A Baptism of Humility
Paul knew some Judaizers had come to the early church and had told them, “Don’t listen to Paul. He’s a chump.” So he had to write and defend himself, as he often did. “You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first,” —this is a humble…
What Does It All Mean?
What does it all mean when prayers go unanswered? When hurts linger and God seems to be doing nothing in response to our faith? Often God is loving us more supremely at that time than ever before. The Word says, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens” (Hebrews 12:6, NKJV). A chastening of love takes…
We Are Too Earthbound
Have you noticed there is very little talk nowadays about heaven or about leaving this old world behind? Instead, we are bombarded with messages on how to use our faith to acquire more things. “The next revival,” said one well-known teacher, “will be a financial revival. God is going to pour out financial blessing on…
Freedom from Sin’s Slavery
Faith is something you do based on what you know. Knowledge means nothing unless it is acted upon. Consider this example. The children of Israel received the good word that God had given them Canaan for a homeland. That information would have meant nothing at all to them, though, if they had remained in Egypt…
The Cure for Hopelessness
A lack of belief in who God says he is often results in a very unproductive life for believers. For example, God says that he’s good, but we often still question, “Is he really good?” That question can lead to a lot of despair when we contemplate the future or the struggles in our lives.…
The Blink Generation
Many Christians read the Bible regularly, believing it is God’s revealed Word for their lives. Over and over in the pages of scripture, they read about generations who heard the voice of God. They read of God speaking to his people with this phrase repeated time after time: “And God said…” However, many of these…
The Revelation that Fear Gives
I have a friend who hit a point where he didn’t know what was going to happen with his job, ministry or anything that was about to take place in his life. Around that time, he wrote to me and said, “My wife and I were in a meeting in New York City, and I…
You Cannot Carry Your Own Cross
“Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.’” (Matthew 16:24, NKJV). However, Jesus could not carry his cross all alone, and neither can you! It may sound almost sacrilegious to suggest Jesus did not carry his own cross, but…
What the Cross Teaches Us
Jesus is not in the drafting business; his army is all volunteer. You can be a believer without carrying a cross, but you cannot be a disciple. I see many believers have opted for the good life with its prosperity, material gain, popularity and success. I’m sure that many of them will make it to…
God Has Emergency Plans
No matter how unsettled the world becomes, God’s people can relax and keep their joy flowing because our Lord has promised special protection when it is most needed. Didn’t God have an emergency plan for the children of Israel during the worldwide famine? He sent Joseph ahead to Egypt, promoted him to prime minister and…