God's Glory Church

“If a grain of wheat falls into the ground and does not die, then it remains alone; if it dies, it will bear abundant fruit.” —John 12:24

We know Leonardo da Vinci as a representative of the Renaissance. His intellectual abilities led to progress in many fields of science and art. However, he wrote about “these unfortunate days of ours” and lamented that we die “without leaving behind anything in human memory.”

“While I thought I was learning to live,” said Leonardo, “I was learning to die.” He was closer to the truth than he could have imagined. Learning to die is the way to life. After His glorious entry into Jerusalem (what we now celebrate as Palm Sunday; see John 12:12-19), Jesus said: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (v. 24). First of all, He said this about His death, but then He extended it to all of us: “Whoever loves his soul will lose it, but whoever hates his soul in this world will save it for eternal life” (v. 25).

The Apostle Paul wrote about “burial” with Christ through “baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we were united in the likeness of His death, we will also be united in the likeness of the resurrection” (Rom. 6:4-5).

Through His death, Jesus offers us a new birth, which is the essence of regeneration. He paved the way for us to eternal life with His Father.

How do you define the value of your life? How might you need to change these values?

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that in You I can find meaning and purpose.

Author: Tim Gustavson

“Behave … well, so that … they … seeing good works, glorify God.” — 1 Peter 2:12

My seatmate on the plane told me that she is a non-religious person, but immigrated to a city where many Christians live. When she mentioned that most of her neighbors go to church, I asked about her own experience. The woman said she could never thank them enough for their generosity. When she brought her disabled father to a new country, neighbors built a ramp to her house and donated a hospital bed and medicine. “If Christianity makes people so good, then everyone should be a Christian,” she said.

The Lord Jesus told His disciples: “So let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Mt. 5:16). Peter heard Christ’s command and passed it on: “Behave well among the Gentiles, so that for what they slander you, as if criminals, seeing good deeds, they will glorify God” (1 Pet. 2:12).

Our neighbors who do not believe in Jesus may not understand what we believe and why we believe it. Don’t worry about that, because there’s one more thing they can’t understand: the immensity of our love. My neighbor on the plane was surprised that her Christian neighbors continued to care for her, even though she was, she said, “not one of them.” She knows that she is loved because of Jesus, and she thanks God for that. She may not yet believe in Him, but she is grateful that others do.

Who do you know who needs Jesus? How can you love them for Him?

Heavenly Father, let Your light shine through me.

Author: Mike Whittmer

“Let us love not with word or tongue, but with deed and truth!” — 1 John 3:18

What would make someone help a competitor? A restaurant owner named Adolfo in Wisconsin decided to support other local restaurant owners who were trying to adapt to the demands of Covid-19. Adolfo knew first hand about the challenges during the pandemic. Inspired by the generosity of another local entrepreneur, Adolfo used his own funds to purchase over two thousand dollars worth of gift cards to give to his customers to use at other restaurants in his community. This is a manifestation of love not only in words, but also in action.

Based on the supreme manifestation of love demonstrated by Jesus in His willingness to lay down His life for humanity (1 John 3:16), the Apostle John encouraged his readers to also take the next step and show love in action. For John, “laying down our souls for the brothers” (v. 16) meant showing the same love that Jesus showed. This love most often takes the form of everyday, practical actions, for example, sharing material goods. It is not enough to love with words. Love requires sincere, meaningful actions (v. 18).

Putting love into practice can be difficult because it often requires sacrificing something or putting yourself at a disadvantage for the sake of another person. However, with God’s Spirit and with the thought of His generous love for us, we can take the next step of love.

How have you experienced love in action? How to take the next step for a practical expression of love?

Dear Jesus, help me to follow Your example and take the next step to show true love in my actions.

Author: Lisa Samra

“You will satiate the wretched soul – then your light will shine in the darkness.” — Isaiah 58:10

Ole Kassov from Copenhagen likes to ride a bike. One morning, seeing an elderly man sitting alone with a walker in the park, he was ignited by a simple idea: why not offer the elderly the joy and freedom of cycling. And so, one sunny day, he stopped by a home for the elderly and offered everyone a ride on a rented tricycle. Ole was very happy when one of the employees and an elderly woman became the first participants in the “Bike Without Age” cycling race.

More than 20 years have passed since then. During this period, Ole made 2.5 million trips with the participation of about 575,000 elderly people. Where did he take them? See a friend, eat ice cream or just “feel the wind blowing in your hair”. Participants of these bike rides say that they now sleep better, eat better and feel less lonely.

Such a gift brings to life the beautiful words of God recorded in Isaiah 58:10-11: “You will satiate the poor soul, then your light will shine in the darkness, and your darkness will be like noonday, and the Lord will always guide you, and will feed your soul in drought, strengthen your bones, and you will become like a watered garden, and like a spring that does not water it.” dry up!”

God also said: “And your eternal sons will rebuild the ruins” (v. 12). What can God do through us? Let us always be ready to help others as God helps us.

Who needs help in your city? What can you do to help them today?

Dear God, show me a simple way to help others find life in You.

Author: Patricia Raybon

“Blessed is the man who has made God his stronghold.” — Psalm 39:5

A woman rescued Rudy from an animal shelter a few days before euthanasia, and the dog became her companion. For ten years, Rudy slept peacefully by Linda’s bed, but then he started jumping next to her and licking her face. Linda scolded him, but every night Rudy repeated his behavior. “Then he started jumping on my lap to lick my face every time I sat down,” the woman said.

Linda began to wonder how persistent Rudy was and how he always licked the same spot on her jaw. Eventually, she went to see a doctor who found a microscopic tumor (bone cancer). The doctor said if she had waited any longer it probably would have killed her. Linda trusted Rudy’s instincts and was glad she did.

The Holy Scriptures repeatedly say that trust in God leads to life and joy. The psalmist says: “Blessed is the man who has made God his stronghold” (Ps. 39:5). In some translations, the text sounds even more expressive: “Happy are those who trust in the Lord” (v. 5). The word “happy” means abundance and great joy.

If we trust God, the end result is deep, true happiness. This trust may not come easily, and the results may not be what we imagine. However, if we trust God, we will be very happy.

What prevents you from trusting God? How will your life change if you begin to truly trust the Lord?

Dear God, I want the kind of happiness that only You can give. But it’s hard for me to trust. Help me!

“So that Christ… dwells in your hearts.” — Ephesians 3:17

When a blizzard hit the western United States, my widowed mother agreed to stay with us to wait out the storm. However, after the blizzard, she never returned to her house. Mom moved in with us and lived with us until the end of her life. Her presence has changed our family in many positive ways. She was available every day to share wisdom and advice with family members and to tell the stories of her ancestors. My mother and my husband became best friends, sharing a common sense of humor and love of sports. She was no longer a guest, but a permanent and important resident, forever changing our hearts, even after God called her home.

Thinking about this, I remember the text from the Gospel of John that Christ “was among us” (John 1:14). In the original Greek, the word “stay” means “to pitch a tent.” In another translation, for example, it is said that He “settled among us.”

We accept Jesus by faith as the One who lives in our hearts. The Apostle Paul prayed: “For this I bow my knees… that He may give you according to the riches of His glory with strength through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…” (Eph. 3:14, 16-17).

Jesus is not an occasional visitor, but a permanent resident of all His followers. Let us open wide the doors of our hearts and welcome Him.

What does it mean for you to open your heart to Christ? How can you make Him more desirable to you?

Loving Jesus, living in my heart, liken me to Yourself.

Author: Patricia Raybon

“Because evil thoughts come from the heart… This is what defiles a person.” — Matthew 15:19-20

“As long as you keep your mouth shut,” I said to myself, “you won’t do anything bad.” Outwardly, I restrained my anger at my colleague, after I myself misinterpreted her words. Since we had to see each other every day, I decided to limit communication and talk to her only when necessary (repaying her with my silence). Can silent behavior be wrong?

The Lord Jesus said that sin begins in the heart (Matthew 15:18-20). My silence could have misled people into thinking that everything was fine, but not God. He knew I was hiding a heart full of anger. I was like the Pharisees, who honored God with their mouths, but their hearts were far from Him (v. 8). Although my outward appearance did not reflect my true feelings, I was full of bitterness inside. The joy and closeness I had always felt in my relationship with Heavenly Father was gone. Cultivating and hiding sin leads to this.

By God’s grace, I told my colleague about my feelings and asked for forgiveness. She graciously forgave me, and over time we became good friends. Jesus says: “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts” (v. 19). The state of our heart matters, because the evil that resides there can spill over into our lives. Therefore, both external and internal matters.

The Lord Jesus said that sin in our hearts defiles us. What “evil thoughts” defile your heart? How to pray about this?

Loving God, please forgive me for the sins I have harbored in my heart. I want my heart to be pleasing in Your eyes. Please help me change.

Author: Karen Huang

“And there came a voice from above the firmament above their heads. And when they arose, their wings fell.” — Ezekiel 1:25

No one usually thinks of butterflies as noisy creatures. For example, the flapping of a single monarch butterfly’s wings is almost inaudible, but in the Mexican rainforests, where many of them begin their short lives, their collective flapping is surprisingly loud. When millions of monarch butterflies flap their wings at the same time, it sounds like a rushing waterfall.

A similar description is found in the Holy Scriptures. In a vision, the prophet Ezekiel saw four winged creatures. Although there were fewer of them than butterflies, he says that the sound of their wings was “like the noise of great waters” (Ezek. 1:24). When the creatures froze and lowered their wings, Ezekiel heard God’s voice calling him to speak God’s words to the Israelites” (Ezek. 2:7).

Ezekiel, like other Old Testament prophets, was commissioned to speak the truth to God’s people. Today, the Lord asks us all to share the truth about His good deeds in our lives with those whom He sends to us (1 Pet. 3:15). Sometimes God’s call to share His truth will sound “loud”, like the sound of a waterfall, and sometimes – quietly, like a whisper. In any case, we need to listen as the prophet Ezekiel did – with ears tuned to hear what God wants us to tell others.

Who is asking you to tell them the truth? What will be your feedback?

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your call to tell about You.

Author: Kirsten Holmberg

“All forest animals belong to Me.” — Psalm 49:10

“Am I the owner or the manager?” The CEO of a multibillion-dollar company asked himself this question, considering what was best for his family. Worried about the temptations that might come with great wealth, he did not want to burden his heirs with this challenge. Consequently, he relinquished ownership of his company and transferred 100 percent of the voting stock to a trust. The realization that everything he owns belongs to God helped him to make this decision, thereby enabling his family to earn a living while using future earnings to fund Christian ministry.

In Psalm 49:10, God says: “All the beasts of the forest and the cattle of a thousand mountains belong to Me.” Being the Creator of everything, God does not need anything from us. “I will not take a bull from your house, nor a goat from your folds” (v. 9). He generously gives us all that we have and use, as well as the power and ability to earn a living. Because of this, as the psalm says, He is worthy of our sincere worship.

God owns everything. However, because of His goodness, He even chose to give Himself, entering into a relationship with everyone who turns to Him. Jesus “came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his soul as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). If we appreciate the Giver more for the gifts and serve Him with these gifts, then we receive an eternal blessing.

What gifts of God are you grateful to Him for? How can you serve Him with these gifts?

Faithful Creator, everything is created by You. Help me to perceive my life as a gift from You.

Author: James Banks

“And be holy to me, for I, the Lord, am holy” – Leviticus 20:26

In our Bible study class, we analyzed the book of Leviticus. “I missed most of it,” I admitted, “I don’t see why I should read about this leprosy.”

Then my friend Dave said, “I know a man who believed because of this text.” I looked at him in surprise. Dave then revealed that his doctor friend was an atheist. But he decided that before rejecting the Bible, it should be read first. The chapter in the book of Leviticus, devoted to skin diseases, fascinated him. It contained amazing details about contagious and non-communicable diseases (Lev. 13:1-46), as well as how to treat them (Lev. 14:8-9). He knew that at that time the level of medicine was low. But everything was right in the book of Leviticus! “It cannot be that Moses knew this,” he thought. Where did he get the information then? Is it from God? Ultimately, he believed in Christ.

If you find some passages of the Bible boring, you are not alone. But everything written in it is there for a reason. God gave this book to the Israelites so that they would know how to live with Him and for Him. As we learn more about the relationship between God and His people, we learn more about God.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for guidance, for training in righteousness,” wrote the apostle Paul (2 Tim. 3:16). So, let’s read it from beginning to end. Including the book of Leviticus.

What parts of the Bible do you find boring or irrelevant? How to learn to see their value?

Heavenly Father, teach me to appreciate the Bible. Let every part of it teach me Your truth.

Author: Tim Gustavson