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.
The Kingdom of Light
When we talk about the gospel of Jesus, we most often talk about Jesus’ crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection. As Christians, these are the truths that we believe in that grant us salvation, and are an important part of the New Testament message.
But there is more that happens behind the scenes of Jesus’ death. Paul unpacks some of those things in the letter he writes to the Colossian church.
Through his resurrection, Jesus conquered the evil supernatural powers that oppose God. Jesus proved Himself victorious over death and darkness—they cannot defeat Him or overthrow His Kingdom.
This is why Paul says that we have been rescued from the dominion of darkness. Before we were part of God’s family, we were held captive in darkness by our own way that opposed God. In fact, later in the same chapter of Colossians, Paul says:
"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior."
Colossians 1:21 NIV
However, since Jesus conquered death and was victorious over the kingdom of darkness, we too are rescued and freed from our old ways as well. We are forgiven in Christ and given a new life in God’s kingdom–this is what Paul calls "redemption."
Death has no dominion over us, if we accept the life Jesus freely offers to us.
We are now called a new creation in Jesus, and the Spirit of God dwells within us, guiding us toward what God planned for us.
Take a moment to consider the greatness and goodness of Jesus. Thank Him for all that He has done for you, specifically for making a way to have a relationship with Him, free from your old ways. He is victorious!
Responding to God at All Times
Throughout our lives, we will all experience both suffering and joy. We'll have times of great grief and times of overflowing happiness. Sometimes, they’ll be separate seasons—but other times, these experiences come together.
In either case and in any situation, James expected Christians to come to God. If someone was suffering, prayer was the call to action. If someone was cheerful, people were to pause and praise God.
This might seem obvious, but when suffering clouds our thinking, we can sometimes forget to prioritize prayer. And when things are going well and we're feeling cheerful, it’s easy to just enjoy our season and not stop long enough to praise God for it. But every season of life is actually just an opportunity to put into practice what James wrote about…
When we are suffering, let us pray. When those around us are suffering, let us pray. When we are cheerful or happy, let us praise God. When others are happy, let us praise God with ...
