Have you ever gone through a time of what you would call "revival"? What was that time like? How did you feel? How did God move? It is probably a wonderful memory of God's grace and faithfulness.
It's also a dangerous memory.
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Two years into this pandemic, perhaps the time has come to turn our focus from the way life has faded away to rebuilding our lives, starting with our life with God. To do this we have to strip away all the pretty decorations we show others, look at our foundation with brutal honesty, and begin the long, hard work of rebuilding our relationship with God. What’s the first step?
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When it comes to issue of vaccines (or any other pandemic decision) the answer is not about what we fear more, or how we feel about being told what to do, or even whether we trust the science / government that has brought about current restrictions. Rather, the question is, "How can I best love God and best love the people around me as I go through this pandemic?"
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The way generosity works is the givers receive as much joy (if not more) from the act of giving than the recipients. It is truly a gift that keeps on giving - it moves forward (inspiring others to do the same), and it moves backward (filling the givers with a sense of joy they would not have know without the generous act).
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What memories and emotions do you connect with Christmas? Chances are they are likely on the "warm and fuzzy" side of things - carols, family, gifts, fireplaces, smiles, laughter, etc. These are all great feelings, and most others would feel a level of kinship with you and your feelings around Christmas.
Most others, that is, except for those who were actually in the original Christmas story.
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We often think Mary’s physical motherhood of Jesus was the cause of her blessing. We think that God blessed her above all women because she was pregnant with the Messiah.
Incorrect.
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FUD is a common acronym for "fear, uncertainty, and doubt." Whenever FUD is on the rise, people's mental wellness usually drops. The future becomes even more unknown, we lose a sense of control over our own destiny, and that causes us anxiety which may also cause us to tightly grasp the little things we can control (like how much toilet paper is in our house).
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After we have interacted with culture, or spoken to society, or been in a place, what do people smell? Are we spreading the spice of grace, the fragrance of the knowledge of him, the scent of service and love? Or do we leave behind the uncaring smell of indifference and the stench of bitterness?
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God is love. Therefore love is the one evidence of God's presence in a church, movement, or heart that the devil cannot replicate, because he is not God. All the other above mentioned evidences are wonderful, but as Paul says, if those other things are there and love is not, then something is amiss.
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Never once does Jesus promise that following him would be easy. Never once does he say it won't require strength and grit. And never once does he give his followers an easy out. But he fills us with his Spirit that you may run and not be weary, walk and not faint, and then says, “Dear one, keep going.”
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Are you comfortable sitting next to the Buddhist, the Muslim, the same-sex couple, the person with opposite politics to you, the person with no roof over their head, the person with no morals, and the person who lives for money? Can you laugh with them? Love them? Open your life to them? Are you even inviting them to your table? Jesus is.
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Being cancer-free is worth the suffering of chemotherapy. The delight of newborn life is worth the suffering of childbirth. You knowing and receiving God's love, and being in relationship with him is worth the Cross. However, perhaps there are end goals that are not worth the sacrifice or suffering you are making.
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In 2015 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada published 94 Calls to Action to be followed if Canada is to address the cultural genocide of Indigenous Peoples and achieve true reconciliation. The establishment of a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was call #80, and today is the first one. I believe this makes God smile. Why? Because...
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I often use my enjoyment of God as the measuring stick by which I gauge my spiritual health, and that's a bit of a scary thought: what if I measured my spiritual health not by which rules I'm keeping, but by how much I'm enjoying God?
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We live in an information age. Because of our smart phones, millions upon millions of facts are in our pocket and available to us within seconds… The problem is, we can know the facts and still miss the point.
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When I prayed out loud in a room by myself for the first time, even though I was a follower of Jesus, it was a new thing and it felt weird.
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For the last couple of centuries, the church has often focused on the "what happens when you die" aspect of salvation… We talk about heaven one day, but we don't talk as much about restoration and healing right now.
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Spiritually speaking, the closest organ to our heart is our tongue. Jesus is very clear that whatever comes out our mouth is a window to what's in our heart.
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If we do the same thing the same way all the time, chances are we will eventually end up in a dry place. If you've ever felt "meh" about prayer, worship, or some other practice, perhaps you know what I'm talking about.
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Why do we avoid desolate places? In part, we avoid them for the same reason they are good for us.
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