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Have you ever thought you got it all and found out later that you had no idea? How many try-it-yourself projects follow the old adage, if all else fails, read the instructions? I was still having trouble even after reading the instructions. Sometimes I read each step carefully, do it as I understand it and start over because I didn't get it right.…

If you could ask God a question; which one would it be? Perhaps a "big one": according to your definition of being? Why do people have to suffer? Or a small but urgent one: What happened to my dog ​​that ran away from me when I was ten? What if I had married my childhood sweetheart? Why did God make the sky blue? But maybe you just wanted to ask him: Who are you? or What are you? or What do you want? The answer…

A beautiful biblical picture speaks of the Church as the bride of Christ. This is alluded to through symbolism in various scriptures, including the Song of Songs. A key point is the Song of Songs 2,10-16, where the bride's lover says that her wintertime is over and now the time for singing and joy has come (see also Hebrews 2,12), and also where the bride says: “My friend is mine and I am his” (St. 2,16). The Church belongs both individually…

"All look to you expectantly, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand and satisfy your creatures..." (Psalm 145:15-16 Hope for All). Sometimes I feel a hunger crying out somewhere deep inside me. In my thoughts I try to ignore it and suppress it for a while. But suddenly it comes to the light again. I am talking about the longing, the desire within us to better fathom the depths, the cry for...

It sounds too good to be true, this is how a well-known saying begins and you know that it is rather improbable. However, when it comes to God's grace, it is indeed true. Still, some people insist that grace cannot be so, and turn to the law to avoid what they see as a license to sin. Their sincere yet misguided efforts are a form of legalism that robs people of the transformative power of grace that...

When we understand that we live, weave and are in Christ, in the One who created all things and redeemed all things and who loves us unconditionally (Acts 12,32; Colossians 1,19-20; John 3,16-17), we can cast aside all fear and worry about "where we stand with God" and begin to truly rest in the assurance of His love and directing power in our lives. The gospel is good news, and indeed it is not just for a select few but...

The Holy Spirit has the attributes of God, is equated with God, and does things that only God does. Like God, the Holy Spirit is holy - so holy that it is as sinful to curse the Holy Spirit as it is the Son of God (Hebrews 10,29). Blasphemy, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an unforgivable sin (Matthew 12,32). This means that the spirit is inherently holy and has not been given sanctity like the temple. Like God…

Was Jesus man or God? where did he come from The gospel of John gives us the answer to these questions. John belonged to that inner circle of disciples who were allowed to witness the transfiguration of Jesus on a high mountain and got a foretaste of the kingdom of God in a vision (Matthew 17,1). Until then, Jesus' glory had been veiled by a normal human body. It was also John who was the first of the disciples to believe in the resurrection of Christ....

The Christian faith proclaims the message that in due time the Son of God became flesh in a predetermined place and lived among us humans. Jesus was of such remarkable personality that some even questioned his being human. However, the Bible repeatedly emphasizes that God in the flesh - born of a woman - was actually a human being, that is, apart from our sinfulness, he was like us in every respect (John 1,14; Galatians 4,4; Philippians 2,7; Hebrew

Jesus' ministry was amazingly fruitful. He taught and healed thousands. It attracted large audiences and could have had a far greater impact. He could have healed thousands more had He gone to the Jews and Gentiles who lived in other parts of the country. But Jesus allowed his ministry to come to an abrupt end. He could have avoided arrest, but he chose to die rather than continue his preaching...

Towards the end of his gospel one reads these fascinating comments from the apostle John: "Many other signs did Jesus perform before his disciples, which are not written in this book... But if they were to be written down one by one, I think it would , the world cannot hold the books to be written” (John 20,30:2; Cor1,25). Based on these comments, and considering the differences between the four gospels, it is possible to...

One of our elders recently told me that the main reason he was baptized 20 years ago is that he wanted to receive the power of the Holy Spirit so that he could overcome all his sins. His intentions were good, but his understanding was somewhat flawed (of course nobody has perfect understanding, we are saved by God's grace despite our misunderstandings). The Holy Spirit is not something we can just "turn on"...

As servants of Jesus Christ, we are often asked to offer comfort to people as they go through various tribulations. In times of suffering we are asked to donate food, shelter or clothing. But in times of suffering, in addition to requests for relief of physical needs, we are sometimes asked for an explanation of why God allows Christians to suffer. This is a difficult question to answer, especially when you're in a time...

"Just come as you are!" It's a reminder that God sees all: our best and worst, and still loves us. The call to come just as you are is a reflection of the words of the apostle Paul in Romans: “For while we were still weak Christ died for us ungodly. Now hardly anyone dies for the sake of a just man; he may risk his life for the sake of good. But God shows his love for us...

Jesus Christ spent the last hours of his life nailed to the cross. Mocked and rejected by the world he will save. The only flawless person who ever lived took the consequences of our guilt and paid for it with his own life. The Bible testifies that Jesus spoke some significant words while hanging on a cross at Calvary. These last words of Jesus are a very special message from our Savior, which He spoke when He…

Are you aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit? In the Bible we can read that the early Christians experienced God's living presence intensely. But what about the presence of the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives today? Do we feel the Spirit dwelling in us? If so, in what form? If not, how can we achieve this spiritual connection? In his book "God's Empowering Presence," Gordon D. Fee quotes a student who wrote about the...

Have you ever had to describe someone you know and struggled to find the right words? It has happened to me and I know it has happened to others as well. We all have friends or acquaintances who are difficult to describe in words. Jesus had no problem with that. He was always clear and precise, even when it came to answering the question "Who are you?" There is one passage I particularly like where in the Gospel of John...

We think of our world as physical, material, three-dimensional. We experience them through the five senses touching, tasting, seeing, smelling, hearing. With these senses and the technical equipment we have devised to reinforce, we can explore the physical world and harness its potential. It has taken humanity a long way, today more than ever. Our modern scientific achievements, our technological ...

Three in Oneness Where the Bible mentions "God" it does not mean a single being, in the sense of an "old man with a long white beard," who is called God. In the Bible, God who created us is recognized as a union of three distinct or "distinct" persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The father is not the son and the son is not the father. The Holy Spirit is not the Father or the Son. They have…

Many Christians are not quite sure and worry about this, does God still love them? They worry that God might cast them out, and worse, that he has already cast them out. Maybe you have the same fear. Why do you think Christians are so concerned? The answer is simply that they are honest with themselves. They know they are sinners. They are aware of their failures, their mistakes, their transgressions -...

We were born to be born again. It is your destiny, as well as mine, to experience the greatest possible change in life—a spiritual one. God created us so that we can partake of his divine nature. The New Testament speaks of this divine nature as the Redeemer, washing away the filth of human sinfulness. And we are all in need of this spiritual cleansing, since sin has taken away cleanliness from every man...

"Can you read this?" the tourist asked me, pointing to a large silver star with an inscription in Latin: "Hic de virgine Maria Jesus Christ natus est." "I'll try," I replied, attempting a translation, using the full force of my meager Latin, "This is where Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary." "Well, what do you think?" asked the man. “Do you believe that?” It was my first visit to the Holy Land and…

Nothing sells like prophecy. It's true. A church or ministry can have a stupid theology, a weird leader, and ridiculously strict rules, but they have a couple of world maps, a pair of scissors, and a stack of newspapers, along with a preacher who can communicate reasonably well, then, it seems people will send them buckets of money. People fear the unknown and they know the future...

We worship a risen Savior. That means Jesus is alive. But where does he live? does he have a house Maybe he lives down the street - as the volunteer at the homeless shelter. Maybe he lives in the big house on the corner with foster children. Maybe he lives in your house too - as the one who mowed the neighbor's lawn when he was sick. Jesus could even wear your clothes like when you gave a woman...