“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” – Luke 11:13

Sometimes, we overthink prayer. Yes, we do! We can spend too much time wondering, debating, worrying, questioning, theologizing, and strategizing about what and how to pray. We just need to pray and trust the goodness of the God to Whom we pray.

Jesus puts it so simply and beautifully. If you instinctively want and try to give good things to children, no matter how messed up you may be otherwise, consider what your perfect, loving, all-knowing, all-wise, all-powerful, kind Father in Heaven will do. He gives the VERY BEST to His children when we ask! And the very best is Himself. Fellowship with Him. His presence living in us – the Holy Spirit.

Just talk to God – that’s what prayer boils down to. Don’t overthink it. Don’t be afraid of it. Trust that God is your perfect heavenly Father. Trust that what He loves and plans to give you is something even better than you might think to ask for. So ask and trust. Enjoy the privilege of fellowship with God. Delight in God! #FollowJesus

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.” – Matthew 11:21

Jesus understood the limitations of miracles. They can be useful for drawing a crowd but they’re very limited for producing genuine, lasting faith. Here Jesus decries the faithlessness of the places that had seen Him perform countless miracles. These towns in Galilee had seen Jesus heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and get the paralyzed walking and jumping. They’d seen Jesus cast out demons. They’d followed Jesus out into the countryside and eaten the bread He produced miraculously. Nonetheless, the overwhelming majority of those people had put no faith or trust in Jesus.

They certainly appreciated the miracles. They thought Jesus was great entertainment. But they weren’t about to turn their life over to Him as Lord. They didn’t want to change anything. They just wanted a show. And that is the limited impact of miracles. They stir interest but seldom produce life change. They can draw a crowd to hear the Gospel preached, but don’t cause most people to believe. Rather, building faith involves the difficult daily work of making disciples: sharing the Gospel, baptizing those who believe, and teaching them to obey Jesus.

We sometimes wonder why we see so few miracles like those in the 1st century. Did God change His mode of operation? Is He less powerful? Is there something defective with our faith? No. The difference between then and now is that today, in this part of the world, there are many who are able to bear witness to Jesus. Many who are making disciples. There is little need for the dramatic but limited impact of miracles like these. Instead, there are men and women, boys and girls, who are being salt and light in their everyday lives. And that is more world-changing than any miracle! #FollowJesus

“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” – Luke 6:32-35

These words of Jesus can’t be repeated often enough, especially in these divided and hateful times. The mark of a heart transformed by Christ isn’t that you’re nice to people who are nice to you, agree with you, or are like you. The presence of God’s amazing grace is marked by a heart of grace toward others who absolutely don’t deserve it. Why? Because you don’t deserve grace either!

The love of Jesus isn’t transactional. It isn’t based on what you’ve done for Him lately. It isn’t earned. It isn’t based on what you’ve done to love Him. His loves flows out of His loving, gracious, and merciful nature. The same should be true of your love for others, especially those you find difficult to love.

If you’ve truly been raised to new spiritual life in Christ, His nature now lives in you through the Holy Spirit. Which means that love, grace, and mercy should be coming out of your heart, mouth, and actions. Love for neighbors AND love for enemies. Generosity toward those in need, regardless of their ability to repay.

If you’re a Christian but this teaching doesn’t sit well with you, that isn’t because Jesus is wrong, naive, or no longer relevant. Something is defective in your faith! If you want to argue with Jesus or make excuses why His words don’t apply to you, that isn’t because Jesus is wrong. Something is defective in your faith! So what are your thoughts, words, and actions toward those you’ve come to consider enemies, unworthy, or less than? #FollowJesus

“For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.” – John 5:21

Jesus isn’t just the Way, as important as that is. He isn’t just the Truth, as important as that is. He is also the Life! He is the author and sustainer of all life.

When it comes to spiritual life, it’s Jesus Who gives it. By nature, we’re all spiritually dead in our sins. By grace, through faith, Jesus raises us up and gives us new life in Him. Eternal life. Abundant life. Life as it was intended to be. Life cleansed from all sin by grace. Life enjoying rich fellowship with the Creator. Life with God-glorifying purpose.

This life is freely given through faith in Jesus the Christ of God. So, are you alive in Him? If so, praise Jesus! If not, repent and embrace Jesus! Either way, #FollowJesus

“‘Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, ‘Why do you question these things in your hearts?’” – Mark 2:7-8

The scribes were right in thinking that only God can forgive sins. What they failed to understand, despite all the miraculous evidence available to them, is that God had taken on a human body and nature, and was in the room with them. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”

To make things unmistakably clear to those willing to see the truth, Jesus asked whether it was easier for Him to say that sins were forgiven or to tell a paralyzed man to get up and walk. Then Jesus told a paralyzed man to get up and walk, and he did. His point wasn’t that He could heal paralyzed people. The point is that Jesus can forgive sins because He is God come in the flesh.

In Acts 4:12, Peter declared, “There is salvation in no one else.” That’s true! Only God can forgive sins. Jesus is God come in the flesh. There are not many ways to salvation or forgiveness. Salvation and forgiveness is only possible through faith in Jesus. If you haven’t already done so, confess your sins to Jesus, asking forgiveness in His name, believing that He is the crucified, resurrected, eternal Son of God. #FollowJesus