“Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]..” (James 1:2-3). Notice what James does not say. He does not say count it some joy. He does not say rejoice when the trial is manageable, or when the loss is small, or when the diagnosis is treatable. He says count it all joy — the totality, the whole weight of it. Not a fraction carved off and handed to God while we keep the rest for Read More
Category: Holy Spirit
Stand Firm: God’s Strength for Every Battle
Life is beautiful; it’s also a battlefield. Whether we recognize it or not, we are engaged in warfare every day. Some battles are visible—the struggles with finances, relationships, health, disappointments, and uncertainty. Others are invisible; the spiritual battles that rage in our minds, hearts, and souls. As followers of Christ, we must understand that while we live in the natural world, we are also participants in a spiritual war. The apostle Paul reminds us: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the Read More
Rename Your Season
“Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].” — Hebrews 11:1 People, it’s time to start renaming your seasons. I heard the Lord say: “Just because you do not see it in the natural, does not mean I have not already provided it. Just because you see emptiness, does not mean I have not already filled those empty places. I can supernaturally fill any space as easily as I can provide Read More
Not Crushed: Discovering God’s Strength in Your Weakness
Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4:8–10 inspire believers in every generation: “We are pressured in every way [hedged in], but not crushed; perplexed [unsure of finding a way out], but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned [to stand alone]; struck down, but never destroyed.” If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably read those words and thought, “But I’m not Paul.” Paul endured imprisonment, beatings, shipwrecks, rejection, and constant hardship. Yet he remained steadfast in his faith and unwavering in his mission. How is that possible? The answer is not that Paul possessed extraordinary human strength. His endurance came Read More
Weeding: Cultivating a Healthy Heart with God’s Word
Anyone who has worked in a garden knows that weeds never ask permission to grow. They appear quietly, spread quickly, and compete with healthy plants for space, nutrients, and sunlight. If left unattended, weeds can eventually overtake an entire garden. The same principle applies to our spiritual lives. I spent the majority of the weekend pulling weeds and trimming plants in my garden. The work is tedious and messy, but I always feel like I have accomplished something great when I finish this project. Jesus used agricultural imagery often because He understood that the condition of the heart determines spiritual Read More
Is Your Life an Offering?
There is a kind of faith that sits comfortably in the pew on Sunday mornings and never costs a thing. And then there is the faith the Bible actually calls us to — one that lays everything on the altar and holds nothing back. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship.” –Romans 12:1 Paul’s word choice here is striking. Not a dead sacrifice — a living one. The animal placed on the Old Testament altar had Read More