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December 31, 2008
We never know what the New Year will bring. We don't know what problems we will encounter or what changes will come our way. We don't even know what blessings the Lord has in store for us.
But one thing is guaranteed. No matter what the New Ye...
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December 30, 2008
As we come to the beginning of a new year and the ending of an old one, we often wish we could turn over a new leaf or gain a fresh start.
I once read about a man who was reading his morning newspaper and was shocked to find his name listed in...
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December 29, 2008
Let me share with you a true story about a missionary named John Patton. He was based in the New Hebrides Islands with his wife and children. They had a mission compound there.
One night, hostile natives surrounded the mission station intent o...
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December 27, 2008
Caleb is one of the unsung heroes of the Bible. He stands as a shining example of one who never lost his edge spiritually. He himself said at age 85, "I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my str...
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December 26, 2008
Many years ago, I was given some free tickets to Disneyland. I was walking around the park having a good time, but I started to feel guilty because I had two extra tickets. I thought maybe there was someone outside who wanted to come in, but perhaps could...
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December 25, 2008
In these days of modern technology, we never miss a thing with TiVo, voice mail, DVD recorders, and camera phones. But even though our toys keep us from missing a phone call, they can also cause us to miss the real reason for the holiday season.
...
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December 24, 2008
We celebrate Christmas in order to rejoice over God's most precious gift to us. The birth of Jesus Christ is a gift from God that came in simple wrapping, as well as a gift we don't deserve. But the gift of Christ also explains His purpose for humankind. ...
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December 23, 2008
When you're a child, Christmas is all about receiving gifts. In December, your head is swimming with nothing but images of your favorite toys.
But the true message of Christmas is not the presents we give to one another. The true meaning is th...
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December 22, 2008
It really is an amazing thing to think about the mystery of the Incarnation—that mysterious moment when God became a man.
Jesus Christ—God the Son—was born in a manger. He went from the throne of heaven to a feeding trough. H...
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December 20, 2008
A little girl noticed that her mom was getting really stressed out around Christmas. Everything was bothering her mom, and she was very irritable.
Evening came and the mom bathed the little girl, got her ready for bed, put her under the covers,...
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December 19, 2008
Some of the hardest people to reach are those who are satisfied in life. They are the people who may not see their real spiritual condition because they have everything in order.
That is why I think it is a mistake, when we share the gospel, m...
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December 18, 2008
Very few Christians are great theologians, and none of us have every verse of the Bible memorized—but we all have a testimony. We all have the story of how Christ came into our lives.
We may not be experts, but like the blind man whom Je...
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December 17, 2008
When you tell other people about what God has done for you, you are sharing your testimony. A testimony is when you share your story of how you came to faith. Every Christian has a testimony.
Some Christians have dramatic testimonies where the...
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December 16, 2008
Life is a choice. God makes that clear in Deuteronomy 30:19. We not only decide where we are going in this life, but we decide where we will spend eternity.
What road are you on today? Which way are you going? If you are living for yourself, if...
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December 15, 2008
Under Babylonian rule, Daniel turned his back on the luxuries of the king's court because eating defiled food would have been a compromise of his faith. God honored Daniel's stand and gave the chief of the eunuchs great respect for Daniel, because Daniel'...
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December 13, 2008
I heard that someone actually tried to calculate how much it would cost to give the gifts named in the classic Christmas song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas." The grand total came to about $15,000.
Some items were affordable, like a partridge i...
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December 12, 2008
It has been said that ignorance is bliss and what you don't know, won't hurt you. I think there is some truth to those statements. If I had the opportunity to know my entire future from this day forward, I would not want to know.
But Jesus, bei...
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December 11, 2008
The problem with many Christian marriages today is we tend to read each other's mail.
Has your spouse ever read your mail? "What's this letter here? A bill from some department store!" I'm sure you don't like people to read your mail.
...
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December 10, 2008
I believe one of the primary reasons why marriages are falling apart at such an alarming rate is because husbands are failing to fulfill their scriptural duties to their wives.
The apostle Paul sums up a husband's responsibility to his wife in...
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December 9, 2008
Everything in the marriage relationship is intertwined. If your marriage isn't healthy, then your relationship with God will suffer.
The Apostle Peter tells husbands to dwell with their wives with understanding (see 1 Peter 3:7b). To "dwell wi...
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December 8, 2008
When asked on his fiftieth wedding anniversary for his secret to marital bliss and longevity, Henry Ford replied, "Just the same as in the automobile business. Stick to one model."
Mr. Ford's marital advice is grounded in the biblical principle of l...
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December 6, 2008
Have you ever felt like the bottom has just dropped out of your life? Have you ever felt like you were just hanging on by a thread, because things had become so incredibly difficult? What does God tell us we should do when we are suffering, when we are in...
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December 5, 2008
Sometimes we hear the comment, "They have a marriage made in heaven." The implication of a statement like that is that some marriages just work and others don't.
Listen. Good marriages thrive because of the effort on behalf of both partners. B...
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December 4, 2008
As we come to the Communion table, there are three things we should remember, according to 1 Corinthians 11:23–30.
First, we should look back. We are to participate in Communion in remembrance of Christ (see verse 24). Though we mu...
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December 3, 2008
Matthew 26 contains one of the most well-known events in human history and certainly the most famous meal ever eaten, the Last Supper.
As the disciples sat together, Jesus said, " 'Take it and eat it, for this is my body' " (verse 26). He then...
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December 2, 2008
It's interesting that when God instituted the ordinance of the Passover in Exodus 12:3, He told the Israelites to take a lamb. Then in the next verse He tells them to take the lamb. And then finally in verse five, He tells them to take yo...
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December 1, 2008
As you read the New Testament, you can't help but notice how little it says about the major events of world history. You might think Scripture would mention Rome and all its mighty conquests. But it doesn't.
Instead, God brings out nuances tha...
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November 29, 2008
I read an interesting story about an old miner who had lived the life of a hermit deep in the mountains of Colorado. When he died, some of his distant relatives came to collect his valuables.
They arrived to find a miner's shack with an outhouse ...
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November 28, 2008
King David stands as the prime example of someone who lost their first love. We remember him rightfully as the man after God's own heart—but we also remember David as a murderer and an adulterer.
We may ask the question, how could one wh...
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November 27, 2008
In the Old Testament, we find an interesting story of how King Jehoshaphat took an uncommon approach when his enemies waged war against him. Instead of sending in his army first, he sent the choir and musicians.
Imagine the scene: "All right, ...
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November 26, 2008
I find it interesting that Jesus said, " 'And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength' " (Mark 12:30).
This statement reveals that God is not simply looking for s...
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November 25, 2008
Do you remember when you first fell in love with your spouse? Remember how you wanted to make such a great impression?
You would wear your best clothes, put your best foot forward, and use your best manners. Wherever you went, people could see...
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November 24, 2008
Christians typically think of falling away from the Lord as engaging in gross sin. If somebody sins terribly, we say they have fallen.
Perhaps they used to come to church, but now they spend their time down at the bar. They have fallen.
...
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November 22, 2008
You probably know someone who has received Christ and has gone on to serve the Lord with great effect. You've witnessed dramatic changes in his or her life.
You may also know someone who has been a failure in the Christian life. There has been ...
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November 21, 2008
I once read about a life-sized granite sculpture of Jesus by a Danish artist named Thors Walden.
Walden sculpted the body of Christ in such a way that you can't see His face from a standing position. Next to the statue, however, is a sign that...
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November 20, 2008
A number of years ago, I had the privilege of having lunch with Billy Graham. I was a bit nervous, and I had all of these questions swimming through my mind.
Finally, I turned to him and said, "If you knew as a younger preacher what you know t...
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November 19, 2008
As a young man, Alan Redpath was a successful accountant. One day, he was talking with a Christian friend who told him, "Alan, it is possible to have a saved soul and a wasted life."
Redpath couldn't forget those words. He knew he was guilty o...
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November 18, 2008
As an evangelist, I constantly observe how two people who hear the same message will react in two completely different ways. One person will be profoundly moved, while the other will become even more hardened in his or her sin.
We see the very ...
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November 17, 2008
We have all played the childhood game, Hide-and-Seek, where one person closes his or her eyes while the others hide. My favorite part of the game comes after you count to 20 and get to yell, "Ready or not, here I come!"
In a sense, that is what...
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November 15, 2008
Some years ago, I came across the obituary of a woman named Doris Duke, a tobacco heiress and philanthropist. She was a woman of immeasurable wealth, worth some $1 billion at the time of her death at age 80.
She once told a friend that she neve...
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November 14, 2008
The sword of the Spirit that Ephesians 6 speaks of is not only for deflecting a blow from the enemy; it is also for inflicting one. This is something the devil doesn't want you to know.
He doesn't want you to start attacking, because if you ar...
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November 13, 2008
Many believers have all their spiritual armor in place, but they never use their sword. They talk about it. They study it. They compare swords with others. But they never use their sword in spiritual battle.
In fact, the devil would be pleased...
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November 12, 2008
There are a lot of motorcyclists today who don't like helmet laws. I am among their ranks, I must say, because it is fun to get on a motorcycle and ride along with nothing on your head.
But quite honestly, if you are in an accident on your bik...
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November 11, 2008
What is this shield of faith Paul refers to? Remember, as he was writing this letter to the Christians at Ephesus, he was chained to a Roman guard. He had plenty of time to observe Roman armor.
The shield would have been made of wood—a r...
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November 10, 2008
The sandals or shoes Paul describes in Ephesians 6 not only provide stability to help the believer hold ground, they also provide mobility. These are not dress shoes that are uncomfortable or that you want to keep perfectly clean. These shoes will allow y...
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November 8, 2008
Have you ever wanted to be used by God?
I believe it is a God-given desire to want to serve the Lord. But maybe you've wondered what qualifications the Lord looks for in the life of a man or woman that He would use.
In the Book of Jo...
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November 7, 2008
No matter how powerful the breastplate of a Roman soldier was or how much he tightened his belt, these wouldn't do much good if he slipped and fell. So, in his list of the armor of God, Paul mentions "having shod your feet with the preparation of the gosp...
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November 6, 2008
Next on the apostle Paul's list of the armor of God is the breastplate of righteousness. Key to the armor, the breastplate protects the vital organs. On the Roman battlefield, this is where the enemy would strike, so the breastplate would protects this im...
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November 5, 2008
In his description of the armor of God in Ephesians 6, Paul doesn't start with the high-profile objects like the sword or the shield. Instead, he begins his list by telling us to put on "the sturdy belt of truth."
What was Paul speaking of? We...
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November 4, 2008
When the apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians, he was chained to a Roman guard. So when we come to his description of the armor of God beginning in chapter 6, it's worth noting that Paul had a lot of time to observe Roman armor. There it was, 24...
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November 3, 2008
The devil tends to use the same tactics over and over again. I suppose he operates by the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
He has used these techniques, plans, and strategies since the Garden of Eden, and they have worked with gre...
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November 1, 2008
During the Korean War, enemy forces were advancing on a military unit known as the Baker Company. This unit was cut off from the rest of the regiment, and for several hours, no word was heard, even after repeated attempts to communicate with them.
...
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October 31, 2008
I want to address a popular doctrine that has been floating around in the church for several years. Some have actually made theology out of what I believe is a false assumption.
There are people today who will tell you the reason you are havin...
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October 30, 2008
Just as police officers call for back-up when they sense that danger may be imminent, the first thing we must realize about spiritual battle is that in our own strength, we are no match for the devil.
I think a healthy respect of our adversary...
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October 29, 2008
Remember the story of Gideon in the Old Testament Book of Judges? Gideon had a fairly large army of 32,000 men. But he had a much larger adversary in the Midianites, who numbered in the thousands and thousands.
God came to Gideon one day and t...
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October 28, 2008
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had specific things to say about worry and anxiety. He said,
"So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than...
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October 27, 2008
In the Gospel of Mark, we find an interesting story in which Jesus invited the disciples, some of whom were seasoned fishermen, to join Him on a little boat trip across the Sea of Galilee. But on the way over, they encountered a radical storm.
...
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October 25, 2008
A little boy went over to a pastor's house, where the pastor was doing some carpentry in his garage. The boy simply stood there and watched him for quite a long time. After a while, the preacher wondered why this boy was watching him and was finally so cu...
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October 24, 2008
At the conclusion of Matthew 7, Jesus told the story of two men who built two types of houses. One house was built on a good foundation of rock, while the other house was built on a faulty foundation of sand.
Then Jesus described a storm that ...
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October 23, 2008
I like comfortable clothes. Most of the time you will find me wearing jeans, because they are comfortable.
I don't like starched shirts, and when I send my shirts to the cleaners, I specify "no starch." For one of the cleaners we previously us...
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October 22, 2008
In Matthew 11, Jesus follows His invitation to rest with the invitation to take His yoke and learn from Him. He is telling us there is more; His invitation to rest is a package deal. If we are true followers of Jesus Christ, then we will take His yoke upo...
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October 21, 2008
One December, I was on my way to New York and had a connection through Chicago. It was very cold outside, and as I was walking through the airport terminal, I noticed a large advertisement.
It featured a sunny, tropical beach with beautiful, t...
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October 20, 2008
A few years ago, someone asked former President George H. W. Bush, "What is your greatest accomplishment in life?"
I thought that was an interesting question to ask someone like him, who has quite a long list of achievements. After all, he was...
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October 18, 2008
A number of years ago, I had the privilege of having lunch with Billy Graham. While I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask, there was one thing I was especially curious about.
I said to him, "If you knew then as a younger preacher what you kn...
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October 17, 2008
"Justification" is an often-used word in the Christian vocabulary that carries great meaning. It is a word that declares the rightness of something—not symbolically or potentially, but actually.
The Bible says that when I come to Christ and as...
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October 16, 2008
I think there was a time in history when God was misrepresented as a divine being who threw lightning bolts down from heaven on people who displeased Him. We've heard derogatory references to fire-and-brimstone preaching.
But I don't think thi...
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October 15, 2008
Often we hear people say, "I'm on a spiritual journey. I am trying to find the truth. I am trying to find the light. I am trying to find God. I'm searching for God." Yet the Bible says that no one is really searching for God.
You would think th...
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October 14, 2008
When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, wanted to play a practical joke on 12 of his friends, he sent a note to each of them that simply read, "Flee at once. All is discovered." Within 24 hours, all 12 friends had left the coun...
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October 13, 2008
During a visit to the Pacific Northwest a few years ago, I met a man who told me he had been heavily into alcohol and drugs. His marriage, in his own words, was hanging by a thread.
One day, he took a gun, loaded it, and was planning to kill h...
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October 11, 2008
If the church were to give awards like the movie industry gives Oscars, I think Judas Iscariot would have won the "best actor" category for all time, because that is what Judas was. He was a phenomenal actor.
As one of the most mysterious and p...
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October 10, 2008
One thing that has fascinated people, especially artists, throughout the centuries is the question of what Jesus looked like.
It is interesting that no actual physical description of Jesus is found in Scripture, except for a figurative one in ...
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October 9, 2008
Do you know that sometimes the best thing you can do for a hurting person is to just be there?
When I was a young pastor, I had a sermon for everyone. But since then, I have stood with many people who have experienced a tragedy or loss, and I ...
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October 8, 2008
The tenth commandment, which deals with coveting, speaks to our deepest attitudes. Of course, the word, "covet," means to be dissatisfied with what we have and to desire more, regardless of what it may cost us or someone else.
One Christmas whe...
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October 7, 2008
Some years ago, a book called The Day America Told the Truth was published. According to the authors' findings, 91 percent of Americans lie on a regular basis. "The majority of us find it hard to go through a week without lying," the book states. "...
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October 6, 2008
Stealing has become such a widespread problem in our culture today that it is now commonplace. By that I mean, we are so accustomed to people stealing that we wouldn't even think of leaving our cars or homes unlocked.
People break into cars. T...
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October 4, 2008
Whenever we hear of ominous threats against our nation and against us as citizens, or when we hear bad news at work or some other place, we need to remember this: God Almighty is thinking about us. He has a plan for us that is good.
In Jeremiah...
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October 3, 2008
The sixth commandment obviously forbids the taking of another human life for no justifiable reason. We might say, "Well, I've never murdered anyone. At least I can say I haven't broken this commandment."
But in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus d...
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October 2, 2008
The Ten Commandments can be broken into two sections: the first four deal with our relationship with God, while the second six deal with our relationships with people. The last of the commandments regarding our relationship with God pertains to the Sabbat...
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October 1, 2008
One of the most obvious ways of taking the Lord's name in vain is through profanity. Unfortunately, most of us have heard the Lord's name taken in vain in that sense. That always bothers me, because that is my Lord they are speaking of.
We mig...
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September 30, 2008
What does it mean when God says, "Do not worship any other gods besides me"? It means that we are not to allow anything or anyone to takes the place of God in our lives.
That god could be a career. It could be a possession. It could be a relat...
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September 29, 2008
There are a lot of people who think they should keep the Ten Commandments because they are under the impression that God will punish them if they don't. But the fact is that God loves us, and we should keep His commandments because we are aware of this....
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September 27, 2008
I have had the privilege of traveling throughout the world, and have visited many countries, including a few communist nations. But I am always glad to come home to the United States of America, because I believe it is the greatest nation on Earth.
...
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September 26, 2008
When Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as yourself," He was not saying that before you can love others, you must first love yourself. That is the common interpretation we often hear, but that is not correct. Jesus is not teaching self-love.
Esse...
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September 25, 2008
The transfiguration of Jesus was a significant event. It was the halfway point on a very difficult journey. From here, Jesus went backward from the cradle and forward to the cross.
Jesus apparently believed the time was right for the disciples...
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September 24, 2008
When Jesus said that we are to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, we need to understand that to the ancient Hebrews, the heart referred to the core of one's personal being (see Proverbs 4:23). So to love the Lord with all our hearts means to love ...
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September 23, 2008
Some years ago, around three hundred whales were found marooned on a beach. Scientists speculated that the whales had been chasing sardines and became trapped in shallow water when the tide went out.
Now that's an amazing thing. By chasing lit...
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September 22, 2008
A man was out driving in the country during a heavy rainstorm when he came across an old farmer who was surveying the ruins of his barn. He pulled over and to ask the farmer what happened.
"Roof fell in," the farmer replied.
"What h...
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September 20, 2008
There is some truth to the old bumper-sticker adage, "Lead me not into temptation. I can find it myself." We all do a pretty good job of putting ourselves in the way of temptation. While we love to blame it on the devil or on other people, the fact is tha...
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September 19, 2008
I sometimes hear people say, "I have been wrestling with God in prayer!" My first thought always is, "I hope you lost."
If you have been trying to bend God your way, then that is a problem. Prayer is not trying to move God your way; it is movi...
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September 18, 2008
When we are praying for something that we believe is the will of God, we should not give up. Keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking—that is what Jesus told us to do.
In fact, when Jesus saw the great faith of a mother from Canaan w...
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September 17, 2008
A missionary couple who had served for many years in Africa were returning to the United States. Leaving Africa with broken health and no pension, they felt defeated, discouraged, and afraid.
As it turned out, President Teddy Roosevelt was tra...
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September 16, 2008
In 1 Samuel 30, we find the story of David leading his men to a successful battle. As they were returning home, those who had stayed behind and watched the camp and the supplies met them. But some of the troublemakers who had fought in the battle didn't w...
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September 15, 2008
I think there may be three big surprises in heaven: One, many of the people we expected to see won't be there. Two, many of the people we never expected to see will be there. And three, we will be there.
Remember the story ...
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September 13, 2008
In the aftermath of 9/11, I was interviewed by a number of reporters who asked how something so horrible, so unthinkable, could take place in the United States? They couldn't comprehend the capacity of someone who would kill thousands of people and lose t...
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September 12, 2008
On more than one occasion, the Bible compares Christians to sheep. I don't know if I'm really happy about that, because sheep are not the most intelligent animals on earth.
It would have been nice if God had compared us to dolphins. Now there's...
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September 11, 2008
Peter's denial of Jesus did not happen over a period of seconds or minutes, but over a period of hours. An hour had passed from the time the first person said, "You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean," to the time Peter made his second denial. He h...
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September 10, 2008
We might wonder how the religious leaders of Jesus' day could be so heartless as to take Him and put Him to such a quick death. Where was their compassion? Where was their sense of fairness?
Even if they didn't accept Him as the Messiah, what was be...
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September 9, 2008
There are some people who teach that we should never pray, "Not my will, but Yours be done," because it supposedly voids what you have just prayed for.
What nonsense. If Jesus prayed this, certainly we should follow His example.
He...
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September 8, 2008
It has been said that it takes a steady hand to hold a full cup.
God was planning to give a full cup to the apostle Paul. So He took Paul away and put him into obscurity in the desert of Arabia for a time.
We are not told what happe...
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September 6, 2008
On December 1, 1997, about a dozen students were gathered together for their daily prayer meeting at Heath High School in Paducah, Kentucky. As they said their final "Amen," a 14-year-old boy suddenly walked up and opened fire on the group. Three of the s...
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September 5, 2008
It was George Bernard Shaw who said, "There are two sources of unhappiness in life. One is not getting what you want. The other is getting it."
This statement reminds me of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus seeking answers. Here was a man...
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September 4, 2008
Talk about a person who had been wronged. Joseph's brothers had done all kinds of horrible things to him. They betrayed him, their own flesh and blood, and sold him into slavery.
But through an amazing course of events that were directed by th...
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September 3, 2008
After observing the behavior of some people, you would think they have a verse in their Bible that says, "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, go and tell as many people as possible. And then ultimately go and try to drive that person away...
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September 2, 2008
It seems as though we are living in a day of tabloid mentality. I have never seen a culture and society so obsessed with gossip, innuendos, and rumors. Just turn on the TV and you'll find all kinds of programs that probe into the personal lives of others....
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September 1, 2008
Why did Peter say what he said during such a significant event as the Transfiguration? The Gospels give us two reasons: One, he didn't know what to say, and two, he was "heavy with sleep." This was a bad time to fall asleep. Imagine what else Peter might ...
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August 30, 2008
The fundamental difference between humanity and animals is that animals don't worship, but people do. God has essentially wired us this way. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, He has placed "eternity in our hearts." We sense there is something more, and it causes...
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August 29, 2008
We need to remember that God's will is good. It may not seem like it at times, but it is. His plan for us is good. However, He usually doesn't give us a detailed blueprint. Usually, God reveals His will to us in bits and pieces. He sees the big picture, w...
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August 28, 2008
We find in Romans 12:1–2 what we call a conditional promise. The promise is that you can know what the perfect will of God is for your life. The conditions are that you must present yourself to God and that you must not be conformed to this world. ...
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August 27, 2008
In her wonderful book, The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom relates an amazing story about the importance of being thankful. Corrie and her sister Betsy were held in a concentration camp known as Ravensbruk, where they lived in barracks that were plag...
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August 26, 2008
When we think of being filled with the Spirit, we often relate it to an emotional experience or a feeling of euphoria.
But in reality, the word, "filled," could be translated, "controlled by." It is a word that speaks of what happens when the ...
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August 25, 2008
Peter had been listening in on the conversation between the rich, young ruler and Jesus. It revealed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that possessions had possessed this young ruler's soul. He could not do what Jesus had asked, and as a result, he went away s...
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August 23, 2008
Someone wisely said, "When your knees are knocking, kneel on them." That is always a good thing to do.
Maybe you find yourself in troubling circumstances right now. Maybe you have received some bad news recently, and you're beginning to wonder ...
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August 22, 2008
In Matthew 28:19–20, we find the "marching orders" from Jesus that we know as the Great Commission. There are two things we should remember about it.
First, these words are a command. That is why we call it the Great Commission and not t...
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August 21, 2008
What does it mean to be a disciple? Certainly we need to know the answer to that question. After all, Jesus told us to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. . . ."
But how can we make disciples if we are not disciples ourselves? ...
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August 20, 2008
The Christian life is more than just saying a prayer or walking down an aisle and getting "fire insurance," as it were. The Christian life is meant to be dynamic. It is meant to be exciting.
It is meant to have a radical effect on the way that...
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August 19, 2008
I think it's interesting to note those to whom Jesus chose to appear after His resurrection. We don't read about Him appearing to Caiaphas or Caesar.
Now if it had been me, the first person I would have appeared to would have been Pilate: "Yo,...
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August 18, 2008
When Jesus referred to taking up the cross, I'm sure the meaning wasn't lost on the disciples.
The cross, as the people would know in this time and culture, was a hated and despised symbol. It was the symbol of a very cruel death. The Romans c...
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August 16, 2008
I once took a fishing trip to Alaska with three guys from our church who are about as different as three guys can be.
Lonnie has great hair, which he was always messing with, even when we were getting ready to go fishing at 4:30 A.M. Then there...
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August 15, 2008
In the final chapter of the book of Job, God restored to His righteous servant everything and doubled it. He had passed the test, leaving an unforgettable example for us in the pages of Scripture. Though he could never replace the children he had lost, Go...
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August 14, 2008
Suffering can also be used by God to prepare us for a special task ahead of us.
The Bible doesn't tell us what Job's task might have been after God completely restored him, but it certainly tells us what happened with Joseph, in the book of Gen...
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August 13, 2008
There is one more way God can be glorified through our suffering and hardships. He can remove them. And sometimes, that's just what He does.
He doesn't always say "no," and He doesn't always say "wait." Sometimes, He steps in immediately, bring...
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August 12, 2008
Never forget that God is in control of all the circumstances that surround a believer's life. God is in control of your life, and involved in all the details.
Your suffering has not escaped His notice. Your situation has not somehow been buried...
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August 11, 2008
Much of the book of Job is dedicated to asking the question "why?"
Toward the end of the book, beginning in chapter 38, God finally responds to His suffering servant. It's evident the Lord was getting tired of all the lame explanations offered ...
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August 9, 2008
The greatest legacy we pass on as fathers is not our inheritance. It is not even our good name. It is the spiritual heritage that we give to our children, desiring them to walk in the way of the Lord.
When David was on his deathbed, he said to ...
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August 8, 2008
The Bible names three friends who came to Job to "sympathize with him and comfort him" (Job 2:11 NIV). As it turned out, Job would have been better off if these guys had just stayed home.
These three counselors apparently travele...
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August 7, 2008
When we read about Satan, this powerful and evil spirit being who hates God and despises mankind, we might wonder why God allows Satan to even exist.
As he says in his own words, he is restlessly going back and forth across the earth, looking ...
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August 6, 2008
One day when Job's sons and daughters were dining at the oldest brother's house, a messenger arrived at Job's home with this news: "Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided us. They stole all the an...
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August 5, 2008
God says to Satan. "Where have you come from?" The devil responds, "I have been going back and forth across the earth watching everything that is going on."
The Bible describes Satan as a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour. ...
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August 4, 2008
One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan the Accuser came with them. "Where have you come from?" the Lord asked Satan.
And Satan answered the Lord, "I have been going back and forth across the earth, ...
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August 2, 2008
It's not easy being a preacher's kid, or PK, as they're known in our business. Living in the shadow of a dad who's the "go-to" guy for all things spiritual and biblical creates some uncomfortable dynamics. Not only are preachers supposed to be perfect, th...
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August 1, 2008
Job was a real, historical, flesh-and-blood man who many scholars feel walked the earth during the time of the patriarchs, somewhere between 2000 and 1800 BC. Scripture says he lived in the land of Uz—which may sound like Oz, but Uz was a real place...
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July 31, 2008
I have a little granddaughter named Stella, and she's the apple of my eye. Not long ago she was over at our house with her mom and dad, and my wife and I were playing some little games with her—or, as much of a game as you can play with an eight-mon...
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July 30, 2008
Why does God allow tragedy? We've all heard it stated in many ways. Why does He allow babies to be born with disabilities? Why does He permit wars to rage? Why does He seem to turn the other way when innocent people are being killed? What about all of tho...
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July 29, 2008
An attorney was trying to deliver an important paper to a man who was determined to avoid him. The man reasoned that the attorney had some type of subpoena, so he went out of his way to dodge him.
Fourteen years passed, and the man found himse...
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July 28, 2008
As we look over the pages of history, it's interesting to read the statements that have been made about Christ.
Pontius Pilate said, "I find no fault in Him." Napoleon said, "I know men, and Jesus was no mere man." Strauss, the German rational...
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July 26, 2008
By John Collins, Administrative Pastor, Harvest Christian Fellowship
"Lord, if you had been here . . . "
These are the words of Mary and Martha at the death of their brother Lazarus in John 11.
There, at that ...
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July 25, 2008
...
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July 24, 2008
When Elijah threw his mantle, or his outer garment, on Elisha, it was a symbolic gesture that said, "I'm passing on my calling to you."
From the account we find in 1 Kings 19, we discover a few things about Elisha. First, we know that he was a...
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July 23, 2008
What was Elisha doing when Elijah called him into the Lord's service? Was he walking around saying, "I wonder if God ever will do anything in my life?"
No. He was busy. He was plowing a field.
You will find this pattern throughout S...
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July 22, 2008
What are the best spiritual gifts for a believer to have? It all depends.
If I am having a difficult time sharing my faith with someone, and you come along and have been gifted as an evangelist, then that is the best gift at that particular mo...
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July 21, 2008
Through the years, I have made my periodic trips to the gym to get back in shape. On one such occasion after I joined a local gym, a trainer took me on a tour to show me the various machines and how they worked. (Some of them are a little difficult to fig...
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July 19, 2008
One day, a pastor was teaching a Sunday School class. He asked the class, "Can anyone think of a Bible verse about being married?"
A little boy raised his hand. When the pastor called on him, he said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not wh...
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July 18, 2008
I heard the other day that the average American will spend 15 years in front of the television during his or her lifetime. Can you imagine 15 years of sitting in front of that box, clicking away? What a waste of life.
On the other hand, the Bib...
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July 17, 2008
Today we have people who seek experience for the sake of experience, wanting to have what they think is a touch from God. We have self-proclaimed prophets who give their messages and proclaim their visions, but are rarely held accountable for the outcome....
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July 16, 2008
We may look with some envy on first-century believers who seemed to have miracles as part of their daily lives. Certainly, there were dramatic miracles that took place during their time.
We read of great things happening, such as the man at th...
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July 15, 2008
It is fascinating to note how Jesus dealt with different people. He never dealt with any two individuals in precisely the same way. He would look beyond the outward veneer and see their hearts.
When a person was really seeking and a miracle wa...
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July 14, 2008
Would miracles make more people believe? Would unbelievers become believers if they were to see a bona fide miracle?
The scribes and Pharisees' demand for a sign prompted Jesus to give them some of His most solemn and searching words:
...
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July 12, 2008
Some people today have made a hobby out of studying Bible prophecy. While it's a good thing to study, Bible prophecy is not there to simply tantalize or entertain us.
When we study Bible prophecy, and we ought to, it should be for a reason. It ...
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July 11, 2008
Oswald Chambers said, "Doubt is not always a sign that a man is wrong. It may be a sign that he is thinking."
There is a difference between doubt and unbelief. Doubt is a matter of the mind. Unbelief is a matter of the heart. Doubt is when we ...
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July 10, 2008
I heard the story of an elderly minister who liked to visit people in hospitals. He often would take along a little, embroidered bookmark that he carried in his Bible. On the back of the bookmark were a group of tangled threads with no apparent pattern. H...
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July 9, 2008
Martha, Mary, and their brother, Lazarus, were close friends of Jesus. He would often spend time in their home in Bethany.
When Lazarus became sick, Martha and Mary sent word to Jesus. No doubt they thought that Jesus would drop whatever He wa...
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July 8, 2008
It is not unusual for even the most spiritual people to have their days of doubt.
Moses, on one occasion at least, was overwhelmed by his circumstances. After he had listened to the constant complaining of the children of Israel, he basically ...
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July 7, 2008
Have you ever had something happen in your life that caused you to say, "Where is God?" No less than the greatest prophet who ever lived, John the Baptist, faced this struggle.
John had put it all on the line for Jesus Christ. He had baptized H...
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July 5, 2008
After years of walking with the Lord, the apostle Paul said, "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me...
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July 4, 2008
A conversation took place many years ago between D. L. Moody, before he became the great evangelist, and another man. The man said to Moody, "You know, the world has yet to see what God can do with and through the man who is totally committed to Him." ...
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July 3, 2008
One of the things that amazes me about the apostle Paul is how he always seemed to rise to the top of every situation and seized every opportunity to preach the gospel.
We read in the Book Acts that when Paul and Silas were thrown in prison, t...
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July 2, 2008
Time and time again, God reminded Paul of His presence, no doubt when he needed it the most. God knows what we need, and He knows when we need it.
He knew when Paul could use that extra assurance. When he was in that prison cell in Jer...
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July 1, 2008
Sometimes we may think that when we're in the will of God, it will be smooth sailing. But many times it is just the opposite. Doors slam in our faces. Obstacles appear in our paths and storms arise that threaten to drive us off course.
That is...
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June 30, 2008
I love new believers. They are the lifeblood of the church.
When I have the privilege of speaking to other pastors, I tell them that if they don't have a constant flow of new believers coming into their congregations, they will become spiritua...
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June 28, 2008
Jesus Christ continues to fascinate and, at the same time, mystify people. But this really is nothing new. Even when Jesus walked this earth, He was a mystery to most people.
In fact, He was even a mystery to His own, handpicked disciples who d...
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June 27, 2008
I heard about a man who was trying to start his own religion, but it wasn't going very well so far. He decided to approach the French statesman, Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, and ask him what he should do to gain converts. The statesman told him, "I reco...
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June 26, 2008
It is no coincidence that the phrase, "walk by faith," is used in Scripture. Notice that Scripture doesn't tell us to sprint by faith; it tells us to walk by faith. To walk speaks of continual, regulated motion. The Bible says Enoch walked w...
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June 25, 2008
Over the years, I have received many letters inviting me to get involved with a certain cause or to join a boycott or a march. I admire people who get out there and want to stand up for what is right, and I think that we as Christians need to make our pre...
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June 24, 2008
Today, people are standing up and being counted for many things. In fact, I am amazed at the perverse, even horrendous things people will speak up for and what some are even willing to die for. Yet here we are with the life-changing message of the gospel,...
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June 23, 2008
There is explosive power in the message of the gospel, because Paul says, "It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes . . ." (Romans 1:16).
The word "power" that Paul used in this verse originates from the Greek word, duna...
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June 21, 2008
I have heard it said, "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do. What I ought to do, by the grace of God, I will do."
One godly man or woman can make a dramatic difference, even i...
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June 20, 2008
It is worth noting that no person in the New Testament came to faith apart from the agency of a human being. Have you ever stopped and thought about that? We can find example after example.
There was the Ethiopian (see Acts 8:26-39). There are ...
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June 19, 2008
From the original Greek, we could translate the final question in Romans 10:14 as, "How shall they hear without one preaching?" The Phillips translation puts it this way, "How can they hear unless someone proclaims Him?" Therefore, we see the emphasis is ...
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June 18, 2008
God said in the presence of Isaiah, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" In a sense, God is still asking this question. Whom shall I send? Who will go for us? Will you go? Will you stand in the gap?
If God's Holy Spirit were to s...
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June 17, 2008
Alexander McLaren said, "You tell me the depth of a Christian's compassion, and I will tell you the measure of his usefulness." How deep does your compassion go? God is looking for such people.
How does it affect you, knowing there are many peo...
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June 16, 2008
The apostle Paul had something essential for effective evangelism: a God-given burden for those who did not know Jesus Christ. In his case, the burden was for his own people, the Jews. He cared. It burned inside him.
General William Booth, foun...
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June 14, 2008
I believe the different stages of friendship can be symbolized by where a person stands with you when he or she visits your house.
For example, someone who wants to sell me something usually won't get past the front door. The furthest in my hou...
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June 13, 2008
The Scripture is full of descriptions of the believer's new spiritual life. God promises He will give us a new heart. In Ezekiel 36:26, God says that He will "give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; [He] will take the heart of stone out of y...
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June 12, 2008
When the apostle Paul stood before King Agrippa and explained what God had called him to do in proclaiming the gospel, he broke it down into one of the most clear presentations I have found anywhere in the Bible.
Paul said that God had called ...
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June 11, 2008
I had to laugh when I heard the story of two men who approached the great British preacher, C. H. Spurgeon, one day and told him, "Spurgeon, we have reached sinless perfection."
"Really?" he asked.
"Yes," they said, "We are absolutel...
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June 10, 2008
Sadly, there are many believers today who live with the misconception that they must do something to earn God's approval.
When they have had a good week and have been reading their Bibles or doing certain good deeds for the Lord, they feel tha...
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June 9, 2008
Are you happy with the way that you are right now? Are there things in your life you would like to see dramatically altered?
Perhaps, like many other people, you make bold resolutions whenever a new year rolls around. You make plans regarding ...
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June 7, 2008
The period in church history from A.D. 100 to A.D. 314 was known as the Martyr Period, when literally thousands and thousands of courageous Christian men, women, and even children sealed their fate with their blood.
...
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June 6, 2008
Sometimes we hear about well-known people who claim to have made a commitment to Jesus Christ. Often, it is around election time. When they address Christians, they speak of their great faith in God. After the elections, we seldom hear about it again....
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June 5, 2008
People make changes in their lives for many reasons. Often it is when they face a crisis in life. It might be a heart attack. It might be the loss of a spouse through death or divorce. It might some other crisis that hits them, and they begin to evaluate ...
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June 4, 2008
The word used for "press" in Philippians 3:14 carries in the meaning of "strong exertion." Every muscle of the runner is burning. He can see the ribbon. He has only a few more feet to go in the race. He must press on.
It is the same in our live...
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June 3, 2008
If you want to run the race of life successfully, then don't look back. If you ever have run a race and looked over your shoulder to see what your competitor was doing, then you know that looking back can break your stride and ultimately cause you to lose...
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June 2, 2008
Back when I was in high school, I ran track and field. Whenever a pretty girl was watching, I always ran faster. I wanted to impress her.
If you are a Christian because someone else is or because you want to impress someone, then I have news fo...
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May 31, 2008
Remember the New Testament story in which Jesus sent His disciples across the Sea of Galilee? The Bible says that He waited on the shore and then went up on a mountain to pray.
As the disciples were making their way across, a great storm began ...
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May 30, 2008
The Bible tells the story of the great patriarch, Abraham, who was called by the Lord to leave his homeland and his family. God would lead him to a land where he had never been.
Abraham wanted to take everyone along, but the problem was that ma...
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May 29, 2008
I am the kind of a person who likes to drag a lot of stuff with me when I travel. I have been traveling for many years, yet I still overpack. I want to bring everything I own. But excess baggage makes traveling more complicated.
In the same way...
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May 28, 2008
If you participate in an athletic event, you must play by the rules. You can't make your own. You can't say, "If I hit the ball eight feet, then that is a home run. These are my rules." That is not the way it works.
You must play by the rules. ...
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May 27, 2008
This last Saturday, I woke up very early in the morning, still reeling from jet lag after our trip to the Holy Land. I decided to take a walk, as I usually do every morning. There was a light drizzle, as we had an unexpected storm front here in Southern C...
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May 26, 2008
This is Memorial Day weekend. For many, that means heading to the beach, the mountains, or the lakes. It means an extra day off. Or maybe a barbecue, a family get-together or a sporting event.
Sadly, for others, it means partying and driving un...
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May 24, 2008
It seems that Americans today are fascinated by the concept of angels, depicting them in everything from jewelry and Christmas decorations to movies and television programs.
A poll conducted by Time magazine in 1993 reported that 69 perc...
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May 23, 2008
Imagine for a moment that it's your birthday and your friends and family have decided to throw you a party. It isn't just any party. It's a mega party. Everyone you know is there.
There are gifts galore and the largest cake you have ever seen....
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May 22, 2008
It is difficult for us to understand, 2,000 years later, the significance of the angel Gabriel's appearance to Mary in Nazareth.
After all, he could have found the future mother of the Messiah in Rome, the capital of the greatest power on eart...
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May 21, 2008
When we think of Christmas, we think of the arrival of Jesus: "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given" (Isaiah 9:6). In reality, it was also a departure. For us, a Child was born. But for God the Father, a Son was given.
In heaven,...
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May 20, 2008
Some of the most precious gifts often don't attract our attention at first. We take a hurried glance and see nothing of significance. But if we go back and take another look, we begin to discover the glory and the wonder of that gift.
So it was...
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May 19, 2008
When people give Christmas gifts to each other, they usually put a lot of thought into the gift beforehand. A gift tells us quite a bit about the giver, doesn't it? You can estimate, more or less, what people think of you by the gifts they give you. On th...
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May 17, 2008
In the early 1900s, there was a woman named Hettie Green who was known for her miserly ways. So much so, that she was called America's greatest miser. But Hettie Green was worth a lot of money.
When she died in 1916, she left an estate valued a...
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May 16, 2008
One of the first things I remember taking place when I committed my life to Jesus Christ was the erosion of bitterness and anger and the growth of a love I had not known before. Years of bitterness and anger that had been building up just began to dissolv...
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May 15, 2008
A flock of wild geese was flying south for the winter when one goose looked down and noticed a group of domestic geese by a little pond near a farm. He noticed they had plenty of grain to eat. Life seemed relatively nice for them.
So he flew d...
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May 14, 2008
Whose slave are you? Maybe you believe that you are your own person, the master of your own destiny. But in reality, each of us yields or gives ourselves to someone or something. We are all slaves of someone or something.
I want to be a slave o...
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May 13, 2008
A farmer who was known for his frugality owned a cow that gave birth to two calves. He said to his wife, "I am going to dedicate one of these calves to the Lord."
Knowing his miserly ways, she was very surprised and asked which one he was plan...
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May 12, 2008
I don't know about you, but when Christmas rolls around, it seems as if there is always someone for whom I feel obligated to buy a gift. Although I don't really enjoy the process, I do it out of duty. On the other hand, it is exciting to buy a gift for so...
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May 10, 2008
Charles Dickens began his classic novel, A Tale Two Cities, with the statement, "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times." I think that is also an accurate assessment of American culture today. In many ways, we never have seen better ti...
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May 9, 2008
I once heard a story about a Christian living in first-century Rome who was about to be fed to a lion. He quickly whispered something in the lion's ear, and the lion bolted away in terror. When a guard was sent to find out what happened, he came back with...
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May 8, 2008
When an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, he was not only telling him that Mary had not been unfaithful, as he had thought, but that she was the virgin spoken of by the prophet Isaiah: "The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the vir...
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May 7, 2008
What kind of people does God want to use? We find the same pattern throughout Scripture: the people God used were faithful in what He had placed before them. The people that God used for big things were people who were faithful in the little things.
...
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May 6, 2008
Sometimes, we will say, "We all have our crosses to bear. My cross is my supervisor at work," or "My cross is this health problem," or "My cross is this relative." But I think we have lost the meaning of the cross.
If you were living in first-...
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May 5, 2008
In the Old Testament, we find an interesting story of how King Jehoshaphat took an uncommon approach when his enemies waged war against him. Instead of sending in his army first, he sent in the choir and musicians.
Imagine the scene: "All righ...
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May 3, 2008
In 1776, our country's founding fathers signed a document at Independence Hall called the Declaration of Independence. I think it's an amazing document for a number of reasons, but chiefly because it says something that is different from any other foundat...
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May 2, 2008
There are times when it is a sacrifice to offer praise to God, quite frankly, because we don't really want to. There are times when we are down or depressed or things aren't going that well. We don't really feel like praising the Lord.
Yet the...
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May 1, 2008
A man who was nailing down a loose shingle on a roof lost his footing and began to slip. Working three stories above the ground, he was terrified at the thought of falling to his death. He started shouting, "God, help me! I am falling! God, do something!"...
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April 30, 2008
We are living in a time in which people stand up for a variety of causes. People stand up for everything imaginable, and in some cases, they are even willing to lay down their lives for what they believe. Although we may not agree with what they are sayin...
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April 29, 2008
Near the end of his life, the apostle Paul wrote to the young pastor, Timothy, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). A few sentences later, he referred to a man named Demas who had deserted him, "...
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April 28, 2008
When I first became a Christian, I decided that I would somehow find a way to live in two worlds. I was planning to hang out with my old friends and still be a Christian. For a time, I was sort of in a suspended state of animation. I wasn't comfortable wi...
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April 26, 2008
Have you ever been gripped by fear? You know the feeling. A shiver downs your spine. Your stomach has a sinking sensation. Your mouth goes dry. Maybe it happened when you were in a life-threatening situation, or at least you thought you were.
S...
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April 25, 2008
When I was a kid, I collected snakes. I thought they were just great, and I had them in all shapes and sizes.
I once met a man who collected venomous snakes and had worked in some type of zoo. I really admired him. He had been bitten by a tige...
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April 24, 2008
I remember reading a story about one of the battles between General Robert E. Lee and General Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War. General Lee was, of course, the head of the Confederate forces and was known for his brilliant tactics in doing a lot with...
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April 23, 2008
It is clear that we are living in the last days. All around us, we see signs being fulfilled before our very eyes that Jesus and the prophets told us to look for. The Bible warns that in the last days things will go from bad to worse (see 2 Timothy 3:1...
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April 22, 2008
Right after I became a Christian, other believers warned me, "Greg, watch out. There is a devil who will tempt you."
I said, "Right, devil." I thought of the red figure with the pitchfork and horns.
They said, "No, the devil is real....
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April 21, 2008
Why does God bring tests into our lives? Is it because He wants to give us a hard time or embarrass us? No. It is because God wants us to learn. He wants us to mature spiritually. God wants us to learn to trust Him, even when we don't understand Him. He w...
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April 19, 2008
It was Martin Luther who said, "There are three conversions a person needs to experience: The conversion of the head, the conversion of the heart, and the conversion of the pocketbook."
It is worth noting that money is such an important topic i...
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April 18, 2008
Some years ago, there was a story in the news about a man who had a tree fall on his leg. With no one around to come to his rescue, he took out a pocketknife and proceeded to amputate his leg. Then he made his way up the road until someone picked him up a...
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April 17, 2008
Not only does God speak to us through His Word, and not only does He speak to us through people and circumstances, but God also speaks to us through His peace. Colossians says, "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in on...
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April 16, 2008
Not only does God speak to us through His Word, and not only will He never contradict His Word, but God also speaks through circumstances. Although I'm not one to base major life decisions on circumstances alone, there have clearly been times when I have ...
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April 15, 2008
There are a lot of people today who say they hear the voice of God telling them to do thus and so. But what we must remember is that God will never contradict His Word. He will always lead us according to what the Bible says.
Some people come u...
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April 14, 2008
Have you ever wished you could do a miracle for friends or family members who weren't believers? You think, "If this happened, then they would believe." We think we need something dramatic or earthshaking. But so many times, God works in simple ways to re...
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April 12, 2008
I have been a Christian since 1970. I wish I could say that after all these years, I have discovered a foolproof, step-by-step plan for knowing the will of God in every situation. Unfortunately, such a plan does not exist.
However, there are a ...
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April 11, 2008
So often when something is going wrong in our country, we want to organize a boycott or want to protest. But did you know that as believers, we have something more powerful than boycotts? It is called prayer, and the Bible tells us to devote ourselves to ...
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April 10, 2008
Often after great victories, the greatest challenges and temptations of the Christian life will come. I have found that after great blessings in my life, after God works in a powerful way, the devil will be there to challenge it.
Think about it...
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April 9, 2008
It is hard for a lot of Christians to understand how their friends and family can suddenly turn against them. People they have been close to for years suddenly become hostile, simply because they have said they were now following Jesus Christ.
...
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April 8, 2008
Milk is great cold. There's nothing quite like a cold glass of milk with some cookies. Milk is also good hot. With a little chocolate syrup, it's great. But lukewarm milk? The thought of it is sickening. It just doesn't cut it.
In Revelation 3,...
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April 7, 2008
Have you ever had one of those indecisive days? Usually I am decisive. But I get in those moods where I just can't decide. I can be at the window of a take-out place and suddenly be stricken with indecision. That's not so tragic at a take-out window. But ...
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April 5, 2008
Sir Walter Scott, a celebrated novelist and poet, once said, "Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive." And it's true; deception will get us into a lot of trouble.
A story unfolds in the book of Genesis that shows us th...
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April 4, 2008
The Bible mentions a category of Christians who are described as carnal. These are people in an arrested state of spiritual development. They have never really grown up. They're caught between two worlds: they have too much of the Lord to be happy in the ...
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April 3, 2008
When the Bible says that ravens brought Elijah food, it doesn't mean they took his order, flew through the local fast food restaurant, and then delivered his meal. Ravens are scavengers. They would've brought little bits of meat and bread to Elijah. What'...
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April 2, 2008
I think that we Christians are sometimes tempted to isolate ourselves. We want to submerge ourselves in a Christian subculture of our own making and not get too involved in the world.
But Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth." When He mad...
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April 1, 2008
God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Many times when we're looking for some great superstar to come on the scene, God is developing someone in obscurity whom we haven't ever heard of. We will say, "What if so-and-so became a Christian? Wou...
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March 31, 2008
Has it ever seemed as if you were out there all alone as a Christian? Sometimes it feels like you are the only one who is serving the Lord or speaking up for Him at your workplace or school. You know others who are Christians, but they are afraid to stand...
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March 29, 2008
A young man who was graduating from college wanted a new car for his graduation gift. Finally, graduation day arrived, and his dad handed him a box. He opened it with anticipation, only to find a Bible inside. He was so angry and disappointed that he hand...
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March 28, 2008
It is interesting how God came to different people in the Bible. To Abraham, God came as a traveler. Abraham was outside his tent when three messengers arrived. Two were angels, while one was God himself. We know that Jesus said, "Your ancestor Abraham re...
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March 27, 2008
The Bible's first recorded prayer of Jacob's is found in Genesis 32:9–16. Up to this point, seven chapters of Genesis have been devoted to Jacob's life, with no mention of prayer on his part.
It makes me wonder if Jacob had ever prayed up...
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March 26, 2008
There is a story in the Bible about a man named Esau who gave up everything for a little temporal pleasure. As the firstborn, Esau had been given the family birthright, which meant that he would one day be the spiritual leader of his family and would be i...
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March 25, 2008
A successful building contractor called in one of his employees, a skilled carpenter, and told him that he was putting him in charge of the next house the company was building. He instructed the carpenter to order all of the materials and oversee the enti...
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March 24, 2008
What comes to mind when you hear the word dynamite? I automatically think of something explosive. And when something is described as dynamic, I know it is something unusual or special, something that stands out.
Jesus told the dis...
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March 22, 2008
Have you ever felt lonely? Have you ever felt as though your friends and family had abandoned you? Have you ever felt like you were misunderstood? Have you ever had a hard time understanding or submitting to the will of God for your life?
If so...
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March 21, 2008
A couple from Chicago was planning a vacation to a warmer climate, but the wife couldn't join her husband until the next day, because she was on a business trip. Her husband scribbled down her e-mail address on a little scrap of paper, but upon his arriva...
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March 20, 2008
I heard the story of a pastor who boarded a bus one Monday morning, paid his fare, and took his seat. A few minutes later, he realized that the driver had given him too much change. Some people might have put it in their pocket and said, "Lord, thank you ...
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March 19, 2008
My dog practices selective listening. When he doesn't like what I am saying, he acts as though he doesn't understand me. If he is in my room at bedtime and I tell him to leave, he looks at me as if to say, "What?" It's as though his hearing is gone. On th...
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March 18, 2008
What does it mean to test God? It is the mentality that asks the question, "As a Christian, how much can I get away with and still be saved? How far can I go and still be a child of God?" In other words, "How far to the edge can I get without falling off?...
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March 17, 2008
At first glance, the sins that brought the children of Israel down in the wilderness don't seem to have any rhyme or reason. But a closer examination reveals that the root problem was a lack of relationship with the true and living God.
When ...
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March 15, 2008
There are some interesting things written on tombstones that often will sum up a person's life. For example, the tombstone of Harry Edsel Smith, who lived from 1913 to 1942, contains these words: "He looked up the elevator shaft to see if the car was on i...
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March 14, 2008
People sometimes ask me to sign their Bibles, which is not something I like to do, because I didn't write it. But when someone insists, I usually write this inscription in his or her Bible: "Sin will keep you from this book and this book will keep you fro...
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March 13, 2008
One has to go no further than the Psalms to see the intimacy of David's relationship with God. David loved God in a dear and tender way. Yet we know that he fell into sin.
If you were to ask the average person what he or she remembers from the ...
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March 12, 2008
When wildfires swept through Southern California in the fall of 1993, I noticed a photograph in the newspaper of an entire neighborhood that had been leveled by the fires. All that was left were the foundations. In the midst of all the burned, charred, ru...
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March 11, 2008
When God gave the Ten Commandments, He began by saying that we should have no other gods before Him.
Idols can be a lot of things. Essentially, an idol could be defined as anyone or anything that takes the place of God in our lives. An idol is ...
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March 10, 2008
It is clear that we are living in the last days. All around us, the signs that Jesus and the prophets told us to look for are taking place before our very eyes. The devil and his demons are doing their dirty work, and this should not surprise us. The Bibl...
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March 8, 2008
When Leonardo da Vinci was painting The Last Supper, he quarreled with a fellow painter and was so outraged that he decided to depict the painter's face as that of Judas. As the great painter was thinking about how he should render the face of Chri...
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March 7, 2008
Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, faced a dilemma. His enemies greatly outnumbered him. To make matters worse, his enemies had joined forces with Israel's other enemies and were coming to destroy him.
One day, someone came to King Jehoshaphat and wa...
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March 6, 2008
At first glance, you might think that Abraham and his nephew Lot were both spiritual men. But a closer examination reveals that this was not the case.
You see, Abraham lived for God. Lot, on the other hand, lived for himself. Abraham walked in...
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March 5, 2008
I read a story about a radio exchange that took place some time ago between a U.S. Navy ship and Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland. The Canadians warned the Americans, "Please divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid a collisio...
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March 4, 2008
When my oldest son was a little boy, I would take him to the toy store. We would look around, and I would tell him to pick out something for himself. He would look at the Star Wars figures. I would look at the X-wing fighter with the remote control, think...
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March 3, 2008
Sometimes God will not come through as quickly as we want Him to. Mary and Martha, two friends of Jesus, faced this dilemma. Their brother Lazarus was sick. It was a serious illness. So they sent word to Jesus.
I think they probably believed th...
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March 1, 2008
In his excellent book on the history of Rome, Caesar, and Christ, historian Will Durant observed, "A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has first destroyed itself from within. The essential cause of Rome's decline lay in her people ...
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February 29, 2008
When the Lord walked this earth, He had no place to call home (see Matthew 8:20). But there was something He liked about a home in Bethany where a man named Lazarus lived with his two sisters, Mary and Martha. Maybe Martha was a great cook. Perhaps they w...
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February 28, 2008
Can you imagine going home tonight and getting ready to go to bed when, all of a sudden, you see someone walking up to your front door and knocking? Lo and behold, it is Jesus. How would you react?
Of course, we know this isn't going to happen....
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February 27, 2008
I am an artist. I like to draw and design. Sometimes when I am sketching, someone will come along, look over my shoulder, and see only a certain shape or form. They only see what is visible for the time being. But I am still working.
"What is i...
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February 26, 2008
When Jesus walked this earth, He blew the cover off the religious elite of the day: the Pharisees who smugly thought that if they did not commit certain sins, they were okay. But somehow, they had rationalized that they could do these things in their mind...
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February 25, 2008
When he was little, my son had a habit of wandering. One day, we were in a hotel and came to an elevator. He ran ahead to push the button. I told him, "If the elevator comes, wait until Dad gets there." Just as I arrived at the elevator, the doors closed,...
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February 23, 2008
I don't know about you, but I have never liked the word "test." When I was in school, I was the guy who didn't study for the test. I somehow thought that I would suddenly know the material when they passed out the exam. I think I failed my driving test th...
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February 22, 2008
During the Korean War, a unit known as Baker Company was separated from the regiment, and enemy forces were advancing on them. For several hours, no word came from Baker Company. Finally, radio contact was made, and when asked for a report of their situat...
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February 21, 2008
The Old Testament book of Esther is a wonderful love story—a story of what God did in the life of a woman to literally save a nation. Esther was a Jew who was plucked out of obscurity through an unusual chain of events and made queen over the kingdo...
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February 20, 2008
Martin Luther had it right when he wrote the words of the hymn, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God": "For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe—his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal."
If y...
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February 19, 2008
Historian Will Durant, when he reached the age of 70, said, "To live forever would be the greatest curse imaginable."
Will we live forever? The answer is "yes" and "no." Will our bodies live forever? No. Will our bodies cease to exist at one po...
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February 18, 2008
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. . . ." These are the opening lines to Charles Dickens' classic book, A Tale of Two Cities. He was describing France during the revolution. In many ways, you could use the same words to describe ...
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February 16, 2008
I don't know about you, but I have never liked the word "test." When I was in school, I was the guy who didn't study for the test. I somehow thought that I would suddenly know the material when they passed out the exam. I think I failed my driving test th...
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February 15, 2008
Today I want to look at one of the unsung heroes of the Bible. His name was Caleb, and he never lost his edge spiritually. In his own words, he said, "I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well...
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February 14, 2008
When you go to a place like Disneyland with your children, you know where they are. You don't leave the park and forget them, because you protect what you love.
In the same way, God never forgets what He loves. Writing to first-century believer...
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February 13, 2008
Enoch lived at a unique time in history, prior to God's judgment by the Flood. People of Enoch's day were really wicked. So wicked, in fact, that God was sorry He ever created them. Scripture tells us of that time that all their thoughts were "consistentl...
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February 12, 2008
In addition to walking in harmony with God, Amos 3:3 provides another nuance of meaning. It also gives the idea of keeping an appointment. Did you know that you have an appointment with God? You do. It is there, written in eternity. In fact, God wants to ...
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February 11, 2008
I have a German shepherd that was a former guide dog for the blind. Because he had slight hip dysplasia, he was put up for adoption. When we got him, he was perfectly trained. We could take him anywhere. He was happy to sit next to us. Another dog would w...
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February 9, 2008
Can you think of a time in your life when you acted impulsively and came to regret it? Maybe you bought a car on impulse and were sorry afterward. Maybe it was that contract you signed without reading it carefully. Maybe it was that business deal you ente...
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February 8, 2008
A poll was taken not long ago that asked Americans what they thought was their main purpose in life. The responses were interesting. You would think some might say, "To make a contribution to society," or "To have a meaningful life." But what most people ...
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February 7, 2008
In his book, The Devaluing of America, former Secretary of Education William Bennett made this statement. "During my tenure as U. S. Secretary of Education, nothing I said seemed more unforgivable than my good words about religion. I was attacked a...
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February 6, 2008
The great English preacher John Wesley once said, "Give me a hundred men who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I do not care if they be clergymen or laymen. Such men alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on...
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February 5, 2008
If the rapture happened today, would you be ready to go? The Bible says that Christ is coming for those who are watching and waiting. Does the thought that Jesus could come back today make your heart leap? Or does it make your heart sink?
Any p...
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February 4, 2008
I heard a story about some fish suppliers who were having problems shipping codfish from the East Coast. By the time the fish reached the West coast, they were spoiled. They froze them, but by the time the fish arrived, they were mushy. They decided to se...
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February 2, 2008
Does God still speak to people today? Does He really have a master plan for our lives? If so, can it really be discovered?
I wish that I could I could say that, after more than 30 years of walking with the Lord, I have discovered a foolproof me...
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February 1, 2008
During the 40 days from His resurrection to His ascension to heaven, Jesus was constantly appearing and vanishing before the disciples. I think He was getting the disciples accustomed to the fact that even when He was not visible physically, He still woul...
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January 31, 2008
Have you ever felt like a spiritual failure? If so, then you're in good company. Even the apostle Peter felt that way after he denied the Lord.
When Jesus told the disciples they would abandon Him in His hour of need, Peter insisted that he nev...
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January 30, 2008
It was déjà vu time for the disciples. They had been fishing all night on the Sea of Galilee and hadn't caught anything. The Lord had risen. He already had appeared to some of the disciples. There were no clear marching orders, so they thought they...
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January 29, 2008
I find, as a Christian, that I need to be reminded of things that I sometimes forget. Have you noticed that you don't always know as much as you think you know? I have found that I often forget what I ought to remember, and I remember what I ought to forg...
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January 28, 2008
I read about a person who wrote the following to a local newspaper advice columnist: Dear Uticus, Our preacher said on Easter that Jesus just swooned on the cross and that His disciples nursed Him back to health. What do you think? Sincerely, Bewildere...
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January 26, 2008
We live in frightening times. All around us, there are threats of violence unlike any we have seen before. In the news, government officials are warning the public about future terrorist attacks and how to prepare for them. These are distressing days....
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January 25, 2008
I heard a true story about a man who operated a drawbridge. At a certain time every afternoon, he raised the bridge for a ferryboat to go by, and then lowered it in time for a passenger train to cross over. He performed this task precisely, according to t...
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January 24, 2008
A true story was reported about a couple that was visiting a jewelry store. As the jeweler showed them various cross necklaces, the woman commented, "I like these, but do you have any without this little man on them?"
That is what so many peopl...
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January 23, 2008
Of the 12 disciples, we envision Judas Iscariot as the one with shifty eyes, lurking in the shadows. While the other disciples wore white, Judas would have worn black. He was the one you would have immediately recognized as the bad guy.
But I t...
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January 22, 2008
Ever since childhood, I have always had a great admiration for the historical person known as Jesus. I had seen all of His movies. I thought very highly of Him.
As a little boy, I lived with my grandmother for a few years. I would thumb through...
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January 21, 2008
I heard the story of a little boy who was frightened one night during a big thunderstorm. Terrified, he called out from his room, "Daddy, I am scared!"
His father, not wanting to get out of bed, called back, "Don't worry, son. God loves you and...
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January 19, 2008
"God helps those who help themselves," the expression goes. I hope you don't believe that, because it is not in the Bible, even though people will quote it as such.
If the Bible were to contain a statement along those lines, it would probably b...
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January 18, 2008
Getting older is not a depressing thought, because from the day I gave my life to Jesus Christ, it has been an adventure. I don't regret a single day of my life that I have spent following and serving the Lord.
Sure, my life has had some surpri...
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January 17, 2008
In first-century track competitions, each runner would be assigned to a lane on the track. Each was expected to stay in his assigned lane. In the same way, as you and I run the race of life, our competition is not with other believers. Rather, our competi...
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January 16, 2008
When I was in high school, I went out for track and field. I was a fairly decent short-distance runner, but I was horrible at long-distance runs. I hated to practice. But if I ever saw a pretty girl in the grandstands, I had new motivation for running....
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January 15, 2008
I heard about a great concert violinist who was asked about the secret to her great performances. She answered, "Planned neglect. Anything that would keep me from practicing and playing well must be neglected."
I think some of us could use some...
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January 14, 2008
Imagine, for a moment, that we are competing in a race. When the starter's pistol is fired, we take off, and I leave you in my dust. I'm running really well. Let's say we are going for 10 laps, and we are coming to the last one. I say to myself, "I am cre...
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January 12, 2008
The story is told of an artist who sculpted a beautiful angel and wanted the master artist, Michelangelo, to inspect it and offer his opinion. So Michelangelo was called in. The master artist carefully looked at the sculpture from every angle.
...
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January 11, 2008
"You must spend a lot of time handling counterfeit money to know what it looks like," Ruth Bell Graham once said to a man who was in charge of identifying counterfeit money for Scotland Yard.
"No," he replied. "We never touch the stuff. All da...
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January 10, 2008
A Bible that is falling apart is usually the sign of a life that isn't. I like to see beat-up, marked-up Bibles that are coming apart, because that is a good sign.
I think there ought to be a Bible especially for preachers, which I have mention...
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January 9, 2008
Temptation is definitely going to come your way and mine. When we know the Word of God, we can deflect the blows that come against us and strike out offensively.
For example, the devil will come to us when we have sinned and say, "You failed. T...
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January 8, 2008
The one piece of armor that is both offensive and defensive is the sword. When I go into battle, I don't beat my enemy with my shield or try to defeat him with my belt or chase him down with my sandal or throw my helmet at him. I pull my sword out of the ...
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January 7, 2008
One morning as Alfred Nobel was reading the newspaper, he was shocked to find his name listed in the obituary column. It was a mistake, but nonetheless, there it was. He was stunned to see that he was primarily remembered as the man who invented dynamite....
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January 5, 2008
One year, a man who was making New Year's resolutions said, "I will not get upset when Sam and Charlie make jokes about my baldness." The next year, he said, "I won't get annoyed when Charlie and Sam kid me about my hairpiece." A year later, he said, "I w...
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January 4, 2008
The concept of a crown, or a reward, in the Bible is something that is given to a believer for his or her faithfulness. Paul said that if you look forward with great anticipation to the return of Christ, then you will have the crown of righteousness waiti...
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January 3, 2008
The Bible warns us that, among other things, one of the signs of the last days will be the existence of false prophets, false apostles, false teachers, and even lying wonders.
If that is not a description of the times we are living in, then I d...
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January 2, 2008
Have you ever had someone forget an important occasion? Maybe your spouse forgot your anniversary or your birthday. Or maybe your children forgot you at Christmas. Even when people forget you, you need to know that God never forgets you. You are always on...
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January 1, 2008
The smartest thing I did as a 17-year-old kid was to give my future to God. Did I miss a few parties? Did I miss some fun times? In one sense, I suppose I did. But as I look at what life has done to my friends back then who were unbelievers and then look ...
