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Tag: Christian living

  • What’s Your Story? Share your testimony!

    What’s Your Story? Share your testimony!

    Blackboard with text "What is your story?"

    What’s your story?  We all have one. In Christian circles we call it your testimony.

    The Bible is a book made up of stories. They are all true, but stories of God and how he worked in His people. They tell of His steadfast love, incredible patience, and endless mercies. They tell what He requires of us and the consequences for our wrongdoing. His stories tell of His redemptive plan for us.

    We are called to share our stories. It’s urged from many places in the Bible.

    “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” Psalm 96:3

    “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9  

    “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction.”  2 Timothy 4:2

    “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?” Romans 10:14

    The problem is that we often think about our testimonies as being who we were before Jesus and the moment that changed. That’s part of the story, but it’s ongoing. Our story grows non stop because God is relentless in His love and mercy and his patience knows no bounds.

    It’s time to dig out your five, ten, twenty, or more-year-old testimony and blow the dust off it. What did you see God doing of late?

    That answered prayer. That unexpected kindness. The job offer or check that materialized out of the blue at just the right time. The marriage that was healed. Your peace over a decision. A friend’s life changed.

    That’s all part of your story, your testimony. Those are things worth sharing.

    When we do, it brings glory to God and encourages others. Only you can tell your story. Don’t keep it hidden.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

  • God sees the big picture

    small waterfall, a part of the big picture - a larger waterfall

    We spotted this lovely little waterfall a week or so ago on a drive down a local area forest service road. What you can’t see is the bigger picture. It’s a tiny section on the lower part of a waterfall that probably drops 150 feet or more.

    The area we traveled through has several reasonably large falls, and, because of the rain, dozens of beautiful seasonal falls of various sizes. I always find being near a set of falls relaxing, and seeing the water’s power reminds me of God’s power.

    Just as the image today shows a complete waterfall, but misses the big picture, so it is with our lives. We often live as if we are the center of the universe and if everything that happens is about us.

    In truth, while every one of us is loved by God, we are just one of billions of people alive today, and God only knows how many have come before us and will come after.  The thought that we are one of many shouldn’t cause us to despair.

    God created each and every one of us in his own image. Every single one of us is uniquely crafted and gifted by God. Each of us has a divine purpose to fulfill in bringing about God’s kingdom. Knowing that should bring us joy.

    The person we are today isn’t who we were in the past, and it’s not who we will be in the future. I’m not the man I was 10 or 20 years ago, nor will I be the same in 10 or 20 years from now.

    The big picture of who we are in God’s economy is something we can’t yet see. I hope it will be revealed in glory, but even if it isn’t, we will be able to rejoice in our fellowship with Him, and in the wonder that He chose to love us and adopt us as his children.

    We get a fresh start when we become believers

    “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.” I John 5:1

    …  since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; … 1 Peter 1 ESV

    The Lord will finish the work He started in us. The final big picture will be something more amazing than we can ever imagine, and as believers, we will get to see it.

    That’s a reason to celebrate.

    Be blessed

    Kevin