When Many Meets All—Two2Grow, June 20 “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”Psalm 34:19 NKJVLiving for Jesus will attract problems—where the light shines, that's where the bugs come.So don't be surprised when you go through difficulties, and don't let the devil lie to you and say that you are suffering because God doesn't care about you or that God ...  Read More

To This You Were Called—Two2Grow, June 20 "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps." 1 Peter 2:21 NIVWhen I was young, I thought that if I only had strong enough faith, I wouldn't have to go through difficulties. I saw suffering and faith as opposites that could not be mixed, like water and oil. But as I went deeper into...  Read More

The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit—Two2Grow, June 19 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14 NIVMost churches I’ve attended in East Africa, regardless of tradition, close their services by having everyone quote this Scripture together in unison.It is a rich text, and I particularly love the phrase, “the ...  Read More

Just Say a Word—Two2Grow, June 18 A Post by Emelie Stenhammar, MD“The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” Matthew 8:8 NIVIn 2016, our family was preparing to move to England, where Mikael was going to do his PhD and I was going to work at a hospital. To be allowed to work there as a medical doctor, I was ...  Read More

Jesus Will Make You Become—Two2Grow, June 17 “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Mark 1:17 NKJVA world-renowned evangelist once visited the church I was part of. I had never heard him preach before, so I asked one of the church leaders what it was like to listen to him. She said that when you hear him preach the gospel, it is so wonderful that you want to get saved all over aga...  Read More

God Works When You Rest—Two2Grow, June 16 “So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh.” Genesis 2:21 NIVAt one point, I thought that the harder you work, the more God will bless you. I worked very long days and took pride in the few hours of sleep I got. But I eventually came close to bu...  Read More

Puzzle Solver—Two2Grow, June 15 This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters. Isaiah 43:16 NIVThe worship song “Way Maker” is one of my favorites. It speaks of God’s power to do the impossible—to make a way where there is no way. If we could have listened to what the Israelites sang while crossing the Red Sea, I’m sure that would have been their s...  Read More

No Record of Wrongs —Two2Grow, June 14 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:4–5 NIVAt one time, we had a visiting preacher in our church who was the leader of many churches in South Sudan, a country in Africa torn apart by ...  Read More

God’s Special Attention—Two2Grow, June 13 “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God” Acts 10:4 NIVDo you want God’s special attention?Do you want to be a channel of blessing to others?The way to reaching these goals is through prayer and giving.I’m sure you’re not surprised by the first one—prayer—but giving is not usually something we think about as a way ...  Read More

Practice Generosity—Two2Grow, June 12 “Generous hands are blessed hands because they give bread to the poor.” Proverbs 22:9 (The Message)One Christmas in my late teens, I was given some money. I was very excited and started planning to buy something I had wanted for a long time—a gas-powered R/C car. But during New Year's, I attended a church event, and during worship I sensed the Holy Spirit tell...  Read More

Guard Your Heart—Two2Grow, June 11 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)The heart in biblical thought isn’t just the blood-pumping organ. It is an image of the center of our being, the headquarters that governs our thoughts, desires, and actions. That is why we are told to guard our hearts!Think of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The serpent...  Read More

Not a Hired Shepherd—Two2Grow, June 10 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. John 10:12–13 NIV A post by Emelie Stenhammar, MDOne night while I was sleeping, I had a dream that r...  Read More