As we follow Christ in obedience and seek to bring honor and glory to Him, rather than ourselves , we find great purpose, abiding peace and inexplicable joy. And though Christ followers are already citizens of Heaven (Phil 3:29), we still live in this world and still feel the pull of sin and flesh (RomContinue reading “Purpose, Peace, and Joy comes from this.”
Tag Archives: light in the darkness
What if parents, rather than the world, is the reason so many are walking away?
We have all heard the studies – Gen Z and Millennials are increasingly leaving the church and identifying as agnostic. (https://www.barna.com/research/atheism-doubles-among-generation-z/) We shake our heads and spin our wheels trying to come up with exciting programs to entice them back. But what if we are the reason they left? What if it is more theContinue reading “What if parents, rather than the world, is the reason so many are walking away?”
Were your feelings hurt this Christmas?
Did you get your feelings hurt at Christmas? Was an expectation unmet? Did someone let you down? Did someone not treat your kid or grandkid how you wish they had? Gathering with others just seems to present all kinds of opportunities for hurts to happen. Are you still thinking about it? Is it starting toContinue reading “Were your feelings hurt this Christmas?”
Merry Christmas! What a Savior!
For unto us is born a Savior! (Luke 2:11) For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son to rescue us. (John 3:16) Jesus came as a humble servant, setting aside His glory to live among us. (Phil 2:7-9) He walked our dusty roads and felt our pain. He allowed Himself toContinue reading “Merry Christmas! What a Savior!”
It doesn’t have to end!
It’s Christmas Eve. I don’t want it to end. The twinkling lights, the hugs from family, the familiar carols, the smell of cookies baking in the oven, the flickering candles, the beautiful presents wrapped in bright expectation….. The moments of Christmas-time are some of my favorites I have ever lived. I expect they will alwaysContinue reading “It doesn’t have to end!”
Christmas is profoundly more…
It seems no small thing that God picked those who felt most unworthy, the outcasts, those with dirty hands, to behold His coming to earth…. The shepherds. They were the ones not invited to the party. But they were invited to be eyewitnesses to the greatest moment of all. The ones who had dirty hands,Continue reading “Christmas is profoundly more…”
He’s Coming Again!
Do you know these prophetic words from the Isaiah were written 700 years before Jesus was born?? Isaiah 9:2The people walking in darknesshave seen a great light;on those living in the land of the shadow of deatha light has dawned.Isaiah 9:6-7For to us a child is born,to us a son is given,and the government willContinue reading “He’s Coming Again!”
Do you feel Him closest in the hardest of days?
I sit thinking of friend after friend.Story after story.Every one of them.Not one of them came another way. Those I know well, who love God so deeply, whose trust is rock-solid, who possess the sweetest peace and unshakable hope…they each have this in common—they came the way of suffering. I bet you know them too.Continue reading “Do you feel Him closest in the hardest of days?”
Are you telling others where HOPE is found? Even, and especially, now?
The Messiah sat surrounded by the Pharisees and teachers of the law. The crowd surrounded the place and pushed in. I wonder if the buttoned-up religious leaders had to dust off their shoulders as debris surely began to fall from the ceiling as the tiles in the ceiling were removed. Did Jesus chuckle to HimselfContinue reading “Are you telling others where HOPE is found? Even, and especially, now?”
When you really need to remember again…
In the middle of the night, I confess, I have sometimes laid awake with worry. Should I have done things differently? Did I make the right decisions? Did I say the right things? In the dark of night, I feel myself tempted to believe it’s all up to me. Fear begins to surround me asContinue reading “When you really need to remember again…”
Is it I?
The One who had been laid in a manger, the One of whom the angels sang, the One shepherds told, and the wise men travelled to see —had grown up to be their friend. Their friend. They had fished together and watched Him feed the five thousand together. But they had also walked milesContinue reading “Is it I?”
What about when God does things we don’t like or understand?
It’s Christmas-time! We all love reading of the miraculous virgin birth. We like the miracles and power of the Savior. We think it’s so cool that the King of Kings hung out with sinners and find it heart-warming that the He wept with Mary and Martha when Lazarus died. We love that the little childrenContinue reading “What about when God does things we don’t like or understand?”
Can we talk about this?
I’m happy to give money. I’ll serve on that mission trip. Sure, I’ll go and speak, and yes, I’ll write these posts. Because I love Jesus, I want to follow Him and I want others to follow Him too. But, just between us, I’d really like to only sign up for those things with theContinue reading “Can we talk about this?”
You’ve got to (lovingly) speak up…even at the family gathering.
I’m thinking of picking up this hammer and hitting my thumb. How many of you would just stand there, and watch, and say nothing? Yet, this is what so many of us do when we see others walking in and toward misery-making sin! We say nothing. We even tell others to not bring it up.Continue reading “You’ve got to (lovingly) speak up…even at the family gathering.”
More sinister than we think?
God wasn’t kidding when “He created them male and female and blessed them.” (Gen 5:2) Men are bigger and stronger, and can do things I physically can’t do, and have no desire to do. Likewise, my body did things theirs could never do. I am forever blessed to have birthed and nursed babies. There isContinue reading “More sinister than we think?”
Don’t “love” them all the way to Hell.
As we take in truth from the Word, we can use it to daily refute the flimsy, false teachings of this world that come at us all day, every day! Paul uses strong words as he charges his young disciple, Timothy, to teach no other doctrine but SOUND doctrine. (1Tim 1:3) “Doctrine” sounds like somethingContinue reading “Don’t “love” them all the way to Hell.”
This has not changed.
Oh Lord, how I feel my wandering heart tempted to look to earthly solutions and hope in them after this election. I’m so very thankful for the mercy I believe you showed us in the outcome of this vote. But I know the battle for the hearts and souls of men rages no less. OthersContinue reading “This has not changed.”
Love them anyways
I heard from a friend whose daughter is livid with them for voting differently than she did. I watched the news as a “therapist” suggested it’s okay to refuse to go to family gatherings for the holidays if how your family voted upset you. What?! Oh Christian, let’s recognize the lie of the evil oneContinue reading “Love them anyways”
Are you truly loving others if you do this?
I see many, who call themselves Christians, virtue-signaling about how they love everyone (we should) while criticizing others for calling out the sin that is destroying the lives of those they “love”. They post platitudes like “love is love” and lecture others for calling wrong things wrong, while pompously thinking themselves more loving and moreContinue reading “Are you truly loving others if you do this?”
Let’s keep remembering where our help comes from…
Let’s keep remembering our help comes from the LORD in the good days and the hard ones. King David famously penned psalms of remembering in both. At times, he describes feeling overwhelmed and distressed-like dwelling in the darkness of the dead: “Hear my prayer, O Lord,Give ear to my supplications!In Your faithfulness answer me,And inContinue reading “Let’s keep remembering where our help comes from…”
Kim Jaggers Ministry 