ChristRise

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...

The story of Jesus’ birth, as recorded in Luke 2:12, is one of the most cherished accounts in the Bible. The angel told the shepherds, "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." While this scene may seem simple and peaceful, it carries a deep and powerful message about God’s love for us. The Manger and Its Meaning A manger is a feeding trough for animals, and in Jesus’ time, it was often made of stone. Imagine the Savior of the world, not born in a palace, but laid in such a humble place. This setting reminds us that Jesus came to identify with the lowly and the ordinary. His humble beginning points to the kind of life He would lead—a life of service and sacrifice. But the manger also holds a deeper meaning. It foreshadows what was to come. When Jesus died, His body was laid in a tomb carved out of rock, similar in appearance to a stone trough. Just as He was wrapped in swaddling cloths as a baby, His body was ...