No Footprints in the Blood
Our executive pastor in Detroit once had somebody break into his house at 3:00 a.m. while his family was out of town, thank God. He heard a window being broken. Some guy was breaking into his house looking for drug money. Our pastor was coming downstairs when the burglar grabbed the largest kitchen knife he…
The New Temple Priesthood
Please carefully read Ezekiel 44:15–16; the prophet is referring to a man named Zadok who served as a priest during David’s reign. The Hebrew name Zadok means “right or righteous.” This righteous man never wavered in his faithfulness to David or to the Lord. He stood by the king and by God’s Word through thick…
The Lessons of the Lion’s Den
Faith begins with a total abandonment of oneself into God’s care, but our faith must be active, not passive. We must have full confidence that God can and will do the impossible. We see in scripture “Jesus looked at them and said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are…
A Song Out of Bitterness
In Isaiah 38, God tells King Hezekiah, “You’re dying. It’s over.” Hezekiah begins to grieve and goes into great despair. “I said, I shall not see the Lord, the Lord in the land of the living; I shall look on man no more among the inhabitants of the world. My dwelling is plucked up and…
The Secret of God’s Presence
In Psalm 31, David introduces us to the phrase “the secret of your presence.” He writes, “Oh, how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you, which you have prepared for those who trust in you in the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in…
A Believer’s Response to Prophesy
When a prophet comes with a message of warning, often people want the prophet to give them specific advice about what to do in response. At times, God gives the prophet a word; but more often, it is up to every man of God to take the word into account for his own family. Just…
God’s Boot Camp
Shortly after my eldest son went off to boot camp to become a Marine, he began to send me fairly desperate letters. He even reached out to the heavyweights, asking me to please get Pastor David Wilkerson and others to pray for him. It was easy for me to empathize with his desperation once I…
A Plan for Survival
When God’s people face a seemingly impossible crisis, the cry I most often hear is “Where is God in all of this? Is this punishment for the besetting sin I’ve struggled with for many years? Has he abandoned me?” The story of Elijah shows how the Lord’s children ought to respond. As the prophet looked…
Not Consumed by the Storm
We are to listen carefully to the warnings of the watchmen, but we are not to become obsessed with their warnings. We’re to gather all the knowledge we can about the coming storm so we can prepare our hearts for whatever destruction it brings. However, we are not to let fear or anxiety consume our…
Preparation for the Perfect King
There is a repeated pattern throughout the history of the Old Testament where God set up a shepherd over a household or a family, but that shepherd failed to lead completely righteously. It can seem so confusing at first, but God has a point. First, though, let’s look at the leaders he raised up. You…