Knowing God’s Call for Us
From a young age, I would travel with my dad when he preached around the country. This was the time of the Jesus movement right after the 60s. The sexual revolution and the Vietnam War had happened, and there was such crisis among young people. I saw all these people who were stoned out of…
The Megaphone to a Suffering World
I’ve never met somebody who is content their whole life. The ‘happy pagan,’ people who claim to be entirely satisfied without God or religion, tend to think, “Things are working well in my life, so I’m happy.” The problem is that this is a superficial happiness because it’s based entirely on circumstances. This kind of…
God’s Unlimited Forgiveness
My dear friend, never limit God’s forgiveness to you. There is no limit to his forgiveness and longsuffering. Jesus told his disciples, “If he [your brother] sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him” (Luke 17:4, NKJV). Can you…
He Builds His Church through Life
Let me tell you how God brings people into his house, speaks to them and saves them. He does it through life. The Lord builds his church through the testimonies of light shining forth from those who love him. He’s able to do this not because these servants use the right methods but because they…
Jesus and the Storms
Jesus ordered his disciples into a boat that was headed for a collision. “Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he sent the multitudes away” (Matthew 14:22, NKJV). The Old King James says he “constrained [them] to get into a ship…” that was headed…
God’s Treasure Is in Earthen Vessels
One of the most encouraging scriptures in the Bible is “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7, NKJV). Paul goes on to describe those earthen vessels that are dying men, troubled on every side, perplexed, persecuted, cast…
Comforts Behind, Servanthood Ahead
Immediately after the miraculous feeding of the 5,000, the Bible tells us that Jesus sent his disciples across the sea to Bethsaida. That evening a storm hit, and the disciples began to struggle against the fierce wind and waves. They were no doubt weary. Ahead of them are multitudes of people in need. Behind them…
How Is Your Chanak?
In Hebrew, there is a wonderful word: chanak . It has two etymological roots. The first refers to setting in motion, guiding or helping to discover. It’s in “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6, ESV). This passage evokes…
How to Win Over Temptation
Power to not yield to temptation does not come from stuffing our minds with scripture verses, making vows, spending hours in prayer, fasting or even giving ourselves over to a great spiritual cause. These things are all commendable and normal for Christian growth, but that is not where our victory lies. The simple secret of…
A Glimpse into the Heart of Jesus
We think our Lord gets enough pleasure from what we do for him, but there is so much more. Consider this verse: “Which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? But will he…