Rejecting the Den of Thieves
Jesus went up to Jerusalem at Passover and entered the temple (see John 2:13-17). What he saw appalled him. Merchants had taken over the house of God! He came seeking a house of prayer, and what he found was a preoccupation with the promotion, display and sale of religious merchandise. The religious leaders were counting…
When Does Christ Suffer Most?
Jesus loved Lazarus, and he also dearly loved Lazarus’ two sisters, Mary and Martha. Their home was an oasis for the Son. We know Lazarus and his family loved Jesus, but the scriptures are most emphatic in pointing out Christ’s love for them. “Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick” (John 11:3, NKJV). “When…
Christ Has Won the Battle
In recent months, I have read many sad, pitiful letters from believers who are still bound by sinful habits. Multitudes of struggling Christians write, “I can’t stop gambling… I’m in the grips of an alcohol addiction… I’m having an affair, and I can’t break it off… I’m a slave to pornography.” In letter after letter,…
What’s the Real Struggle?
What is the struggle that you have for your people or for yourself? Are you struggling over the fact that you’re not getting much (or any) recognition, or your church isn’t growing enough, or you’re struggling to be known? Are you struggling to be recognized, or are you struggling to find a place in ministry?…
What Is True Compassion?
The word ‘compassion’ means sympathy, pity, an inner moving or yearning that moves one into doing something about a situation. Unfortunately, sometimes compassion fails to be the undergirding reason why people move toward the mountains of human need. Instead, our motive may be to prove a theological point or even an inner obligation to prove…
On the Mount of His Presence
God’s prophet wrote, “Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; he will teach us his ways, and we shall walk in his paths.’…” (Isaiah 2:3, NKJV), and “Even them I will bring to my holy mountain,…
God’s Gift to His Son
I can scarcely take it in when I read these words, “And the glory which you gave me I have given them, that they may be one just as we are one: I in them, and you in me; that they may be made perfect in one…” (John 17:22-23, NKJV). Think of it. We have…
The Love of the Father
I wonder how many of God’s people today can sincerely cry out to our blessed Lord, “Glorify me with thyself! Bring me into oneness. I yearn to be closer, more intimate. Master, it is you that I want. More than signs or wonders, I must have your presence!” When Jesus prayed for all believers, he…
The Glory of God
No man can rightly define God’s glory any more than a man can define him. Glory is the fullness of God, and that is a subject too high for our finite minds. However, we do know in part. When God gives his glory, he gives himself. The one who receives his love also gets his…
What Actually Is ‘The Faith’?
Often believers don’t distinguish between faith and ‘The Faith.’ They may not sound like different things, and many believers treat them like they are the same, but they really are not. In scripture, we see a faith that believes in God for prayers to be answered and God’s presence to come down on us. Many…