Month: March 2024

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“I am the one who raises the dead and gives them life again. Anyone who believes in me, even though he dies like anyone else, shall live again. He is given eternal life for believing in me and shall never perish.”  John 11:25-26 (TLB)

The resurrection of Jesus changed everything. It literally split history into A.D. and B.C. It’s the most important event in human history. And it proves three things.

First, the resurrection proves that Jesus is exactly who he claimed to be. He repeatedly said he was the Son of God who came to die for our sins. And he did just that. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the most well-documented events in history. It would stand up in any court of law. In fact, it has many, many times throughout centuries.

The apostle Paul said, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8 NIV).

Second, the resurrection proves that Jesus keeps his promises. Jesus told his disciples that he would “be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Matthew 16:21 NIV). Because Jesus kept that promise, you can trust the other promises in the Word of God. The Bible says, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. . . . [He] set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 1:20, 22 NIV).

Third, the resurrection proves that there is life after death. Because of Jesus Christ’s resurrection, we have hope for the future. And it is a hope that will not disappoint (see Romans 5:5). Jesus said, “I am the one who raises the dead and gives them life again. Anyone who believes in me, even though he dies like anyone else, shall live again. He is given eternal life for believing in me and shall never perish” (John 11:25-26 TLB).

Where else are you going to get a promise like that? Nowhere! Who else can give that to you? No one! If you don’t get it from Jesus, you won’t have it. That is an amazing benefit, and it’s available to you today. What’s the qualification? You must believe.

The Bible says, “This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life’” (Romans 1:17 NLT). God’s Word also says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

The Good News is that the death and resurrection of Jesus give us access to God. In other words, we can only get to heaven by trusting in God through his Son, Jesus Christ. “God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us ‘not guilty’—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like” (Romans 3:22 TLB).

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  Matthew 11:29 (NLT)

Everyone wants to know the antidote to anxiety because we all experience it. We live in stressful times and rest for our bodies and souls seems elusive.

But it’s not a secret: Jesus wants you to worry less and trust him more. He says in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (NLT).

After you come to Jesus and let him share your load, he wants you to learn from him. Why? Because Jesus is never in a hurry. He sets a pace that comes from a gentle and humble heart that is meant to bring life and not weariness. Jesus modeled for us how to live with peace and purpose, and following his example is how we refill our spiritual and emotional tanks. Watch how he lived, and do it the way he did.

Learning how to live like Jesus is a process. You don’t learn it overnight because you didn’t develop your overloaded lifestyle overnight. But no matter how long it takes, you’re going to learn to trust him.

You’ll learn from Jesus how to be gentle and humble. But how is that going to help you? Gentleness and humility don’t seem like the natural cure for being stressed out and tired. Maybe you would expect him to say, “Learn from me, and I’ll teach you how to have endurance and stamina.”

Jesus wants you to learn to be gentle and humble because aggression and arrogance are two of the biggest causes of stress and emptiness in life.

Aggression is when we don’t want to wait for anything, and we get over-committed. It’s the opposite of gentleness.

Arrogance is when we try to control everything. Our ego is responsible for more stress and arrogance in our lives than we realize.

The antidote to the two biggest causes of stress in your life is gentleness and humility. You learn them by reminding yourself every day that you are not God and you are not anybody’s savior.

Spend time with Jesus, and you’ll see how gentleness and humility lead to rest.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:29-30 (NIV)

Are you feeling overloaded? You may be trying to control things too much. We do it all the time, sometimes without realizing it. Even when we don’t try to, we act subconsciously as if it all depends on us. We have to hold everything together. We have to make it all happen.

The greater your need to control things, the more overloaded, stressed, and empty you’re going to be in life. You have to learn to give up control!

When you come to Jesus because you’re running on empty, this is the next step of obedience: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30 NIV).

When you get fed up, it’s time to give up control.

A yoke is not the middle of an egg (that’s a yolk) but the wooden frame that you put over two animals so they can pull a piece of farm equipment together. When you already feel like you’re carrying a heavy load, taking on Jesus’ yoke may sound like more of a burden. Why would you want to take on a different yoke and keep pulling?

The purpose of a yoke is to lighten the load, not to make a heavier load. Sharing a yoke means sharing the load you’re carrying. When two animals team up together, it makes the load lighter, not heavier.

When you’re not yoked to Jesus, you can easily move at a pace that’s too fast and go off in a ditch. But if you’re yoked to him, then there’s no way he’s going to let you outpace yourself, and he’s not going to let you go off in a ditch.

A yoke makes the load lighter, and it keeps you from getting in trouble. Galatians 5:25 says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (NIV).

You keep in step with God’s Spirit by being yoked to Jesus—partnering with him and letting him set the pace. Jesus was never in a hurry, and you won’t be either when you’re connected to him.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Come to me and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (CEV)

When Jesus says, “Come to me and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 CEV), what kind of rest is he talking about?

Jesus offers a rest for your soul that’s much deeper than physical rest—because he knows that the problem you need help with right now is probably not overworked muscles.

When you come to Jesus in your emptiness, what you probably have is an overloaded mind, soul, and spirit. You need rest not just from physical work but from tension, stress, anxiety, hurry, and worry. You need the kind of rest that can’t come from taking a good nap or going on vacation.

Most people have a way to unwind when they’re physically tired that’s different from how they unwind when they’re emotionally and spiritually exhausted. Maybe when you’re tired, you watch a movie or spend time on your phone. Maybe you have to lie down, or maybe you need a walk outside. Maybe you choose to spend time with friends, or maybe it’s better for you to be alone.

Those can all be good things—but none of them can restore your soul.

Only God can restore your soul. That’s why, when you have soul emptiness, soul depression, or soul overload, Jesus wants you to come to him.

Isaiah 40:29 says, “He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak” (TLB).

When you’re empty inside, culture says you need to do more. You need to make more money, get more things, do more things, travel more places. Go, go, go. More, more, more. But that’s the very reason you’re empty!

Jesus wants you to do the opposite: Don’t go. Come to him—and come just as you are.

Your soul will never find rest in anything the world has to offer. That’s because your soul was not created to be filled by anything in this world.

You were made for God, and you only find real rest when you bring your weary soul to him.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (CEV)

Nothing is going to change in your life until you get dissatisfied with it. You have to come to the point where you say, “I’m not going to live this way anymore. I’ve had enough. I’m going to change. I’m going to do something about the way I feel.”

Sometimes it’s just too easy to put up with everything you’re going through, even when you don’t like it, simply because it’s familiar.

It’s uncomfortable and maybe even painful—but it’s not new.

When you do finally reach the point of desperation because you’re fed up with your circumstances and choices and the way they affect you and others, you need to go straight to Jesus.

What does Jesus say when we come to him with an emptiness in our lives—an empty soul, an empty heart, empty of character? How does he respond when we tell him that we have nothing to give?

He doesn’t scold us or judge us. He doesn’t bring us down or tell us to figure it out. He does the exact opposite.

Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30, “If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light” (CEV).

As a pastor for over 40 years, I’ve talked to thousands of people, and I’ve discovered only three things that cause people to change: pain, perspective, and having no other choice.

Most people don’t change until you feel the heat. There is no breakthrough until you have the breakdown! We all come to a point where there is a breakdown of our pride, our arrogance, and our self-sufficiency when we realize we can’t do it on our own—and that we don’t have to.

A breakdown is always the door to a breakthrough. Come to Jesus, and let him refill you with the power of the Holy Spirit and the hope of your salvation. He will never turn you away.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard? The LORD is the everlasting God; he created all the world. He never grows tired or weary.” Isaiah 40:28 (GNT)

The bigger the changes that happen in your life, the more time you need to spend with God.

That time with God is called a quiet time. You read the Bible, talk to God in prayer, and are quiet so you can listen to what God wants to say to you.

When you’re stressed out, time alone with God is the great stabilizer in your life. It’s also the greatest re-energizer when you’re worn out. We’ve all gone through a lot of stress the last few years, and some of us don’t have as much energy as we used to. Chronic stress has drained us as so much in our lives has changed.

Are you feeling fatigued? That’s natural. It’s what chronic stress does to our bodies. No matter how much sleep we get at night, we wake up tired or start to drag a few hours into the day. If you feel like you’re just trying to get by, you are not alone.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, stressed out, and like you’re barely hanging on, then you need to remember Isaiah 40:28: “Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard? The LORD is the everlasting God; he created all the world. He never grows tired or weary” (GNT).

God created the entire universe in six days—and he only rested on the seventh day to model a Sabbath for us. He never gets tired! He is never overwhelmed or worn out. He never gets stressed. He can handle anything—including all the things you can’t.

If you spend more time with God, who never grows tired or weary, then you’re going to have more energy. Spending time with God is not a burden or a drudgery or a drain—it’s the opposite! He gives strength to those who are weary. He gives peace and rest.

If you’re stressed, don’t seek a quick fix. Don’t look for a shortcut. Don’t fight changes that you can’t possibly control. Instead, spend time with God every day.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Genesis 50:20 (NLT)

Remember the story of Joseph?

His brothers were jealous because he was the favorite son, so they sold Joseph into slavery. He was taken to Egypt, and for the first 40 years of his life, everything went wrong. He was sold into slavery, falsely accused of rape, and thrown in jail for a crime he didn’t commit.

For 40 years, nothing seemed to go right for Joseph—but God put Joseph exactly where he wanted him to be. He knew that Joseph would be raised up to become the second most powerful leader in Egypt, the most powerful nation in the world at that time. And because of that, Joseph was able to save Egypt and Israel from famine.

Not only did he save two nations from starvation, but he also saved his family—the ones who sold him into slavery. When his brothers appeared before him, Joseph could have confronted them and punished them for what they did to him.

But what was Joseph’s attitude toward his brothers? He treated them with grace, not bitterness. He was able to do that because he saw God’s greater perspective and purpose. He knew God could use even the biggest hurts in our lives for good.

Joseph said to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people” (Genesis 50:20 NLT). God took the terrible sin of Joseph’s brothers and used it to eventually save many people.

There will always be people in your life who have bad intentions, who will resent you, criticize you, and hurt you. There will be times when you are the innocent victim of someone else’s sin. There is no way around it.

You may not understand it—but you don’t have to! You can trust that God sees, he cares, and he will have justice. Like Joseph, maybe you can’t change your circumstances. And maybe you’re wondering how you’re going to make it through or what God is doing.

God can use everything, good or bad, to accomplish his purposes. His good plan to grow your character and make you more like Jesus will not be changed by other people. What others intend for bad, he will use for good.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”  Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

God’s purpose in every change in your life is to make you more like Jesus.

The promise of Romans 8:28 is wonderful: “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (NLT). But it doesn’t make sense until you read the next verse: “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son” (Romans 8:29 NLT).

God doesn’t just want you in his family. He also wants you to develop the family characteristics of a child of God. He wants you to grow spiritually. And your model for maturity is Jesus Christ.

So what is Jesus like? The best picture of Jesus’ character is the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (ESV).

God produces that kind of fruit in you by putting you in situations full of the exact opposite circumstances, where you get a chance to learn and practice these character qualities.

You don’t learn kindness when you’re around the nicest people; you don’t learn contentment when you have everything you want. So when God teaches you how to love, he doesn’t put you around people who are easy to love; he puts you around unlovable people.

Anybody can be happy when everything’s going their way. But God teaches you true joy in the middle of suffering and grief and heartbreak.

It’s easy to be peaceful when there is no struggle in your life. When God teaches you peace, he’ll allow chaos and conflict in your life to teach you the peace that passes understanding.

How does God teach you patience? By placing you in long line at the Department of Motor Vehicles or at a delayed doctor appointment. Anytime you have to wait, God is teaching you patience to make you more like Jesus.

Change is not always easy, but the big and small ways you’re growing in spiritual maturity will make it worth it.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”  Romans 8:28 (NLT)

Most people don’t know that I am a “master” cake builder (my family, at least, thinks I am).

Years ago, I decided to learn how to bake cakes. I figured that, if I wanted to eat them, I ought to know how to make them. One of my favorite creations was one of the more difficult cakes to make: a German chocolate cake made from scratch for my wife’s birthday.

Making cakes has made me appreciate that the individual ingredients for a cake don’t taste good at all on their own. Some of them are quite bitter. If you eat flour by itself, it doesn’t taste good. If you eat baking powder or raw egg or oil by itself, you’ll be grossed out. Even the vanilla by itself doesn’t taste good—none of the ingredients do! But if you mix them all together and bake it, it’s delicious.

One of the greatest promises of the Bible is in Romans 8:28: “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (NLT).

Notice that verse does not say that everything is good. A quick look at the news headlines proves that isn’t true. And it doesn’t say this promise is for everyone—just those who love God. The way God works all things together for good is kind of like baking a cake.

In your life and in the world, there will be elements that are bitter and unpleasant. You might think, “That doesn’t taste good. I don’t like that change in my life. I don’t like what’s happening in the world today.”

When you’re in a season of rapid and relentless change, and some of the elements don’t taste good, determine that you will not become bitter by seeing only the negative in your circumstances. Because even when you can’t see it, you can trust that God takes it all—the good and the bitter—and uses it for his good plan.

You can’t see it now, but you will taste its sweetness in heaven one day.