Not even a century beyond Calvary, God had controversies with the churches in Asia Minor. He sent hand-written messages, outlining specific problems, to the messengers (the pastors) of the churches in Revelation chapters two and three. His purpose in interrupting the prevailing conditions in each congregation was to provoke a course correction. Things were off-track,...
Many Bible characters had a fantastic and supernatural beginning, but only a select number had a strong ending. Seventy percent of leaders in Scripture did not finish well (more than half). Robert Clinton list six reasons why so many failed to finish well… Reason #1. They stopped learning and growing. All religion has a proneness...
Some people fast to burn calories. Others fast to break chains. Prayer is reaching out after the unseen; fasting is letting go of all that is seen and temporal. Andrew Murray put it like this, “Prayer is the one hand with which we grasp the Invisible; fasting the other, with which we let loose and cast...
Vintage skins are incompatible with fresh wine (Mat. 9:17). Old, crusty wine skins may maintain the flavor of their native juice, but not this year’s crop. In fact, putting new wine into those old skins would cause a rupture and the fresh juice would be wasted. The container and the wine must be compatible. When...
Elijah told the people to repent. Isaiah told the people to repent. Joel told the people to repent. Jonah told the people to repent. Jeremiah, Micah, Amos, and Malachi all told the people to repent. John the Baptist told the people to repent. By contrast today’s preachers are telling people that they have no ability...
“We must not conceive of prayer as overcoming God’s reluctance, but as laying hold of His highest willingness.” ~Richard Trench Mr. Moody was once addressing a crowded meeting of children in Edinburgh. To get their attention, he began by asking a question that he was prepared to answer himself, “What is prayer?” Before he could...