Tag: trials

Rejoice!: The Fruit of the Spirit

What brings you joy? Do you have joy? It’s not the same as happiness. To me, happiness is a feeling based on circumstances. Joy is contentment regardless of circumstances. That is what Jesus gives us through the Holy Spirit. That is what He gave me. Though sometimes I just need to remember His goodness, listen … Continue reading “Rejoice!: The Fruit of the Spirit”

What brings you joy? Do you have joy? It’s not the same as happiness. To me, happiness is a feeling based on circumstances. Joy is contentment regardless of circumstances. That is what Jesus gives us through the Holy Spirit. That is what He gave me. Though sometimes I just need to remember His goodness, listen to the Holy Spirit, and show it.

Continue reading “Rejoice!: The Fruit of the Spirit”

Carrying Your Cross

In a previous post, we talked about denying ourselves and carrying our cross daily (see Carry Your Own Cross) as Jesus spoke of in Luke 9:23-26. Here we will discuss this in a little more detail. How do we show others that we are followers of Christ? What does it mean to carry your own cross?

Continue reading “Carrying Your Cross”

Coming Troubles

Things in the world seem to be getting crazy lately.  We have the corona virus and the panic because of it in the stores, in the stock market and our retirement investments.  Within the past year, there has been conflict with North Korea, and Russia and China, not to mention the Middle East.  There have been several uprisings, protests and riots in many countries.  We had fires in the west and Australia and the Amazon jungles and elsewhere.  A plague of locusts is sweeping through Africa.  We had hurricanes and earthquakes and other natural disasters.  Just yesterday in Eastern Washington where we used to live, there was an earthquake, a tornado, hail and snow.  People seem to get offended much more easily than they used to and it seems like there is more bickering going on in our government (as well as many of us with each other on social media) than working on solutions.  Things that were never accepted before are now being accepted that should not be, even in some churches.  Living our faith and talking about God is often being met with tension or hostility (this has been the case for a long time in many countries, but it is beginning to happen here in the U.S.).  Many who profess faith in God do not live it, or we are either complacent or judgmental or unloving, or perceived to be.  Are we entering into the end times?  Perhaps.  Is our country in for a fall?  Perhaps.  Is it all gloom and doom?  No.  There will be hard times ahead.  There are hard times now.  But, there will also be glorious times ahead for those who trust in Jesus (we will talk more of this in the next post). Continue reading “Coming Troubles”

The Good and Bad of Fire

Fire will burn you, but it also provides so much to improve our daily lives.  It gives us light.  It gives us heat.  We cook with it.  We use it to purify metals and to shape them into tools and so much more.  As we discussed in the previous post, God often reveals Himself through fire.  Here we will discuss how fire is used for judgement, but it is also used to purify us, to help us to grow.  It is also used to represent the evil schemes of the devil, but we know that fire will await him in the end. Continue reading “The Good and Bad of Fire”

Do Not Fear

With God’s love there is no need to fear.  No matter what we are going through, God is always there to guide us through it.  Those of us who have faith in Christ know that we have eternal life with Him.  So why do we fear? Continue reading “Do Not Fear”