Following Jesus

What is Lent?

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What is Lent?

Lent starts each year on Ash Wednesday, which this year falls on February 18th. The season of Lent last for 40 days (excluding Sundays) from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday, that is the day before Good Friday.

Lent is traditionally a time to prepare our hearts to commemorate the death of Jesus on the cross on Good Friday. It is usually marked by fasting of various forms, whether abstaining from meat, or sweet things, or complete fasts for part of the time, for example a weekly 24 hour fast.

It is our sins that required Jesus to die on the cross, so we are all complicit in His suffering. Lent is a time to humble ourselves and to examine our lives to see what sins we still need to conquer.

In the time leading up to Ash Wednesday, it is a good idea to ask God what He would like you to do to mark Lent. Perhaps it will involve fasting from food, or technology, or perhaps more prayer time.

Communist China still fears Christianity

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From lifestienews.com

Communist China still fears Christianity, and Jimmy Lai’s sentence proves it

Sentencing a frail 78-year-old Catholic to 20 years in prison is no act of justice. It is a calculated death sentence meant to terrorize Hong Kong and crush Christian resistance.

Featured ImageJimmy Lai, Apple Daily founder, arrives at the Court of Final Appeal ahead a bail hearing on February 9, 2021, in Hong Kong, ChinaPhoto by Anthony Kwan/Getty Images

(LifeSiteNews) — For Chinese Catholics, communist rule has often run red with the blood of martyrs. Now, in sentencing Hong Kong businessman and Catholic convert Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison on fabricated crimes, the communists have created another one.

Make no mistake: sentencing a 78-year-old man in poor health to two decades behind bars is a death sentence. You know it, I know it, and the three black-robed stooges who yesterday handed down the sentence at yesterday’s Hong Kong court hearing – a sentence undoubtedly crafted by their masters in Beijing – know it.

We needn’t waste much time on the clearly fabricated charges that led to this sentencing. Lai, a newspaperman, was convicted of “colluding with foreign forces” for talking to people outside Hong Kong about the erosion of freedom under Red China’s increasingly oppressive rule. He also supported peaceful marches in favor of the self-rule that Hong Kong had been promised. Now you might think that talking to people is a newspaperman’s job, and peacefully demonstrating is a human right, but for this he was accused of “sedition.”

Jimmy Lai’s son, Sebastien, said the sentence against his father “signifies the total destruction of the Hong Kong legal system and the end of justice.”

It is that and more.

Jimmy Lai’s “trial” was a public spectacle designed by the totalitarian state that now rules China to control opinion, intimidate, and repress dissent in the once great city of Hong Kong.

It is proof positive that what the Catholic Catechism calls “the plague of totalitarian states” has now fatally infected the one-time British colony. Like China itself, the authorities in Hong Kong now “systematically falsify the truth, exercise political control of opinion through the media, manipulate defendants and witnesses at public trials, and imagine that they secure their tyranny by strangling and repressing everything they consider ‘thought crimes.’” (Para. 2499)

Everyone in Hong Kong understands that the Beijing-controlled authorities have imposed a de facto death sentence on Jimmy Lai. Not by immediate execution, of course, but by long and harsh incarceration. They intend to “kill without shedding blood” – a Chinese saying that means intentionally imprisoning someone for such a long period of time and in such harsh conditions that they do not survive.

Everyone also understands that they could easily suffer the same fate, if they openly criticise the regime. In sentencing Jimmy Lai to a slow death, the communists have, as another Chinese saying goes, “killed the one to terrorise the hundred.”

Catholics from the time of the Roman persecutions have long understood martyrdom as extending beyond the literal shedding of blood.

While many Chinese priests and laymen have been summarily executed for refusing to bow to the communist “god,” many other martyrs have been made in China’s gulags. They died from prolonged imprisonment under harsh conditions, ranging from torture and forced labour, to starvation and medical neglect. And their deaths are widely recognized as a form of red martyrdom.

While Lai has not been tortured or subjected to forced labor, he has been kept in solitary confinement for almost five years, which in itself is considered to be cruel and unusual punishment, and was intended to break his will to resist. (It failed.)

Lai is also suffering from medical neglect. He is a diabetic and has recently developed an irregular heartbeat, both conditions that have not been adequately treated during his confinement and may well hasten his death.

And now he faces two decades more of such harsh treatment.

There is no doubt that he would not be in prison today were it not for his Catholic faith and his passion for the truth, which are closely intertwined. His articles criticizing the atheistic Chinese Communist Party and its leaders dating back decades put a target on this back.

And the courage to confront the biggest killing machine on the planet – the Chinese Communist Party – came directly from his Catholic faith.

His interest in Catholicism was originally inspired by the faith of his wife, a devout Catholic, and by the faith of those Catholics he met in the course of his pro-democracy activities beginning in the 1990s, such as Cardinal Joseph Zen, then-archbishop of Hong Kong, and Martin Lee.

So it was that in 1997, within days of the communist takeover of Hong Kong, he entered the Church, baptized and confirmed by the great Chinese cardinal. As his wife noted at the time, “He knows that a fight is coming and that he will need God’s help for this fight.”

Lai continued his fight for freedom for the next 23 years, under increasingly difficult circumstances. While hundreds of thousands fled Hong Kong for the safer environs of America, Canada, and Australia, he stayed and fought and prayed.

Since his arrest in 2020, Lai has spent his time in confinement uniting his own suffering with that of Christ, mediating on His Passion, crucifixion, and incarnation. He has also produced a large number of religious sketches based on these themes, using the only drawing materials he is allowed: colored pencils and lined notebook papers.

His best-known work is a large depiction of Christ on the Cross, with blood streaming from his wounds, casting an agonized look directly at the viewer. The Cross itself is flanked by eight orange flowers, an intimation of the new life that follows Christ’s suffering and death. It was smuggled out of prison and is on display at the Catholic University of America.

The communist authorities were reportedly infuriated by the “power” of his art. They have since made certain that no additional sketches are smuggled out.

Of course, the true “power” of Lai’s art is that it is a depiction of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. The CCP has always found Christianity, and especially Catholicism, threatening, and sought to silence its followers.

As his art shows, Lai views his own imprisonment as a prolonged cross that he is bearing for the sake of Christ.

Those who have imprisoned him are also acting, at least in part, ob odium fidei, out of hatred for faith. That is, after all, the nature of communism. It is a grim and relentless foe of God and religion. Those who die in prison, persecuted for their faith, are honored as martyrs.

In the meantime, I was heartened to see that in October, Pope Leo XIV personally greeted Lai’s wife and daughter after the general audience in St. Peter’s Square. I pray that the Pope speaks out strongly against the unjust sentencing of not only our fellow Catholic, Jimmy Lai, but of all Christians in China.

I believe that Jimmy Lai is, day by day, offering up his life for the faith.

To date, that faith has remained strong. He asked for God’s help in this fight when he came into the Church, and that prayer has been answered.

When the three communist stooges asked him at his trial if he had anything to say for himself, he replied: “(A)t the end of the day, the truth will come out in the kingdom of heaven, in the kingdom of God, and that’s good enough for me.”

Say a prayer for Jimmy Lai, that the Holy Spirit may console him during his long years in cruel captivity to come.

Steven W. Mosher is the President of the Population Research Institute and the author of The Underground Church (forthcoming, Sophia Institute Press).

Joseph Mattera: 12 Negative Consequences of Divorcing the Cross From the Kingdom

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Joseph Matters writes:

One of the most serious theological crises in the contemporary church is the growing separation between the message of the kingdom and the way of the cross. Whenever these two are divorced, the kingdom becomes distorted, and the church loses its prophetic witness. Scripture reveals that the kingdom Jesus preached is inseparable from the cruciform life He modeled. The cross is not only the entry point into salvation—it is the shape of Christian leadership, influence, and spiritual authority. When we remove the cross, we remove the very character of Christ from the mission of the church. What follows are twelve negative consequences that arise when believers pursue the kingdom without embracing the cross.

  1. The Kingdom Becomes a Human Empire

When the cross is removed from kingdom theology, the kingdom becomes a tool for building personal brands, expanding organizations, and consolidating influence. Leaders begin constructing towers instead of washing feet. The movement of Jesus becomes an enterprise run by human strategy rather than a spiritual family shaped by sacrifice. Empire-building replaces servant leadership, and ministry becomes more about the greatness of the leader than the greatness of Christ.

  1. Ego and Ambition Replace Humility and Brokenness

A kingdom taught without the cross inflates human ego. Calling becomes confused with status; influence becomes a competition; ministry becomes a platform for gifted but unbroken leaders. Instead of dying to self, people pursue the kingdom as a path to personal fulfillment, visibility, and significance. The cross confronts ambition, but without it, ambition runs wild under the disguise of “taking mountains” and “walking in destiny.”

  1. Leadership Defaults to Top-Down Control

Jesus explicitly rejected the power structures of the Gentiles, yet when kingdom teaching loses its cruciform core, leaders unconsciously imitate worldly models of control. Authority becomes positional instead of relational. Leaders command from above rather than serve from below. Hierarchy replaces humility, and people become managed instead of discipled. Without the cross, leadership becomes about exerting power rather than empowering people.

  1. The Spirit of Narcissism Rises in the Church

When the cross is absent, leaders become image-driven, platform-centered, and hypersensitive to criticism. Ministry becomes a stage upon which leaders perform rather than an altar upon which they die. Narcissism masquerades as vision, and spiritual language is used to project ego and reputation. The cruciform life forms “decreasing” leaders; a crossless kingdom forms entitled leaders who must constantly “increase” and be the center of attention. 

  1. Ministry Takes on Colonial Tendencies

A kingdom divorced from the cross often becomes coercive, imposing culture, preferences, and systems onto others. Instead of practicing incarnational mission in the way of Christ-leaders solely adopt conquest mentalities—seeking to “take over” rather than influencing through serving.” The cross breaks superiority and produces servants; a crossless kingdom produces conquerors who mistake domination for discipleship.

  1. The Church Sends Ambitious People Into Civic Leadership

The kingdom does speak to culture and government, but when the cross is removed, believers pursue civic roles without cruciform formation. Ambitious personalities, lacking spiritual depth, enter arenas of power and are quickly discipled by the systems they hoped to influence. They may speak kingdom language but operate in worldly spirit. Without the cross, we raise influencers instead of Daniels.

  1. Immature Leaders Rise Too Quickly

A crossless kingdom elevates gifting over character and charisma over spiritual depth. People who have never endured the refining fire of the cross ascend into leadership prematurely. This results in emotional instability, shallow discipleship, and wounded congregations. Without the cross, leadership formation becomes about speed, not depth; visibility, not maturity.

  1. Promotion Becomes Human-Driven, Not God-Given

Jesus taught that only the humble will be exalted. The cross is God’s means of preparing leaders for sustainable influence. When the cross is removed, leaders grasp for roles, titles, and opportunities instead of waiting for God’s timing. Ministry becomes a competition of self-promotion, and influence becomes disconnected from intimacy with God. Without the cross, crowns are seized by men rather than bestowed by Jesus. 

  1. The Kingdom Collapses Into Moralism

Remove the cross, and Christianity becomes a program of moral improvement rather than spiritual regeneration. Sermons focus on ethical principles without resurrection power. People are taught how to behave but not how to die and rise with Christ. The kingdom becomes a list of virtues rather than a transformed life empowered by grace. The cross alone enables the Spirit’s work of new creation.

  1. Ministry Is Powered by Human Strength Instead of the Spirit

A crossless kingdom leads to churches built on talent, marketing, systems, and strategy—yet lacking the anointing. Leaders become exhausted because they are trying to accomplish spiritually impossible tasks through human effort. Prayer becomes optional. The gifts of the Spirit go dormant. Without the cross, there is no Pentecost; without surrender, there is no power.

  1. Spiritual Authority Is Misunderstood and Abused

When the cross is absent, authority becomes confused with control, intimidation, and positional dominance. Leaders wield authority instead of embodying it. Biblical authority is cruciform—it flows through brokenness, sacrifice, and love. A crossless leader may hold a hierarchical title but lacks spiritual traction. Without the cross, authority becomes a weapon rather than a stewardship.

  1. The Church Loses the Revelation of the Lamb

Perhaps the greatest consequence of divorcing the cross from the kingdom is that the church loses sight of Jesus as the Lamb at the center of the throne (Rev. 5:6). The Lamb reveals the nature of kingdom power—self-giving love, sacrifice, humility, and forgiveness. When the Lamb is eclipsed, the church becomes political, anxious, aggressive, and triumphalist. Without the cross, we imitate worldly kings instead of the Crucified King.

The kingdom without the cross produces gifted people without godliness, influence without integrity, and movements without the presence of God. But the kingdom shaped by the cross produces leaders who look like Jesus—humble, sacrificial, Spirit-filled, and faithful.

The future belongs to the cruciform church.

The Lamb still reigns.

And His kingdom still advances through the cross.

Christian Community

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Last week I had the joyful experience of meeting up with a group of christian migrants mainly from Pakistan who now live in the western suburbs of Sydney, around Liverpool. I was asked to preach at their Sunday service as well as lead a Bible study and do some other things.

The congregation there ranges from fairly recent arrivals who have little knowledge of English to the children and grandchildren who have spent most or all of their life in Australia and are more Australian than Pakistani. The cultural generation gap becomes visceral when the national cricket teams play each other.

The people in this community mainly speak Urdu amongst themselves, and the services are conducted in Urdu. I spent much of the weekend not having any idea about what people were saying. That would be the situation of course faced by many of these people when they first came to the country.

The younger people speak English, and Urdu is a secondary language. Over time this congregation will become more English based but always keeping its unique cultural background.

What impressed me in all of this is how similar these people are to the people of my own church. Both groups love God and they care for each other. You can see this in the depth of relationships they enjoy with one another.

There is something very special, even unique, about christian communities. Whether we are true blue Aussies in a small town, or immigrants in a big city, the love of Christ binds us together. The apostle Paul used the analogy of a body to make the point that although we look different and have different gifts, we all belong together.

As our society becomes increasingly fragmented, christians will stand out as people who care for one another.

Former Sceptic Who Studied 1,500 Near-Death Experiences Says Evidence Points to Jesus

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From Faithwire.com

A pastor and author who has investigated more than 1,000 near-death experiences (NDEs) believes there’s definitive evidence that many of these experiences are authentic.

John Burke, co-author of “Imagine the God of Heaven Devotional: 60 Reflections on the Heart of God from the Bible and Near-Death Experiences” with his wife, Kathy, told CBN News he was once a sceptic.

“Not only did I not believe in near-death experiences, I didn’t believe in Jesus or God,” he said. “Many … decades ago, my dad was dying of cancer and someone gave him the very first research that coined the term near-death experience.”

Burke said this came in the form of a book, which he ended up reading. At the time, Burke wanted evidence — and the book provided just that: stories of people who were clinically dead and resuscitated. Among the stories, he noticed many of those experiencing NDEs claimed to have seen Jesus.

“That really began my whole faith journey, because so many saw Jesus,” he said. “I was like, ‘I better be open to the Bible.’ So I started reading, and studying the Bible, came to faith.”

That was the start not only of Burke’s faith journey, but also his foray into NDEs. Over time, his intrigue bloomed into an investigation of 1,500 real-life cases. His previous book, “Imagine the God of Heaven,” was a hit and sparked much conversation about these important stories.

“What I write about is how the commonalities really do relate to the Bible and what the Bible’s expectation of heaven, of hell, of God,” Burke said.

His wife, Kathy, told CBN News she had a very different faith trajectory and can’t remember a time when she wasn’t a believer.

“Scriptural truths have always been a big part of my life, and I’ve enjoyed being able to stand on them,” she said. “And I know they’re solid.”

NDE’s left her deeply intrigued, with Kathy explaining that, though she believes the truth of Scripture is enough, these stories offer a fresh perspective and have revitalised her faith.

“It just has really given me a fresh perspective and revitalised my faith, and the the power of my faith, and the power of God in really amazing ways,” she said.

John expressed some of the most fascinating reflections he has had after exploring these stories — particularly the types of people who claim to have experienced NDEs.

“The thing that I like to point out is that many of these people that I’ve interviewed and write about, they were CEOs, they were spine surgeons, commercial airline pilots, bank presidents, lawyers,” he said. “They don’t need money, and they have nothing to gain by making up crazy, wild stories about dying and going to heaven and seeing Jesus, and yet, they consistently say it was the most real thing that ever happened to them.”

John said these stories inspire people all over the world, and he believes God is using these journeys to help illuminate Scripture and point people back to Him. Kathy mirrored these reflections.

“I also think that it reminds us that things are not hopeless,” she said. “God has not changed, and He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever, and so we have to keep our focus on Him, and we can still find that peace, and joy, and love, and goodness radiated because we’re His image bearers.”

It should be noted, though, NDEs aren’t embraced as legitimate experiences by the secular world and even some Christians. In fact, critics are often vocal about their opposition to these stories.

“God operates in more mystery than I think sometimes we’re willing to allow in the church and in our box of theology,” John said. “And God doesn’t feel any need or constraint to the box we try to put him in.”

He continued, “What we’re trying to do … in these books is help people see, ‘No, it’s not against what God’s been saying in Scripture all along — it actually aligns.’”

What It’s Like to Become a Christian in Iran – International Christian Concern

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Recent uprisings, violent crackdowns, and escalating tensions with the U.S. have brought added international attention to Iran, a nation of 93 million people, most of whom are Shia Muslim.

Though Iran’s regime has been repressive for most of its citizens, conditions are more tenuous yet for its Christian minority. And there is no tolerance whatsoever for Iranians from Muslim backgrounds who choose to become Christian.

But many are doing so.

“Darius” is one of them.

He is a thoughtful and dedicated follower of his adopted (and, for him, highly illegal) Christian faith.

He is also among the minority of Iranian converts who have chosen Orthodox Christianity. While there are a significant number of Orthodox churches in Iran, basically everyone involved with them is an ethnic minority of ancient Christian lineage.

As a person of Iranian Muslim background, Darius cannot just walk in and join.

Authorities monitor these churches. And Iran’s regime unleashes severe punishments (the death penalty is technically possible, but lengthy imprisonment is far more likely) not just for the Muslim-background converts but also for those who are viewed as assisting in their conversion or being receptive to their conversion.

From what Darius can tell, Orthodox Christian clergy in Iran “don’t dare to answer any Muslim” seeking to convert.

Therefore, most Christian converts in Iran choose Protestantism. Darius said these Christians either join or establish underground churches or else leave the country, often heading to neighboring Turkey, where they “keep their faith to themselves.”

If you can keep a low enough profile, converting to Christianity in Iran has become easier in at least one important way: Darius said he doesn’t have to try hard to pretend he’s still Muslim because, at this point, few people around him go to mosques, recite the Quran, or make any visible manifestations of faith.

Religious adherence to Islam in Iran has declined significantly during the last few decades.

“Nowadays mosques are mostly empty,” Darius said, adding that, to a large extent, “Just old people and supporters of the regime go there.” He also noted that the consumption of alcohol, though officially banned, has risen in popularity.

“I just need to watch my mouth and don’t say anything about Christianity,” he remarked.

In the meantime, he reads his Bible and prays. He also belongs to an Orthodox online community — moderated by an Iranian woman — that offers prayers, lessons, and advice. (Having much experience as a Muslim praying in Arabic, he already understood Arabic Orthodox chants.) He became acquainted with another Iranian convert to Orthodox Christianity via Instagram.

Darius would like to get to Europe, so he could “escape from this hell [his long-suffering homeland] and have a future.” He also wants to “get baptized more easily and without fear.”

He added that, at this point, even most religiously adherent Muslims in Iran have come to detest the regime.

Though regime authorities, along with a few fervent supporters and assorted nationalists, are every bit as hostile as you might imagine, Darius said most Iranians don’t hate the West or have any strong opinion about Christianity.

And indeed, a significant number find it increasingly compelling. Many media venues have reported that Iran has the world’s fastest-growing Christian community.

“People here get familiar with Christianity through different means,” Darius said.

“There used to be some ads on YouTube introducing Jesus,” he recalled. He also mentioned that some people become interested in Christianity through dreams and spiritual experiences. One such example involved an acquaintance of his who “said he saw Jesus when he was imprisoned by the regime.”

Darius himself had once been a devout Shia Muslim. At the same time, he was “open-minded” and “would always question [his] beliefs.”

He ultimately decided he no longer believed in his own religion.

“After I left Islam, I felt lost and was looking for a guide in my life,” he said. At the same time, he had not given up on God.

When visiting family in Isfahan, he would make a trip to the legendary Vank Cathedral (as a regular tourist, not as an aspiring convert).

“I was and still am amazed by its paintings,” Darius said.

He was also a fan of musician Johnny Cash, who had many songs that touched on religious themes and “really made me interested in Christianity.”

One night, he had a dream in which he saw icons of the 12 apostles and three Orthodox saints.

“When I woke up, I knew that Jesus had called me,” he said.

He later had a strange encounter in a crowded part of Tehran (the Iranian capital city), where he came upon a woman selling the Bible in Persian, Iran’s main language, also known as Farsi.

Darius said he bought it for a “reasonable price” and that the woman was also selling a sacred book of Zoroastrianism, a major pre-Islamic faith in the region and one that has seen a growing number of Iranian converts.

“She’s just an open-minded Muslim who tries to make some money,” Darius said of the bookseller. He added that he has never seen the Bible sold anywhere else in his country.

Selling Bibles in Iran is a dangerous career path. Buying one is also unsafe.

Darius understands his spiritual journey has put him at considerable risk. But he seems to have accepted the circumstances, saying, “The true way is not always the way we want and like.”

Story by R. Cavanaugh

Joel Comiskey: Giving Glory to God Through Cell Church Ministry

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From jcgresources.com

by joelcomiskeyadmin | Jan 25, 2026 | GloryToGod | 0 comments

by Joel Comiskey, Making Disciples in the 21st Century Church

At the heart of the cell church is a simple but non-negotiable conviction: we exist to glorify God. Everything we do—meeting in homes, gathering in celebration, equipping leaders, and coaching pastors—flows from this purpose. Methods matter, but only when they serve God’s greater goal.

Glory in the Cell and the Celebration

In the cell, we see God at work in ordinary people and ordinary settings. The cell is not a program; it is a place where lives are shaped as people follow Jesus together. In the cell, we can encourage one another to become more like Christ, not for personal success or ministry results, but because transformed lives bring glory to God. As the gospel takes root in daily life, God’s character becomes visible through love, obedience, and service.

The celebration gathering reinforces the same focus. When we come together as the larger body, we worship, hear God’s Word, and rejoice in what He is doing among us. Cell and celebration are not competing priorities; they are complementary expressions of one mission. In both, the emphasis is not on performance or numbers, but on God’s faithful presence with His people.

Ultimately, God Himself is gathering a people from every nation. He is calling out a sacred assembly, and His people respond with joy because He alone is Lord. The cell church does not manufacture this movement. We simply participate in what God is already doing for His glory.

God’s Glory as the Ultimate Purpose

This God-centered vision is deeply biblical. Scripture consistently teaches that God acts first and foremost for His own glory. This truth keeps our ministry grounded and properly oriented. When God’s glory is central, our thinking flows toward Him. When it is not, the ministry easily becomes centered on human needs, preferences, or results.

God says plainly in Isaiah 48:11, “For my own sake, even for my own sake, I will do it… I will not yield my glory to another.” Paul echoes this in Romans 11:36: “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever.” God’s care for people is real and compassionate, but it always fits within His larger purpose of revealing His glory.

Equipping and Coaching for God’s Glory

God’s glory reshapes how we equip and coach. We equip leaders not just to run effective meetings, but to shepherd people toward Christlikeness. We coach pastors not to chase quick growth, but to walk faithfully with God and lead others to do the same.

There are seasons when I have experienced deep discouragement, when responses are minimal and visible fruit seems slow. Yet, by his grace, I’ve been able to back to his Spirit and grace, knowing he is being glorified in my weakness. Our calling is faithfulness, not applause.

Let’s Ask God to be Glorified in All We Do

Let’s pray this simple and honest prayer:
“Lord, help me to know You more deeply. Give me grace to let You continually work in me. May everything I do—in cell, celebration, equipping, and coaching—be for Your glory alone.”

Kevin Vawser: Believe In Him

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Believe in Him

I was in prayer a few nights ago, and God highlighted something to me. I was praying for something that was quite important, yet in my heart, I had fallen into despair. I was praying for something as if I had already lost the battle.

In that moment, God brought the most unlikely verse to my heart. John 3:16.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

As I heard that verse repeated, three words stuck out to me. ‘Believe in Him”

Suddenly, it was like an awakening to the reality I had placed myself in. I was believing in the problem, but had lost sight of God’s powerful hand.

We are saved through faith, and we are saved into faith. Our relationship with God is one of dynamic trust that is so much more than the key to our salvation. It is the foundation on which we stand that enthrones God over not only our lives, but our circumstances.

I don’t know how God will answer that prayer – but in the end, it does not matter. He will, I know it. Whatever it looks like, though – I believe in Him and trust Him to make it so.

So consider this in your prayer life, in the things you are seeking, and even in the questions you ask. Believe Him to answer – even if you do not know the details and even if it has already been a long time. Know that He is good, and does not contradict His word.

Kevin Vawser