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December 30, 2005
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, 2005
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 ...
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December 28, 2005
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. Even if you...
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December 27, 2005
I heard about one man who made some New Year's resolutions. In 2002 he said, "I will not get upset when Sam and Charlie make jokes about my baldness." In 2003 it was, "I won't get annoyed when Charlie and Sam kid me about my hairpiece." Then in 2004, "I w...
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December 26, 2005
Christmas is a time of giving, and I've found it to be true that it is more blessed to give than to receive. If you are like me, you can't wait to give your gifts. When you get something for someone, you want to see the joy he or she has in receiving it....
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December 23, 2005
This Christmas, don't miss the point of celebrating Christmas. Don't be like the innkeeper who missed Jesus because he was too busy (see Luke 2). Make time for the Lord. Don't be like King Herod who was too afraid to let Christ rule His life (see Matthew ...
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December 22, 2005
When King Herod heard that one had been born King of the Jews, he summoned the chief priests and scribes to inquire where the Christ was to be born (see Matthew 2:4). They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet . . .' " (M...
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December 21, 2005
The wise men who came from the East were men of great importance, VIPs. If they came to our country today, they would arrive with an entourage amid high levels of security. These were important people who came to Jerusalem and announced that it had been r...
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December 20, 2005
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. You can w...
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December 19, 2005
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. He went from ...
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December 16, 2005
Billy Sunday said, "One reason that sin flourishes is that we treat it like a cream puff instead of a rattlesnake."
Not only do we need to recognize the power of temptation, but we also need to realize that our adversary, the devil, is powerful...
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December 15, 2005
Some years ago, I was at the beach with my son Jonathan, and we decided to go swimming. We weren't very far from the shore. Suddenly there was one of those drops in the sand, and for a few moments, my feet did not really touch the ground. As I was hold...
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December 14, 2005
It was Martin Luther who said, "One Christian who has been tempted is worth a thousand who haven't been." Temptation is a subject we are all familiar with. None of us enjoys it, but it is a reality of the Christian life. No doubt we would rather there ...
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December 13, 2005
I read about a traveler who was visiting a logging area in the Pacific Northwest. He watched with great curiosity as a logger, working alongside a mountain stream, would periodically jab his sharp hook into a log as it went past and separate it from the ...
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December 12, 2005
It would be nice if we could see the trials in our lives as options, as electives. It would be nice if we could say, "I'm going to skip the trials course." But trials are going to happen in the life of every believer. Notice that James says, "Count it ...
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December 9, 2005
One of the first things that we ask when the bottom drops out, when trials come our way (and there can be so many ways they manifest themselves), is, "Why Lord? Why are You allowing this to happen? What have I done to deserve such a fate?"
Ma...
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December 8, 2005
I was once talking to a friend who was just starting out in the pastorate and told him that people will develop an appetite for what you feed them. If you build a church on programs, then that is what is what people will have an appetite for. If you bui...
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December 7, 2005
It's amazing that on the night the Lord was betrayed, just moments from this event, that He was giving thanks. He was giving thanks as He was about to face a horrendous time of suffering and anguish. He was giving thanks with the foreknowledge that His ...
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December 6, 2005
Just as surely as we count the cost to follow Christ, we ought to count the cost of what it is to sin. The warnings we find in Scripture, along with an intense love for God, will see you through the rough waters of temptation. No, you will never be temp...
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December 5, 2005
I once read a strange story in the news about a plumber who was called in to unclog a drain. He had one of those snake-like devices that runs down into a drain and keeps running until the drain is cleaned out. But this time, the "snake" did a strange thin...
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December 2, 2005
In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus gave us a valuable insight into prayer. He showed us that prayer is not instructing or informing or bending the arm of God. In fact, the object of prayer is not to bend the will of God to ours, but to get our will in line wit...
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December 1, 2005
Who is a better example of someone with a strong, active prayer life than Jesus himself? Often in the gospels we read of Him withdrawing from the disciples. They would go to sleep for the night, but He would spend the entire evening with His Father, pra...
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November 30, 2005
The Bible is full of accounts of people whose fervent prayers were answered. For example, Hannah was unable to have a child, but the Lord answered her prayer, and she gave birth to a little boy, Samuel, who became a great prophet (1 Samuel 1:9...
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November 29, 2005
Have you ever been in what appeared to be an impossible situation? Have you ever desperately needed something, but it seemed you would never have it? Have you ever thought there was no future for you?
Well, if you've ever felt that way, the...
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November 28, 2005
In the ACTS acronym for prayer, the last step is supplication. And if we are faithful in the first three steps, the last one will not degenerate into a spiritual shopping list. As we spend time in adoration, confession, and thanksgiving, our requests ma...
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November 25, 2005
David said in Psalm 32, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered" (verse 1). Our immediate response after confessing our sins should be thanksgiving, because we are thankful that God has forgiven us and for what He has done fo...
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November 24, 2005
So often in his psalms, David would begin with an acknowledgement of the greatness of God. I think it is important for us as well to look at the attributes of God, to consider His omnipotence, His unlimited power; to consider His omniscience, His unlimit...
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November 23, 2005
When the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Lord, teach us to pray," they did not say, "Lord, teach us a prayer." So Jesus gave them (and us) a model in what we call the Lord's Prayer. But I think sometimes we think of the Lord's Prayer as sort of the m...
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November 22, 2005
I heard the story of a mother who was talking on the phone to a friend who had asked for prayer. Her little girl bounced into the room and stood for a moment to listen. As she heard her mom praying on the phone, she said to her, "Is that God on the phon...
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November 21, 2005
In some churches today, it seems as though the emphasis is on what you must do for God. People will go to church, and instead of being encouraged, they will leave feeling discouraged and guilty, because they have been told they are not witnessing enough,...
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November 18, 2005
There exist false teachers today who say Jesus is not going to return bodily to the earth; therefore, He wants Christians to establish His kingdom on this planet for Him. Our goal as Christians, then, would be to "Christianize the world," elect officials...
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November 17, 2005
Jeremiah 29:11 stands as proof that God has a wonderful future in store for us. That word future used in Jeremiah 29:11 can be translated as an "expected end." Another translation could say "things hoped for" or "outcome."
Now at this ...
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November 16, 2005
No Christian should ever say, "I was really lucky today" or "Whatever will be will be." Forget that. If you are a Christian, then you are a child of God. There's no such thing as dumb luck. God has a plan and a purpose. He has a strategy for your lif...
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November 15, 2005
Compromise starts with a series of steps down. I have known people who have walked with the Lord for some years and then fell to the most blatant, obvious sins. It was because they lowered their guard and said, "It won't happen to me." When Peter denie...
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November 14, 2005
What does it mean to make disciples? Matthew 28:20 defines it for us. Simply put, it means to teach others to observe what Jesus has said. To disciple people is to live out our faith in this world, to share it with others, to teach it by word, and to mo...
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November 11, 2005
J. Vernon McGee used to say, "The only exercise some Christians get is running down others and jumping to conclusions."
Slander and gossip are sins that, unfortunately, are far too common in the church today. How many times have rumors been sp...
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November 10, 2005
Jesus described His time as a wicked and an adulterous generation. And if it was true of the generation that He spoke to, how much more true is it today?
There was a time when America was that "city on a hill," setting the example for the rest...
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November 9, 2005
Have you ever been angry with someone without cause? Or to rephrase that, have you ever driven on a freeway before?
Many people, in the depths of their heart, have anger and hatred to such a degree that their true desire would be for the one t...
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November 4, 2005
Sometimes we walk into trials of our own making, because they are the direct result of our own selfishness or pride or greed or lust. Then when this happens and we reap the results of our sin, we get angry at God.
But James says, "Let no one sa...
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November 3, 2005
It is interesting to note that neither James nor any of Jesus' brothers or sisters believed in Him prior to His resurrection. At one point, the Bible tells us, they came to take Him home, thinking He had taken leave of His senses. So His own family had ...
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November 2, 2005
Have you ever had the bottom drop out of life? Suddenly and without warning, one problem after another comes tumbling into your life. And then when it seems completely hopeless, like there is no way out, everything improves.
Why does God allo...
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November 1, 2005
A Roman Catholic priest who had heard the confessions of 2,000 people said he had heard people confess iniquity of every kind, including adultery and even murder. But he had never heard any man confessing to the sin of covetousness.
Coveting is...
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October 31, 2005
A true story was reported about a couple that was visiting a jewelry store. As the jeweler showed them various crosses, the woman commented, "I like these, but do you have any without this little man on them?"
That is what so many people want t...
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October 28, 2005
What does God mean when He says we should bear fruit? Four aspects of fruitfulness, according to Scripture, are:
1. Winning others to Jesus Christ and helping them to grow spiritually. Paul wrote to his friends in Rome, "I often planned to come...
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October 27, 2005
While it's true you'll find the phrase "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" in the Declaration of Independence, you won't find it in the Bible. God did not put you here with the express purpose of seeking personal happiness. Now that is not to sa...
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October 26, 2005
Just as someone is born with a certain birthmark, when someone truly has been born again, there will be certain telltale signs, spiritual birthmarks, if you will, to indicate that his or her conversion was indeed genuine. The Bible tells us what people ca...
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October 25, 2005
Shortly after I became a Christian, I attempted to live in two worlds—and quickly found the futility of it. I was a little bit uncomfortable with Christians, who seemed a little too fanatical for me. But when I tried to hang around with my old frien...
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October 24, 2005
The great British preacher, C. H. Spurgeon, said, "Of what value is the grace that I profess to have received if it does not dramatically change the way that I live? If it doesn't change the way that I live, it will never change my eternal destiny."
...
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October 21, 2005
When it comes to our salvation, many of us are like someone who drives a Ferrari Testarossa, the ultimate sports car, but never shifts out of first gear: "This thing doesn't seem very fast to me. . . . I can't even get it to go more over nine miles per ho...
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October 20, 2005
When I was in Israel some years ago, I saw a little Israeli boy chasing after his dad, calling out, "Abba! Abba! Abba!" I knew what that meant. It would be the same as if we saw a child in the U.S. chasing after his father saying, "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" "...
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October 19, 2005
When we are justified by our faith in Jesus Christ, we receive forgiveness of sins and the righteousness of Christ himself. But what does justification produce in our lives? In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul said,
Ther...
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October 18, 2005
Imagine being in debt for $10 million, with no conceivable way to pay that debt. Then a stranger comes to you and says, "I love you so much that I am going to pay off your debt." So he pays off your debt of $10 million. But not only that, he deposits $20 ...
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October 17, 2005
Justified—there is a word we could read right over in the Bible and miss. It is a word that is used often in the New Testament to describe one major aspect of what salvation is all about. The Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Rome,
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October 14, 2005
Many people have gone to church their entire lives and may think of themselves as Christians, but their concept of God is that of One who needs to be appeased. They believe the more good works they do, the more they will appease God. They are not able to ...
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October 13, 2005
On one occasion a scribe came to Jesus and asked, "Which is the first commandment of all?" 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.' This is the first comm...
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October 12, 2005
The law of God is like a moral mirror. Some people really like mirrors. They are always looking in them. When they are driving along, they have their rearview mirror pointed at themselves instead of the road behind them. If they are in a restaurant that h...
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October 11, 2005
In 1991, an interesting little book was published called, The Day America Told the Truth. The authors polled Americans with the assurance they would remain anonymous. They asked only that their questions be answered truthfully. And they received some very...
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October 10, 2005
A missionary went to Africa to bring the gospel to a tribe of cannibals. The men in this tribe were so vicious, they would carve their teeth into points in preparation for their attacks. The missionary thought, "If I could reach the chief of this tribe, i...
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October 7, 2005
Some people say they need a picture or an image to help them visualize God. But Jesus said, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). God doesn't want us to have any image to help us in our worship. After all...
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October 6, 2005
There might be a man or a woman that God has used in your life, perhaps a pastor, a teacher, a parent, or a friend who has had a dramatic influence on you. Then one day, you discovered they were human, and yes, that they even make mistakes. You were devas...
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October 5, 2005
Alan Redpath said, "Our god is the person we think the most precious, for whom we would make the greatest sacrifice, and moves our hearts with the warmest love. He or it is the person who, if we lost him, would leave us desolate."
That really o...
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October 4, 2005
The great British preacher, C. H. Spurgeon, said, "What is the value of the grace we profess to receive which leaves us exactly the same kind of people as we were before we received it? An unholy life is an evidence of an unchanged heart and an unchanged ...
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October 3, 2005
Before the Lord gave the first of the Ten Commandments to Moses, He offered a reminder of what He has done for His people, the Israelites. He was saying, "Remember, I brought you out of Egypt. You were slaves there. You were in bitter bondage. You were in...
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September 30, 2005
Imagine spending time with some Christian friends, and the apostle Paul is among them. As you each share your spiritual experiences, someone says, "I remember a time when I sensed God's presence. It was so real to me."
The next person says, "I can re...
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September 29, 2005
How would you like to hear that the devil has been asking for you by name? Luke's gospel tells of the occasion when Satan came after Simon Peter. Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat...
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September 28, 2005
The book of Job offers an interesting, behind-the-scenes look at what the enemy can and cannot do in the life of the believer. Although God described Job as blameless and upright, He allowed the devil to send trials and adversity into Job's life. From thi...
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September 27, 2005
Those who believe that humankind is basically good have more faith than I do. Because as you look at our culture, you will see that we live in a violent and wicked world. And it gets worse all the time.
What is the power behind all of it? It's ...
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September 26, 2005
The greatest day of my life was the day that I asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart and forgive me of my sins. That was the day my eternal destiny literally was changed. That was the day I passed from a future in hell to a future in heaven. That was t...
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September 23, 2005
If ever there comes a time when the call of the highest earthly love and the cross of Christ conflict, then the call of Christ must prevail.
A good illustration of one's love for God being stronger than his love for others can be found in the l...
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September 22, 2005
In Luke 9 we read that when Jesus called a certain man to follow Him, He received an interesting response. "Lord, let me first go and bury my father," the man said (v. 59).
Jesus responded, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and prea...
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September 21, 2005
Evangelist John Wesley said, "Give me a hundred men who love God with all of their hearts and fear nothing but sin, and I will move the world." I think that is still true today. God is looking for men and women who will love Him more than anyone or anythi...
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September 20, 2005
It is my belief that every disciple is a Christian, but not every Christian is necessarily a disciple. The very word "disciple" means "a learner." A disciple is a pupil, one who comes to be taught. But a disciple is not just a passively interested listene...
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September 19, 2005
Today we have those who consider themselves experts in the field of church growth. But quite honestly, I believe that a number of these "experts" have deviated from the principles for churches as given in Scripture. They will use modern techniques and sup...
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September 16, 2005
So what is the cost of discipleship? What price must we pay to be true disciples?
First, we must pay the price of the sins that we now cherish. We must give them up, every single one. We cannot, as disciples of Jesus, cling to a single sin and ...
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September 15, 2005
Have you ever made an impulse purchase? Have you ever bought something you didn't need? I have. My wife has sent me to the grocery store to get some eggs, and I have come home with several bags full of stuff. Why? Because I was hungry when I went to the s...
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September 14, 2005
Samuel Rutherford said, "The cross of Christ is the sweetest burden that I ever bore. It is a burden to me such as wings are to a bird or sails are to a ship to carry me forward to my harbor."
Rutherford discovered what we can know as well: Whe...
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September 13, 2005
What did Jesus mean when He said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself . . . "? The phrase "deny" used in Luke 9:23 could be translated, "repudiate," "disown," "forfeit," or "totally disregard."
As C. S. Lewis wrote in Mere...
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September 12, 2005
When Jesus told His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23), He was telling them (and us) that if we try to save our lives, we will lose them. But if we lose our lives f...
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September 9, 2005
In these anxious and critical days we live in, people wonder what this world is coming to. We live in horrible times of violent crimes and horrendous natural disasters. When you think people have stooped as low as they're going to go, they sink just a lit...
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September 8, 2005
The hurricane that devastated America's Gulf Coast communities was one of the most horrific natural disasters in our nation's history. In times like these, the question often asked is, "Why?" More specifically, "Why did God let this happen?"
Th...
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September 7, 2005
Hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, and global terrorism! This epic outbreak of natural disasters in the past several years can't help but cause us to wonder, What on earth is happening?
Certainly, there has always been tragedy and catacl...
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September 6, 2005
Before we can effectively obey this command of Jesus to "make disciples of all nations," we must first be disciples ourselves. Having understood the prerequisite of this command, we are then to go and make disciples of others.
However, there ar...
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September 5, 2005
After I became a Christian, I wasn't really sure of what to do next. I was 17 years old and in high school. No one told me that I needed to read the Bible. No one told me that I should pray. No one told me that I should go to church. No one gave me any ma...
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September 2, 2005
In these troubled times, it is so tempting to soft-pedal the issue of belief and say something along the lines of, "We all worship the same God. And you can choose your path. I have chosen mine. Mine is Christ. But if you want to worship some other way, t...
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September 1, 2005
Are you ashamed of the gospel of Christ? I love the words of the apostle Paul: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes . . . " (Romans 1:16).
There are people today who wi...
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August 31, 2005
Make no mistake about it: the devil is a master manipulator and imitator. One of his most effective tactics is to imitate, offering a counterfeit version that is close enough to be believable, but far away enough to be damaging. And he has done this with ...
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August 30, 2005
What is the gospel message? What is it in a nutshell? The Apostle Paul preached the gospel throughout his world, and this is what he wrote:
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and i...
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August 29, 2005
What is the gospel? Can you define that word? What elements must be present in a message for it to be the gospel? You might say, "I will leave that hair-splitting for the preachers and theologians. All I know is that I'm saved and I'm going to heaven, and...
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August 26, 2005
Have you ever wished you could change your past and undo things that you did? God can do that for you. He can justify you, declare you righteous, and erase the record, so to speak, as though you never had done anything wrong.
I love the way the...
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August 25, 2005
Have you ever wondered where sin came from? Did God Himself create it, or did He simply allow it? And either way, why?
First, let's recognize that God himself did not sin, nor can He be blamed for sin. The Bible tells us that God cannot be temp...
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August 24, 2005
I heard about a man who wasn't a good swimmer, so he went down to a dock and asked a fisherman, "Excuse me sir, if I were to fall into this water, would I drown?" The fisherman said, "No. Falling into the water doesn't drown anybody. It's staying under th...
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August 23, 2005
Many people today feel guilty for one simple reason: they are guilty. The Bible says we are all guilty before a holy God. And all the psychological counseling in the world cannot relieve a person of that guilt. You can pretend it's not there or find someo...
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August 22, 2005
God is looking for perfection! Yes—absolute, flawless perfection. Jesus said, "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). But who among us can claim to be perfect? No one.
The apostle Paul reminded...
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August 19, 2005
Of the twelve 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...
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August 18, 2005
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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August 17, 2005
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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August 16, 2005
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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August 15, 2005
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, Bewildered...
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August 12, 2005
Some years ago, I heard familiar noises coming from my son's room, accompanied by an equally familiar blue glow—he was playing a video game when, in fact, he should have been asleep. He looked up at me with a guilty expression and blurted out, "But ...
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August 11, 2005
I have read that fifty percent of evangelical Christians believe that happiness and personal fulfillment are the purpose of life. In other words, they believe that God put them on this earth so they could be happy and personally fulfilled. But that is not...
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August 10, 2005
It is not true that God needs us, but it is true that He wants fellowship with us and loves us. God is intensely interested in our lives. God's thoughts toward us are innumerable (see Psalm 40:5; Psalm 139:17, 18). He deeply and tenderly loves us beyond o...
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August 9, 2005
God did not create us because He was lonely. I don't mean to burst anyone's bubble, but God would have done just fine without humanity to contend with. The fact of the matter is that God is independent of humankind. In other words, God does not need us, o...
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August 8, 2005
You might say that the pinnacle of God's creative work was His creation of human beings. We as human beings stand apart from all the rest of God's creation, because we have been uniquely created in the image of God himself. He made us, both male and femal...
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August 5, 2005
The Bible is a spiritual book, it is also a logical book, and the Christian faith is a logical faith. Clearly there has to come a moment in every person's life in which he or she takes a step of faith, but there is a logical progression to the truths that...
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August 4, 2005
I have heard people talk about their life and all the horrible things they used to do before they became Christians. And as they are describing this, it almost seems as though they had more fun before they were Christians than they are having now. As they...
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August 3, 2005
Someone once asked the great British preacher C. H. Spurgeon if he could put into a few words his Christian faith. He said, "Yes. I can give it to you in four words: Jesus died for me." That is what it comes down to.
The gospel in a nutshell is...
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August 2, 2005
A doctor called one of his patients into his office and said, "I have some good news and some bad news."
The patient said, "What's the good news?"
The doctor said, "You have only three weeks to live."
"That's the good news...
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August 1, 2005
Billy Graham once said, "Time and time again in my ministry, I have quoted a Bible verse in a sermon, sometimes without planning to do so in advance, only to have someone tell me afterward it was that verse which the Holy Spirit used to bring conviction o...
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July 29, 2005
While I am not in the ranks of great anglers and seasoned fishermen, I have fished a few times. I know that I need to use different kinds of bait for different kinds of situations, because different types of bait are required to catch different types of f...
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July 28, 2005
Have you ever been in a store or restaurant where a baby is screaming so loudly that people are practically running away with their hands over their ears? Meanwhile, the baby's mother is sitting there as though nothing is happening. She has managed to tun...
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July 27, 2005
Acts 8 tells us that Philip went to Samaria. We may read that in passing and not think much of it. But it actually brings out an important point. Philip went to where people were. Here was a man overcoming his natural prejudice to bring the gospel to a gr...
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July 26, 2005
There are four things we should know about every person on this earth. No matter how successful they are, how unsuccessful they are, how famous they are, how beautiful and handsome they are, or how unattractive and plain they may be, everyone shares these...
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July 25, 2005
There are critics of mass evangelism, or crusade evangelism, who say it is not effective. They say it is much better to share the gospel one-on-one, because trying to gather them in large stadiums is really not an effective way to reach people.
...
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July 22, 2005
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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July 21, 2005
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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July 20, 2005
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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July 19, 2005
Like the pain we feel when we step on a sharp piece of glass, guilt is our moral warning system. Guilt is not necessarily a bad thing, because it is a reaction to something in our lives that is not right. But sometimes the devil can use guilt to drive us ...
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July 18, 2005
Do you ever get sick and tired of being ripped off by the devil? Does it seem that in your Christian life, you take one step forward and two steps back? Have you ever felt condemned for your sin and wanted to just give up? If so, listen up. I have some go...
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July 15, 2005
In the Garden of Eden, the serpent was clever. When he wanted to lead the first man and woman into sin, he was crafty. I point this out because we need to know what his strategies are. He has not changed them one bit. Just look at his attacks and temptati...
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July 14, 2005
"Where did the devil come from?" is a question I've often heard as a pastor. Or, it is sometimes phrased this way: "How could a God of love create someone as horrible as the devil?" We just can't understand why God would make such a creature.
F...
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July 13, 2005
It's a subject most of us would like to avoid, and for good reason. Yet at the same time, I think it is important for us to know the truth about this mysterious creature known as Satan, Lucifer, or the devil.
On one hand, many seem to have an e...
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July 12, 2005
Balaam, essentially a prophet for hire, was on his way to do something that was against the will of God. As he was riding his donkey to do what God had told him not to do, an angel of the Lord, holding a sword, intervened. Balaam didn't see the angel, but...
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July 11, 2005
Certainly one of the best-known and most-loved stories of the Bible is that of Daniel in the lion's den, a story of angelic intervention in the life of one of God's most faithful servants.
Because of Daniel's faithfulness to the Lord and his ho...
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July 8, 2005
We don't know how many times angels have been working behind the scenes in our lives, how many times they have delivered us, or how many times they have intervened on our behalf. But we do know that God has given us a wonderful promise: that He will send ...
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July 7, 2005
Make no mistake about it: angels are actively involved in the lives of the people of God, and in the affairs of men in general.
One of the reasons we may not be personally aware of the presence of angels in our lives is that they are doing thei...
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July 6, 2005
A few years ago, a Time magazine poll showed that 69 percent of American adults said they believed in the existence of angels, and 32 percent claimed to have felt an angelic presence at some time in their life. And even more surprising, the numbers...
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July 5, 2005
There are two good ways we can be light for the world. We can let our light shine by doing good works, and we can let our light shine by proclaiming the gospel.
Jesus told us to be conspicuous Christians when He said,
You are the ...
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July 4, 2005
In the ancient world, salt was used as a preservative. It still is today—ham, corned beef, olives, pickles, and even anchovies are preserved in brine, a saltwater solution. The purpose of the salt is to stop the food from spoiling, to prevent its co...
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July 1, 2005
In light of the rampant immorality within, terrorism without, and widespread violence that America is experiencing, it would be easy to say there is no hope for our country today. Life, we suspect, will only get darker. Certainly nothing we could ever do ...
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June 30, 2005
Compromising Christians have too much of the Lord to be happy in the world, but too much of the world to be happy in the Lord. They know the world doesn't have the answers, yet they don't fully trust God either. It is a miserable no-man's land. As Elijah ...
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June 29, 2005
When Elijah encountered the king's servant, Obadiah, after a three-year vacation, Elijah was ready to rock.
Obadiah, however, wasn't. Scripture tells us he feared the Lord "greatly" (1 Kings 18:3). We also read that when Jezebel was killing off...
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June 28, 2005
After Elijah had delivered his powerful message to Ahab and Jezebel, the Lord told Elijah to go into obscurity—disappear for a while—and God would provide for him there.
Does Elijah's sudden turnaround sound a little familiar? Maybe...
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June 27, 2005
In my 30 years of ministry I have seen that most people make a commitment to Christ before the age of 18. That is why it is so important to reach people when they are young. As John the apostle wrote, "I have no greater desire than to hear that my childre...
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June 24, 2005
Solomon's fall and disillusionment began with a series of compromises, one of which was marrying the daughter of Pharaoh. This he did because he wanted to establish a political alliance. For all practical purposes, Solomon was "yoking" himself unequally w...
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June 23, 2005
The purpose of prayer is not to move God our way. It is to move us His way. It is to tap into what His will is. Solomon said, "I need wisdom." That is exactly what God wanted him to request. Thus the Lord gave him not only what he prayed for but even more...
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June 22, 2005
In our spiritual race, if we want to win, we have to cope with failure. We have to get back up. We can't lie in the dirt, wallowing in guilt. We will be disqualified for quitting.
David recovered. He enjoyed many good years after his fiasco. Th...
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June 21, 2005
A phrase Solomon used many times in Ecclesiastes is "under the sun." By using this phrase, Solomon was speaking of a horizontal, strictly human viewpoint of life. He was declaring there was no fulfillment in life under the sun—in other words, in lif...
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June 20, 2005
As he was running the race of life, David was doing so well he thought he could slow down a little bit: take a breather, relax a bit. He didn't have to run with as much commitment. He got sloppy.
It started with a lustful look, and it ended up ...
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June 17, 2005
In the 1800s in London, a little boy wanted to hear the great American evangelist D. L. Moody, who had come to town to preach. This little street urchin made his way across the entire city of London, risking his very life, with no food or proper shoes. Af...
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June 16, 2005
Some think God is just out to get them. This reminds me of a story I heard about a thief who broke into a house. He was looking around in the dark with his flashlight. Suddenly he heard a voice in the darkness say, "Jesus is watching you." The thief just ...
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June 15, 2005
David had a real insight into who God was and set his heart to follow him. In Psalm 57:7, he wrote, "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is steadfast and confident!" (AMP). This means that David's heart was totally focused on who God was. He was locked in ...
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June 14, 2005
David was in many ways the opposite of King Saul. Saul came from a family who loved him; David came from a family who neglected him. Saul was the most handsome all Israel; David was a handsome enough guy, but relatively ordinary. Saul was attractive on th...
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June 13, 2005
One of the men God used mightily in his generation was D. L. Moody. Moody was the Billy Graham of his day. Dwight Moody was a shoe salesman when he came to faith. You might say that Moody went from selling soles to saving souls. He was just a run-of-the-m...
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June 10, 2005
We all face giants in life. You might be facing one right now—something that looms so large, something so frightening or so powerful that you don't think you can ever win against it.
David faced a giant in life. His name was Goliath...
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June 9, 2005
He came from the most humble of beginnings and rose to be the greatest king in the history of the nation Israel. In battle he was fearless. In wisdom and ruling, he was without peer. He was someone God uniquely described as being a man after His own heart...
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June 8, 2005
The moment we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are enrolled in a spiritual race. One of the mandates of any competition is that we play by the rules or we will be disqualified. This is true in every race, but perhaps especially in the spiritual one.
...
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June 7, 2005
We've all heard it so many times it has basically become a cliché: "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life!" Supposed cliché or not, this is an absolutely true statement.
It's true for all of humanity, true for me, and, yes, tr...
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June 6, 2005
Do you have a good testimony? Are you being an effective witness? Enoch did. Hebrews 11:5 says, "Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, 'and was not found,' because God had taken him; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he plea...
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June 3, 2005
How often have you felt that your prayers were hitting a glass ceiling—as though the Lord were saying no? Maybe it is because you are praying outside of His will. Maybe it is because you were praying for something that God didn't want you to have....
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June 2, 2005
Awhile ago, I was having problems with my German shepherd whenever we went for a walk. If another dog came anywhere near him, he would go crazy and lunge out at the dog, even if it wasn't bothering him. When I shared this with the people who gave him to u...
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June 1, 2005
If you're married, then you remember when you first met your wife or husband-to-be, and how you probably had the feeling of butterflies in your stomach and even a loss of appetite. You felt nervous when he or she was around. You wanted to make the best im...
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May 31, 2005
I'm glad the Bible compares the Christian life not to only running a race, but also to walking a walk. Isaiah 40:31 says, "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be wea...
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May 30, 2005
When I was in high school, I was in track and field. I always noticed that I ran faster when a pretty girl was watching me, because I wanted to impress the pretty girl.
But there is a better motivation than that for running this race of life. T...
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May 27, 2005
Have you ever been deeply concerned about something or someone, but you didn't know what to pray? "What can I say," you wonder. "I don't know how to articulate this." But did you know that sometimes some of the best prayers are the shortest and the simple...
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May 26, 2005
I have been amazed at what God can do in a person's life as he or she looks into His Word. I have spoken to teenagers who have told me, "Here is what the Lord showed me in the Word of God today. . . ." As I listened, I discovered it was deep. It was profo...
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May 25, 2005
Remember the day the Holy Spirit shined His light in your heart and showed you that you were a sinner? You thought you were an okay person, but suddenly the Holy Spirit began to convict you of your sin. It was the Holy Spirit who brought about that change...
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May 24, 2005
When we know people who are not believers, we obviously want them to come to faith in Christ. Yet as they live their lives and break the laws of God left and right, we see that they seem to have no sense of guilt, no remorse, and no concept they are engag...
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May 23, 2005
There is a lot of misunderstanding about the Holy Spirit today. We can turn on a "Christian" television program and see some rather bizarre things taking place in the name of the Holy Spirit. But is this really the Holy Spirit?
Some of us may l...
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May 20, 2005
In America today, we have something that could be described as a new spirituality. It's a revival of sorts—not in the biblical sense of people turning to God, but a revival of all kinds of ancient and weird spiritual concepts and beliefs. People are...
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May 19, 2005
In August 1992 Hurricane Andrew blasted across south Florida with 160 mile-per-hour winds and causing terrible destruction. In the midst of all the debris, reporters were amazed to find one house still standing firm on its foundation. A reporter approache...
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May 18, 2005
First, it assures our future resurrection. Because Jesus both died and rose again, we will be raised like Him. 1 Corinthians 15:20 says, "But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." The word "fir...
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May 17, 2005
What did the resurrected body of Jesus look like? The Bible tells us that after Jesus' cruel torture, crucifixion, and three days in the tomb, He was recognizable, and that His followers knew who He was.
We know that He had a body of flesh and ...
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May 16, 2005
If I could have been present at certain moments in history, one event I would like to have seen was the veil of the temple being torn in two. In the inner court of the temple in Jerusalem, in the Holy of Holies, was the Ark of the Covenant. That is where ...
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May 13, 2005
When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem for the birth of her son, the Messiah, there was no room for them in the inn. And that essentially foreshadowed the treatment that Jesus was to receive at the hands of people for the rest of His life.
T...
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May 12, 2005
I don't like to really clean. Instead, I would rather put something over a mess so that I don't have to look at it. That is sort of the way I clean things. In contrast, when my wife Cathe cleans, she really cleans. I think she actually enjoys the process,...
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May 11, 2005
Why did Jesus have to die? Why the cross? Why couldn't God just say, "Look, I know you have sinned against Me. It's okay. Never mind. You are all forgiven." The answer is that it doesn't work with His nature and character. God is just. And the justice of ...
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May 10, 2005
No doctor can heal a broken heart. He or she may be able to treat other ailments you might have. But no physician can get to the source of a broken heart—and a broken heart is a very real thing when you have experienced one.
Your heart m...
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May 9, 2005
Although He was God, Jesus experienced human limitations like we do. Not only was He hungry, not only was He sleepy, not only was He weary and lonely, but He also was tempted. Jesus felt the presence and pressure of temptation just as we do. He didn't hav...
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May 6, 2005
What is the secret to spiritual longevity? Caleb, one of the unsung heroes of the Bible, stands as a shining example of someone who never lost his edge spiritually. He was faithful to the very end. When he was 85 years old, Caleb said, "I am as strong thi...
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May 5, 2005
The Bible tells us to keep ourselves in the love of God (see Jude 21). But we are also told in the same passage that God will keep us (see verse 1). Is this a contradiction? Not at all. These verses complement one another. They show us God's part and our ...
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May 4, 2005
Imagine for a moment that you are running a race that is ten laps long. And let's just say that you are in first place for nine of those ten laps. Not only are you in first, but you are creaming the competition. So when you come to the tenth lap, you thin...
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May 3, 2005
We all know of situations, activities, and places we can go that make it easier for the devil to tempt us. But now that we have been delivered from his power, we don't want to put ourselves in a position of vulnerability again.
Why do I bring t...
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May 2, 2005
When Billy Graham was asked the question, "What has been the greatest surprise of your life?", he answered, "The brevity of it." That is so true. Time passes quickly, and we don't want to squander this precious thing that God has given to us called life. ...
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April 29, 2005
Everywhere Jesus went, He was very much in demand. There was always a crowd around Him, and understandably so. He was God in human form, walking through their streets. Everyone wanted something. There would be those who always wanted a touch, like the wom...
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April 28, 2005
In his poem entitled, "The Second Coming," William Butler Yeats wrote, "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity." What a summary of the times in which we are living today: the worst have their passionate intensity, w...
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April 27, 2005
It has been wrongly said that the Bible teaches money is the root of all evil. The Bible teaches no such thing. Rather, it teaches "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6:10, emphasis added). There is a difference. The issue...
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April 26, 2005
It was Martin Luther who said there are three conversions necessary: the conversion of the heart, the conversion of the mind, and the conversion of the purse (or wallet, as we would say today). But for many of us, this is often the last thing to change....
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April 25, 2005
I heard the story of a Southern preacher who was speaking to his congregation and said, "We have to crawl before we can walk."
The congregation responded in unison, "Let us crawl, Preacher. Let us crawl."
Then the preacher said, "We ...
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April 22, 2005
Jesus went from the throne of heaven to a feeding trough. He went from the presence of angels into a stable filled with animals. He who was larger than the universe became an embryo. He who sustains the world with a word chose to be dependent upon the nou...
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April 21, 2005
When Jesus was on Earth, He didn't empty himself of His divine attributes, but accepted the limitations of humanity. For example, we know that Jesus became weary like we do. On one occasion as He came to the city of Samaria, we read that He was weary (see...
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April 20, 2005
Two thousand years ago, the Pharisees were asked this question: "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?" (Matthew 22:42). For all practical purposes, some of history's greatest minds have grappled with this question ever since. But it's wort...
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April 19, 2005
I find it interesting that no physical description of Jesus is given in the pages of Scripture. His physical appearance fascinates many people, and it certainly has perplexed artists throughout history.
We know that Jesus was a relatively ord...
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April 18, 2005
I heard the story of a little boy awakened by thunder and lightening. He called out to his father, "Daddy, come quickly! I'm scared."
The father said, "God loves you and He will take care of you."
"I know God loves me," said the li...
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April 15, 2005
How should we be affected by the fact that we believe in and serve a God who is truth, who is holy, righteous, just, good, and loving? We should seek to lead lives that please Him.
Because God is truth we, as His children, should be truthful. S...
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April 14, 2005
God is just and righteous and holy. We are not; we are sinners and we can never meet His standards. But in His love He approaches us. God loves us and He reaches out to us and then restores us back into His image.
Today we often have a vision ...
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April 13, 2005
Now, not only is God truth, not only is God holy, but the Bible also teaches that God is righteous. Holiness describes His character, while righteousness and justice describe how He deals with mankind.
In the book of Exodus, we read about Phar...
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April 12, 2005
God is holy, and if there is one truth repeated again and again in Scripture, it is the great message of the holiness of God. The Prophet Isaiah had a clear vision of the holiness of God compared to the lowliness and sinfulness of humanity. He wrote, ...
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April 11, 2005
As we consider God's attributes we can get a better picture of His character. One of God's most important attributes is truth. This is very important. This means He is the true God and that His knowledge and words are true and they are the final standard ...
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April 8, 2005
Is God's power limited? Scripture tells us over and over that God is omnipotent, which means all-powerful. Even when Job was in pain and distress, he said to the Lord, " 'I know that You can do all things. No plan of Yours can be thwarted' " (Job 42:2)....
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April 7, 2005
What is God like? Where is He? Does He know everything? Two key attributes of God are found in Psalm 139. We read these words from King David:
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You...
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April 6, 2005
Who is God? Thousands of years ago the Pharaoh of Egypt asked a question that is still being asked by many. It was, " 'Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go' " (Exodus 5:2). I thin...
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April 5, 2005
What is your determined purpose in life? Everyone has one. Some of us declare it, and others of us just practice it. But we all have something that is our purpose in life—something that gets us up in the morning, something we live for, something we ...
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April 4, 2005
One night on a storm-tossed ship in the Mediterranean, the Apostle Paul headed toward Rome. He had been persecuted and imprisoned, and he was going to appear before Caesar for judgment. On the way, a horrendous storm came up. It was so bad that the sailor...
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April 1, 2005
We are living in a critical time right now. I think all of us agree that the devil is working overtime. He knows his days are numbered. He knows his judgment is sure. Thus, he is doing everything he can to wreak havoc until the day he faces his judgment. ...
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March 31, 2005
The people were following Jesus in great numbers, but for the wrong reasons. So He made a series of statements intentionally designed to thin out the ranks. He wanted to be left with those who really wanted to follow Him, truly committed disciples and sol...
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March 30, 2005
A spiritual battle wages in our world today; and God is looking for men and women who are ready to go into that spiritual battlefield and make a difference.
The battle has been raging since the very beginning, as Satan has tried to keep us apa...
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March 29, 2005
I'm sure the greatest day in your life was the day you asked Jesus Christ to come into your heart and forgive you of your sin. It was the day that your eternal destiny changed, the day that you passed from darkness to light, the day that you found new pur...
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March 28, 2005
Is low self-esteem really the problem with society today? I think we need to have a proper understanding of the way things are. First of all, I recognize in myself I am a sinner. But I also recognize that when Christ came into my life He gave me value. He...
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March 25, 2005
Simon Peter did love the Lord, even though he had denied Him. But no longer would he boast of his love for Jesus. That is always a wise thing to do. Never boast of your love for God. Instead boast of His love for you. Don't tell me how much you love Him, ...
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March 24, 2005
The disciples were disappointed and discouraged after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. They were in Galilee, and they had gone out for a night's fishing. They had not caught any fish all night, another disappointment for them. But then, as John ...
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March 23, 2005
How many times have you wanted to leave your problems behind, get away from it all, and hang the sign on your office door: "Gone fishing"?
After the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, the disciples were waiting in Galilee for Jesus as He ha...
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March 22, 2005
Perhaps the most notable of Jesus' resurrection appearances is when He met Simon Peter. We all know how Peter denied and deserted the Lord. Peter was devastated by his own unfaithfulness; and he really needed encouragement.
The last sight Peter...
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March 21, 2005
The resurrection of Jesus reminds us that God provides second chances. When Jesus was crucified it came as a shock to His followers. They just did not seem to understand that He would be crucified and rise again on the third day. When that actually took p...
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March 18, 2005
In the Old Testament book of Esther we read of a beautiful young girl who essentially won a beauty contest and became the queen over the kingdom. A very wicked man whose name was Haman developed a plot to exterminate all of the Jewish people.
...
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March 17, 2005
God wants to use you! You may think, Let the preachers do this preaching stuff. That's the job of the professionals. I'm just an ordinary person. But those who know you, know that you are a believer. You can reach them. Those are the people God has ...
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March 16, 2005
Motivation is one of the most important things about the person whom God will use. If you don't have motivation, you are not going to do anything.
When it comes to sharing our faith and reaching out to others with the gospel, we offer up a ple...
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March 15, 2005
What kind of qualities does God look for in the man or the woman that He uses? Is He looking for a towering intellect? Is He concerned with how many certificates you have hanging on your wall? Do you have to be a born leader?
Throughout Scri...
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March 14, 2005
The greatest moment in my life clearly was the day that I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. It's a day I just won't forget—it changed the course of my life.
I wanted to try to make up for the years I had wasted up to that poin...
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March 11, 2005
How do you find the forgiveness of sin? First of all, you must recognize your dire need for it. Jesus Christ is not some wonderful additive you need to blend into your life so you can find happiness. He is much more than that. I am not denying that being ...
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March 10, 2005
The paralyzed man, who was brought by his friends to Jesus for healing, had been lowered through a hole in the roof (Luke 5:17–26). He was lying there on his bed right in front of Jesus. Jesus looked down on him. Every eye in the room was on this ma...
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March 9, 2005
The Gospel of Luke tells the story of a paralyzed man brought to Jesus by his friends to be healed (Luke 5:17–26). The house where Jesus was teaching was too crowded for them to go in. But his friends intervened. According to Luke, they sought to do...
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March 8, 2005
In making a covenant with His people, God made an interesting statement. He said, "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your desce...
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March 7, 2005
Without a doubt one of the greatest blessings of the Christian life is that our God gives second chances. I don't know about you, but I need second chances. Because I fail, I sin, I fall short. The Apostle Paul told us, "All have sinned and fall short of ...
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March 4, 2005
After Jesus cast the demons out of the man who lived among the tombs, they went into a herd of pigs and ran over a cliff. When the people saw that, instead of rejoicing that their neighbor was saved, "they began to plead with Him to depart from their regi...
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March 3, 2005
The devil was trying to stop Jesus and the disciples from reaching a poor tortured soul, a demon-possessed man who was living among tombstones (Mark 4:3–5:20). Jesus said to the disciples, "Let us cross over to the other side." So they boarded their...
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March 2, 2005
The devil can gain a foothold on your life in many ways. I think one way is through drugs. Sadly, we are seeing a real revival of drug use today. Another way I think you can open the door to demonic power is through these occult activities that people dab...
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March 1, 2005
There are three forces at work in the life of the demon-possessed man in Mark 5. First there is Satan. Just like a roaring lion, Satan had already come into that man, intending to destroy him (see 1 Peter 5:8).
Next, there was society. What had...
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February 28, 2005
In Mark 5, the Bible tells us of a man who was possessed by demons, had superhuman strength, and was able to break chains with his bare hands. This man lived among the tombs and on the mountains. He was a dangerous and a frightening man.
But un...
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February 25, 2005
Have you been with Jesus? Or do you just see Him as a mythical figure, perhaps a moral example? Well, the same Jesus who died on the cross, the same Jesus who gave boldness to the Apostles Peter and John (Acts 3, 4), is here with us right now and He is st...
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February 24, 2005
Think of all the ordinary people God has used to turn this world upside down. Think of that shepherd boy David who God raised up to be the greatest king in the history of Israel. God used that frightened man Gideon to lead a great army and he turned out t...
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February 23, 2005
Just as with the Apostles Peter and John, your relationship with Jesus should be apparent even to your enemies. What are the earmarks of a person who has been with Jesus? When you spend time with Jesus you become like Him.
A person who has been...
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February 22, 2005
The number of people who claim to be Christians today has never been higher. Yet our moral and spiritual climate has never been lower. You see, most people don't understand what it really means to be a Christian, to have a personal relationship with Jesus...
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February 21, 2005
"Where else can we go?" Peter says. He had come to realize that no one else could save him from his sin. He understood what Jesus was saying. "We get it, Lord. We know what you are saying. You alone are the Savior. There are no other options."
...
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February 18, 2005
There are some who follow Jesus because they want God to conform to their plans instead of them conforming to His.
Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is come into the world." The...
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February 17, 2005
After Jesus' miracle of feeding the 5,000, He went across the Sea of Galilee. A crowd followed Him to the other side.
And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?" Jesus answered th...
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February 16, 2005
During His earthly ministry Jesus faced the problem of people who would follow Him for the wrong reasons. He was constantly challenging them to count the cost and to make sure that their motives were right. He wants us all to follow Him, but He wants us t...
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February 15, 2005
What is the most dangerous place in the world? A war zone certainly qualifies. The jungles of Africa can seem very dangerous, especially at night, when wild animals run right through the safari camp. You can hear animal sounds like you have never heard be...
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February 14, 2005
Jesus tells us that there is coming a day when He will return. He will come quickly for all of His people and we will be taken to be with Him in heaven. If you are not a Christian, that means you will be left. Remember Jesus said, " 'Two will be in the fi...
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February 11, 2005
We can see in the case of Lot's wife that one can be exposed to spiritual things and not necessarily become a believer. As flawed as Lot's witness was, the Bible does say he was righteous (2 Peter 2:7). That means Lot's wife was exposed to the truth of Go...
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February 10, 2005
The Apostle Paul said, "one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead . . ." (Philippians 3:13). Paul had committed horrible things, hunting down Christians and throwing them in prison. Yet h...
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February 9, 2005
Who was this woman? We don't really know a lot about her. We assume that she met Lot in Sodom. We can safely conclude that Lot's wife was not a believer. It's clear she did not want to leave Sodom. She wanted to steal one last glance, and it cost her ever...
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February 8, 2005
Lot was the nephew of the only man identified in the Bible as the intimate friend of God, Abraham. Abraham essentially wanted to walk with God, but Lot did not. Abraham was a man who possessed a deep friendship with God. Lot was interested in a friendship...
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February 7, 2005
As Christians, one day we will receive rewards for our service to the Lord. I don't know about you, but I have not acquired a vast number of awards in my life. I have mostly won those purple Honorable Mention ribbons. They are just not as exciting as a bi...
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February 4, 2005
As believers, we will one day stand before Christ and our earthly works will be judged:
No one can lay any foundation other than the one that is already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation with gold, si...
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February 3, 2005
Here is the story of a man whose date with death came unexpectedly. He wasn't prepared. He was the man who forgot God.
Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought w...
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February 2, 2005
Heaven is a place in the future of every Christian, and I want to know—Are you prepared? Are you really ready to go? I don't just mean do you have the hope of heaven. That's part of it. Trusting in Christ also means recognizing that your life on ear...
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February 1, 2005
Have you ever really been homesick? Even in a beautiful place, surrounded by people you really like, you want to return home as quickly as possible. As they say, there is no place like home. No matter what your actual home on earth is like, there is one h...
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January 31, 2005
Our culture gravitates toward behind-the-scenes events. We become excited when we're driving down the street and see movie cameras set up for a big scene. We love that inside look to which no one else has access. Fascinating events also transpire behind t...
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January 28, 2005
You never know when a storm will hit. In October, 1991, Hurricane Grace collided with a cold front from Canada and a storm from the Great Lakes off the coast of Nova Scotia, creating what meteorologists called "the perfect storm." With waves a hundred fee...
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January 27, 2005
How does the Lord's imminent return grab you? Do you get excited like the Apostle John who said, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20). That's a good reaction. It implies that John was ready. The hope of seeing the Lord excited him.
C...
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January 26, 2005
When the Bible says the Antichrist is coming, you better believe it's going to happen. With computer technology where it is today, the possibility for a man to come and use technology to manipulate and rule the world is present like it has never been befo...
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January 24, 2005
If you want to be a true follower of Jesus, you need to take up your cross. Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Matthew 16:24).
That may sound miserable to some of us. Yo...
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January 21, 2005
Before we can ever talk about revival in the church, every Christian must ask themselves, Am I personally revived? Am I living as a committed, on-fire follower of Jesus Christ? Ask yourself that question right now. If your answer is that you are no...
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January 20, 2005
The Holy Spirit typically uses one individual as the catalyst for revival. The last great American revival was the Layman's Prayer Revival of 1857–1858. It began with a 48-year-old businessman named Jeremiah Lanphier. He began a noon prayer meeting ...
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January 19, 2005
We hear the word revival tossed about frequently these days. Some churches claim to be having a revival. "Revival this week only! Starts at 7:00 A.M. and ends at 9:00 P.M.," says their church signage. I'm sure they're having some great meetings; an...
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January 18, 2005
I believe America is standing at a crossroads. We live in a society that stands on the brink of moral bankruptcy. Crime continues to explode. Families continue to splinter. All the while, the fabric of society continues to unravel.
At my house ...
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January 17, 2005
The first sign of something popular is when you see knock-offs or imitations everywhere. It has been said imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; but honestly, no one likes to be copied or ripped off. That's just a nice way of saying, "Don't feel too...
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January 14, 2005
"You must spend a lot of time handling counterfeit money to know what it looks like," said Ruth Bell Graham to a man from Scotland Yard, who was in charge of identifying counterfeit money.
"No," he replied. "We never touch the stuff. All day lo...
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January 13, 2005
"It was like having a burden lifted off of my shoulders," is a common description from people after they come to Christ.
Years ago I received a letter from a girl, who explained that she became sexually involved as a young girl. Soon she got pr...
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January 12, 2005
I'm sure that the people in Southeast Asia on December 26, 2004 expected another typical day. But tragically and sadly, for many, that day was to be their last. The unsparing waters devastated well-to-do tourists visiting for the holidays, as well as peas...
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January 11, 2005
God, in His mercy, can also take the tragedies of life and use them. God can take the most evil deed and work in spite of it. The Apostle Paul made this point in Romans 8:28: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to th...
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January 10, 2005
Death comes to everyone. Jesus had heard of some Galileans whom Pilate had murdered as they sacrificed at the Temple in Jerusalem. The common thinking among some in that day was that the tragedy was a judgment from God on the victims. Jesus responded by a...
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January 7, 2005
Too often in life we play around with sin. Even though we know the difference between right and wrong, we choose what is wrong. We know what the Bible says, but somehow we think that we are above what God's Word says.
Many people today know the...
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January 6, 2005
In these anxious and critical days we live in, people wonder what this world is coming to. We live in horrible times of violent crimes. When you think people have stooped as low as they're going to go, they sink just a little bit lower. In the wake of the...
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January 5, 2005
Alexander the Great, the great king of Greece, desired to rule the world. In just ten years he conquered the entire civilized world. As he amassed all of his kingdoms, he grew concerned about the various languages and cultures of the people he was overtak...
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January 4, 2005
The Tsunami that hit Southeast Asia on December 26, 2004 is one of the most horrific natural disasters in recorded history. In times like these, the question often asked is, "Why?" More specifically, "Why did God let this happen?"
The disciples...
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January 3, 2005
Our regular Daily Devotion will resume with tomorrow's mailing, but today please take a moment to read a message by Greg Laurie regarding the Southeast Asia tragedy:
Dear Friend,
The tsunami in Southeast Asia is one of t...
