Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, ESV). Jesus had just given a long talk to his disciples and encouraged them that they will have joy and be able to ask anything from the Father in Jesus’ name. But these words in verse 33 are not just for the disciples; they are for all his followers. When we abide in him we have inner peace even though outside, in the world, we have tribulation. This is a great description of life during the overlap of the former age and the kingdom of God. Since Jesus brought the kingdom when he came his followers get to experience the kingdom inside themselves. Thus, in the midst of a turbulent world we have something that no other group can Continue Reading →

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” John 16:13 (ESV). Jesus spoke these words to the twelve before he was crucified. When the Holy Spirit came he truly did guide the Apostles into all the truth and we have this truth in their writings. And everyone who believes also has the Spirit of truth indwelling them. He also leads us into truth. He takes the words of Scripture and teaches them to our hearts. Our responsibility is to “walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16) while we absorb Scripture so that we can be “rightly handling the word of truth” 2 Tim. 2:15 (ESV). But how do we walk in the Spirit, especially when we don’t feel him? We do so by making the choice to depend on the Spirit instead of just ourselves, and then to have faith that he will guide us. Continue Reading →

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” John 15:5 (NIV) Humans don’t do well if they think their life is pointless. We don’t do well if we can’t be productive. We want something good to come from our lives. This is how God made us. When he put Adam and Eve in the Garden he told them to “be fruitful” (Gen. 1:28). We were made to produce good things and our soul will feel empty if we can’t do so. Moreover, we have a desire for deep fruitfulness. We don’t just want to build buildings, farm for food, or invent new medicines, although these are all good pursuits for fruitfulness. We also want to be fruitful in the hearts of others. We want to help satisfy the deeper desires for joy and peace in human Continue Reading →

“The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them” John 14:21 (NIV). It is interesting how much humans can endure when they know they are loved. When a lover knows they are loved in return, will they not voluntarily submit themself to all kinds of hardships for the sake of the one they love? The inner experience of love outweighs the value of external circumstances. Likewise, God’s love attracts us to him and if we love him in return; then God’s love for us can bloom. Even more, Jesus, our divine-human-king loves us and reveals himself to us. We can see him with the eyes of our heart now and in the next age we will see him with physical eyes. This verse encourages us to remember that God does love us and because of that we Continue Reading →

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. ” John 10:10-11 (NIV). In this passage Jesus is explaining who he is to the Pharisees. Obviously, they had a life so they might have wondered why Jesus said that he came so his sheep could have life. Therefore, we understand that the life he gives us, his sheep, is not the same life that the rest of the world has. It is a different life. It is a life with fullness, with depth, with meaning, with fulfillment. Then Jesus says he is the good shepherd and in John 10 he has been explaining how he is a shepherd. I have to think that this made everyone there think about Psalm 23, which starts out ” The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside Continue Reading →