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.
God of Mercy
The prophet Micah once asked a rhetorical question: “Who is a God like you…?”
The answer is—no one.
Micah is making a significant distinction among the nations of his day. Other religions and peoples worshiped all sorts of gods, none of which offered forgiveness of sins … but Micah’s God did.
Over and over God forgave the Israelite people, pardoning their idolatry and disobedience. And, He always provided a way for His people to be obedient and find forgiveness when they sinned against Him.
Today, this is still one of the unique distinctions between Christianity and other religions.
Through Jesus, Micah’s words, “You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy” have come to pass. No other world religion has a god who came to die for his people. No other religion offers us a restored, personal relationship with God through the sacrifice of God Himself.
Paul wrote in Romans—
“There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.”
Romans 3:23-25a ESV
According to the Christian faith, all have strayed from God and yet all have the chance to be brought back to God through Jesus.
Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice,and the ultimate show of mercy to a broken world. The Bible teaches that anyone who calls on the name of Jesus will be saved. So if you haven’t yet made the decision to trust in Jesus, consider calling on the One who delights in showing you mercy.
Luke 12
“In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. Also I say unto ...
Our Good Shepherd
Jesus’ “I Am” sayings are powerful statements that give us a look into Jesus' nature and His mission on earth.
First, each statement reveals something about Jesus’ mission on earth. But second, they connect Jesus to God the Father. Jesus’ “I Am” statements connect theologically to Exodus 3:14, when God revealed HImself to Moses as “I Am.”
In John 10, Jesus tells the people that He is the good shepherd. The mark of a good shepherd is that he must be willing to lay down his life for his sheep. Jesus says He is willing to do that.
Jesus’ statement is in contrast to the religious leaders of His day. The religious leaders would often make things very difficult for followers of God. They would add laws and regulations that would keep people from God. Ultimately, they were selfish leaders, considering themselves as more important than the people they were leading.
Jesus points out that the highest qualification of a shepherd is selflessness. Jesus is the ultimate...
