“Then Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!’ The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.” (2 Kings 6:17 NLT) Fear can blind us to the presence of God and His deliveringContinue reading “Becoming Eyes”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Death Is So Final!
“As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.” (Luke 16:21 NLT) Increasingly, in America, there is a shrinking “middle class,” while poverty and homelessness increase their ranks. Like the rich man in Jesus’ parable, we’re so accustomed to seeing someone begging atContinue reading “Death Is So Final!”
Faithfulness Leads to Fruitfulness
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NLT) As I look back over my life, I can very often gauge the fruitfulness of my life by my faithfulness. In otherContinue reading “Faithfulness Leads to Fruitfulness”
Are You Turned Off by Worship?
“’Get out of here, Satan,’ Jesus told him. ‘For the Scriptures say, “You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.”’” (Matthew 4:10 NLT) Our life-defining worship isn’t what we do when gathered with others, it’s how we live our lives from day to day. Many can get excited about the compelling musicContinue reading “Are You Turned Off by Worship?”
What Is Your Desired Outcome?
“And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering.” (Romans 8:17 NLT) We all have, or at least had at one time, desires for how we wanted our lifeContinue reading “What Is Your Desired Outcome?”
What Will Unite A Struggling Church?
“So the crowd was divided about Him.” (John 7:43 NLT) Having pastored mostly small churches, I understand disagreement and division. It’s hard to keep a “ship” on course when you can’t agree on its destination. Whatever measure of success I had in helping churches to grow was rooted in two things. First, keeping their attentionContinue reading “What Will Unite A Struggling Church?”
Are You Longing for a Heaven Without Jesus?
“In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” (Matthew 5:45 NLT) Have you ever asked someone who isn’t a believer to describe what heaven willContinue reading “Are You Longing for a Heaven Without Jesus?”
Believer or Belonger?
“’And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.’ He said this to indicate how He was going to die.” (John 12:32-33 NLT) Imagine, like Jesus, being the only one of your kind. Talk about being conspicuous! My second mission’s trip was to the beautiful country of Guatemala. WeContinue reading “Believer or Belonger?”
Created for His Glory
“As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.” (Galatians 6:14 NLT) Why do you believe you were born? As the population of the world surpassesContinue reading “Created for His Glory”
When We Get Honest
“And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.” (Luke 8:15 NLT) Nothing of eternal value is ever gained dishonestly. Lying to ourselves or others about the things of God, whether it relates to our daily disciplines asContinue reading “When We Get Honest”