God is with you and for you

Dear Pastor,

Please remember that as a believer in the Lord Jesus and as a child of the King you are filled with the Holy Spirit. Being filled with the Holy Spirit means that the very fullness of God is in us, with us and for us. As such let us hold on to the promise and assurance that because God is with us and for us, we will overcome. We will not merely survive but will be conquerors in Jesus name! We conquer because He conquers, we overcome because He is victorious, we will make it to the finish line because He is the author and finisher of our faith. Please remember the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit who saves, guides, encourages and sustains. I am praying for God to strengthen you as you journey in Him!

Christ is with us, Christ is in us

Mike Johnson

Your worth and identity are in Christ!

Dear Pastor,

I want to remind you that you are loved by God and called of God. Remember this day that it is not what you do nor the approval others give you that determines your worth. Your worth is determined by the Lord Himself and the fact that He created you, He chose you, He pursues you and calls you. Continue reading “Your worth and identity are in Christ!”

The ministry of preaching

There are many styles of preaching, many thoughts about what preaching is for and various ideas of what happens when someone preaches a sermon. Paul called it the “foolishness of preaching” but then he also reminded us that people can only know the gospel if they are told. (Romans 10:14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?). In this blog post, I would like to offer a possible understanding of the ministry of preaching and the role of the minister of the gospel when sharing the Word of the Lord.Continue reading “The ministry of preaching”

Does God believe in me?

Does God believe in me?

We all have heard that we are supposed to believe in God. Even if we aren’t sure everything we believe about Him, for the most part, people know that they need to decide whether or not they believe that He is there. I for one believe that He is there because of the intricacies of nature, the witness of the church, the testimony of the Bible and my personal interaction with Him. But the question I would like to pursue today is whether or not God believes in me. Why does it really matter? And is there any way that I can actually know? Furthermore, if He does believe in me what does that change about how I live?

Continue reading “Does God believe in me?”

Trust

Trust is something that seems hard to come by these days. To trust someone can be a delicate and difficult thing based on our past interactions with that person as well as with other people. Many times we trust the person in front of us based upon how our trust was treated by the last person. Trusting the Lord therefore can become especially difficult if we base our trust in Him upon how the last person treated us. We know that God is worthy of our trust, we know that He always does what is best for us out of His heart and character of perfect love and yet…Trust seems like a simple thing to do but we know that it is not easy. Continue reading “Trust”

Working out our salvation

In this life, there are certain things that are universal and certain.

Some have said that the only things that are certain are death and taxes.

I happen to believe I can add a few more things to that list.

I believe it is universal that people desire to be heard, loved and valued. Further, I believe that people around the world desire to know that their life is not only significant but also making a difference in the world (or at least making a difference in the small corner of the world we spend our lives in). I understand that we may get into routines and habits where we don’t necessarily question why we do certain things or what impact we may be having on others but at some point, I would put forth that it is a universal practice to ask “why?” and “what does it matter?” Hopefully, as we ask these questions we will begin our quest not only for significance (and the outcome of life) but also purpose (and why/how we came to be here in the first place).

Continue reading “Working out our salvation”

The hidden and lurking danger Christians need to see in this election

There is much conversation, accusation, argument and division over the current state of affairs in the USA as well as the potential direction that the two primary candidates/parties are seeking to take the country.

And yet, my greatest concern in this election season is not the political direction of our country. Continue reading “The hidden and lurking danger Christians need to see in this election”

Christ, who is your life

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ and have actually confessed your sins and believed in Him for salvation and a new reality, I want to remind you that Jesus Christ is your new life. Colossians 3:4 reminds us of the truth that Christ is our life and Colossians 3:3 lets us know that our lives are hidden with Christ in God. This week when you are facing the struggles and realities of this world remember this:

  • Christ is my new life: He is the perfect, content, holy and fulfilled life and He actually lives in me!
  • Christ is my victory: Though I struggle with my insufficiencies, He is the victor in all things and specifically He is the victor in this!
  • Christ is my fullness: Of myself, I am tired, weak, foolish and empty, Christ is overflowing in the fullness of all I need!
  • Christ is my supply: In this moment that I am lacking, Christ in me has all I need!
  • Christ is my peace and rest: This week as the wind blows and the waves crash, Christ is at perfect rest in me.

Continue reading “Christ, who is your life”

The new life

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20

 

What is the new life that we have as Christians? If we are “saved” and “born-again” then the Scriptures tells us the “old has gone and the new has come”. So what is the “new” that has come?

The Scriptures are so clear that Jesus Himself is the “way, the truth, and the life”. Jesus is indeed our life. The new life that is available is the very life of Jesus Christ. Once we are made new our old self is dead. Our old self has been crucified with Christ so our new life is the very life of God Almighty by His Spirit within us.Continue reading “The new life”

God is all sufficient

grace

We are weak: Always in need of the strength of the Lord.
We are foolish: Always in need of the wisdom of the Lord.
We are unworthy: Always in need of the worthiness of the Lord.
We are unrighteous: Always in need of the righteousness of the Lord.
We are lost: Always in need of the retrieval, and guidance of the Lord.
Let us never lean on anything we have in ourselves: Only rely on the faithful, never-changing, all-sufficiency of God.