Jesus said, “The worries of this life…choke the word and make it unfruitful.” Jesus certainly knew, and my experience shows me how it works. I have some tendency to worry about the future. In 202o with start of Covid, my hugely successful business started to get pressure. In 2021, it was in crisis. My oldest daughter went to college in US and needed money. Anxieties about each week, college fees, work, and retirement stated to plague me since Covid started …
The Bible says “Rejoice always” in open of the shortest and most useful verses in the Bible. Despite too much thought on the fruit of the Spirit being singular, I sense anyone who can manage all 9 is remarkable. Today, let’s make room for joy. Talking with my son in college in the US, He said he needs to stop putting his joy in some future like after he gets married or something. Ah, well said. the Kingdom of God …
The world is real and a place God created for us. We need food and shelter – and a lot more. God uses circumstances to grow us again and again. Let’s look at circumstances and God’s love. My 16 year old daughter recently inspired me to memorize this verse. Romans 5:3-5 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character hope. And hope does not put us to …
The Bible has 66 books written over 1400 years by mostly Jewish men. It has many genres of literature from history to poetry . It says many many things. Thus, the risks exist that we can make the Bible say what we want. I would like to add that we all do it. It is never good as we are making God instead of finding him and letting him change us. Any time we go to the Bible seeking to …
Where are you a citizen is a question that most people answer by saying USA or wherever they have political connections. That is not wrong. However, as Christians we have a much more important citizenship. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, Just before this, the passage says “their minds are set of earthly things.” Are our minds set on earthly things and our earthly citizenship? I live in China and …
From my earliest childhood, I have been interested in the world, and for my 8th birthday, I wanted just one thing, a globe. I memorized that globe. Later, I moved to China. I was enthralled to see that God’s hear agreed with mine. God loves the nations. Why, because he made each one. These famous quotes drives us on. Matthew 28:18-20 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go …
I live as an alien in China and have for 30 years. So, I have some thoughts on foreigners and how God calls us to see and treat them. The Bible has some specific words on this. It appears God’s message is care for the alien. See here: And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. and here: 28 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and …
Loving God with all we have can be a mystery. How do you love God with you soul? What about life in the Spirit? I have some thought here, but would gladly accept more. Jesus said we should 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[a] Are you loving God with all your Soul? The Apostle Paul notes that we either live in the …
In China, I hold a green card. However, I also have a spiritual passport that says Heaven. Jesus says I was reborn and began a new life. A new life already began when I believed. I Peter notes that new in our belief, we are babies who need good spiritual milk. Hebrews talks about new babies who are not thriving. It is a hard to leave our old life or even family, cultural or national culture, but Jesus died that …
The New York Times has an article up that men centrally need a sense of purpose. Women do to, but men need more. Does God have a purpose for each man? Sure. When we reach out to men, we need to connect them with God’s purpose for their lives. Let me share my story. When I was 10 or 11 in my no faith family, I had a vision of life before me. It was a blackness that I could …
