cannyben

Christians say they believe in one God; the only God. Yet He is also three Persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is, at best, baffling. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit ~ Matthew 28:19 (emphasis added) Trying to comprehend the Trinity is so confusing, we have to wonder if it is really worth it. What difference does the Trinity actually make to our relationship with God? Does it really matter whether we think about this difficult bit of theology? We need to remember Jesus’ words when He sent His followers to “make disciples of all nations” after His resurrection. He told them to do so “baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). For Jesus, making disciples isn’t simply introducing others to the concept of God or even just the Person of Jesus. It is important that we know, and tell others about, who God really is; He is three distinct y...

“For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.” John 15:5 While life brings its share of physical scars from injuries, there are also inner scars that come from what somebody said, from a failure we made, from the loss of a loved one. So often we try to hide our scars from those wounds. They remind us of the hurt. But we need to see our scars in a new light. God allowed that scar to remind us of what He brought us through. The scar means the wound has healed, the pain is over, and we are moving forward. We can be at peace with our scars. Those scars tell our story. No one in the scripture fulfilled their destiny without scars. We all get wounded. The scar is proof that God healed us. The scar reminds us of the greatness of God.

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 Paul says that if your face is veiled with masks, you won’t see God’s glory. If you’re wearing a mask of perfection, pretending everything is okay, or wearing a mask of pride, worried about what others think, or wearing a mask of shame, feeling guilty and condemned, that’s going to keep you from God’s best. You have to take off the masks. Everybody is struggling with something. Don’t be embarrassed by it. Get honest with yourself, and be honest with God. You don’t have to pretend. When you’re real, you’ll see God’s favour. God doesn’t change us from shame to glory, or from condemnation to glory, or from pride to glory. He changes us from glory to glory. When you’re not wearing masks, God’s glory is on you. When you’re open, honest, and real, God changes you and takes you to the next level.

“Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” 1 Kings 18:41 (NKJV) When the prophet Elijah heard God speak to his spirit and told King Ahab, “I hear the sound of abundance of rain,” it hadn’t rained in Israel for over three years. Elijah could have thought he was not going to tell anyone what he heard. Similarly, still today God speaks to us about what is coming, and it may be the exact opposite of what our circumstances look like. It’s not enough to just believe what we hear. The scripture says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so” (Psalm 107:2). Our words have power. When we announce it, it sets the miracle in motion.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1 The Scripture speaks of “the great love the Father has lavished on us.” It was not a conditional love. It was and is a “great love”. We think about how much we love God, but what is far more profound is how much God loves us. Before we were formed, God knew and loved us. He took time to plan out all our days. He knows our thoughts before we think them. He knows our words before we speak. Jesus says, “the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” So how much God feel when we go around thinking, “I think He loves me. I think I’m good enough. I think I haven’t done too much wrong”? God says, get rid of the “I think” mentality, and start having an “I know” mentality. Live securely, knowing that our heavenly Father loves us.

“Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little: I will set you over much. Each into the joy of your master.” Matthew 25:21 There are times in life when we feel like we are doing the right thing but not making progress. It’s easy to get discouraged and lose our passion. One test we all have to pass is being faithful when nothing new is happening. We are just going to work, coming back home, doing the same thing again. Will you stay faithful when it feels like you are going in circles ? When you are faithful in the routine, something is happening that you can not see. Your character is being developed. Your spiritual muscles are getting stronger. The routineness of life is not exciting, but it is necessary. You won’t become all you were created to be without being your best when it’s mundane. When you are doing the right thing with a good attitude month after month, you are being prepared for where God is taking you. When God can trust you to be faithful in...