Just Before Victory
If we are suffering, it may be that God is working things out for us in his own way. These times in our lives are often when God is unfolding a master plan known only to him.
Investing in Morals or Hearts?
If Christians are invested more in changing the morals of a nation than in people’s hearts turning to God, we are living under a theology of man’s glory rather than a theology of the cross.
Divine Power in Our Lives
I was counseling someone who was having problems in his marriage. Truth be told, he was acting obnoxious, and he was verbally abusing his wife. I finally said to him, “Do you respect me? Are you willing to listen to me?” He responded, “Do I respect you? I’ve been coming here nine years. Everything I…
God’s Military Outpost in Us
Peter said, “[We] are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5, NKJV). I see in this a prophecy that in these last days God is once more going to reveal his keeping power to his people. Christ prayed to the Father…
Kept by the Lord of Hosts
Old Testament saints knew God in a way we know very little about. They knew him as the Lord of hosts! God is referred to by this name more than 200 times in the Old Testament. This majestic title resonates throughout the psalms. – “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob…
The Lord Is Your Protector
A thrilling Old Testament story in 2 King 6 best illustrates what it means to be kept by the power of God. Ben-hadad, king of Syria, declared war on Israel and marched against them with a great army. As his forces advanced, he often called his war counsel together to plan the next day’s strategy.…
Be Still and Know
David tells us in the psalms that it is God who makes wars to end and adds, “Be still and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10, NKJV). The Hebrew word for ‘still’ is raphah , which means to cease, let alone, become weak, feeble. It is from the root rapha , which means to…
The Shame that Defeats
The reason God frequently emphasizes in his Word that our identity comes from him is that our own mental abilities are grossly unreliable. History shows us that the human intellect is astonishing in what it can imagine and discern and create. Despite that, we are often unable to filter out words and thoughts that infect…
Right Place at the Right Time
When Jesus was born, it was epic. The magi were heading to the place where Jesus was. They’d come to worship him and bring him gifts. One of my favorite descriptions of their arrival is in verse 10 of the Message paraphrase: “They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!”…
God’s Goal for Us Is Peace
God’s ultimate goal for all his children is abundant life. He never intended for us to go through life focused on our sins and failures. The good news is that we serve a God of absolute love and mercy who desires to bring his children into a place high above all turmoil. However, we cannot…