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.
Look Up
It’s normal—and even understandable—to spend our time, energy, and attention focusing on the here and now. We’re busy, after all. We're preoccupied. And when we stop to really think about it, it’s difficult to perceive something that's beyond our five senses.
But in his letter to the Colossians, Paul encourages his fellow believers to look up:
“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.”
Colossians 3:1 NLT
So, as you think about Paul’s words and the realities of heaven, here are four things to consider:
-
First, heaven isn’t some vague, dream-like state. It’s a real place, with real people, where God is the true King.
-
Second, there will come a day when we will all meet God face to face. We will no longer need faith or hope, because that which we’ve hoped for will finally be revealed.
-
Third, our troubles and our heartbreaks (and even death itself) are temporary! Scripture tells us that, eventually, God will do away with pain and death and sickness and suffering—forever.
-
Lastly (and most importantly), God is still on His throne, with Jesus beside Him in the place of honor. No matter how crazy, senseless, or heartbreaking the world can seem, we can have confidence knowing that nothing is outside of God’s sovereign plan.
So when you’re tempted to look around at others or look inward at yourself, look up instead. Heaven is wherever God is, and that’s the truest reality of all.
A Light for All Nations
Have you ever seen a lighthouse up close?
For those who find themselves stuck out at sea—while winds are howling, waves are crashing, and darkness is blacker than black—a lighthouse can mean the difference between life and death. They aren’t just cute landmarks, but important navigational guides and essential beacons of hope.
In Isaiah 60, the prophet describes a vision that portrays a lighthouse of sorts: God's glory shining bright for all the world to see...
“All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance.”
Isaiah 60:3 (NLT)
Without the light of God, we are all blind and hopeless. But because He made us and loves us, He has revealed the brightest light of all...
Isaiah 46:6 spoke of a coming Messiah that would be “a light to the Gentiles." And that prophecy—along with hundreds of others—was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). His light shines into the ...
The Good Shepherd
"He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart ... "
Isaiah 40:11 NIV
This verse is one of the most tender portraits of God in all of Scripture. Amid a chapter that speaks of God’s overwhelming power—the same God who measures oceans in the palm of His hand and calls stars by their name—Isaiah also gives us this stunning picture of His gentleness.
God is not just mighty; He is merciful. He is not only strong; He is tender.
In this verse, Isaiah compares our God to a shepherd who cares daily for a flock of sheep. We, like sheep, have a tendency to wander and go astray. Sheep fall into traps or are killed and eaten by predators. But a shepherd's only priority is the care and safety of his flock. A shepherd must be strong enough to carry a wounded ewe or to ward off wolves from a stranded lamb, but caring enough to nurture them and lead them to green pastures.
Centuries later, Jesus would stand among the people of ...
