Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

“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 →

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Matt. 25:34-36 (NIV) God has an inheritance in Christ waiting for us. Jesus described this time by explaining that God will reward us for faithfulness to Jesus’ teachings. He will bring a glorious gift for us when he returns. We will finally receive our inheritance, which is to live in God’s pure kingdom for eternity. We will no longer have to live in a time Continue Reading →

“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” Matt. 25:23 (NIV). This is a tremendously encouraging promise because God is promising to reward all our efforts at following and loving him by letting us share in his happiness. We will participate in the goodness of God and taste God himself. We will find our ultimate happiness in God. This is a fulfillment of the kingdom of God that he wants to give to his people. We only have part of the kingdom now but then we will experience the whole kingdom of God. All our sacrifices, all our holiness, all our faithfulness will be more than rewarded with blissful happiness in God. This is why the Apostle Paul prays, “that you may know what is the hope to which Continue Reading →