We know Samson from his failures. He married outside his faith community, against his parents’ wishes; he sought the company of prostitutes; he revealed God’s secret to his strength. However, God listed Samson in the hall of faith . . .
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The Call
14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’ Acts 22:14-16 NIV
Read the above verse and inserted your name. Do you see how God's . . .
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Jesus is our City of Refuge
Imagine for a moment that you live in a country without a police force or a court system. How is justice administered?
This was the case in ancient Israel. In God’s economy, . .
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The Divine Clockmaker
Ever heard the one about the Divine Clockmaker? It is the theory that God created the world, set it in motion, and then took His hands off. It is like a clockmaker wound up a clock, let it run and walked away. The implication is that God is detached, uninvolved in our day-to-day lives. Evil flourishes because God chooses not to intervene.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. Before God . . .
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The 8 Benefits of God’s Word
This Thanksgiving week, I number among my blessings God’s Word. The Bible is often referred to as a love letter from God. While that is true, the Word also has power. The power to restore identity and transform lives.
Before I list the 8 benefits or powers of the Word, I want to mention that translators . . .
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God’s Treasure
Have you ever participated in a treasure hunt? I am not talking about following a faded map with a large, red X. I am referring to asking the Holy Spirit for clues to lead you to people to pray for.
In this type of treasure hunt, a person or team of people ask God for clues . . .
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Intervention
Panic laced her voice as she asked me to meet her. I didn’t know her well, and I was packing to leave town. But her breathless desperation pulled me from my home. She spilled her story with tears and . . .
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Apostolic Prayers
I pray this prayer from Ephesians over my family often. However, I didn’t know until today that it is called an Apostolic prayer. All the prayers recorded in the New Testament are apostolic because they were spoken either by Jesus, our Apostle and High Priest (Heb. 3:1), or His apostles.
This past Sunday, my Pastor highlighted some common themes in these apostolic prayers and suggested . . .
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Your “Yes” is Worship
Linda and her husband jumped at the chance to plant a church with two other couples. Now, she is counting the cost. They had delighted when God blessed . . .
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Presentable to God
Yesterday I “corrected” my sister in Christ. My words were not a rebuke, . . . but they were not encouraging either. Since, I strive to be the encourager, my heart filled with regret. The enemy took advantage of the situation to remind me of all the other times I have failed to be encouraging . . . and worse! . . .
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Is Worship your Main Goal?
From the burning bush, God stated that the goal of the exodus is that His people could sacrifice to (worship) Him. The ten plaques and miraculous signs and dramatic exit distract from the main purpose. God was and is calling out to Himself worshipers.
God established, . . .
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Heaven is Not the Goal
Early in my Christian walk I thought Heaven was the goal. I set my sights on walking on those streets of gold and swimming in that river of life. But while Heaven is a beautiful place full of glory and wonders, it is not the goal.
The highest goal is . . . .
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