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.
A Powerful Statement
Have you ever watched someone’s poor decisions—even your own—wreak havoc? Have you ever known the heart-wrenching sting of death? Have you ever paused long enough to notice …
This world is beautiful, but also brutal.
It is full of life, but also loss.
The apostle Paul once wrote a letter to the believers in Corinth, Greece, reminding them that it’s because of sin (falling short of God’s standards) that death has ravished the world. But Paul didn’t stop at death and decay. He went on to say:
“But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 15:57 NLT
To say we can have victory over sin and death—two of our greatest enemies? That’s a powerful statement. It almost sounds too good to be true … except it’s not.
The foundation of Christianity is not only that Jesus died for the sins of the world, but that He was raised to life for the sake of the world. Because of Jesus, death won’t get the final say. Because of Jesus, this isn’t the actual end. Because of Jesus, victory has already been granted to those who trust in Him!
People in Corinth were preaching that there was no life after death—no resurrection from the dead. Yet Paul had the courage to refute their lies with truth.
In the same chapter, Paul points out that everything about the Christian faith hinges on Jesus’ resurrection. If Christ had not been raised, faith is useless and there is no hope. But because Jesus had been raised from the dead, and hundreds of people witnessed His post-resurrected self, everything was different.
Scripture tells us that Jesus is the first of many who will be raised to life again. Imagine the future reunion with other believers! Can you fathom swapping stories with the disciples and other heroes of our faith?
Jesus has already conquered death. And, at the appointed time, death will die forever and every tear will be wiped away. For those of us who believe in Him, there is so much more to come.
Today, we can live from a place of victory!
“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, ...
Fulfillment of God’s Promises
Hundreds of years before Jesus, the people of God were in trouble.
They were stuck in life, unable to help themselves, and perhaps beginning to doubt that God would save them. Have you ever felt the same way? If so, you might relate to the original audience of this verse—the exiles in Babylon.
The Babylonians conquered God's people and land, sending them hundreds of miles away. Maybe they thought that God had abandoned them, or that He couldn’t hear their cries. But God is always close—especially when His people call on His name.
Isaiah let his people know that God would provide a way out of Babylonian captivity. And God kept His promise, allowing His people to return home.
Generations later, many of God’s people saw themselves as being in a new exile. They were home, but all was not well. So they remembered this verse and its promise—that no matter how dark or desperate our situation might be, God is able to provide a path out of brokenness, ...
