Grace and Truth

Most people understand hope as wishful thinking, as in "I hope something will happen." This is not what the Bible means by hope. The biblical definition of hope is " confident expectation ." 1. Casting Your Cares on Him :- Cast your anxieties and worries on Jesus. In 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV), it says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." This verse shows the caring and loving nature of Jesus. 2. Peace in Christ :- Jesus promises a unique kind of peace that transcends understanding. In John 16:33 (NIV), Jesus says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." So find peace in Jesus who has overcome the challenges of the world. 3. Seeking God in Troubled Times :- In times of trouble, seek God. Psalm 34:17-18 (NIV) states, "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close t...

The Love of Jesus Christ is the perfect example of true and unconditional love.  1. Sacrificial Love : Jesus' love is sacrificial because he laid down his life for us so we could experience salvation. Jesus willingly gave up his life on the cross to atone for the sins of Humanity. Self-sacrifice exemplifies the highest form of love. 2.  Unconditional Love : The Bible teaches that Jesus' love is not dependent on human merit or goodness. It is a love extended to all, regardless of their past mistakes or shortcomings. 3. Forgiveness : Jesus encouraged his followers to forgive others, just as they have been forgiven. The act of forgiving is seen as an expression of love, mirroring the forgiveness offered by Jesus. 4. Compassion and Mercy : The Gospels depict Jesus as a compassionate and merciful man. His interactions with people, especially those who were marginalized or considered sinners, exemplify a love that extends beyond societal boundaries. 5. Relationship with God : T...

 The Lord has given us key principles to use in our fight against Satan’s weapons of confusion, doubt, and fear. Remembering that gospel of Jesus Christ is also referred as "the gospel of peace" (Romans 10:15) and that He has given us the assurance, "In the world you shall have troubles.But take heart; I have overcome the world," (John 16:33)it can be comforting during these dangerous times. Satan is a great liar; in fact, he is the father of lies (see John 8:44). He can whisper ideas into our minds that are full of doubt and fear. Fear, confusion, darkness and doubt certainly this all do not come from the Lord, who is full of light and love. These are some ways to overcome fear by faith. 1. Trust in God's Protection :The Bible encourages us to trust in God's protection and care. Psalm 56:3 says, "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you." This verse reminds us to turn to God in times of fear and trust that He will provide for us. 2. Do Not Worry : ...

The Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control (Galatians 5:22-23). Against such things there is no law. In Galatians 5:22, the phrase “fruit of the Spirit” refers to the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul states the following nine gifts that result for true repentance, turning away from our sinful towards love for God. 1. Love : "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." - John 13:34 Love is the foundation of all virtues. Treat others with selfless and sacrificial love. 2. Joy : "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" - Philippians 4:4 Find your joy in a relationship with God that transcends circumstances. 3. Peace : "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." - John 14:27 Trust in God's sovereignty and find peac...

Faith, Hope and Love The Bible contains many teachings about faith, hope and love. These three are highly significant and are connected in various passages throughout the Scriptures. Faith :  Faith is a complete trust and confidence in God and His promises. It involves believing in God's existence, His love for humanity, and His plan for salvation. The bible highlights the importance of faith: Hebrews 11:1 : "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Ephesians 2:8-9 : "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works so that no one can boast." Hope : Hope refers to a confident expectation and anticipation of God's promises and His future blessings. It is a source of strength and encouragement during challenging times. The Bible encourages believers to place their hope in God and His unfailing love: Romans 15:13 : "May the God of hope fill ...

Jesus said in (John 14:27-28) Peace I leave with you ; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.“You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. The Holy Spirit, our Comforter, will bring us peace. This peace is not an absence of difficulties, an end to all troubles, or the end of all disagreements. We know that those problems will not disappear in our fallen world as we know it now. However, the gift of God's presence, the gift of Jesus' guidance, and the blessing of the Holy Spirit mean that we can have peace in our storms, struggles, and fallen world. God is present within us to guide, strengthen, comfort, lead, inspire, motivate, bless, and we are not alone as we face every challenge of life because God is not only with us, but he is within us ! Jesus' return to heaven is...

Wisdom is a capacity of the mind that allows us to understand life from God’s perspective. Throughout the book of Proverbs, Solomon encourages us to “get wisdom” (Proverbs 4:5). He says those who get wisdom loves life (Proverbs 19:8); that it’s better to get wisdom than gold (Proverbs 16:16); and that those who get wisdom find life and receive favor from the Lord (Proverbs 8:32–35). Yet in Ecclesiastes 7:23–24 Solomon also makes clear that getting wisdom is a challenging process:  Fortunately Scriptures provides instructions. Here are four biblical scriptures for how to get wisdom: 1. Fear God Solomon says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). 2. Desire Wisdom The second step to getting wisdom is to desire it with all our heart. As Solomon says, we must “look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure” (Proverbs 2:4). 3. Pray for Wisdom As James tell us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all withou...

When we need an opinion on a subject, we consult an expert to advise us. We trust this person to give the best advice according to his/her wisdom. Some of us may be experts who advise others. But, when God begins to work and lead our lives, He may not consider our wisdom. He may use a part of our lives where we are the weakest. In our weakness, we are reminded of His Power. We have many examples in the Bible where the weak were chosen. In the end, their faith in God brought them victory. Paul said to Corinthian church that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God [1 Corinthians 2:5]. Apostle Paul never used human wisdom, or persuasive words in his preaching, but he trusted in the power of the Holy Spirit to change people’s hearts. Another example in the Bible is Gideon. Gideon was a person in the Bible whom we see in the book of Judges. In Judges 6: 12-15, we can get a glimpse of his conversation with an angel. The angel appears to him saying, ‘The Lord is ...

Law   vs   Grace John 1:17 explains an important difference between the ministries of Moses and Jesus. Moses' ministry brought knowledge of the law. But the law could only show us how sinful and broken we were (Romans 3:20). Rather than just bringing us truth, Jesus also brought us grace. Instead of simply telling us that we were broken, Christ gave us a way to fix what was wrong. This is an important, common theme of the Bible. Human efforts will always fall short, and everyone is corrupted with sin (Romans 3:23). Instead of leaving us to face that uncomfortable truth alone, Jesus provided a way for us to experience forgiveness. Merely doing good deeds can never save us, only God's grace, through faith, can do that. This is further symbolized in miracles. Moses' first miracle was turning water into blood, which is symbolic of judgment (Exodus 7:20). Later, only those homes which had the blood of a lamb on their doors were "passed over" by God's anger (Exodus ...

Full   of   Grace   and   Truth To gain a greater understanding of God’s grace, we need only look at Jesus, who was the person of grace and truth. Both were perfectly displayed in Him. With truth, Christ made people aware of their hopeless, sinful condition; with grace He offered forgiveness to all who would come to Him in faith. Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ ( John 1:17). This is clearly seen in Jesus. People willing to admit their sins were drawn to Christ and His offer of forgiveness. But the Pharisees, who saw themselves as righteous, didn’t think they needed His grace. And so they rejected it, mistakenly believing that their lawful practices made them acceptable to God (Romans 9:30-33). For the greatest present of grace and truth, however, we must look to the cross. There, our Savior Jesus Christ suffered just penalty for our sin so God the Father could extend grace to those of us who believe in His Son. Now heavenly goodness, love, and mercy pour ov...