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
A young man from an Indian village stood at the railway platform waiting to board the train. In his arms he carried a small baby wrapped in a torn blanket, while two young children, frightened by the strange surroundings, held onto his shirt. Finally, loud warning horns went off as, at last, the train thundered into the railway station with a deafening noise. As the train came to a screeching halt, the doors flew open letting a stream of passengers... Read more
One of our great difficulties in life is that we try to understand Christ and relate to Him in terms of time and space. When we talk about being near someone or looking at someone, we think in terms of our eyes and ears and distance. But time and space are only relevant to us as finite beings. God is everywhere . . . which is why the psalmist declares, “One cannot hide from Him anywhere, He is closer to... Read more
In 2 Timothy 2:5, St. Paul writes, “Anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.” Take notice of the fact that no athlete—to whom Paul compares the servant of God—makes up the rules of the game. They are pre-established by the authorities—with no gray areas. One must run strictly according to these rules or else the judge of the game will disqualify him, even if he is the first... Read more
The life of a civilian and the life of a soldier are worlds apart. The civilian is under no one’s order. He can do as he pleases. From nine to five he can work as an employee at his job, earn his money, go to his home in the evening, enjoy his weekends and plan his vacations. He is a civilian. But the soldier’s life is different—he is under orders. He cannot simply do as he pleases. He leaves his... Read more
In 2 Timothy 2:3, the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, “Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” Everyone, at some point or another, faces suffering, the soldier especially. However, it is not so much what we suffer, but how we suffer that matters. The way our heart responds to suffering is crucial, because by it we will either advance or become stagnant. To suffer like a good soldier is to willingly endure all for the... Read more
We are told in Hebrews 12:2–3 (NIV), “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” “Consider Him . . .” Those are powerful words, because at one time or another,... Read more
Hebrews 12:2 tells us that, “For the joy set before him, [Jesus] endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus was able to bring us life because He was willing to suffer. Willingness to suffer makes us unmovable and enduring. We must understand that this is the only way to show the love of God to the nations. We will never be able to do it with money. We... Read more
Have you ever had an experience where you’ve seen a bunch of text written in another language and had no clue what it was saying? Maybe it was even written using a different alphabet or script. The text might have been full of interesting or useful information, yet you couldn’t access it. Maybe your curiosity was piqued, and you wondered what it said. Or maybe it even caused some inconvenience for you, particularly if you were traveling in a foreign... Read more
We must be wise and recognize that there is a very real battle for our dependence. The enemy knows that if he can turn our eyes and trust off of the Lord, he will have a mighty foothold into our lives and ministry and will be able to tear both down. As we see in 1 Chronicles 21, why did David come under God’s curse and the nation of Israel have to face God’s judgment? Because “Satan rose up against... Read more
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