Perhaps the most famous passage in the book of Joel is the promise of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28). Peter quoted that verse . . .
Read MoreThe Unpardonable Sin
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?
Read MoreWhen God says Go
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? . . . .
Read MoreWaiting
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 . . .
Read MoreGod’s Lighthouse
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 . . .
Read MoreIt is Finished!
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 . . .
Read MoreThe Oil of Intimacy
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?” . . . .
Read More4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice from Habakkuk
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 . . .
Read MoreThe Key of David
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 . . .
Read MoreBreath of God
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, . . .
Read MoreLavish Devotion
As we celebrate Passover and Easter, I am praying to be like Mary (sister of Martha and Lazarus). Mary did all she could to honor Jesus. I want that to be true of me! The story of her lavish devotion to Jesus is recorded in three of the four gospels.
I am praying for my own story . . .
Read MoreAsk, Seek, Knock
In a discussion about prayer, Jesus tells His disciples to be persistent by asking, seeking, and knocking at the door of heaven. Jesus declares that our heavenly Father is a good Father, and He will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him (Luke 11:13). Sadly, many Christians do not believe that . . .
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