In the movie Bruce Almighty, Jim Carrey’s character was given almighty powers by a fictitious God (played by Morgan Freeman) to teach him how difficult it is to run the world. While the movie does not focus on providing sound theology, there are many spiritual aspects in the story that are worth contemplating.
God Answered All My Prayers… And I’m Still Miserable Read More »
“God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.” (Ephesians 1:22)One Spring evening, I was jogging home alone along my street when all of a sudden, an owl grabbed my hair bun and disappeared. To my shock and dismay, I screamed and looked behind me to find the owl in a nearby tree. This was not the first time I had come against a bird flying near my head, and so as with other bird encounters, I decided to run for it… worst mistake…
Authority in Jesus Name Read More »
Nearly every Christian I’ve met desires to have an effective prayer life. Many, however, don’t realize that the Bible outlines several things that will actually cause our prayers to be unanswered. In order to pray effectively, we must avoid the following things: 1. Wrong motives “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” – James 4:3
7 Reasons Why God Won’t Answer Your Prayers Read More »
Just in a month, my sister is getting married, and our family is “all hands on deck” to make that day special for her and her fiancé! From the tiny decoration details, to ceremony timeline, it has been encouraging to see my sister and fiancé, and respective families being in agreement on important matters as they tie the knot. Without such intentional agreement, no decision would be made for the day, and for those of us helping, we wouldn’t be able to act on their behalf to get things done.
Wouldn’t You Agree? Read More »
Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honourable, so that when they speak against you as evil doers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.- 1 Peter 2:12 People might ask, “How do I keep my conduct in such a way that others will see my good deeds and glorify God?”I believe it starts with prayer.
The greatest commandment in the Bible is to, “…love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself…” (Matthew 22:36-38). You would think that these commands from Jesus would be clear enough for husbands to love their wives out of the overflow and empowerment of the first commandment.
Husbands Love Your Wives Read More »
It seemed so insignificant. As parents of 2 preschoolers, along with a baby who just celebrated her first birthday, we were involved in a new church plant without a program for children. What did I know about starting a Kids Ministry for our church? Sure, I had a few years of Bible College training but more than that, I trusted God’s Word was true and powerful enough to bring life to every age. So I said yes. Yes, I’ll serve You, Jesus, by serving the children with all my heart, soul and might.
The Small Things – A Blog Post by Pastor Cheryl Koop Read More »
It was late in the afternoon and I was sitting on my bed. A few inches from me sat my Bible, but opening it was the last thing I wanted to do. I was 15 years old, and as I had often done throughout my teen years, I was bemoaning the fact that I was fatherless. At that point in my life, I was having trouble keeping my grades up and I was extremely shy, so making friends had been difficult. I would think, “if only my Dad was still alive, things would have been different for me.
Have you ever owned a counterfeit? A fake designer watch, imitation brand name handbag, replica headphones, or maybe even a pair of knockoff sneakers that were way too cheap to be true. Whether by mistake or by choice, the satisfaction that a counterfeit brings is usually short-lived, and disappointment ensues once you have the chance to compare it to the real thing.
Spiritual Counterfeits Read More »
“We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.” (Colossians 1:3)This week we embark on 24/7 prayer for our Good Friday and Easter Sunday services. Prayer – something we know is a necessity for every Christian and sadly many of us feel we do not do enough of it. Why? It could be that we are busy with family activities, work has too many deadlines, sheer laziness, procrastination, or mere forgetfulness. Whatever the reason may be, our lack of prayer reveals our deeper misunderstanding of who we are, who God is and what prayer is for.
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