ChristRise

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." — 1 Corinthians 1:27 (NIV) God loves to choose and use people that the world often ignores or thinks are unimportant. He does this so that no one can take credit for what He does. People who believe they are smart and strong often get surprised when they see God working through someone they thought couldn’t do anything special. If you feel like the world has overlooked you, don’t think that God will do the same. God’s strength shows up best in our weaknesses! Trusting in God's Plan God doesn’t look at us the way the world does. He sees our true value and potential. Even if others think we’re not worth much, God can use us to do great things. It’s in our weakest areas that His power is the most visible. Think about David and Goliath. David was just a young shepherd, but God used him to defeat a giant. This shows that no matter how small or unimportant we...

A few years ago, I decided to switch my smartphone for a simpler “dumb” phone. Before that, I remember the anticipation of seeing those little three dots, indicating the person on the other end was typing a response. Now, imagine multiplying that anxiety over a long, arduous 900-mile camel ride.  Nehemiah 1:2–3 Let's travel back to December of 445 BC. Meet Nehemiah, a trusted advisor to the king in the Persian capital, Susa (modern-day Shush, Iran). You might recall Susa from the book of Esther, which took place about 20 years earlier. Nehemiah had been waiting for news, and it was worse than expected. His brother Hanani, whose name means “The Lord Is Gracious,” informed him that “those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace” (v. 3). Even Jerusalem’s wall lay in ruins. The people Hanani referred to were those left in Jerusalem and the surrounding area when the rest were exiled to Babylon (see 2 Kings 24–25). As we’ll learn later, not e...

Sometimes, when we pour out our hearts in prayer, we might feel like our words don’t get past the ceiling. But take heart, for God listens to every prayer, even those whispered in sorrow. Nehemiah 1:4–11   The Book of Nehemiah offers us profound lessons on prayer. First, Nehemiah shows that we should pray to God even in our sadness and mourning (v. 4). God desires to hear from us in every season of life. Second, just as Jesus taught His followers, prayers should begin with worship and honor toward the Lord. Nehemiah acknowledges God’s greatness and faithfulness saying, “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love” (v. 5). Third, Nehemiah seeks God’s attention, presenting his requests humbly (v. 6; Phil. 4:6). Third, our prayers ought to include genuine confession and repentance (vv. 6–7). Nehemiah openly confesses, “the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you.” There is no pretense, only an hones...

Many people mistakenly believe that God controls everything in the world and blame Him for disasters, accidents, and illnesses. Some even turn away from faith, thinking a loving God couldn't allow such suffering. But what they don't realize is that there is a very real and destructive force in the world: the devil. God is not behind the calamities and sicknesses. Jesus came so that we might have life abundantly! The devil, however, comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). The world we live in is fallen. God gave Adam and Eve authority over the world, but when they disobeyed by eating the forbidden fruit, sin and death entered. They handed control over to the devil, who is called “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4), and “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31). This doesn't mean Satan has unlimited power. Believers in Jesus Christ are no longer under his dominion. In Christ, we may be in this world, but we are ...

Let’s think about the Bible verse from 1 John 4:10 (KJV): "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." This shows us God’s incredible love for us. Imagine the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32). The son mistreated his father, wasting his inheritance. When he finally returned home, it wasn’t because he loved his father; he was simply hungry. He thought he could at least work as a servant to earn his keep. But God wants us to know that even when our reasons are selfish, He still welcomes us with open arms. He doesn't wait for us to be perfect; He runs to help us in our time of need and showers us with His undeserved love. The Bible teaches us that it’s not about our love for God, but His love for us. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10 KJV). Some people think that God only accepts us if we are...

May our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father, who loves us and gives us everlasting comfort and encouragement, strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16–17) It is God’s love for you that helps you overcome every mistake, failure, and sin. The Bible says, “Sin is no longer your master, because you live under God’s grace, not the law” (Rom. 6:14). Isn't that wonderful? Today, you live under the freedom of God’s amazing grace—His unearned favor. Grace gives you freedom from lack, fear, addictions, guilt, and sin. The more you experience the love and grace of your heavenly Father, the more you will love Him and turn away from sin. The enemy has no power over people who know their Father loves them. If Adam and Eve had believed in God’s love, the devil wouldn’t have been able to tempt them. Sadly, they believed the serpent's lie that God was withholding something good from them. That's why I want you to be strong in the Father’s love. You will be ...

"The king’s anger is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like gentle dew on the grass."   Proverbs 19:12   Today, God gives us His favor because His anger at our sins was taken away at Calvary. The word for “favor” in Hebrew is ratsown, which means His happiness, delight, goodwill, and acceptance. Jesus Christ bought our place of safety with His blood. In Him, we are made righteous, and all blessings for the righteous—such as protection, provision, and a long life—are ours now. Isn’t that wonderful? That’s why the Scriptures say, “The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the righteous are as bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1) and “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person has great power” (James 5:16). You are righteous in Christ, and when you pray the prayer of protection found in Psalm 91, your prayers are powerful because God listens to them! Here’s a story from Sally in South Africa about God’s protection: "I was driving a rental car when...

Ruth 2:3 KJV: "And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on the part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech." The story of Ruth, a Moabite woman, is a testament to the transformative power of God's unmerited favour. In a world where she had everything against her, Ruth's faith and loyalty led to extraordinary blessings. Despite being a poor widow and a Gentile in the Jewish nation of Israel, Ruth chose to remain with her mother-in-law Naomi after her husband's death, leaving her own family to follow Naomi back to Bethlehem. Ruth made Naomi's God—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—her God. Naomi and Ruth couldn't afford to buy grain in their poverty, so Ruth went out to the fields to glean what the reapers had left behind. Ruth placed her trust in God's favour, expressing her hope to Naomi by saying, "Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him...

Brothers and sisters, I want to talk to you today about a truth that should bring us incredible peace and joy. It's a truth that speaks to the very heart of God's love for us. Let's start with a powerful verse from Revelation 3:5, "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." This promise speaks of a life transformed, a victory won, and an eternal guarantee. Now, let's journey back in time to ancient Israel. Picture the high priest, adorned in magnificent garments, standing before the Lord. His breastplate, a symbol of God's presence and authority, held twelve precious stones, each engraved with the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Think about this imagery for a moment. God didn't choose ordinary pebbles or rocks to represent His people. He chose the most precious gems - sapphire, topaz, emerald, amethyst, diam...