I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
Living Hope
Remember Peter? An ordinary fisherman turned disciple and apostle of Jesus. He was hot and cold, passionate and impulsive, occasionally fickle and yet still nicknamed the “Rock” by Jesus Himself.
Peter walked with Jesus, ate with Jesus, traveled with Jesus, learned from Jesus, and experienced miracles because of Jesus.
He was gently corrected by Jesus, was lovingly empowered by Jesus, and was an eyewitness to Jesus’ life—both before and after Jesus was raised from the dead.
Peter was in Jesus’ inner circle. And it was that Peter, writing to persecuted believers throughout the ancient world, who said:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”
1 Peter 1:3 NIV
This wasn’t hearsay gossip from some random person off the streets of Jerusalem, but a friend and a witness of Jesus who’d experienced the truth. Peter knew what he had seen: his friend, teacher, mentor, and Lord was executed … yet raised from the dead.
Peter knew that if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, Christianity was fake … definitely not something you would give your life for. Like Paul mentioned in his first letter to the Corinthians, if Christ hasn’t been raised, our faith is useless and we should be pitied for believing a lie.
But if Christ has, in fact, been raised from the dead, then our hope is great and our hope is alive. It’s better than the best news imaginable! It’s more urgent, timeless, and valuable than anything else in this world. And Peter believed this with every breath he had.
Yes, Jesus was the first to rise from the dead. But, if we also believe what Jesus preached, then we know … we’re next.
If you’re not convinced by the evidence yet, keep searching. Keep praying. Keep seeking. Ask Jesus to reveal His power and glory to you in a fresh way, and get to know the believers across the world who are eagerly awaiting His return.
Remembering God
Have you ever been awestruck by a sunset? Or left speechless by the meticulous details of the living cell, the human eye, the mysterious ocean, or the vast universe? How often do you think about what God has made, or the ways that He has worked?
The psalmist Asaph, wrote:
“I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy, What god is great like our God?"
Psalm 77:12-13 ESV
One of the best things we can do is remember God—how He gives good gifts, writes the best stories, and is constantly making beauty from ashes. He created us, pursued us, and even gave His own life for us.
But remembering God takes intentionality.
Remembering God doesn't happen on accident, which is why we have to intentionally commit to reflecting on Him each day. Purposefully remembering God’s bigness helps us recognize our smallness. Deliberately recalling His goodness helps us understand our deep need for Him.
Pondering God’s work and meditating on ...
“And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el. And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, ...
The Mission of God
All of our lives are spent on something. Most people spend their days focused on growing a family, building their career, or amassing possessions.
While none of those things are necessarily wrong, they can become distractions from our ultimate goal in life.
In the book of Acts, we see Paul’s transformation in Christ. As a result of meeting Jesus and being changed by His grace, Paul spends the rest of his life preaching the good news of Jesus.
For Paul, God’s grace and salvation are so great that nothing on this earth is as important as God’s work.
Paul says that nothing in His life matters as much as telling others about God’s grace. His goal in life was to finish his own race well by faithfully accomplishing as much of the mission of God as possible:
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace."
Acts 20:24 NIV
The mission ...
