Holiness is a word you don’t hear much in today’s church culture. After all, the trends of our day have focused on making it fun to go to church and that means avoiding any talk of things that do not … Read the rest
HOLINESS AND THE ARMOR OF GOD
BUT LOT LINGERED
Have you ever been in a situation where you had the clear impression from the Lord that you were supposed to do something, or quit doing something, or that He seemed to be working to get you out of a … Read the rest
FORSAKE YOUR THOUGHTS
Did I mention that I have been in Isaiah for a while during my morning devotions? Such rich insight into the mind and counsel toward the people He loves.
A few days ago Isaiah 55:6-9 began speaking to me. It … Read the rest
A PASSION FOR HIS GLORY.
Recently, we were confronted with two extreme situations, each evoking a polar opposite range of emotions.
A dear friend of ours who was suffering from glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer that had sunk tentacles deep into both sides of her … Read the rest
DO NOT LOSE HEART
Have you ever prayed and prayed, perhaps even fasted, shed tears, and cried out to the Lord every day for a particular need and felt that there seemed no visible evidence of an answer? Did you wonder if there was … Read the rest
KEEPING OUR HEARTS FREE FROM IDOLS
Many of the judgments over Israel, Judah, and their surrounding countries that were pronounced through the pen and mouth of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah had to do with two things: self-reliance instead of reliance on God and idol worship … Read the rest
CAN WE SENSE THINGS IN THE SPIRIT?
On April 22, Jennifer and I crossed the St. Croix River into Wisconsin on our way to a long-anticipated prayer gathering that we hoped would launch a sustained prayer initiative for revival in the spiritually dark area of Pine County … Read the rest
AN EASTER PRAYER: OPEN MY EYES, LORD!
Holy Week 2022. As the world around us turns more violent and devoid of love by the day, the beauty of God’s love made manifest in the events we commemorate this week shines brighter.
It was His love – stronger … Read the rest
THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION OF THE DAY
It is early in the morning, still. My body begs me to stay in bed, but my hyperactive brain has begun to stir and keeps me from falling back to sleep. Groggy and tired, I swing my legs over the … Read the rest
SEAL THE TEACHING AMONG MY DISCIPLES.
Almost 3,000 years ago, God gave a peculiar command to the prophet Isaiah during the reign of King Ahaz that I believe to be of great relevance again to us today:
For the Lord spoke thus to me with his … Read the rest
DEEP REFLECTION OF THE WEEK: THE EARTH OF FULL OF HIS GLORY.
The prophet Isaiah gives us in chapter 6 of his 66 books of prophecies a glimpse into heaven through a vision he received in the memorable year that the righteous king Uzziah died. There was uncertainty about the future of … Read the rest
DEEP THOUGHT OF THE WEEK: GOD DESIRES SEEKERS
God has created human beings with the innate capacity to seek and communicate with their unseen Creator, who presents Himself not only as Creator, Lord, and King but also as Father and Friend.
Prophecies like Isaiah chapter 5 show His … Read the rest
DEEP THOUGHT OF THE WEEK: UNITED PRAYER REFLECTS THE UNITY OF GOD.
I was thinking about unity this week as I prepared to lead our online study group through Chapter 8 of my book Prayer Matters.
God Himself consists of relationships. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all perfectly … Read the rest
DEEP THOUGHT OF THE WEEK: PRAYER IS A FUNNEL FOR GOD’S KINGDOM BLESSINGS
God has chosen to work mightily through the prayers of His people! And He can do that because Christ died for us on the cross so that the answers to our prayers are no longer dependent on our own merit. … Read the rest
RESTING IN PRAYER
My wife and I like to kick off the New Year with some extended prayer during which we ask God to lead us to Bible texts that can serve as our theme for the year. We usually come up with … Read the rest