Ever Increasing Faith
The men who comprised of Christ’s closest circle decided to ask something important of their Master. “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith’” (Luke 17:5, NKJV). They wanted a greater understanding of the meaning and workings of faith. They were saying, “Lord, what sort of faith do you desire from us? Give us…
Emotions Used for Good or Evil
We were created to be emotional beings. We weren’t created with just a brain. We were made to have fully rounded emotions. Everything we have that is created by God is, or rather was, inherently good. So our emotions were put into us by God, but they have been corrupted in some ways by the…
Fragile Earthen Vessels
One of the most encouraging scriptures in the Bible is “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,…
Are You among the 7,000?
We know that all through the Bible, the number seven is associated with God’s eternal purpose. Therefore, I believe that when God said to one of his prophets, “Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18,…
The Hermit Crab’s Life
King David, the author of so many psalms, grew weary of his struggles. He was so tired in soul, so embattled and beset by troubles, that all he wanted was to escape to a place of peace and safety. “My heart is severely pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.…
All You Need Is Love?
On June 25, 1967, the Beatles sang the song “All You Need Is Love” for the first time on television in a live broadcast. It’s estimated that between 400 and 700 million people heard this ode to love and peace that day. Soon, thanks to the global success of the song, the American hippie movement…
Days of Awe and Excitement
God, in his love and mercy, is allowing disasters to strike the earth to warn all who hear that Jesus is coming back and that it’s time to get ready. He loves his children too much to bring his new kingdom to pass without warning. He knows that mankind is hard of hearing and that…
God’s Measure of Success
Success in God’s eyes is being totally fulfilled in ministering to him. Such servants aren’t striving to “make it” or seeking earthly security. They only want to know their Lord and to minister to him. Think about the 100 prophets hidden by Obadiah (see 1 Kings 18:4). They lived an isolated existence in caves during…
The One Who Gives Us Strength
When you cover up or repress certain emotions like pain, hurt, sorrow or fear, it’s generally because you don’t want to deal with them. The problem with doing this, though, is that we’re not built to repress certain elements of our lives. We can’t repress pain without also repressing joy. We can’t repress fear without…
The Steps of the Humble
Let me distinguish clearly between pride and humility. A humble person is not one who thinks little of himself, hangs his head and says, “I’m nothing.” Rather, he is one who depends wholly on the Lord for everything in every circumstance. He knows the Lord has to direct him, empower him and quicken him and…