Have you heard people say that Jesus never claimed to be God? Clearly, they have never studied the Bible. Through His words and actions Jesus fulfills over 300 prophecies about the long-awaited Messiah. The fulfillment of one of those prophecies was like a spiritual earthquake. . . .

The news media (if they can be believed) tells us that more than ever Americans fear for the state of our nation if their candidate doesn’t win the election.

If that is you, I am here to encourage you: . . .

Perhaps the most famous passage in the book of Joel is the promise of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28). Peter quoted that verse . . .

Have you committed the unpardonable sin? Do you feel guilty when you take the Lord’s name in vain? Do you worry about denying Christ under pressure? What is the unpardonable sin anyway?

 This is the assignment of a lifetime for Ananias. God called Ananias to set aside his fear of a Saul, a known persecutor of the church, and partner with God to do something great. God asked Ananias to go pray for someone he greatly feared.

How many things do we miss because of fear? . . . .

I don’t wait very well. I get restless and irritable if I must wait more than a few minutes for anything. If my doctor is behind schedule, I am pacing the waiting room floor. Even five minutes on hold, and I hang up, thinking that I’ll try again later.

Unfortunately, I approach my prayer time with . . .

Many mariners died, and ships wrecked on the shoals of Destruction Island (Washington State) in the early 1800s. Salvation came in 1891 when a lighthouse with a Fresnel lens projected its light 24 miles out to sea. A Fresnel lens consists of over a thousand glass prisms assembled . . .

Millions of decisions and details must be considered when building a house: which floor plan; where to build; what materials; who to hire; how to pay for it. The list seems endless. Even just the furnishing and decorating phase can be overwhelming. Which sink and stove and other fixtures to choose? What flooring and furniture will coordinate well together? Whew! Building a house is a huge undertaking.

Now imagine that you are building a house for God . . .

The oil lamp is a beautiful picture of our relationship with the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit supplies all our needs from His riches in glory (Phil. 4:19). However, we are responsible to fill our lamp with oil (the Holy Spirit) and to light the wick. Shining for Jesus is an intimate partnership with the Spirit of the living God.

This begs the question, “How do you buy oil?” . . . .

Habakkuk asked a question and simply waited for God to answer. He fully expected to receive a response, and we can too.

Hearing God is our birthright as born-again Christians. Jesus said . . .

Here is the encouragement for us:

Jesus promises in Revelation that if we are faithful, He will use His authority and power on our behalf. He promises . . .

The risen Christ breathed on His disciples filling them with the Holy Spirit. We are meant to remember how God fashioned Adam from the dust of the earth and breathed life into him (Gen. 2:7). When Jesus Christ breathed on His disciples, they received a new, spiritual life in the Holy Spirit. They were born again.

In the same breath, . . .