Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” Luke 8:15 (NIV) This is Jesus’ promise at the end of the parable of the sower. The seeds that fell on good soil produced a huge harvest “a hundred times more than was sown.” We all want to live fruitful lives for God and produce as much as God allows us to produce. So, what do you do so that you can be fruitful, how do we bear a bumper crop for God? This verse mentions five responsibilities. First, have a noble heart. Desire what is excellent and honorable. Second, have a good heart. That is, our hearts embrace and abide in goodness and discard anything harmful. Third, we hear the word; we take time out of our schedule to read or listen Continue Reading →

At the beginning of his ministry Jesus quotes from Isaiah to describe his ministry. “He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18, NIV). The poor no longer need to despair about their condition because Jesus brings the good news that they will be greatly blessed (Matt. 5:3). Those who are oppressed or imprisoned by their circumstances will now be free. Those who are blind will now see. Thus, Jesus will reverse the effects of the Fall and start restoring everything to the goodness and harmony of God. This is the coming of the kingdom of God; Jesus inaugurated it when he came and will complete it after he returns. God will restore those who suffer. This means that everyone who is disadvantaged or Continue Reading →

“For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35, ESV). Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, and someone told Jesus about it. Despite the powerful bonds that families had in ancient times Jesus reduces the significance of family bonds in comparison to one’s bond with God through Jesus. Anyone can be a sibling of Jesus! One reason this is encouraging to many is that even if your family was dysfunctional or destructive, the family of God is far more important and valuable. This leads us to the biggest reason that this verse is encouraging: we have the privilege of being “relatives” of Jesus! If we do God’s will we are his brother and sister and mother. Consider Romans 8:29: For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he Continue Reading →

Over and over again in the Old Testament the prophets predicted that God would bring his kingdom of peace, love and holiness to earth. God would eliminate everything that was ungodly or destructive. This kingdom would be led by a Messiah and God’s people could live in God’s kingdom forever. The Jews waited hundreds of years after the prophets for God’s kingdom to come; the coming of God’s kingdom would be the arrival of utopia, so naturally, devout Jews constantly yearned for the kingdom. Finally, Jesus announced that the time of waiting was over. He said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15, NIV). The kingdom of God had now arrived. But it didn’t come in its fullness because God wanted to allow for an overlapping time when the kingdom was hidden, but those who would believe would live in God’s kingdom forever. Continue Reading →

“I am with you always, to the very end of the age” Matt. 28:20 (NIV). Before Jesus ascended to heaven he promised to be with his disciples always. The gift of the Spirit, which is the Spirit of Jesus, fulfilled this promise; now, Jesus is with you always. This is a priceless gift that the Old Testament believers could not imagine. In the Old Testament, God (Yahweh) only dwelt in the innermost room of the temple, the holy of holies. The temple, and especially the holy of holies, was the center of the ancient Jewish nation. Nothing was more precious to devout Jews than the presence of Yahweh in their temple. It was better to be at the temple than anywhere else on earth because the presence of God was there. Now his Spirit makes his home inside you, and you can “be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18 ESV). Continue Reading →