshift toy boat? 

All our childhood attempts weren't always successful, were they? That dam would be gone by the next time we checked on it. The rocks and wood would be swept away by the rushing water

All Glory Goes to God

I am not opposed to education, but when I read the Scriptures, I notice that God used the “unschooled, ordinary” individuals to spread His message and continue His work. Acts 4:13-14 says, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.” There was no d