Do you love God? Truly love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? If you answered yes, how do you know? Is it a feeling you have? Some sort of emotion? If it is, then you are in trouble.
Read MoreOne of the shortcomings of the English language is we have one word for love, and that one word must describe our relationship with many people and many things (like friends, pets, and food). Rather than lump all these loves into one word, it would be helpful to dig into the nuances of love and its purpose in our life.
Read MoreDo you compartmentalize your life into various sections (work, fun, school, family, church etc.)? Do you consider some of your compartments to be more God-centred and others less God-centred? In other words, are there any life compartments where you might consider yourself to not be a full-time minister for Jesus?
Read MoreTraditionally, Advent was more akin to Lent - a time of preparation for the arrival of the Lord Jesus. It was somber. Christmas hymns were not sung (those were reserved for the Christmas Eve and the Christmas season). Followers of Jesus focused on preparing their hearts and lives to receive the Lord Jesus once again, which often meant taking time for prayer, fasting, and reflection.
In other words, it was nothing like it is today.
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