Living Stones

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. Ezekiel 36:26‭-‬27 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/ezk.36.26-27.NLT Today, as we begin the start of a new week, it's a great opportunity for us to allow God to give His diagnosis on our hearts. What type of heart do you possess? A stony stubborn heart is difficult for anything to grow in. There's no way for a seed to germinate on a stone or rock. Similarly, a stony heart cannot receive the life of the Word of God. When Jesus walked the earth, He was saddened by the hardness of the people's hearts and couldn't do many miracles because of their unbelief (Mark 3:5, Isaiah 6:10). In fact, He encountered this problem on more than one occasion, frequently remarking even about His disciples' heart condition as being d

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/jas.5.16.NLT One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” Luke 18:1‭, ‬8 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/luk.18.1-8.NLT Then he said, “Now pick up the other arrows and strike them against the ground.” So the king picked them up and struck the ground three times. But the man of God was angry with him. “You should have struck the ground five or six times!” he exclaimed. “Then you would have beaten Aram until it was entirely destroyed. Now you will be victorious only three times.” 2 Kings 13:18‭-‬19 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/2ki.13.18-19.NLT Today, I'd like to share with you three ex

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. Philippians 3:8‭-‬9 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/php.3.8-9.NLT Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/heb.12.1.NLT Stop. Drop. Run! These are three little words but with plenty of significance for us when we consider these few questions: What was your life like before you met Jesus? What happened when you met Jesus? And, la

In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. Luke 15:7‭, ‬10‭, ‬20 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/luk.15.7-20.NLT Today, I'd like us to focus on the verses above, which taken from 3 of Jesus' parables, the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. I'd highly encourage you to read through the whole chapter to get the gist of what Jesus is saying here, but here are a few observations and lessons that I've come across while studying this passage. First, the value of what is being lost seems to increase. The final story is about a son who is lost, which is far m

I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely. Psalms 63:6‭-‬8 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.63.6-8.NLT What keeps you awake at night? What's disturbing your peace? As I write this post, I'm mindful of those among us who frustratingly deal with chronic insomnia for unknown reasons. And those of us who are feeling as though they're fighting a losing battle with depression. Maybe you're on the verge of giving up hope. You've prayed for deliverance and healing but nothing has changed your situation. Is there any help left for me? You wonder. How am I going to get through the night? Today, I'd like us to take a few minutes and reread those verses above. Let them sink deep into your soul and minister to your spirit. When David wrote these words, he was in the wilderness hiding from King Saul. He'd done nothing w

Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the LORD. Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven and say, “We have sinned and rebelled, and you have not forgiven us. Lamentations 3:40-42 NLT https://www.bible.com/bible/116/lam.3.40-42 This is the final post in a three part series that I'm doing on Lamentations 3. What I love about reading the Bible is the genuineness of the people who were inspired to write it. As we have seen so far, Jeremiah was brutally honest with God about his feelings. He felt abandoned because it appeared as though God had shut out his prayers (Lam 3:8). He felt humilated by his own people who mocked him continuously (3:14). He was fearful because everything he'd hoped for from the Lord was lost (3:18). And yet, in spite of the chaos around him, he chose to depend completely on God's salvation (3:25-26). When was the last time you were honest with God about your feelings and brought them to Him? My brothers and sisters, we&#

I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. https://www.bible.com/bible/116/lam.3.24-26 This post is part 2 of a three part series which seeks to draw out the valuable lessons that we as God's beloved children can gain from Lamentations 3. At the time when these words were written, the prophet Jeremiah and his people witnessed the heartbreaking destruction of Jerusalem. Jeremiah saw the afflictions that came as a result of God's judgement on his people's sin and wrote down his reflections, which really capture the raw emotion of what he was going through (Lam 3:1). In my previous post, I examined how we can still dare to hope in God's faithfulness even in the midst of dark circumstances. It's choosing to dwell on His unceasing mercies because His love for us is great. However, if you're a worry war

The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:19‭-‬23 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/lam.3.19-23.NLT This is perhaps the most famous quote in Lamentations 3. We're reminded of God's faithfulness and His love that are new every morning! But there are so many other lessons to be drawn from this beautiful chapter in Scripture, and I've decided to share these lessons in three parts. Today, I'd like for us to focus on verse 21: Yet I still dare hope when I remember this. These words were written during one of the darkest times in the prophet Jeremiah's life. It was a time of unspeakable suffering, where both him and his people had lost everything; their city, families, possessions and most impo

Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:7‭-‬8 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/1ti.4.7-8.NLT Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. 2 Timothy 2:22 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/2ti.2.22.NLT Our society is obsessed with the need to succeed. It's ingrained in our thinking to strive for greatness. As such, we like hearing about the success stories of people who are wealthy or famous. Some of us even wish that we could be exactly like them! So we plan, fuss and fret over "life goals" eg. getting married by a certain age, children or wanting a better house, job, car etc. But my brothers and sisters, we should not think in this wa

You made me find joy in what you have done, O Lord . I will sing joyfully about the works of your hands. How spectacular are your works, O Lord ! How very deep are your thoughts! Psalms 92:4‭-‬5 GW https://bible.com/bible/70/psa.92.4.GW Which would you rather possess, happiness or joy? Before you answer this question, I'd like for us to gain a deeper understanding of real joy. Nowadays, joy is a word that gets used rather flippantly in humourously describing how one gets out of a problem (eg. no joy?) to making a sarcastic remark about someone (eg. his reaction is a joy to behold). We've lost the meaning of joy in its truest sense, which unlike happiness, is not a passing feeling of elation or pleasure. Joy is more than a feeling or emotion. It is found only in God. In fact, joy is not a product of the soul but of the spirit. You cannot manufacture joy through motivational words or positive thinking; it transcends even the most difficult of circumstances to enable Jesus' f

     The fruit of the righteous is like a tree producing life, and the one who wins souls is wise.      Proverbs 11:30 NET https://bible.com/bible/107/pro.11.30.NET for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth – trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. Ephesians 5:9‭-‬11 NET https://bible.com/bible/107/eph.5.9-11.NET Today I'd like to debunk a common phrase that's popped up in our modern vocubulary and its derivative train of thought: you only live once. And since you're only around on this earth for a short period of time, why don't you spend your time living for yourself? The problem with this sort of thinking is that it has resulted in an entire generation seeking only to please themselves. But, my dear brothers and sisters, we are not to follow in this practice of pleasing ourselves. We are to find out what pleases God. The central focus of our lives

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. Galatians 2:20‭-‬21 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/gal.2.20-21.NLT There is so much to unpack from these two verses alone. We live in a culture that has little regard for life. Our postmodern way of thinking has shapes us to view life through the lens of self-gratification and convenience. People willingly embrace the idea of "quality of life" to express support for abortion and euthanasia. The life of another person is treated with little respect when it is the "easier" option to take. But, my brothers and sisters, we are not to think in this way. We are to be continually transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:1-2). Life

  Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Philippians 2:14‭-‬15 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/php.2.14-15.NLT If you have heard of the term, the Seven Deadly Sins, then you'll know that it refers to behaviours or habits classified as having the potential to result in sin. Pride, greed, gluttony, wrath, sloth, envy and lust make up this list. It's easy to see what dangers these attitudes and behaviours have on our walk with Jesus. Maybe some of us do need to work on the aspect of gluttony during the new year. But today, I'd like to focus on an Eighth Sin. A sin so subtle that it's hard to spot until it becomes a terrible habit. In today's verse, we're encouraged to do everything without complaining or arguing. This means everything. When was the last time you complained about the person who cut into

As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. Exodus 17:11‭-‬12 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/exo.17.11-12.NLT I've been turning this verse around in my mind for the last couple of days and felt it appropriate to share with you some lessons that the Lord has placed on my heart. The context is that God's people, the children of Israel were in the desert on their way to the promised land, when without warning, the Amalekites came out to attack them. We must always be prepared for when our Enemy strikes. Moses was by this stage too old to fight physically, but he held the staff of God (representing the authority of God) up on a high place while the Israelites fo

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalms 139:23‭-‬24 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.139.23-24.NLT I've got a confession to make: whenever someone points out my flaws, I admit that instead of taking their suggestions on board, my first reaction is to respond negatively in the thoughts that I think about that person and myself. It's a terrible thing to be ruled by one's pride because in my experience, it's gotten me into trouble I could have avoided. An attitude of humility is something gifted by God, as shown in today's verse. Sin blocks out our ability to allow the power of God to flow into our lives. Like a blocked pipe full of gunk, we need Father to cleanse us. Sometimes we get clogged up with worries about this life based on what we read or listen to in the media. It's easy to become anxious over the state of the Covid pan