We pray because…of God Himself, His promises, our joy “God has of His own motion placed Himself under the law of prayer, and has obligated Himself to answer the prayers of men. He has ordained prayer as a means whereby He will do things through men as they pray, which He would not otherwise do. . . If prayer puts God to work on earth, then, by the same token, prayerlessness rules God out of the world’s affairs, and prevents... Read more
In the Gospel of Matthew chapter 25, Jesus spoke about three men to whom He entrusted one with five talents, another with two, and the last man with one. The man with the five talents and the man with two took theirs, worked hard and increased the amount they had originally received. But the man who was given one talent did not take any action; he simply dug a hole in the ground and buried it. Of him Jesus said,... Read more
A day in the life of a farmer starts early and ends late. It’s full of activity, most of which is physical labor—there are cows to milk, fields to plow, machinery to fix. The duties are endless and the day is tiring, but he continues to work day after day. Why? Because he knows that if he works hard, he will see the rewards in the harvest he reaps. That motivation keeps him going. Paul likens the servant of God... Read more
Here are ten specific principles that I have made a priority in my life and service to God that will be helpful to you as you seek to follow the Lord: Principles: 1. Submission All of us are placed under some type of authority. Jesus demonstrated this principle in the way that He submitted His own life to the authority of His Father. In the same way, we must be people of submission, willing to yield our rights and honor... Read more
Why haven’t we yet brought the love of God to the nations? Why are we so ineffective in doing the work of the Lord? The deepest reason is this: We who form the Church—that’s you and me—are not real with God, in our walk with Him and in our obedience to His Word. Unless our hearts change and we become genuine, transparent, open and humble in our faith (and through that, humble in all areas of our lives), we will never... Read more
Prayer has less to do with words and posture and more to do with intimacy and closeness, like a child has with his father or mother. As in prayer, the nearness of God is not determined by space and time, but rather by the inner relationship and intimate fellowship we have with Him in our hearts. Just the other day, I was meeting with a few of my coworkers in the ministry. Before we started to discuss some things we were... Read more
In 2 Timothy, the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, “There will be carnal reasoning among believers, backsliding, laziness, self-centered living and self-seeking. But for you, Timothy, be different! Be bold as a lion; don’t be afraid. Be authentic and genuine. Be unselfish. Don’t follow the crowd. If need be, Timothy, stand alone. But for you, be faithful until the end. There is a crown waiting for you.” (2 Timothy 2:1; 3:10, 14; 4:5, paraphrased) This call to live by godly... Read more
Christianity is not following a system, theology, doctrines or some ideas. It is following Christ. In all things that we do, we must keep in mind that the highest, most sacred call the Lord gave us is to walk with Him, to love Him and to know Him. That’s why the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). All because of Jesus. In chapter three, Paul explains... Read more
What Is Prayer? Simply put, prayer is conversation between Father and child. Have you ever noticed how a child comes and talks to his mom or dad? You never need to look for a dictionary to find out the meaning of the words children use. They come just as they are. They come simply. You will never find a child getting into a frenzy and fluctuating his voice as he talks. All you will hear is a small voice, in... Read more
One morning after prayer I was talking to a senior leader in our work on the mission field. . . . In our conversation we were discussing who might be able to take a certain new position. I asked him, “What do you think about this particular brother? He seems to be a really godly man. Why don’t we think about putting him in that position?” We talked back and forth about this brother’s abilities, his lack of experience and... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In