Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:29 NLT
 
Words are very important and the way we use them affect our relationships: to others and most importantly to God.

Have you ever been around people who use their words to tear down, to spread fear and anger? Most of us have. Then you know how that impacts your mental health and spiritual strength in a negative way.

We should not act like that. As disciples we are to let Jesus be the Lord of our tongue so that our words become tools for the Lord to spread faith, hope, and love to people around us.

Sometimes when we go through dark places in life the temptation can be strong to let what we have inside affect our speech. But when our anxieties and anger come out through our mouth, we negatively affect those around us.

Some people are good at holding a tight rein on their tongue when in public but at home with their loved ones, they feel that they can “be themselves” and they speak however they want. Others use social media to vent their bitterness and frustrations.

Yet notice what the Scriptures says:  that “everything” we say should be good and helpful no matter who is around to hear or read from us.

If we grew up hearing our parents speak negatively we will automatically do the same unless we decide to change that pattern. Make a decision to let your words carry life and faith, especially to your loved ones. As parents, we need to be intentional to speak good words to our kids, never tear them down or discourage them.

We want to take responsibility for our speech and use our tongue to speak life to people, to encourage them and point them to Jesus. Our mouths should be a source of blessing to our spouses, parents, grandkids, friends and coworkers.

Lord Jesus, help me to use my mouth in a way that glorifies you and bring blessings to people around me. Forgive me for every word that has brought discouragement to others.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8 NIV

A Guest Devotion from Josephine Stenhammar

I wonder what comes to mind when you read the words ”holiness” and ”sanctification.” Maybe you think of legalism and a list of don’ts to restrict Christians.

Maybe you read the words, look at your own life, and feel a sense of guilt and shame. God never intended for that to be the case.

Being sanctified is simply a purification of our hearts and minds. In other words, our love and motives become directed at God. The Holy Spirit gives us a pure and devoted heart filled with the love of God.

As sinners, we will always battle the flesh, and we are divided in our love and desire for God and for the sinful world. While we will always fight sin, God wants to wash us and make us pure so that we will wholeheartedly desire only God. The temptations of the world are no longer binding to us because all we desire is the presence and glory of Jesus.

God makes us holy and set apart from the world, not through restricting us but through washing us and inviting us to focus our love and desire on Him instead. And, as we read in Mathew 5:8, this comes with a promise to see God!

When we allow Jesus to sanctify our hearts and make us pure, then we will see God! He removes the dirt that blocks the eyes of our heart so that we can then gaze upon his beauty all the days of our life, as the psalmist writes in Psalm 27:4. What a beautiful promise, and how I long for each of us to have this purified vision, love, and desire of God.

I want to encourage you to continue to ask Jesus to sanctify you today.

Lord Jesus, I want to love you with all of my heart. I want to desire you and long for your presence. Sanctify me and refine my heart today that I may see you. Amen.

“Be It To Me According to Your Word” – Two2Grow, May 22

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38a NKJV

God is not a bully. He will not force you to do something against your will. Rather, He invites you to partner with Him.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, sets an example of what it means to partner with God for the fulfillment of His will.

Many of us get nervous the moment her name is mentioned, fearing that we might end up worshiping her. But don’t be anxious—the Bible depicts Mary as blessed “among women” (Luke 1:42); she is not to be exalted above other humans.

In many ways, Mary models how we should live. Her response to the angel Gabriel, announcing that she would miraculously give birth to Jesus, sets the gold standard for all of us: “Be it to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

When God speaks to us, a hundred questions and a thousand fears can rise in our hearts. Doubts make us question whether we truly heard from God or if He will be faithful to His promise. But from Mary, we learn that we are to accept God’s Word and leave the consequences to Him.

Let her response set the tone for your walk with God. There is an old worship song based on Mary’s words. Why don’t you listen to it and let the Scriptures sink into your spirit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8sAzBTAVCU

Father, today I choose to partner with You and accept Your word and leave the consequences to You.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13 NKJV

My mother loves strong perfumes. When we had our first daughter, Josephine, I let grandma hold her for a while, and when she gave her back to me the baby no longer had that new-baby smell but now smelled like grandma!

That spoke to me. We are to let Jesus draw us close and carry us, to the point where his scent rubs off on us. So when we move around the brokenness, chaos, and pain in this world we carry the fragrance of Jesus.

As with my baby, we are not the source of the divine aroma. We cannot work for it or make it happen: it simply comes as a natural consequence of letting Jesus pick us up and carry us.

I love today’s text in Acts says that the enemies of Jesus looked at the disciples and were surprised at their boldness but then “they realized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13 NKJV). Being with Jesus leaves you with his smell and people will come to realize that.

The greatest joy in life is when people catch the smell of Jesus on us. I love it when people ask: “What’s so different about you?” Or “Why can you have peace in the midst of all that is happening?” Those questions mean that they smell Jesus on us. It comes naturally and you can’t hide it! Such moments invite us to share the love of God with people.

Why don’t you lift your hands and pray: Jesus, carry me today! And hold me so close that I pick up on your scent and send me out to spread it in this broken world.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? Ps. 139:7 NIV

The world we live in is filled with the presence of God. The answer to David’s questions in today’s Scripture is “nowhere,” because the Spirit is everywhere (see Ps 139:8–12).

Most people, even most Christians, don’t realize that or live like it is true. But when are eyes are opened to the presence of God all around us it changes everything.

I heard a preacher once say that the Holy Spirit could visit most churches and walk down the aisle with a red hat on, and people wouldn’t still recognize Him. Sadly, I think that’s true. But not just in churches. Even in our lives and homes we seldom are attentive to the Spirit’s presence.

It is important that we cultivate an awareness of God’s presence. Life is an adventure when your heart starts to open to the reality of us being in God’s world, where God is present and constantly at work. Whatever we do or wherever we are, we should make it a point to discern how the Lord is moving and what He is doing.

I’m not talking about becoming weird or turning out to be so spiritually minded that we become of no earthly good. The invitation to us is to live life to the fullest and, in that, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of life. Instead, the more aware we become of the presence of the Holy Spirit, the more like Jesus we will become.

Jesus was always sensitive to the presence of the Holy Spirit while, at the same time, He was someone people loved to be around. The fact that Jesus was invited to weddings and that children loved Him shows how relational and social He was. That tells me that the more sensitive I am to the Spirit, the more fully alive I will be at the same time.

The Holy Spirit will not just connect me to God but also help me relate to the people around me in a good way.

Father, teach me to become more sensitive to Your Spirit and increasingly aware of Your presence. Help me grow more like Jesus each day, and show me how to be more open and responsive to You today.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

“It is written… It is written again” Matthew 4:4, 7, NKJV

When facing the devil in the desert, Jesus used the Word of God as the sword of the Spirit and made the devil flee.

Jesus has shown us how to win against the devil’s lies and temptations. Notice how skilled Jesus was with the sword of the Word. He began by saying, “It is written,” but as the devil kept on, He could also declare, “It is written again!”

The devil doesn’t give up easily. I once heard about someone who always had something positive to say about everyone. He was asked if he could say anything positive about the devil, and he replied, “He sure is persistent!” That’s the truth. So we need to be even more persistent.

What we learn from Jesus is that, to be successful in our fight against the devil, we need to know the Bible so well that we can go from declaring “It is written,” to “It is written again.”
Yet many Christians sadly don’t know what is written in the first place and therefore fall to the devil’s temptations in the very first round. They haven’t spent the time being skilled with the sword of the Word. But those who have and know what is written again can wield the sword of the Spirit and overcome.

How do you become skilled with the sword of God’s Word?

• Love the Word.
• Read and listen to the Word.
• Make the Word a priority.
• Meditate on the Word.
• Study the Word.
• Talk about the Word.

Pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes and train you to resist the devil’s deceptions and attacks.

Holy Spirit, ignite in me a passion for the Word of God and help me to make room for the Word in my life and make me skilled in using the Word to make the devil flee.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. John 8:44b NKJV

We are in a constant conflict with the devil. That’s a fact. But it should not scare us, because Jesus crushed the head of the serpent on the cross. We are battling a defeated foe. Because he is defeated, the devil cannot just bully himself into your life and turn things into chaos. His sphere of authority and influence comes through lies and deception. That is why he is working overtime to make us believe a lie.

How has the devil been lying to you recently? Think about it for a second. The devil lies about God and about us. He tells us that God is not trustworthy and that we are either totally worthless or much better than anyone else.

Has he attacked your worth by telling you that your life is wasted, that the world would be better without you? Or has the serpent whispered lies that feed your ego? Has he been saying that God will fail you and that His promises to you will not be fulfilled? Many choose to embrace the devil’s lies rather than God’s truth.

Always remember: The devil is a liar but if the devil can’t deceive you, he can’t defeat you! So name the lies and replace them with the truth of God’s Word. Choose to believe the truth. Find the Scriptures that help you put your faith into words.

Another way to put the devil to flight is to share with a brother or sister how the devil is lying to you. I have noticed that often the moment you speak about the lies you are battling, they lose power over you. Sadly many wait too long to share with anyone what they are going through, and because of that, the lies of the devil get deep roots.

Holy Spirit, you are the Spirit of truth. Come and expose the lies of the devil in my life and help me to resist them with the truth of God’s Word.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

“One Day It Will All Make Sense” – May 17

"The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:24 NIV

Have you ever taken a step of faith and things didn’t turn out the way you expected? Maybe the Lord asked you to give a bit more money and then you ended up with some lack. Or God led you to change your career, only to find yourself in a hard place and missing your former job. Or to share a prophetic word with someone, but it didn’t go over well.

God has led Emelie and me to take life-altering and sometimes crazy-looking steps of faith in life. One particular time we had heard Jesus call us to walk on water, and we did, but it made life very difficult. We had turned down attractive job and ministry opportunities and thought that God would open greater doors. Yet we found ourselves in a tight spot, wondering where God was and why things didn’t work out. People who looked at our lives thought we had missed God. But we knew we had heard His voice.

One day, as Emelie was driving and lamenting to God (it is biblical to protest to God!), she heard the Holy Spirit saying, “It takes faith to believe that one day it will all make sense.” And as always is the case, when the Lord speaks it comes with new strength to believe. This brought new faith and joy to us. Now several years later, we see exactly what God meant. Every step we had taken made sense and had been seeds God used for a future harvest.

Know that the God who called you is faithful. He will not lead you into a wilderness and leave you there. It can look like He took you to a cul-de-sac, or that the choices you have made for Him have made you lose out. Don’t worry—one day it will all make sense, and your story will bring Him glory.

Father, thank You that You are faithful and that You have good plans for my life. Forgive me when I doubt You and help me today to trust that You are working even when I can’t see it, and give me hope that one day I will look back and give You glory.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?  2 Corinthians 2:15–16 NLT

Did you know that spiritually speaking you carry a certain smell? Paul writes about how we as followers of Jesus are to carry the “aroma of Christ” that brings pleasure to God and brings eternity to mind in the people we meet.

There is something interesting with smells. We don’t have to say or do anything, we just carry it around us; our odor is part of us. So what kind of spiritual aroma do you effuse to God and those around you? When you enter your work place in the morning or meet up with friends at a coffee shop, what’s your smell?

Not every believer brings the aroma of Christ! Rather many of us carry an aroma of anger and bitterness arising from past pains and disappointments. Or we carry a smell of arrogance and pride rooted in achievements and ambitions. Some carry an aroma of shame and self-depreciation often connected with a poor self-image and deep-seated fears.

Instead of all those ugly smells of negativity and darkness, your call is to carry the fragrance of heaven. Think of the perfume of heaven as a beautiful mix of faith, hope, and love.

Pray today that Jesus will pour the Holy Spirit on you so that you get washed from the smell of your sins and your broken past and instead get anointed with the sweet fragrance of Jesus and God’s new world. People will notice the difference and God will be glorified!

Jesus, purify me today from the foul smell of this fallen world so that I may carry the fragrance of heaven.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21 NIV

Have you ever been lost? I mean where you literally do not know where you are or how to get to where you need to go. It is a strange and unsettling feeling.

Once I was walking alone in a large African city and I got lost (this was before smartphones and GPS). As the sun started to set, I knew that it would soon become quite dangerous. I prayed, and right away I was reminded of something I had overheard: if you ever get lost in that city—which was easy to do—always look for the large antenna on the main post office, which was in the middle of the city. So I found a place with a clear view, and I was able to spot the antenna, navigate accordingly, and finally make it home safely.

To be physically lost, like I was, is one thing. To be spiritually lost and not know what God’s will is—that is a whole different story.

Today’s text from Book of Isaiah 30:21 is a life verse for me and Emelie. We have seen many times how, when we walk off the narrow road, the Holy Spirit gets our attention and lovingly directs us back on course.

It is such a comfort to know that you are not alone on this journey and that the Holy Spirit is always there to guide us. Open the ears of your heart so that you can hear the Spirit’s still small voice directing your steps.

Holy Spirit, you are my guide. Today I look to you for direction. Help me stay in step with you and show me the areas where I am missing your best for my life.

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:34–35 NLT
 
God has great plans for your life, plans to make your life meaningful and fruitful. God wants to use you to show Himself as the loving and liberating God He is.

One way God does that is to allow us to get into situations where our response becomes like Mary’s when she heard the news that she would have Jesus: “But how can this happen?” From a natural point of view, she had every reason to know why God’s Word could not be fulfilled in her.

She must have thought that the angel Gabriel had gotten the wrong address! Have you ever felt like that when God has spoken to you? Maybe He has given you a dream or a promise that is so far out from where you are that you feel like you do when you get a letter in your mailbox for someone else: “return to sender.” Instead of rejecting God’s plans, embrace and accept them.

Are you facing something that looks impossible? Perhaps a problem in your workplace, a relationship that has gone bad, an inner wound that you sense can never be healed, a financial obligation that you lack the resources to meet, or a health challenge that is beyond medical hope. It can be many things.

God’s answer to Mary is the same in every single instance: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you.” So in whatever you are facing today, look away from the problem and from the reasons why it cannot be solved, and look to the Holy Spirit who will empower you and do a creative miracle.

Holy Spirit, You who fulfilled God’s impossible promise to Mary, I look to You. Come and fill me right now with power and work out Your purposes so that my life will glorify You.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. Luke 2:25 NIV

The culture we live in is an instant gratification culture with easy access to everything. We have instant coffee, fast food, and microwaves. With Internet and streaming services like Netflix, we can binge-watch all the episode of our favorite series. With credit cards and Amazon Prime the stuff we want can be at our doorstep within hours. We don’t like to wait. What we desire we want to have now.

Because we live in this consumer culture that privileges instant gratification, we also think that the closer we get to God the faster things will move. Yet what we learn from the story of Simeon is that God’s economy works very differently.

Simeon was an anointed, righteous and devout believer—who had to wait! We are not told how long he had to wait but I’m sure it was more than just a day or two. Possibly for years. The Bible says that “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah” (Luke 2:26).

We learn from Simeon that being Spirit-filled and waiting are not opposites. Walking closely with the Lord and waiting on the Lord go hand in hand. So don’t be discouraged if you feel that things are not moving as fast you would like them to. God has not forgotten about you. Keep your course and you will see the fulfillment of God’s promises in God’s time, just as Simeon.

Jesus, give me the strength to wait for the fulfillment of Your promises, even when it seems to take a long time. Help me not to lose hope, but to trust that one day I, like Simeon, will embrace the fulfillment of Your promise.

“The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” 1 Corinthians 6:13 NIV

We are used to hearing that God loves us, but have you ever stopped to reflect on which parts of you God really loves?

I have found that many Christians think that God loves their soul and spirit—their inner being—but have not really thought about whether God loves their bodies or not. This is where we need to let Scripture shape our understanding: God is for your body! In other words, God loves you—all of you. God loves your body as much as He loves your soul and spirit. Your body matters to God because He created it, redeemed it, and desires to glorify Himself through it.

What difference does it make? It makes a world of difference because when you embrace the truth that God is for your body, it will affect your choices and actions.

At one point I was doing all the right things when it came to my spiritual walk with God: I read the Bible, I prayed, I went to church, I tithed, and so on, yet I sensed that I was missing something in my walk with God. All that changed when I realized that taking care of my body is an act of worship too. So being good stewards through our food choices, getting proper exercise, and getting enough rest become ways we honor God. I know that it can be hard, but the Holy Spirit is there to help and empower us.

When I talk about the need to take care of our bodies, I believe we must be careful so that worldly body images do not creep into our churches and we end up with body shaming. We must also resist the temptation to make our church stages catwalks, where beauty, sex appeal, youth, and physical perfection are exalted. Rather, taking care of our bodies is about being good stewards, honoring God, and being able to run the race of faith.

Father, thank You for the gift of my body. Holy Spirit, show me areas where I need to do better in taking care of myself and give me the power to do it.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” John 21:22 NIV

In Jesus’s reply to the inquisitive Peter, who wondered about the future of John, we see that it is Jesus who makes the final decision in our lives.

There is a worship song especially popular in Africa that captures the ultimate power of Jesus. It says,

“When Jesus say ‘Yes’ nobody can say ‘No’”.

One time I had a health crisis and passed out in traffic, but the Lord rescued me. The night after that event I woke up with the presence of the Holy Spirit filling the room and I thanked God for saving me. I will never forget what I sensed Jesus telling me: “Mikael, the devil tried to take your life, but I said ‘no’”. The whole experience energized my faith and helped me realize how foolish it is to be afraid.
 
We live under Jesus’s “yes” over our lives! Think about that for a moment. Is that not wonderful? Today you are alive because the Lord is saying “yes” over you.

Rest in the reality that no person, no institution, no devil in hell can change Jesus’s “yes”. When the devil wants to mess with us and Jesus says “no”,  there is nothing the enemy can do about it!

Realizing that we live under Jesus’s “Yes” is the beginning of radical faith and the end of all fear.

Thank you Jesus that today I am alive under your “yes”. Help me realize your greatness so that I can face my future with your love and free from worry and fear.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

"His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’" – Matthew 25:21 (NIV)

I have never met anybody who wanted to be a failure. I think all of us want to be successful. God has placed in us a desire to set goals and achieve them. We want to feel that we are accomplishing something significant and worthwhile with our lives.

But this is where we need to be very careful because this fallen world celebrates success and has its own way of measuring whether someone is a winner or a loser: money, fame, sex appeal, IQ, connections, influence, relationships, number of followers on social media and so on.

But we belong to another kingdom, and God’s kingdom has its own success metric! And we will be measured by that. The Babylonian king Belteshazzar scored high on measures of worldly success. But when measured by the metric of God’s kingdom, the message was: “You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting” (Daniel 5:27, NIV). Many will hear the same when Jesus returns!

Success in the kingdom of God is measured by only one thing: faithfulness. Are you faithful to Jesus? Does your life show covenantal faithfulness and are you submitted to God’s word? Do you obey the leading of the Holy Spirit? Are you faithfully pursuing God’s assignment for your life? The goal is to hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
Resist the temptation to measure success by the standards of this world. Live faithfully for Jesus every day, and one day you will hear: “You have been weighed on the scales and found approved!”

Jesus, forgive me when I live according to the standards of success in this fallen age, and transform my desires, actions, and thoughts so that I may live faithfully to You.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. Psalm 139:14 (NKJV)

Did you know that the most dangerous place in your home is in front of the mirror?
I heard of a pastor who, when people from his church moved into new homes came and prayed for the presence of God to fill the house (I like that). What especially struck me was that he anointed all bathroom mirrors with oil, because he said that that is the place where the devil works overtime. (I’m not saying we must literally anoint the mirrors—but it wouldn’t hurt either. I think you get my point.)

In our technological age it isn’t just the mirrors that are dangerous places, but we need to include our smartphones, because selfies and photos are often ways the devil attacks our self-image and robs us of a sense of value and self-esteem.

Friend, you need accept the reality that you are created beautiful. Period. You carry the image of God. If you can decide, once and for all, to accept the way you look and that to God you are beautiful you have will have a super power! The emotional energy, time, and money that you otherwise would have to spend obsessing about some physical feature could now be directed toward the kingdom of God.

So, my advice is to take a whiteboard marker, go to your mirror and write “God’s marvelous work” (or something like that that reminds you of how God sees you). Agree with what God says about you and say it aloud every time you see yourself. When you do that for some time you will notice that things start to change.

Father, thank you that you created me beautiful. Help me to accept that as a fact and not listen to the lies of the devil.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. Psalm 147:10–11 (NIV)

Have you ever looked at yourself and thought that what you have to offer is not good enough?

When I joined the military after high school, we had some very tough physical exams to do, with long marches carrying heavy gear, running long distances, field training in very harsh conditions etc. I was a mama’s boy and not used to hard exercises, and I was really worried that I would fail. One evening in the dormitory I was fearful, I read my Bible, and the Holy Spirit spoke to me through this verse, reassuring me that if I put my hope and love in Him, He would help me. And God did! I passed all my tests and even graduated at the very top of my class—they even tried to recruit me to be a full-time officer. But I felt God’s call to join the Lord’s army instead as a minister!

Have you ever felt that your abilities, physical strength, mental capacity, material resources, or wisdom were lacking? We might think that God is disappointed that we are not stronger, more able, richer, smarter, cooler, or more capable. But know that God created you the way you are—warts and all—and what He is looking for is that you love Jesus more than life itself and that you are willing to trust Him no matter what. Your weakness is no hindrance to God!

When you make a faith-decision to fear God and put your hope in His unfailing love and not focus on your weaknesses, God will fill you with His power. I have seen it over and over again. And so will you!

Heavenly Father, today I choose to lift my eyes away from my weakness and limitations and turn them toward You. I thank You for filling me with the power of the Holy Spirit to do all that You have called me to do today.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

Discern the Seasons – Two2Grow, May 7

"To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven"
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV

A key principle to live the Spirit-filled life is to discern what time it is and in what kind of season God has us living in.

Today you might be doing the right thing, but what leaves you frustrated and unfulfilled is that you haven’t discerned the right timing.

At one time the Lord called Emelie and me to do something that took a lot of faith and courage. We uprooted our family and moved to another country and began ministering there. But the results were very discouraging, and I saw very little fruit from all the effort and sacrifice. After three years of working and battling in my mind if I was doing something wrong, I talked with an elderly theologian who also is seasoned servant of God. He said, “Mikael, it sounds to me that you expect to be in a harvest-season while you actually are in season of sowing.” His words resonated with my spirit and opened my eyes to the fact that I had misread what season it was.

Because I thought it was harvest-time, I expected to see some great results. But when I adjusted my perspective, God’s peace and presence flooded my heart and I got strength to continue pressing onward with sowing the Word of God. I wasn’t doing anything wrong; I just had missed what time it was.

There are times of sowing and times of reaping. I encourage you to seek the Lord to know what season you are in right now. When you study Scripture you will notice that there are seasons of testing, where God allows our faith to be strengthened by facing hardships and spiritual battles. Yet there are also seasons of peace and abundance, where we our cup overflows with blessings for us and other others and where we can celebrate God’s provisions. Regardless of what season you are in, the good news is God is right there with you and will see you through.
 
Lord Jesus, help me to discern what season I’m in right now and give me the strength and courage to live in it.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

Choose Your Friends Carefully – Two2Grow, May 6

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)
 
Have you ever thought about how your friends affect your relationship with God? Some of our friends aren’t good for us. One of Satan’s tactics is to try to get us entangled with relationships that are hurtful and that brings us down. People who lead us into temptation, who criticize our love for the Lord and who pour water on our passion to live out and out for God.

I have seen this pattern many times: The moment someone starts to get serious with Jesus, they want change priorities and to reorient their life towards the kingdom of God, usually a close friend will bring discouragements. Or, say, a young man or girl is setting their heart on following Jesus, out of nowhere comes an unsaved romance with an attractive person that quenches their first love for Jesus. Or when someone sense a call to become a missionary, going to other cultures, peoples, and nations to share the gospel, they get discouraged because their friends don’t believe in them or even talk them out of it.

At almost every step of faith in our lives, Emelie and I have had people close to us who discouraged and criticized what we thought was of the Lord. Had we listened to them, we would have missed the will of God for our lives.

Jesus also had friends and family members who didn’t believe in him (Mark 3:21; Luke 4:16–30). Had Jesus followed their lead, he would not have fulfilled the Father’s plan of salvation.
At times you must get out of relationships that are distracting to you. That is painful and costly. But sometimes necessary. The Holy Spirit will give you the strength to do it and you will see how the Lord will provide new and better friends.

Lord Jesus, I pray that you lead me to good friends that will help me walk closer to you.

Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD

Maybe you are facing problems that, in the natural, look impossible to overcome. I know the feeling. This is where we need to remember that God is not limited by how this world operates. When you look at how the power structures of this world function—the institutions that control finances or job opportunities, boards that vote, insurance companies that make evaluations, and so on—you can feel very small, thinking that what God has told you is impossible and will never happen.
When the three visitors came to Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 18), they promised that Sarah would give birth to a son. Sarah laughed at the thought because there was no way, in the natural, that it could ever happen.
Have you ever looked at your circumstances and compared them with the dream God put in your heart? And the only response is to laugh at the big discrepancy!
We shouldn’t judge Sarah too harshly. It is a natural human reaction to laugh when we encounter things that differ by light-years from our present reality. I would also laugh if someone told me that one year from now I would sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl or win the Nobel Prize in Physics (not that any of that is part of my dream—just saying!).
We should never forget whose children we are. We are God’s children, and “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” The answer is a resounding “N-O-T-H-I-N-G”! The word “impossible” isn’t in God’s dictionary!
When we face something that looks completely impossible, we look to Jesus, and he will tell us, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).
Lord Jesus, help me today to lift my eyes from the circumstances that cause me to be discouraged and instead look to you, because for you nothing is impossible.

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” John 13:7 NIV

As followers of Jesus, we will sooner or later end up in situations where we don’t understand what He is doing. Have you ever been there? Maybe you are in such a place right now. It is a hard place to be. Sometimes, it’s not that the Lord is doing something we don’t understand, but rather that we feel He isn’t doing anything at all—that He is sleeping while our boat is being tossed by the waves!

Let’s settle this once and for all: Jesus will often act in our lives in ways we don’t understand! We must learn to live with that. Being in such a place is a test of our allegiance to Him. A true disciple has confidence in their King to do what is best, even when it doesn’t seem to make any sense to us.

But that doesn’t mean that Jesus acts randomly, without purpose or reason. God has an amazing plan for you. When Peter didn’t understand why Jesus needed to wash his feet, Jesus told him, “Later you will understand.” That is a promise from God. Take it today as your now-word. Tell the Lord, “I thank you, Jesus, that one day, all this will make sense!” By doing so, you are professing your trust that God is in control and will work things out.
As you faithfully keep following Jesus, He will put the pieces together in ways that will blow your mind and fill your heart with awe and praise. I have experienced that over and over again, and you will also have a story to tell.

Jesus, I pray that you give me the strength to trust you today even if what I am going through doesn’t make sense.