WorldWidePastor

Wrath

2012-01-19T09:58:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 15:1 (NKJV) -

"A soft answer turns away wrath ...."

Sand

2012-01-18T09:43:00.000-08:00

The amount of time that you will spend on this earth, as compared to all of eternity, is like a single speck of sand, on a single beach, as compared to all of the sand, on all of the beaches, on all of the earth.

The Snail

2012-01-17T10:16:00.000-08:00

Charles Haddon Spurgeon:

"By perseverance the snail reached the ark."

All

2012-01-16T10:42:00.000-08:00

"Wherever you are, be all there."

- Christian missionary Jim Elliot, killed while attempting to minister to the Waodani people of Ecuador on January 8, 1956, at age 28.

MLK & Faith

2012-01-13T13:29:00.000-08:00

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

- The words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This Sunday is the 83rd anniversary of his birth. Few people remember that Dr. King was just 39 years old when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968.

The Fires

2012-01-09T10:32:00.001-08:00

"If God has chosen you for trials, rejoice because God only chooses His best servants to go through the fires."

- Pastor Terry Tuley of Atlanta, Georgia, USA, citing Job as an example of a servant who exhibited faithful steadfastness in the midst of going through "the fires" in his life.

The Fires

2012-01-08T20:00:00.001-08:00

Pastor Terry Tuley of Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and author of "Battlefields and Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from the Civil War", wrote:

"If God has chosen you for trials, rejoice because God only chooses his best servants to go through the fires."

Tuley added:

"Is the Lord trusting you with adversity? Could it be that He knows your faithful character, and He wants to display it before others?"

Tuley cites Job as an example of someone "being steadfast even in difficult circumstances." Job was an example of God using one of His "best servants to go through the fires."

Are you going "through the fires" in your life right now?

Perhaps God sees you as one of His best servants, and perhaps He desires to show your faithful character and testimony to others, even in the midst of your life's fires.

TR & The Man In The Arena

2011-12-26T12:00:00.001-08:00

In 2 Timothy 4:7 (NKJV), the Apostle Paul writes Timothy, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Fighting the good fight is a key component of the true Christian faith, and we are continually told in the Bible to persevere in our faith and during our spiritual trials and earthly battles. We must be willing to fight the good fight, just like the Apostle Paul did, and not shirk from it or avoid it, no matter how difficult it may seem to us at the time.

On April 23, 1910, former United States President Theodore Roosevelt echoed a similar theme in a speech that he gave at the Sorbonne in Paris, France.

TR famously declared:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

Jeshua

2011-12-23T11:41:00.000-08:00

In Matthew 1:21 (NKJV), an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told Joseph that Mary would "bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

The Hebrew name for Jesus is Jeshua.

The Hebrew name Jeshua means "the Lord is Salvation."

Eternal life and eternal salvation, as offered by Jeshua and by Jeshua alone, is the greatest Christmas gift of all.

Nobody

2011-12-20T10:22:00.000-08:00

Pastor Charles Swindoll has said that the life of Moses can be divided into three, distinct, 40-year periods.

In the first 40-year period, Moses thought that he was somebody.

In the second 40-year period, Moses learned that he was nobody.

In the third 40-year period, Moses learned that God can use a nobody.

In fact, God told Moses as much in Exodus 4:11-12 (NKJV), when God declared to Moses, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say."

God, through His own divine help, can use a nobody to accomplish great things for His kingdom.

God can use a nobody.

A nobody.

Like Moses.

Or you.

Or me.

Humble Or Humbled

2011-12-19T18:25:00.000-08:00

Charles Spurgeon:

"Every Christian has a choice between being humble or being humbled."

At All Times

2011-12-16T12:19:00.000-08:00

St. Francis of Assisi:

"Preach the Gospel at all times and, when necessary, use words."

Evidence

2011-12-14T17:56:00.002-08:00

If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Tim Tebow

2011-12-01T14:05:00.000-08:00

If you are a fan of the National Football League, then you know all about Tim Tebow.

If you are not a fan of the NFL, then you need to know that Tim Tebow is the starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos. The Broncos were 1-4 this season before Tebow took over as their starting QB. Since that time, the Broncos have gone 5-1, including multiple come-from-behind, last-minute or overtime victories.

Tim Tebow also is a deeply-committed Christian, and he is very bold about showing his faith on the football field. As a result, Tebow has many fervent supporters, but he also has attracted a whole lot of equally-fervent detractors. Football fans tend to be very black or white in their opinions about Tebow, either loving him or hating him. A large part of this, I believe, is due to Tebow's very-public faith stance.

God has given Tim Tebow a very public stage on which to show his faith, and I admire him for his boldness in doing so. Whenever I see Tebow publically proclaiming his faith in Jesus Christ on the football field, or during a TV interview, I think of the Apostle Paul's words in Romans 1:16 (NKJV), "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." In Matthew 10:32-33 (NKJV), Jesus declares, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."

Tim Tebow has shown himself not to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, and he has confessed Jesus Christ publically before many millions of men and women. He is to be commended for the boldness of his faith on a very public stage.

Black Friday

2011-11-25T10:41:00.000-08:00

Today is Black Friday in the USA, the day that is supposed to represent the official start of the Christmas holiday shopping season. Many stores opened their doors at 10:00 PM or at midnight on Thanksgiving, while other stores opened their doors at 4:00 AM this morning. TV news video showed hundreds, and sometimes even thousands, of people lined up in the middle of the night outside of stores, and then storming the doors once the stores opened for business.

It is all so obscene and vulgar.

In California, a woman injured 20 other shoppers with pepper spray at a Walmart so that they would not grab the items that she wanted to buy. In North Carolina, there was gunfire outside of a store. In past years there have been deaths on Black Friday. In New York a man was trampled to death outside of a store when people stepped and stomped on him as the store opened its doors in the middle of the night.

In Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 (NKJV), the author, presumed to be Solomon, wrote, "Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure ... And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind."

In Luke 12:15 (NKJV), Jesus said, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."

Black Friday has become a day of unbridled greed and materialism, in direct contrast to what Jesus taught in Luke 12:15.

Black Friday.

It is a day that is very appropriately named.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T13:17:00.000-08:00

Psalm 50:14 (NKJV) - "Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High."

Psalm 95:2 (NKJV) - "Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms."

Psalm 100:4 (NKJV) - "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."

JFK Dallas 11/22/63

2011-11-22T11:18:00.000-08:00

48 years ago today, on November 22, 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Any American who was alive that day will remember exactly where he or she was, and exactly what he or she was doing, when the news was broadcast that President Kennedy had been killed.

John F. Kennedy was just 46 years old when he was assassinated on that fateful day in Dallas, and his wife, Jacqueline, the First Lady, became a widow at the young age of 34.

As the presidential motorcade wound its way through downtown Dallas on November 22, 1963, and as the motorcade slowly made its way past the Texas School Book Depository building, it is highly unlikely that President Kennedy was aware that his life was about to end in a matter of mere seconds.

But it did.

One of the lessons that we can learn from the tragic events of November 22, 1963, is that life is fleeting.

Psalm 103:15-16 (NKJV) says, "As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone ...."

Psalm 144:4 (NKJV) says, "Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow."

Isaiah 40:6-8 (NKJV) says, "All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever."

Life is fleeting, and our days are like grass, or a flower of the field, or a breath, or a passing shadow.

Our lives on this earth are fleeting and transitory, but the word of our God - and God Himself -stands forever.

That is where our focus should be as we remember the events of a very dark day in Dallas on November 22, 1963.

Sparrows

2011-11-18T10:32:00.001-08:00

In 1905, Civilla D. Martin wrote a beautiful and timeless hymn entitled, "His Eye Is On The Sparrow." This classic hymn's refrain states, "For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me."

Martin's hymn is based on the words of Jesus found in Matthew 10:29-31 (NKJV), when Jesus told His disciples, "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."

In this cold, hard world, oftentimes it can feel as if God somehow has forgotten you or has abandoned you. We are particularly prone to feel this way during the darkest days and nights of our lives. Yet the words of Jesus in these verses, and in His comparison of our lives to those of the sparrows, shows how even the smallest details and the most insignificant circumstances of our lives fall under God's control, will, providence, and sovereignty.

God cares about the smallest sparrow and He cares even more about you. For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me - and you.

Pain

2011-11-17T16:04:00.000-08:00

C. S. Lewis once wrote, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

True Christianity involves pain and suffering, and for many believers it can be extreme, severe, and life-altering.

Joseph suffered severe abuse and injustice in his life, including when his brothers, who hated him, sold him as a slave to passing Ishmaelites. Yet after his slavery, his unjust imprisonment, then his rise from prison to being the most powerful man in Egypt after Pharaoh, and his subsequent reconciliation with his brothers, Joseph was able to say to them, in Genesis 50:20 (NKJV), "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." Joseph's saw God's hand and God's will and God's sovereignty in his 13-year-long pain, suffering, and injustice.

Isaiah 53:3-4 (NKJV) says that Jesus was "despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief ... He was despised ... And carried our sorrows ... Smitten by God, and afflicted." Jesus suffered on the cross. As a result of His suffering, as Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV) declares, "And by His stripes we are healed."

In Philippians 1:29 (NKJV), the Apostle Paul wrote, "For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake ...."

Jesus said in Matthew 7:14 (NKJV), "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

True Christians will suffer in this life, and it may be extreme in nature. But take heart if you are suffering, knowing that Jesus suffered as well, as did Joseph, Paul, and countless other believers and martyrs throughout history. God may be using your pain as a megaphone in your life, but also know that He will never leave you nor forsake you. He is there with you, right in the midst of your most extreme pain and your most anguished suffering, and in the darkest of your most excrutiatingly painful days and nights.

Dachau

2011-11-15T08:14:00.000-08:00

Christian Reger was a minister in the Confessing Church in Germany in the years leading up to World War II. Because of the church's stance against the ruling Nazi regime, Reger and other Confessing Church ministers, including Dietrich Bonhoeffer, were imprisoned by the Nazis. Reger, in fact, was betrayed and handed over to the Nazis by his own church's organist.

Christian Reger was imprisoned by the Nazis from 1941 to 1945 at the notorious Dachau concentration camp, located outside of Munich, Germany. The daily horror of life in a concentration camp was enough to cripple the faith and quench the spirit of most people.

But Christian Reger was not like most people.

In Philip Yancey's book, entitled "Where Is God When It Hurts?", Yancey writes the following about Reger:

"Christian Reger will tell the horror stories if you ask. But he will never stop there. He goes on to share his faith - how at Dachau, he was visited by a God who loves."

"Nietzsche said a man can undergo torture if he knows the why of his life," Christian Reger told Philip Yancey. "But I, here at Dachau, learned something far greater."

"I learned to know the Who of my life."

"He was enough to sustain me then, and is enough to sustain me still."

Titanic

2011-11-11T11:53:00.000-08:00

On the evening of April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sank in 12,000 feet of icy cold, black water. 1,507 passengers went down with the Titanic. The Titanic was supposed to have been "unsinkable." In fact, an engineer working on the construction of the Titanic was alleged to have said, "Even God Himself could not sink this ship!"

Famous last words.

One of the most amazing facts about the Titanic disaster is that, while the ship did have many lifeboats, most lifeboats were empty or only partially filled with people when the Titanic sank to the bottom of the icy, dark sea.

Think about it: how in the world could it have been possible for so many lifeboats - representing safety and survival - to have been empty or only partially filled that fateful evening? Why didn't more Titanic passengers enter them?

A main reason is that even after the Titanic hit the iceberg, many passengers still did not believe that the ship would ever sink.

Many passengers stayed on the Titanic, even as it began to take on more and more water and begin to sink into the depths of the ocean, rather than head for the safety of the lifeboats.

Many passengers thought that they were safer on the "unsinkable" Titanic, even after it began to list and sink, than in a small lifeboat.

That type of thinking cost hundreds of Titanic passengers their lives that night in the North Atlantic.

Do we see the same mindset in the Christian church?

It seems as though many people prefer what they see as the safety or security of remaining in a large denomination, or in a large church, or in a large ministry, even though it has lost its spiritual moorings, has hit an iceberg, and is getting ready to sink.

Many so-called Christians seem to think that they are safer in a large-but-sinking denomination, church, or ministry, instead of in a vessel that may be smaller in terms of size, but which offers far greater spiritual security.

In Matthew 7:13 (NKJV), Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it."

On the night of April 14, 1912, many Titanic passengers foolishly placed their safety in the broad way which was represented by staying on the sinking ship. It led to their destruction. They paid for it with their lives.

In Matthew 18:20 (NKJV), Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

Many of the Titanic's lifeboats only had two or three people gathered in them. But those groups of two or three gathered in the lifeboats survived the Titanic disaster.

Is your denomination, church, or ministry true to God's Word? Does it preach repentance, salvation by grace alone, Christ as Lord and Savior, obedience to God's Word, and submission to God's will?

Or is it another Titanic, listing from side to side, and ready to go under, even as everyone on board considers it unsinkable?

Don't make the same fatal mistake that so many hundreds of passengers on the Titanic made.

Get off of a large, sinking ship.

Head to the greater safety of a smaller lifeboat instead.

Servanthood Vs. Leadership

2011-11-10T15:52:00.000-08:00

Many pastors, church leaders, and church members lust to be leaders. They attend leadership conferences, read leadership books, and spout leadership quotes and phrases.

But if the truth be told, there are very few authentic leaders out there who are worthy to be followed.

There are a lot of pretenders, but very few contenders.

The problem is that many people who want to be leaders have the wrong motives. Many of them are on a power kick, a desire to be the king of the hill and nothing more. This is not God-honoring, and God knows the true desires of anyone who seeks to be a leader.

If one truly desires to be an effective, God-honoring, and God-glorifying leader, then the formula is clearly stated in the Bible.

In order to be an effective leader, one must learn to be an effective servant.

Just like Jesus.

In Matthew 20:25-28 (NKJV), Jesus was speaking to His disciples about ambition, authority, and leadership. Jesus said to His disciples, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."

Jesus practiced such service in John 13 when He washed His disciples' feet. Footwashing in that culture was the job for the lowliest servant in a household. Yet Jesus did it. He showed His leadership through such lowly service. In John 13:14-15 (NKJV), Jesus told His disciples, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you."

In Luke 14:11 (NKJV), when speaking about worldly ambition and honor, Jesus said, "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Do you truly want to be a God-honoring, God-glorifying leader?

Then lead like Jesus, in humble service to others.

Patrick Henry

2011-11-05T09:29:00.000-07:00

In May of 1765, in a speech to the Virginia House of Burgesses, American patriot Patrick Henry observed, "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!"

That same month, writing on the back of the Stamp Act Resolves, Henry commented, "Righteousness alone can exalt them as a nation. Reader! Whoever thou art, remember this, and in thy sphere practice virtue thyself, and encourage it in others."

Many years later, while reflecting on the Revolutionary War, Henry remarked about America's new-found independence that "whether this will prove a blessing or a curse, will depend upon the use our people make of the blessings, which a gracious God hath bestowed on us."

Can God bless America?

Should God bless America?

Only when the nation and its people return to the roots of righteousness of which Patrick Henry wrote.

Proverbs 14:34 (NKJV) - "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."

The Church As A Mission Field

2011-11-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

Do you know which world mission field today is in desperate need of faithful, obedient, and submissive missionaries?

It's not Africa.

It's not Asia.

It's not the 10/40 window.

It's not Muslim countries.

It's the so-called Christian church.

Many different surveys and studies have shown that the Christian church, tragically, is losing relevancy and impact in society today, all around the world.

The so-called Christian church has only itself to blame for this.

The so-called Christian church, all around the world, has been poisoned by those who preach false gospels, be it the prosperity gospel, or the "health and wealth" gospel, or the "name it and claim it" gospel, or "easy believe-ism", or cultural compromise.

In Galatians 1:6-7 (NKJV), the Apostle Paul writes to the church at Galatia, "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Jesus Christ."

The Apostle Paul would also write to Timothy, in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NKJV), that "the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."

That time, of which the Apostle Paul writes, has come.

The impact that the Christian church should have on this world has been diluted by a different gospel, a perverted gospel, unsound doctrine, and a preference for fables instead of God's truth.

That is why all authentic believers must look upon the Christian church as a mission field of utmost importance and high priority.

Numbers

2011-11-03T09:13:00.001-07:00

C. I. Scofield once was scheduled to speak at a small, country church in North Carolina on a Sunday evening. That Sunday had been a very stormy day, and when Scofield arrived at the small North Carolina church that evening, only a handful of people were there.

The church's young pastor was greatly embarrassed that only a few people had turned out to hear Scofield speak, and he apologized profusely to Scofield for the low number of people in the pews that evening.

"Don't worry," Scofield told the young pastor. "Jesus only had 12 followers, so who am I to ask for more?"

Scofield's humility was the exact opposite of what we see today in so many churches and among so many pastors.

So many pastors lust after big numbers today. This is sinful.

So many pastors want to fill up their churches, but with the wrong motive. Today, sadly, it frequently has become more about bragging rights than about transforming people into authentic, obedient, repentant, and submissive followers of Christ.

No pastor will ever admit to lusting after big numbers - it isn't the "pastoral" thing to do, of course - but most pastors are guilty of it. Many pastors will justify their desire for big numbers as merely wanting to reach the lost, but far too frequently the truth of the matter is that they really are seeking to build up their own, earthly kingdom instead of the kingdom of God.

Lusting after big numbers is based on the sin of pride. It is not based on authentic, Christ-like characteristics such as humility, meekness, and suffering.

God punished the Israelites harshly when David counted the people (2 Samuel 24). God was angry with David's motives, which probably were based on pride and self-glory. God also knows the true motives and the true hearts of all pastors who seek fame or fortune or celebrity from big numbers instead of being true shepherds of their flocks.

If you lust after big numbers, then play fantasy football instead of pastoring a church. God knows your heart, and He also knows your true, inner motives.

Preach

2011-10-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

Always preach the Word of God as if you were doing so for the very last time in your life.

One day it will be.

Camel

2011-10-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

In Matthew 19:16-26, as well as in Mark 10:17-27 and in Luke 18:18-27, Jesus encountered the rich young ruler. Jesus told the rich young ruler, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

The rich young ruler went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

The rich young ruler, as wealthy as he was, did not want to pay the high price that it cost (and that it still costs today) to be a true follower of Jesus.

Jesus then told his disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

I believe that one of the reasons for this commentary by Jesus is that when a person has great wealth, then he or she tends to put his or her trust in said wealth instead of in God.

A rich person tends to put his or her trust, and his or her faith, more in his or her savings, or bank account statements, or investments, or property holdings, or ownership interests, or retirement funds, instead of in God.

A rich person tends to put his or her trust in the tangible evidence of his or her wealth, instead of in God.

God clearly has blessed certain believers with great wealth. Old Testament examples include Abraham, David, and Solomon. New Testament examples include Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea.

At the same time, however, I have seen how earthly wealth and earthly riches have destroyed the testimonies of countless so-called believers, as they switched their faith focus from God to their earthly accumulations.

God has blessed you with wealth, then use it all for His great glory.

If God has blessed you with wealth, though, be very, very careful, as the enemy surely will try to use your wealth to snare you, and to get you to lose faith in God and gain faith in your riches instead.

Don't let your earthly riches cost you a place in God's eternal kingdom.

Think of a camel trying to contort its way through the eye of a needle.

That's what you're up against.

Prayer

2011-10-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NKJV), the Apostle Paul wrote, "Pray without ceasing."

In James 5:16 (NKJV), James wrote, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

In Luke 18:1-8 (NKJV), Jesus spoke a parable about a widow and a judge. The widow sought justice from the judge against her adversary. The judge, who did not fear God nor regard man, nonetheless eventually granted the widow's request for justice because of her persistence and her perseverance. Jesus concluded the parable by saying, "Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

God rewards the believer who persists and perseveres in prayer. God's response may not be as speedy as the believer desires, and may not even be in the exact form that the believer desires, but God will respond to believers who cry out in anguish for His almighty help and deliverance.

Persevere and persist in prayer. Cry out day and night to Him. God is listening. He will respond in His sovereign time and in His sovereign manner.

Take Up His Cross Daily

2011-10-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

One of the most consistent messages of Jesus, as seen in Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, and Luke 9:23, was, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."

Denial and the daily taking up of the cross run contrary to the grain of our fleshly nature, but such is the true cost of following Jesus.

Denial and the daily taking up of the cross may come in the form of obedience, service, surrender, trial, tribulation, suffering, and even death itself.

Our fleshly nature will always seek ease, comfort, and pleasure, but such is not the true cost of discipleship and submission to Christ.

In Matthew 7:14, Jesus adds, "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

Flee from anyone who tells you that the Christian life should be one full of comfort, ease, and pleasure. Jesus tells us the exact opposite, that the true Christian life will be difficult and will involve significant self-denial and the daily taking up of the cross.

True Christianity is not easy and never will be. Just look at the price that Jesus paid.

Covetousness

2011-10-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

In Luke 12:15 (NKJV), Jesus addressed a crowd, and He told them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."

We live in a world which is addicted to materialism and riches. We always want more stuff. We always want the latest item or the newest gadget. If it's trendy or stylish or hip or cool, then we've gotta have it.

Tragically, that attitude also has infected much of the church by way of the poison of the prosperity gospel. Too many so-called Christians see God as really nothing more than a genie in a bottle, ready and waiting to grant us all of our materialistic wishes and covetous desires.

Tragically, that also is what far too many churches and pastors teach these days, and it is destroying the reputation of the church, as the world sees so-called Christians who covet and lust after earthly treasures just as much as anyone else does.

God does not want you to be rich. He wants you to be righteous.

God does not want you to be happy. He wants you to be holy.

God does not want you to be comfortable. He wants you to be a person that reflects His character.

That is true abundance.

A Roaring Lion

2011-10-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

In 1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV), Peter writes, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

Be alert. The devil is absolutely vicious and bloodthirsty, and he will do all that he can to tempt you, to discourage you, and to ruin you, your walk, and your testimony. The devil loves nothing better than to see people abandon the faith and return to the world, and he will stop at nothing to accomplish it.

I have seen far too many seemingly faithful believers who have gone off of the Christian path and who have abandoned the faith. It is so utterly sad and so utterly tragic.

It is vital to remain firm in the faith, no matter your life's circumstances. It is vital to remain obedient to God's Word and submissive to God's will, no matter what. It is the only way to resist the roaring lion that will never give up trying to devour you.

Suffering For Christ

2011-10-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

In 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 (NKJV), the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in the city of Corinth about how he had been suffering for Christ. Paul listed the multitude of sufferings that he had endured, including how he had been "in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness - besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches."

In today's day and age, the vast majority of Christians have absolutely no interest in suffering for Christ as Paul did.

In today's day and age, the vast majority of Christians are more concerned with personal comfort, materialistic prosperity, and earthly treasures.

In today's day and age, that is why the church is becoming more and more irrelevant in so much of the world.

In today's day and age, the church needs fewer comfort-seekers.

In today's day and age, the church needs more Pauls.

Striped Candy

2011-10-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

A. W. Tozer once reflected on the sorry state of the contemporary evangelical church. Tozer observed:

"It is now common practice in most evangelical churches to offer the people, especially the young people, a maximum of entertainment and a minimum of serious instruction. It is scarcely possible in most places to get anyone to attend a meeting where the only attraction is God. One can only conclude that God's professed children are bored with Him, for they must be wooed to meeting with a stick of striped candy in the form of religious movies, games, and refreshments. This has influenced the whole pattern of church life, and even brought into being a new type of church architecture designed to house the golden calf."

Tozer also commented:

"The striped candy technique has been so fully integrated into our present religious thinking, it is simply taken for granted. Its victims never dream that it is not part of the teachings of Christ and His apostles. Any objections to the carryings-on of our present golden calf Christianity is met with the triumphant reply, 'But we are winning them!' And winning them to what? To true discipleship? To cross-carrying? To self-denial? To separation from the world? To crucifixion of the flesh? To holy living? To nobility of character? To a despising of the world's treasures? To hard self-discipline? To love for God? To total commital to Christ? Of course, the answer to all these questions is 'no.'"

What is amazing is that A. W. Tozer died back in 1963.

A. W. Tozer died 48 years ago.

A. W. Tozer's words and his criticism of the sorry state of the contemporary evangelical church, and its striped candy mentality, however, are as timely today as they were a half-century ago.

Rivers In The Desert

2011-10-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

In Isaiah 43:118-19 (NKJV), God tells Israel, "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

In these verses God is telling Israel how He will deliver them in the future. We today also can take comfort in these verses and know that God similarly will deliver us and make roads in the wilderness and rivers in the desert for us as well.

One of the enemy's most common attacks against believers is to get them to focus on past mistakes, errors, and sins, so that they get discouraged and stop serving God. Frequently the enemy wants us to focus only on former failures, while God wants us to focus on new opportunities to honor Him and to glorify Him. That's where God provides roads in the wilderness and rivers in the desert for us.

Repent of your sins, learn from your mistakes, correct your errors, and focus on your walk with God and the future that God has in store for you.

You can't drive forward if you're stuck in reverse.

Hands

2011-10-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

Elisabeth Elliot:

"Leave it all in the hands that were wounded for you."

Faith

2011-10-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

Elisabeth Elliot on faith:

"Faith's most severe tests come not when we see nothing, but when we see a stunning array of evidence that seems to prove our faith vain."

"Faith does not eliminate questions. But faith knows where to take them."

Amused

2011-10-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

To follow up on yesterday's "Jesustainment" blog post, today I offer the words of Charles Spurgeon on the same issue:

"I fear there are some who preach with the view of amusing men, and as long as people can be gathered in crowds, and their ears can be tickled, and they can retired pleased with what they have heard, the orator is content, and folds his hands, and goes back self-satisfied ... Now observe, if I, or you, or any of us, or all of us, shall have spent our lives merely in amusing men, or educating men, or moralizing men, when we shall come to give our account at the last great day we shall be in a very sorry condition, and we shall have but a very sorry record to render; for of what avail will it be to a man to be educated when he comes to be damned? Of what service will it be to him to have been amused when the trumpet sounds, and heaven and earth are shaking, and the pit opens wide her jaws of fire and swallows up the soul unsaved? Of what avail even to have moralized a man if still he is on the left hand of the judge, and if still, 'Depart, ye cursed,' shall be his portion?"

(Charles Spurgeon, "Soul Saving Our One Business," The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vol. 25, 674-676)

Jesustainment

2011-10-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

I've invented a new word today, and that word is "Jesustainment."

"Jesustainment" is what is substituted for true teaching and true worship in many churches today.

"Jesustainment" dilutes God's Word and turns Sunday morning church services into something more akin to a flashy Broadway show or production, without offering anything of true or lasting spiritual substance.

"Jesustainment" offers amusement instead of true spiritual edification.

"Jesustainment" favors the world's entertainment values and gimmicks over a pure presentation of God's Word.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones once observed, "The glory of the gospel is that when the church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it."

"Jesustainment" should not come as a surprise to the authentic believer. In fact, Paul wrote about it to Timothy, in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NKJV), when he predicted, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."

If "Jesustainment" is the norm in your church, and if Sunday mornings have become nothing more than a weekly, "feel-good" entertainment show or production, then flee for your soul.

Not My Will, But Yours

2011-10-04T14:53:00.000-07:00

In the Garden of Gethsemane (which means "oil press"), prior to His trial and crucifixion, Jesus prayed (Luke 22:42, NKJV), "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."

Jesus' prayer, uttered as "His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:44, NKJV), was one filled with anguish and obedience. That is what total submission to God's will is all about.

Elisabeth Elliot has observed, "I realized that the deepest spiritual lessons are not learned by His letting us have our way in the end, but by His making us wait, bearing with us in love and patience, until we are able to honestly pray what He taught His disciples to pray: 'Thy will be done.'"

Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Thy will be done", and then He prayed it Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane.

We, too, must pray, "Thy will be done", but it can be very difficult for us to do at times, because our fleshly nature frequently wars against it. Oftentimes our fleshly nature tries to convince us that our will should trump God's in our lives, and that we know better than Him concerning what is good, right, and spiritually edifying for us.

But we must follow Jesus' example. Jesus deliberately subjugated His human will to God's perfect will, even though Jesus also knew and also understood the enormous pain, suffering, and sacrifice on the cross that would be a part of it.

But it made all the difference.

The next time that you are tempted to think that your own personal will should trump God's in your life, think of Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, and how He subjugated His own will to God's, and how His subjugation of His will, and His sacrifice on the cross, made eternal life possible for you and for me.

The Cross

2011-10-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

Elisabeth Elliot:

"To be a follower of the Crucified means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss."

Rightly Govern A Nation

2011-10-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

George Washington:

"It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible."

Suffering

2011-10-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

Elisabeth Elliot:

"Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering. The love of God is of a different nature altogether. It does not hate tragedy. It never denies reality. It stands in the very teeth of suffering. The love of God did not protect His own Son. That was the proof of His love - that He gave that Son, that He let Him go to Calvary's cross, though 'legions of angels' might have rescued Him. He will not necessarily protect us - not from anything it takes to make us like His Son. A lot of hammering and chiseling and purifying by fire will have to go into the process."

Doormat

2011-09-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

Charles Spurgeon:

"Do not desire to be the principal man in the church. Be lowly. Be humble. The best man in the church is the man who is willing to be a doormat for all to wipe their boots on, the brother who does not mind what happens to him at all, so long as God is glorified."

A Lesson In Cuba

2011-09-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

I have had the great privilege and honor of ministering in Cuba on multiple occasions. One time, after I had finished speaking in a wonderful church in Havana, the pastor of the church asked me if I knew the difference between Cuban Christians and American Christians.

"What is the difference?" I asked the pastor.

"Here in Cuba, we do not have the distractions that you have in America," he responded.

The Cuban pastor was absolutely correct.

Here in the USA, our high-speed lives are filled with the likes of iPhone, iPad, Xbox, Wii, texting, tweeting, Facebooking, and a million other distractions that cause us to busy ourselves more and to glorify God less.

In Cuba, the average person makes about $5-10 a month. Yes, you read that right.

In Cuba, the average person cannot afford to buy a computer, let alone have access to high-speed, or even low-speed, Internet. The same goes for the average Cuban not being able to own an iPhone, iPad, Xbox, Wii, or being able to text, tweet, or Facebook.

But in Cuba, the Christians are not as distracted as we are here in America.

Distractions are ruining the American church.

Distractions have caused us to stop gazing heavenward.

In Matthew 6:33 (NKJV), Jesus says, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness ...."

Too frequently in America today we seek pleasurable, amusing, and entertaining distractions instead of the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

It took a Cuban pastor to show me this. And he was right.

Scourging

2011-09-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

The gospel accounts of the events leading up to the crucifixion of Christ tell us that Pontius Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged by Roman soldiers prior to crucifying Him. The scourging of Jesus would have involved stripping Him, tying Him to a post, and beating Him with an instrument which consisted of a short wooden handle to which several leather thongs were attached. Each individual leather thong would have had pieces of jagged metal or bone attached to it on the end. The purpose of the scourging was to physically weaken and to humiliate Jesus prior to His crucifixion. If you have ever seen "The Passion of the Christ", then you most certainly remember the brutal scourging scene in the film.

Jesus was scourged prior to His crucifixion, but Hebrews 12:6 (NKJV) tells us that God also scourges His true children as well:

"For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives."

Verses 7 and 8 then tell us that only God's true children receive His scourging and chastening. In fact, a person who has not been chastened and scourged by God may not be one of His true children.

Scourging is brutal, radical, and extremely painful. Generally, scourging in our lives comes in the form of testings, trials, and sufferings, all as allowed by God as part of His sovereign will and plan. God scourges in order to educate, train, discipline, and perfect His true children, even though the process is an extremely painful one. The objective of God's scourging is to yield "the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:11, NKJV)

Scourging is never easy and it is never pleasant. God allows it, however, for the perfecting of His true children, and as proof of His love for them.

God Is God

2011-09-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

Elisabeth Elliot:

"God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to."

Evil & Good

2011-09-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

Joseph's brothers cast him into a pit and then sold him as a slave. Joseph was then unjustly accused of rape by Potiphar's wife and spent probably 13 years in prison for a crime which he did not commit. Joseph correctly interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh's chief butler and chief baker while in prison, but then the chief butler forgot about Joseph for two years. Finally the chief butler remembered Joseph when Pharaoh was looking for someone to correctly interpret his own dreams. Joseph was presented to Pharaoh, correctly interpreted his dreams about seven years of abundance and seven years of famine in Egypt, and then Joseph was made Pharaoh's second-in-command. God used Joseph to save Egypt from the coming famine, and God used Joseph to save his brothers and their families as well, the exact same brothers who had hated him, cast him into a pit, and then sold him as a slave.

In Genesis 50:20 (NKJV), after Joseph had revealed himself to his brothers and had been reunited with his father, Jacob, prior to his death, Joseph told his brothers, "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive."

Joseph's brothers had meant evil against him, but God had meant it for good. God showed His sovereignty over both the evil and the good in the life of Joseph.

People will hurt you. People will wound you very badly. People will mean evil against you. Those closest to you may hurt you the most, and may wound you the most, and may mean the most evil against you. You may suffer greatly, just as Joseph did. But God, in His sovereign will, may even take man's evil against you and use it for His eternal good. Only He can do that. Ask Him to do so.

To My Knees

2011-09-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

Abraham Lincoln is revered by many as the greatest President of the United States. Lincoln served as U. S. President during the nation's bloody and divisive Civil War between 1861 and 1865. More than 600,000 soldiers died during the war.

At one point during the Civil War, as the nation appeared to be near death due to self-inflicted wounds, Lincoln confided to an associate, "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had absolutely no other place to go."

President Abraham Lincoln was right.

Crises draw us closer to God.

Crises strengthen our prayer lives.

Crises drive us to our knees.

It's the best place to be.

Need & Have

2011-09-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

Dutch Christian and World War II Holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom:

"You may never know that Jesus is all you need, until Jesus is all you have."

The Will Of God

2011-09-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

Elisabeth Elliot, whose first husband, Jim Elliot, was killed in 1956 while attempting to make missionary contact with the Auca Indians in Ecuador, once made the following observation about the will of God:

"The will of God is never exactly what you expect it to be. It may seem to be much worse, but in the end it's going to be a lot better and a lot bigger."

Pains

2011-09-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

C. S. Lewis:

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

(The Problem of Pain, 1940)

Will

2011-09-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

Charles Spurgeon:

"When your will is God's will, you will have your will."

Missionary Or Imposter

2011-09-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

Charles Spurgeon:

"Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter."

Humble

2011-09-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

Charles Spurgeon:

"Every Christian has a choice between being humble or being humbled."

The World & The Church

2011-09-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

Charles Spurgeon:

"I believe that one reason why the church of God at this present moment has so little influence over the world is because the world has so much influence over the church."

A Nation

2011-09-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 14:34 (NKJV):

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."

Do you want God to bless your nation?

Then work to make it a nation of righteousness.

Heal

2011-09-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV):

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

The Widow's Two Mites

2011-09-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus sat opposite the temple treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. Jesus saw how many who were rich put in much.

Then along came a poor widow.

She came and threw two mites into the temple treasury. The widow's two mites had a modern-day value of 1/4 of one U. S. cent. Her donation paled miserably in comparison to what the rich were giving - at least in terms of monetary value.

Yet as Jesus observed the rich putting in their piles of money, and then the widow humbly offering her two small copper mites, it was she who He commended.

Jesus called His disciples in Mark 12:43-44 (NKJV), and He observed, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

The impoverished widow put in all - everything - that she had.

Her whole livelihood.

Her donation left her with nothing.

She exemplified true sacrificial giving and true generosity.

That's why Jesus commended her and not the others.

It's easy to be generous when you already have a lot.

It's hard to be generous when you have nothing.

The widow was down to nothing.

Yet she still gave.

All that she had.

That's where the true test of our generosity and of our trust in God lies: when we still are generous, and when we still give sacrificially, even when we are down to nothing.

Can you do that?

Can you give like a poor widow gave?

It's great to put a lot of money into the temple treasury when you already have a lot to give.

But it's even more generous to put in two small copper mites when you have absolutely nothing else left.

The Pharisee & The Tax Collector

2011-09-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus spoke the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Both men went up to the temple to pray. The Pharisee's prayer was quite self-congratulatory in nature. He told God how he was not like other men - extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even the tax collector lurking nearby. The Pharisee reminded God how he fasted twice a week - more than what was required by any biblical standard - and how he gave tithes of all that he possessed. The Pharisee's prayer was quite self-righteous. One can almost imagine the Pharisee patting himself on the back as he prayed.

Then it was the tax collector's turn.

He stood afar off. He looked downward, not heavenward. He beat his breast. He cried out, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!"

The tax collector's humility, brokenness, and utter sense of his own sin and lack of worthiness contrasted starkly with the empty, arrogant, and self-righteous words of the Pharisee.

We tend to read this parable, shake our heads at the self-righteousness of the Pharisee, and nod our heads in commendation at the humility of the tax collector.

And then we go on being just like the Pharisee.

Our human nature convinces us that we are better, more spiritual, more holy, and more righteous than those all around us, as if somehow that was going to get us into heaven. We forget about God's grace and God's mercy.

Don't compare yourself to others when you are praying. Don't tell God how great you think that you are in comparison to others. Instead, humble yourself before God, pray for His mercy, and give thanks for His grace.

The Lessons Of Job

2011-09-06T13:22:00.000-07:00

It is almost impossible for us truly to understand the severity, the intensity, and the extent of the sufferings of Job. He lost all of his children, his property, and his health as God allowed Satan to test Job's faith. Even Job's wife told him to curse God and die.

In the MacArthur Study Bible (NKJV), Pastor John MacArthur lists 6 truths in Job's suffering:

1. There are matters going on in heaven with God that believers know nothing about; yet, they affect their lives;

2. Even the best effort at explaining the issues of life can be useless;

3. God's people do suffer. Bad things happen all the time to good people, so one cannot judge a person's spirituality by his painful circumstances or successes;

4. Even though God seems far away, perseverance in faith is a most noble virtue since God is good and one can safely leave his life in His hands;

5. The believer in the midst of suffering should not abandon God, but draw near to Him, so out of the fellowship can come the comfort - without the explanation; and

6. Suffering may be intense, but it will ultimately end for the righteous and God will bless abundantly.

Pastor MacArthur concludes his introduction to the Book of Job by observing, "We may not know what is going on in heaven or what God's purposes are, but we must trust Him. Because of this, the matter of believers suffering takes a back seat to the matter of divine wisdom."

Labor Day

2011-09-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

Today is the Labor Day holiday in the USA. If you are gainfully employed, then you should be very, very thankful today. More than 25,000,000 Americans are unemployed, underemployed, or have stopped looking for work.

If you are an employee, then remember Paul's words about work in Colossians 3:23-24 (NKJV), "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ."

If you are an employer, then remember Paul's words in 1 Timothy 5:18 (NKJV), "The laborer is worthy of his wages."

Paterson, New Jersey

2011-09-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

Please join us in praying for all of our Peruvian friends who now live in Paterson, New Jersey, and who have been severely impacted by the massive flooding after Hurricane Irene.

Pruning

2011-08-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

In John 15:1-2 (NKJV), Jesus says, "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit."

The pruning of a believer involves the cutting away of sinful, harmful, negative, and non-productive elements in the believer's life. Because cutting is an inherent part of pruning, it can be a very radical and very painful process.

God prunes in believers' lives in order to cut away all of the sin and junk and garbage that is keeping us from being more fruitful.

It is never a pleasant experience when the pruning is happening.

But it is necessary.

If God is pruning you right now, though, take heart. It means that He knows that you can be more fruitful for Him, and He loves you and cares enough for you to help you in the process.

Pruning is not done out of punishment. It is done out of love, by a Heavenly Father who knows what is best for us in order for us to be able to bear more fruit for Him.

Moses

2011-08-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

Some observations from Charles Swindoll about the life of Moses:

Moses' life could be divided into three 40-year periods. In the first 40-year period, Moses thought he was somebody. In the second 40-year period, Moses learned he was nobody. In the final 40-year period, Moses discovered what God could do with a nobody.

Charles Swindoll adds that if you are in a desert experience, like Moses, whether it be physical, emotional, or spiritual, don't fight it or run from it. Instead, settle into a pattern of self-discovery and allow God to teach you about the areas in which you need to mature. No matter how useless your circumstances may seem, turn your situation over to God and watch as He recasts your character into His mold.

Babel

2011-08-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

Benjamin Franklin at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787:

"God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? ... Without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel."

Justice

2011-08-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

Thomas Jefferson:

"I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever."

Liberties

2011-08-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

Thomas Jefferson:

"The God who gave us life gave us liberty ... Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction ... that these liberites are the gift of God?"

Snare

2011-08-23T08:48:00.001-07:00

In 2 Timothy 2:25-26 (NKJV), Paul exhorts Timothy to correct "those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."

So many people today have been snared by the devil and have been taken captive by him. Unbelievers have been snared, but so have countless self-professing believers who have fallen prey to false prophets and false teachers, or who have simply found the faith walk to be too difficult for them, so that they decide to return to the world and its deceptive comforts and materialism.

Perhaps you have friends, family members, or other loved ones who have been snared by the devil. It is an awful thing to witness. Pray urgently for them, that God works radically in their lives, and that they repent, recognize the truth, come to their senses, escape the snare of the devil, and stop doing his will.

Being snared is an awful place to be.

Revelation Vs. Vision

2011-08-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 29:18 is one of the most misinterpreted verses in the entire Bible.

Proverbs 29:18 (NKJV) says, "Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law."

Some versions of the Bible, including the original KJV, substitute the word "vision" for "revelation." That is where the misinterpretation begins, as it has led to many pastors using one of the modern meanings of the word "vision" in their interpretation of the verse. For many pastors, Proverbs 29:18 deals with setting a goal or an objective, or having a plan, such as when a pastor has a "vision" for a new church program or a building fund. The pastor then cites Proverbs 29:18 in order to give some scriptural weight to his "vision" - his goal or objective or plan or personal desire or new program or new facility - when the verse has absolutely nothing to do with this at all.

When Proverbs 29:18 talks of a revelation, it is talking about God's Word. When people do not hear the word, when there is no revelation of the Word, then there is lawlessness. That is why the verse talks about how people cast off restraint - become lawless - when there is no revelation, when they are without God's Word. The verse then contrasts such lawlessness and rebellion with the happiness of one who keeps the law, one who is obedient to God's Word and its revelation. Proverbs 29:18 simply means that when people are without God's Word, there is lawlessness. It has nothing to do with someone's personal "vision."

Be careful when someone uses Proverbs 29:18 as the basis for a personal or ministerial "vision." It is an incorrect - and sometimes very misleading and sometimes very dangerous - interpretation of Proverbs 29:18, and is not what the verse is intended to mean at all.

Red Light, Green Light

2011-08-20T11:15:00.000-07:00

There are times in life when God puts a red light in our path. There are times when God has us stop what we are doing. It may come in the form of a job loss, or a financial reversal, or an illness, or a relationship change. Life is not always about green lights. God permits us to spend time in the desert, in the wilderness, and at red lights.

Sometimes it seems like the red light will never change to green.

If you are at a red light in your life right now, and you don't understand why God is allowing it, then cling tightly to the words found in Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV):

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

God allows red lights in our lives.

But eventually every red light turns green.

Rubbish

2011-08-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

In Philippians 3:8 (NKJV), the Apostle Paul writes, "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ...."

Paul suffered the loss of all things. Absolutely everything.

Yet he counted them all as rubbish.

It is only when we can reach the same point and it is only when we can say the same thing in our own lives - when we are willing to suffer the loss of all things and then count them all as rubbish - that we truly can come to know and to gain Jesus Christ in a personal and in a redemptive sense.

Are you truly willing to suffer the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order to gain Christ?

Few can truly do so.

Difficult

2011-08-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

In John 6:60-71 we read of the response of many of Jesus' disciples to His teaching about how He was the bread of life. Many of Jesus' disciples did not believe Him and rejected His words. John 6:66 (NKJV) says, "From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more." Their abandonment of Jesus was absolute.

As it was then, so it is now.

Many people are leaving the faith today. It is too difficult for them. Many do not have the endurance and perseverance necessary for an authentic Christian walk. Others fall prey to the slick words and easy promises of false prophets and false teachers. 1 John 2:19 (NKJV) says, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us."

It is difficult to follow Jesus. It is not an easy path to take. It will be hard to do. Perseverance and endurance are crucial to it. Beware of anyone that tells you that it is easy to do. It decidedly is not. In Matthew 7:14 (NKJV), Jesus says, "Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." "Few," Jesus says. Salvation comes by grace alone, but salvation is not easy, and grace is not cheap.

Know that the path of the narrow gate is a difficult one. Persevere. Endure. Do not abandon the narrow gate for the wide one. For as difficult as it may be, only the narrow gate leads to heaven.

Strikeouts & Home Runs

2011-08-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

Reggie Jackson struck out 2,597 times in his baseball career, more times than any other player in baseball history.

You'd think that would make him a colossal failure.

But Reggie Jackson also hit 563 home runs, played on 5 World Series champions, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Reggie Jackson was no failure, despite the fact that he struck out more times than any other player in baseball history.

You're going to strike out - a lot - in your life and in your ministry.

But learn from your strikeouts - your mistakes and your errors - and apply what God teaches you through them.

Then confidently step back into the batter's box.

Because you're also going to hit a lot of home runs.

Philippians 1:6 (NKJV) - "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ ...."

The King

2011-08-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

Elvis Presley died on this date in 1977.

When adoring fans would call Elvis the King, Presley would respond, "I am not the King. Jesus Christ is the King. I am just an entertainer."

Waiting

2011-08-15T15:46:00.000-07:00

Noah had to wait about 100 years from the time God told him to build an ark until the time that it actually began to rain.

Abraham had to wait about 25 years from the time God told him that he would have a son with Sarah until the time that Isaac was born.

Joseph had to wait about 13 years in prison before he became Pharaoh's second-in-command in Egypt.

Moses had to wait and spend 40 years tending sheep in the desert for his father-in-law before God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land.

Waiting on God can be agonizing.

We know what we want, and we want it right away.

But frequently God's timing is not the same as ours.

Frequently God makes us wait, in order to measure our faith, strengthen our faith, build up our perseverance, and produce patience within us.

It is never easy to have to wait.

In fact, it can be excruciating.

But in Psalm 27:14 (NKJV), David, who had to hide in caves and wait for 10 years while Saul was trying to kill him, says, "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!"

Later, in Psalm 37:7 (NKJV), David adds, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him ...."

Wait on the Lord. Rest in the Lord. It may not be easy to do, and in fact may be very painful at times, but let God strengthen your heart, and trust confidently in His sovereign will.

Open 24 Hours

2011-08-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

Heaven is open 24 hours.

It never closes.

God is always available for you.

Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV) - "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."

Potter & Clay

2011-08-10T08:54:00.001-07:00

Isaiah 64:8 (NKJV):

"But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand."

God is the potter.

We are the clay.

God controls the clay.

Not vice versa.

Account

2011-08-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

Romans 14:12 (NKJV):

"So then each of us shall give account of himself to God."

What will you say?

How will He respond?

Sow & Reap

2011-08-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

Galatians 6:7-8 (NKJV):

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life."

Are you sowing to the flesh? Then expect to reap corruption. The majority of people, including many who call themselves Christians, reap corruption.

Are you sowing to the Spirit? Then expect to reap everlasting life. Few in number are those who will reap everlasting life, in comparison to those who will reap corruption instead.

What are you sowing?

What are you reaping?

Your eternity depends on what you are sowing and what you will reap.

Silent Vs. Still

2011-08-07T10:49:00.000-07:00

Even when God seems silent, He is not still.

Shots

2011-08-06T11:40:00.001-07:00

Wayne Gretzky:

"You'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Joshua 1:9 (NKJV):

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

A Car In The Garage

2011-08-05T12:34:00.001-07:00

G. K. Chesterton:

"Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car."

The Christian Ideal

2011-08-04T14:18:00.001-07:00

G. K. Chesterton:

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried."

Hatred

2011-08-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

G. K. Chesterton:

"There are those who hate Christianity and call their hatred an all-embracing love for all religions."

Sun

2011-08-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

G. K. Chesterton:

"God is like the sun; you cannot look at it, but without it, you cannot look at anything else."

Lost Sheep

2011-08-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

In Luke 15:4-7 (NKJV), Jesus shared the parable of the lost sheep.

Jesus said, "What man of you, having 100 sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 just persons who need no repentance."

God seeks out sinners and backsliders, and there are a whole lot of them out there, all caught up in the cares and in the desires of this world, and who have fallen prey to the deceitfulness of earthly riches and comfort and treasures. Today, especially, it seems like there are a lot of people out there who may have professed to be Christians with their lips, but whose lives and choices and decisions and actions do not evidence it whatsoever. God wants to bring them back to the flock, too, for they are as lost as any other sinner.

God rejoices when He finds lost (and backslidden) sheep.

So should we.

Which One?

2011-07-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

Jesus Christ - will He be your Savior or your Judge?

2 Timothy 4:1 (NKJV) - "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom."

Poison

2011-07-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

The active, lethal ingredient in rat poison makes up just 1/2 of 1% of the rat poison ingredient mix.

Just 1/2 of 1%.

But that 1/2 of 1% gets the job done.

It kills.

The same concept applies to what one does with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Many churches and many pastors today have spurned the 100% purity of the gospel of Jesus Christ and, instead, have diluted it, corrupted it, and have turned it into something lethal.

99.5% of what they say may be pure.

But it is the other 1/2 of 1%, which they have corrupted, which makes it lethal.

1 John 3:3 (NKJV) - "And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

99.5% is not good enough when it comes to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Only 100% is.

Be sure. Be pure.

Sugary

2011-07-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

Too many Christian churches today offer the spiritual protein equivalent of a big bowl of sugary breakfast cereal.

Style is favored over substance.

Showy entertainment is favored over spiritual formation.

It is all one, big, sugary mess, devoid of any spiritual vitamins or protein, and absent any holy nutrition or fortification.

Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV) - "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlwssness!'"

Too many sugary breakfast cereals rot your teeth.

Too many sugary Sunday sermons rot your soul.

Especially

2011-07-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

Charles Swindoll:

"When life seems especially dark, God comes especially close to His followers."

Panic Button

2011-07-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

God never panics.

Bring

2011-07-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

Authentic Christians bring Christ to man and man to Christ.

I Surrender ... All?

2011-07-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

"I Surrender All" is a great hymn that has been sung by Christians for more than 100 years. The hymn's refrain says, "I surrender all, I surrender all; all to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all."

Yes, "I Surrender All" is a very precious hymn but, let's face it, very few Christians truly surrender all. In fact, it seems that the vast majority of so-called Christians only want to surrender about 1% instead of 100%.

How much do you surrender?

Do you surrender ... all?

Or do you surrender much less?

Surrendering all means making a 100% commitment to Jesus, without any reservations or hesitations (Luke 14:33). Since even most so-called Christians are consumed by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches (Matthew 13:22), total surrender becomes something very difficult to do.

"I Surrender All."

Do you really?

Or is your percentage really a whole lot less than 100%?

Be willing to truly surrender ... all.

Comfort & Character

2011-07-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

God is not interested in your comfort.

God is interested in your character.

Flee

2011-07-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

Nigerian Pastor Olabode Ososami has written the following about the modern church:

"If Christ is not the hero in the movement you find yourself in, then pause and reflect again. If teachings and convictions of your parade do not strongly pass the test of sound Christian godliness, then it cannot be the work of the Holy Ghost. If your discernment warns you that this is a great show or a business - do not debate with your conscience - flee for your soul."

"Almost everything 'new' in Christianity would be moldy in a few more years. Madison Avenue market-driven movements can accomplish a lot and be very impressive but will always fail to produce Christlikeness simply because Christ was not at the heart of the movement in the very first place."

Gold

2011-07-14T15:01:00.000-07:00

Job 23:10 (NKJV) says, "But (God) knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold."

Is God testing you today? Do your tests seem Job-like? Even as Job was decimated by the God-ordained tragedies in his life, he still continued to believe in God, and he still continued to be obedient to God.

In the end, Job trusted in God's sovereignty and in God's will, even when his life's multiple devastations made absolutely no sense to him at all as he sat in the midst of the ashes.

Job's lesson for all of us is to trust God's sovereignty and to trust God's will, even when nothing in life makes any sense to us whatsoever.

It is not an easy lesson at all.

In fact, it is one of life's hardest lessons.

But if we can do it, as Job did, then we, too, shall come forth as gold.

Just like Job.

Preach The Gospel At All Times

2011-07-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

St. Francis of Assisi:

"Preach the Gospel at all times and, when necessary, use words."

Under God Or Gone Under

2011-07-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

Former United States President Ronald Reagan:

"If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under."

Hijacked

2011-07-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

In a couple of months we will mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 airplane hijackings and terrorist attacks which left 3,000 people dead in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. That horrendous day changed all of our daily lives forever.

There is another type of hijacking that is even more reprehensible. It is when Satan hijacks a person's heart.

Matthew 24:12-13 (NKJV) says that in the end times, "the love of many will grow cold."

Revelation 2:4 (NKJV) talks about a church and its members that "have left your first love."

I see a lot of this in the world today. I see friends and loved ones who once seemed to be fervent in their faith, but who now have left the path of holiness and righteousness. Their hearts have been hardened. Their love has grown cold. They have left their first love.

Satan is a master hijacker. He fills people with the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches (Matthew 13:22) and, tragically, he succeeds in getting many people to harden their hearts, let their love grow cold, leave their first love, and also leave the narrow path.

If you have friends or loved ones who have had their hearts hijacked by Satan, then pray for them. Urgently. Fervently. Only God can change their hearts, and it may take some extremely radical pruning to do so.

Only God can rescue a hijacked heart.

Find Your Own Calcutta

2011-07-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

Mother Teresa frequently would tell people, "Find your own Calcutta." By this she meant that each person needed to find his or her own place to love others and to serve others, wherever that place was located in this world.

In Matthew 25:35-36 (NKJV), Jesus said, "For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me." In Matthew 25:40 (NKJV), Jesus added, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."

James 2:26 (NKJV) says, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

Show your faith through your works.

Love and serve the least of the brethren, as Jesus commanded.

Find your own Calcutta.