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December 29, 2006
When Jesus told us not to worry about food and clothing, His emphasis was on the word worry. He didn't say, "Don't think about it." Nor did He imply, "Don't plan ahead for your needs." He said, "Don't worry."
The fact of the matter is that the...
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December 28, 2006
In John 6, we see a huge crowd following Jesus in Capernaum. Why is this? Because Jesus had performed His most popular miracle ever: the feeding of the 5,000. Jesus had taken the little boy's lunch and blessed it and multiplied it. And everyone was fille...
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December 27, 2006
When you are racing, you run to win. And you run to finish the race. It's not enough simply to start. We have to finish the race, too. And some of us stumble at times.
The main character in the film Chariots of Fire fell in his important...
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December 26, 2006
There are some events in the Olympics that don't interest me at all. But the series of events that I personally enjoy is track and field. I love to watch the relay races, the long distant runs, and the short sprints. And that is probably because I was int...
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December 25, 2006
This has been a busy time of year for almost everyone. For us as Christians, it's been a joyful celebration of the birth of Jesus. We marvel at the fact that God humbled Himself and was born in a cave. But why did He come?
First, Jesus Christ ...
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December 22, 2006
As we look at our world, today we realize that part of the promise of Isaiah (see Isaiah 9:6–7) has not yet been fulfilled. The Son has been given. The Child has been born. But He has not yet taken the government upon His shoulders. We do not have p...
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December 21, 2006
When you are going to get a gift for someone, you usually start thinking about it ahead of time. What would this person really want? Then of course you start searching for it. You start saving for it. It's not something you do at the last minute, and if s...
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December 20, 2006
Who do you give gifts to at Christmas? Usually family and friends. We will buy gifts for people we love. People that we care about. We give gifts to people who treat us well, people who are kind and considerate to us. And we often give gifts in return for...
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December 19, 2006
Some people will go to great lengths to wrap a gift. They will make really beautiful ornate packages. But I have no wrapping ability whatsoever. My wrapped packages look horrible. To a man, wrapping paper is merely an obstacle to keep us from what we real...
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December 18, 2006
Christmas is a time for the giving of gifts. When you are a child, you look forward to receiving them. And if you are like I was, you peel the wrapping paper away to see what your parents are giving you. But as you get older, you find more joy in giving a...
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December 15, 2006
The future is something we all should be thinking about, because we need to plan ahead. Not only do we need to think about what we will do in this life, but also what we will do for all eternity.
An extensive survey conducted in the United Stat...
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December 14, 2006
An article I read stated that according to scientists, we can now actually slow the aging process and prolong life. But it went on to ask whether we really want to extend our lives.
Our answer to that question would depend on the kind of lives ...
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December 13, 2006
I once read that the expression "face the music" originated in Japan with the Imperial Orchestra. It was very prestigious to belong to this particular orchestra, and there was a certain man who desperately wanted to join. He wanted to play for the emperor...
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December 12, 2006
It was Cicero who said, "Of all forms of injustice, none is more flagrant than that of the hypocrite who, at the very moment when he is most false, makes it his business to appear virtuous."
Jesus had some harsh words for the Pharisees, the hyp...
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December 11, 2006
Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus saved His most scathing words not for the sinners of the day, but for the self-righteous, religious hypocrites. When the religious elite brought the woman caught in the act of adultery before Him and pointed out that...
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December 8, 2006
I'm so grateful that the way to God has been made known to us. God has not said to humanity, "Find your own path. If you are really diligent, then you will eventually find it. You may have to climb mountains in Tibet. You may have to explore the teachings...
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December 7, 2006
When two people have been married a while, they start becoming like each other. This has happened with my wife and me. We know each other so well that I can start a sentence, and she can finish it. She knows what I am thinking even when I am not saying it...
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December 6, 2006
When Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin, it was a source of complete amazement that ordinary fishermen would be so well-versed in Scripture and, more importantly, in their understanding of it. They appeared to be better equipped than the rab...
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December 5, 2006
One of the greatest arguments for the Christian faith is a transformed life. When someone believes, they become one of the greatest advertisements God could have. Their lifestyle changes. Their attitudes change. And even their physical countenance will ch...
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December 4, 2006
Before I became a Christian, I was always the one mocking others. So to suddenly become the one who was laughed at because of what I believed, to see people treat me differently when they found out I was a Christian—that wasn't easy.
But ...
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December 1, 2006
Often, some of the most dramatic things that have happened in my life as a Christian have come without warning. I did not have some vision from God that a certain thing was about to take place. I just went out to do the normal things that a person does on...
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November 30, 2006
It is clear from the Book of Acts that the empowering of the Holy Spirit is distinct from the indwelling Holy Spirit who is in every believer. A number of events in Acts reinforce the empowering of the Holy Spirit as being something that is separate from ...
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November 29, 2006
In the apostle Paul's day, goods shipped from one place to another would be stamped with a wax seal and imprinted with a signet ring, bearing a unique mark of ownership. The same was true of an important document from a ruler. No one would dare open it ot...
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November 28, 2006
At no time, other than Pentecost, does the Bible give an account of believers experiencing a mighty rushing wind or divided tongues of fire. But we do read frequently in Acts about the Holy Spirit's empowering, filling, and speaking to people and using th...
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November 27, 2006
A dimension of power is available to believers today that is sadly neglected by many. It is a dimension of power that will radically affect your ability to share the gospel with others, a dimension of power that will deepen your prayer life and understand...
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November 24, 2006
God's highway is a holy way. In Isaiah 35:8 we read that "it will be called the Highway of Holiness." The Bible also tells us that without holiness, no one will see the Lord.
When we think of holiness or a holy person, we may think that a holy...
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November 23, 2006
In the book of Genesis, we are told that after God brought judgment upon the world through the Flood, He remembered Noah (see 8:1). Though He had dealt harshly with the world and rebellious humanity, God remembered Noah. Later we read that when Noah and h...
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November 22, 2006
Until I became a Christian, I had never read the Bible. The closest I had come was looking through my grandmother's Bible, but I had never actually read it. Certainly I never thought of it as a book that would have something to say to me. So after I recei...
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November 21, 2006
There is a road to heaven. Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it" (Matthew 7:13).
Jesus was saying there is a clear way to walk in life. Ce...
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November 20, 2006
Are you looking forward to seeing God one day? If you want to get to the right place, then you have to get on the right road, and you have to go in the right direction. If I want to go to the beach, for example, then I need to go in that direction. I want...
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November 17, 2006
I believe that as a Christian, I should register and vote. I believe that as a Christian, I should find out where candidates stand and vote for those whose views are closest to the biblical positions. I believe that as a Christian, I should do what I can ...
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November 16, 2006
Billy Graham tells the story of French philosopher Auguste Comte and Scottish essayist Thomas Carlyle. Comte told Carlyle that he was planning to start a new religion that would take the place of Christianity. It would have no mysteries; it would be as pl...
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November 15, 2006
When we look back on the first-century believers and the apostles in particular, we tend to see them on pedestals, as though they walked around carrying pedestals under their arms, and when they were preparing to say something, they would climb up on them...
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November 14, 2006
Everywhere the first-century Christians went, they were ridiculed, opposed, persecuted, and physically assaulted for their beliefs. Some were even put to death. Yet within a period of about 30 years, this original group of 120 Christians and their convert...
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November 13, 2006
Like most young people in the late 60s and early 70s, I was looking for purpose and meaning in life. The thinking of the day was that we the young people would inaugurate a new era of love, brotherhood, and compassion for our fellow man. Or so we thought....
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November 10, 2006
As we look at our world today, we wonder, How long, Lord, until You return to this earth and establish Your kingdom? How long will You allow this perversion of justice to continue? How long will You allow violent crime that takes the lives of innocent ...
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November 9, 2006
Joseph was a young man who had everything going for him. He was good-looking. He was sharp. He was loved by his father. The problem was that Joseph's older brothers were very jealous of the attention their father poured on him. So one day, they decided to...
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November 8, 2006
In all honesty, by the time Jesus got to Bethany, Mary and Martha were pretty upset. Martha, specifically, was quite outspoken. And sure enough, there she was to meet the Lord as He came walking into Bethany.
Martha told Him, "Lord, if You had ...
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November 7, 2006
Jesus spent a lot of time in the town of Bethany with Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. They shared many meals and many good times together. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus could rightfully refer to Jesus as their personal friend.
Thus, w...
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November 6, 2006
A little boy was always getting into trouble in his Sunday School class, so in exasperation, his teacher said to him, "I want you to know that God is watching you all the time. Even when I can't keep my eyes on you, God has His eyes on you. He is watching...
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November 3, 2006
God is not only interested in the big things that concern you; He is interested in the little things too. Sometimes we may think, This problem is too small to bother God with. God is only interested in big things. But God really is interested in th...
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November 2, 2006
Why do teachers give tests? It's because they want to see if their students are learning, if they are listening, and if they have been paying attention. When I was in school, whenever I would hear a teacher say, "Today, we are going to have a pop quiz," m...
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November 1, 2006
As Christians, we need to recognize that we have been bought with a price. We belong to God. Therefore, our lives are His. Our resources are His. Our future is His. Everything we have belongs to God. So we should take our gifts and abilities and say, "I o...
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October 31, 2006
Do you know what Adam's job description was? It was to tend the Garden of Eden. That does not mean that Adam was a gardener. In the original language, the word used for "tend" meant he was to explore and discover the mysteries of it. Adam's job was to wal...
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October 30, 2006
On a tombstone in England are inscribed the words, "Pause now, stranger, when you pass by. As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you will be. So prepare for death and follow me." Someone was seen reading that tombstone and was overheard to say, "...
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October 27, 2006
Sometimes believers will say, "I want to be a missionary. I will cross the sea for Christ." That is good, but let's also cross the street to talk to our neighbors. Wherever we go, we can be representatives of the Lord. Jesus reminded His disciples that th...
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October 26, 2006
It is interesting how often the apostle Paul used his personal testimony when he spoke to unbelievers. Though he was a brilliant orator and extremely knowledgeable about Scripture and theology, he would begin with his testimony. Why? Because it was a brid...
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October 25, 2006
On His way back to Jerusalem, Jesus went through Samaria to meet a lonely, empty woman (see John 4:1–26). He got to the well before she did, and He waited for her. In the middle of the day, she came with her water pot. As she approached the well to ...
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October 24, 2006
The best arguments for Christianity are Christians. Our joy, our certainty, our fulfillment, and our love for one another are all powerful witnesses.
The woman at the well said to Jesus, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet" (John 4:19). She had n...
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October 23, 2006
Every Christian has a story to tell of what God has done for them, a personal testimony. People can challenge what you believe, but they cannot deny the impact Jesus Christ has made on your life. Make no mistake about it: it is a profound witness for God ...
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October 20, 2006
The man at the pool of Bethesda just wanted Jesus to take him down to the water (see John 5). But Jesus had a better idea. His plan for the man was threefold: Jesus asked the impossible, He removed all possibility for a relapse, and He expected continued ...
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October 19, 2006
John's Gospel tells us there were many people gathered around the pool of Bethesda, waiting for the stirring of the water. "For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring ...
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October 18, 2006
There are problems we can bring into our lives as a result of sin. I am not suggesting that someone with a physical illness is being punished for sin. The Scripture teaches that even the godly will suffer. In fact, one has to look no further than the stor...
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October 17, 2006
Aren't you glad that God doesn't take the day off? Imagine if you were in some crisis and called out to God, "Lord, help me!" and in response, heard a voice from heaven that said, "I'm sorry, God is not in right now. He has the day off. He is out on the g...
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October 16, 2006
Years ago, Roy Orbison recorded one of the great rock and roll classics entitled, "Only the Lonely." A couple of the lines from the song were, "Only the lonely know the way I feel tonight. . . . Only the lonely know the heartaches I've been through." That...
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October 13, 2006
"Give me this mountain," the 85-year-old Caleb said. He wasn't afraid. He had no thought of retirement. He wasn't headed for Leisure World. There was still the unfinished task.
There is no retirement from the Christian life or the spiritual bat...
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October 12, 2006
Have you ever struggled with God's promises to you? Has it ever seemed like there was no end in sight to the storm you were facing?
Sometimes when you are going through hardship, you wonder, When am I going to get through this? When is this ...
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October 11, 2006
What is the secret so spiritual longevity? What practical steps can we take to assure that we will be walking with the Lord years from now? The answer is found in the Old Testament story of Caleb, a man who never lost his edge spiritually. At age 85, he s...
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October 10, 2006
A sign at the end of an airport runway reads, "Keep moving. If you stop, you are in danger and a danger to those who are flying."
I would say the same to every believer today. We must keep moving, because if we stop, we are in danger.
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October 9, 2006
In the Greek games, a judge would stand at the finish line holding, in plain sight, the laurel leaves that would be rewarded to the victor. As runners came down the final stretch, they were exhausted, tired, and feeling as though they couldn't go another ...
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October 6, 2006
I was being interviewed on a Christian radio program one day when a listener called in and asked, "Does there come a point in the Christian life when somehow you just don't get tempted anymore to think evil thoughts?"
I said, "Yes, it's funny y...
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October 5, 2006
After a few days of camping, especially a week, I am always ready to break camp and go home to enjoy the luxuries of a hot shower, clean clothes, and a roof over my head. I am happy to break camp.
Referring to his imminent death, the apostle Pa...
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October 4, 2006
A person with conviction is hard to find in our culture today. Very few people will stand up and say, "This is what I believe. . . . " And when you do stand up for your convictions as a Christian, people may laugh. They may even get mad. But I will tell y...
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October 3, 2006
The Bible speaks of a man named Esau who went beyond the point of no return.
Know this: there is a point of no return. You might say to yourself, "I will get right with God one of these days, one of these months. One of these years, I will ask ...
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October 2, 2006
The Bible says our days are numbered, which means there is a day coming (we don't know when) when we are out of here. We can worry about that, or we can simply trust that God knows when that day is. It doesn't mean we take foolish chances or put our lives...
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September 29, 2006
When we see the word "soul" in the Bible, what does it mean? It's an interesting word that is used throughout Scripture. In fact, the words "spirit" and "soul" are often used interchangeably. They basically speak of the inner person, the real you. Your so...
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September 28, 2006
God wants to use you to win souls, but what about your own soul right now? Have you given any attention to it lately? Have you looked at the state of your soul? We can place so much emphasis on that which will pass away and so little emphasis on that whic...
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September 27, 2006
Sometimes when we see the way certain people live, we are tempted to say, "How can they live that way? How dare they choose that lifestyle! How dare they say that about God!" But that is when we need to throw on the brakes and remember that it wasn't so l...
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September 26, 2006
In our culture today, we place the greatest value on that which, for the most part, has no value. Then we completely ignore that which has the greatest value: our souls. We put all the emphasis on the outward things that we will leave behind. Everything w...
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September 25, 2006
Someone once asked me, "Why do you go out and do Harvest Crusades? Why do you travel to different parts of the country, taking time away from your church and your family to do this?"
I had to stop and think about it for a moment. Is it the thri...
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September 22, 2006
Jesus went and met the woman at the well in Samaria because she had an appointment with God. In Jesus' detour into enemy territory, we see two important concerns as we bring the message of the gospel today.
First, we have to go to where peop...
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September 21, 2006
When the Samaritan woman went to the well, she was surprised to see someone there in the heat of the day. Why would a Jewish man be there in Samaria? She probably expected Him to see her and then walk away, to turn His face away from her. But He was waiti...
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September 20, 2006
There are a few things we can know about every person walking this earth today. It doesn't matter whether they are rich or poor, famous or unknown, young or old. Every person who is not yet a believer is basically empty, lonely, and guilty. And everyone i...
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September 19, 2006
I once saw an interesting program on television about the quest for happiness. People on the street were asked the question, "What is happiness?" One man said, "Happiness is $100 million." A woman said, "Happiness is more ready cash." Someone else said, "...
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September 18, 2006
Have you ever been so thirsty that nothing seems to quench your thirst? Water and even sports drinks didn't help. Your deep thirst seemed almost unquenchable.
The Bible teaches that inside every man and every woman there is a deep spiritual thi...
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September 15, 2006
What is the real reason people don't come to Christ? The reason people do not come to the light is that they do not want their darkness, their sin, to be exposed. "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds...
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September 14, 2006
The Bible teaches that hell was not made for people. It's a place that God prepared for Satan and the demon powers that follow him. God doesn't want people to go there. In fact, God says, "I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked...
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September 13, 2006
We are often asked, "How can you Christians say that Jesus is the only way to heaven? How can you actually make such a statement? That is so narrow. That is so insensitive."
We live in a pluralistic society, and I am glad that people of differe...
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September 12, 2006
"If God is so good, why does He allow evil?" This is always at the top of the list of questions about God, along with, "Why does God allow war or tragedy or injustice?" These very questions have a flawed premise: that we can determine what is good or not ...
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September 11, 2006
I remember when my son Christopher was a little boy, he would try to hide something from me. He would say, "Dad, guess which hand it is in," as he held his hands in front of me.
I would say, "Buddy, you should put your hands behind you," becaus...
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September 8, 2006
When Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell what he had, give it to the poor, and follow Him, some have misunderstood this to be a blanket condemnation of believers having wealth—or of any person having wealth for that matter. Yet Jesus did not make this...
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September 7, 2006
There was a certain judge known as Hanging Bob, because he handed out such stiff penalties for those who broke the law. One day, his son was arrested for drunken driving. The courtroom was filled with people who wanted to see if Hanging Bob would be consi...
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September 6, 2006
Have you ever been in a very dark place—so dark that you couldn't even see your hand in front of your face? Some years ago I was in Israel with a group that was going through Hezekiah's Tunnel. It takes awhile to walk through this ancient channel, w...
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September 5, 2006
Once on a visit to San Francisco, my wife Cathe and I went to see Alcatraz, also known as The Rock. On our tour, we were able to view the various cells where famous criminals like Al Capone were kept. At one point, we also were able to walk into the tiny ...
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September 4, 2006
On more than one occasion in the Bible, hell is compared to a big garbage dump. In fact, the very word that is used for hell in many New Testament passages is the Greek word gehenna.
Gehenna was a word used to describe a garbage dump out...
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September 1, 2006
The word "hell" makes a lot of people bristle. They don't like the idea of hell. They don't think it is right that God would send anyone there. Others will laugh about it and say that it will be one big party. Still others envision hell as a cartoonish pl...
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August 31, 2006
At one of the Harvest Crusades a few years ago, a Christian woman brought her unbelieving husband to the event. Throughout the evening, she was praying that he would come to Christ. At the end, when the invitation was being given, he said, "Come on. I wan...
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August 30, 2006
Some years ago a poll conducted by a major news magazine found that most Americans were sure they were going to heaven, but most didn't expect to see their friends there. A majority of those polled anticipated that Mother Theresa would make the cut, and a...
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August 29, 2006
From the beginning of time, humanity has searched for peace. We have joined peace movements. We have marched for peace. We have given prizes for peace. We have even gone to war for peace. And when we hear that people have been arrested for disturbing the ...
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August 28, 2006
You know something is popular when you start seeing its imitations everywhere. When someone comes up with a new design for something, it isn't long before everyone has created a version of it.
In the same way, we can look at so-called religions...
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August 25, 2006
God wants to clean your house. He wants to cleanse your temple. Under the old covenant, the temple was either a tabernacle in the wilderness or a great building in Jerusalem where the high priest, representing the people, met God.
But ever sin...
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August 24, 2006
God hates a man who stirs up dissention among brothers, a person who intentionally divides other Christians. The amazing thing is that God places this sin of causing discord among brothers right up there along with murder, lying, and perjuring (see Prover...
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August 23, 2006
God hates a proud look. That is interesting to me. I would expect God to start the list of things He hates with "hands that shed innocent blood" or adultery, maybe. But no. Number one on His list is a proud look (see Proverbs 6:16–19).
...
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August 22, 2006
I'm the kind of person who is relatively even-tempered. But certain things can really get under my skin and make me mad. Most of those things seem to happen on the freeways of Southern California. I don't know why it is, but I take everything personally....
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August 21, 2006
Spring means many things to us. But one of the most notable things that comes with spring is spring cleaning, when we go through our houses and take care of all the messes that have built up over the months.
I heard about an interesting custom ...
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August 18, 2006
A Christian father who was terminally ill called his three sons to his bedside. To his two sons who were believers, he said, "Good-bye, my sons. I will see you in the morning." Turning to his third son, he simply and sadly said, "Good-bye, my son."
...
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August 17, 2006
You may have given up many things to follow Jesus Christ. You may have lost friends, even family, to be His servant. You may have resisted many temptations. Perhaps there have been hardships that you have endured because of your faith. God promises you a ...
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August 16, 2006
A man who was doing a little cleaning went up to his attic and was throwing away a bunch of old junk. Then he came across an old vase that he thought might be worth something. So, he brought it to an antique dealer who knew a little bit about these things...
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August 15, 2006
Each year, millions of people watch the Academy Awards. They tune in to see what the celebrities are wearing and who will win the Oscars.
Now when it comes to that future day of rewards in heaven called the Judgment Seat of Christ, it is not go...
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August 14, 2006
I remember when, as a young Christian, I would sit in the pews at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa and listen to Senior Pastor Chuck Smith speak. I would think to myself, I wonder if God would ever use me. I wonder if the Lord would ever speak through me....
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August 11, 2006
The Bible tells us that we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ. This word "appear" can be translated, "to make manifest." This suggests that the purpose of the Judgment seat of Christ is a public manifestation, or demonstration, of the esse...
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August 10, 2006
Maybe you were a great achiever academically. As a young boy or girl, you were winning the spelling bees. You always got A's on your report cards. Maybe you were given some special honor, such as a scholarship to attend a great college, because of your in...
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August 9, 2006
A minister who was conducting a funeral service wanted to speak of some of the wonderful things about the deceased. But this poor guy said the wrong thing. He boldly proclaimed, "What we have here is only the shell," gesturing toward the coffin." Then he ...
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August 8, 2006
I remember when my son Jonathan turned 11, I asked him, "What age are you really looking forward to?"
"Sixteen," he replied. "I want to be 16."
That is so typical. When you are young, 16 is where it's at. Then you hit 16, and you say...
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August 7, 2006
I read a story about a little dog named Mugsy, who was walking across the street one day and, tragically, was hit by a truck. His sad owners took Mugsy down to the pet cemetery and buried him. They were so sorry they would never see their precious little ...
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August 4, 2006
Nicodemus was a religious man, a Pharisee. The Pharisees were a very strict sect of people who believed very strongly what they thought was right. By the world's standards, Nicodemus was a holy man. If he were to walk by, you would say, "There is a man of...
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August 3, 2006
Jesus attracted crowds. And what really fascinated the multitudes was that He did something that none of the religious leaders or so-called prophets of the day could do. He performed miracles. His fame spread throughout the land. Naturally, all those who ...
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August 2, 2006
It is worth noting that every person Jesus had conversations or contact with was in a different situation, and He dealt with each one differently. This is because He recognized that every man, every woman, and every child is different. And though they hav...
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August 1, 2006
John's Gospel tells us that when Andrew brought his brother Simon to Jesus, He looked at Simon. I find it interesting that the word looked used here could be translated "He saw right through him."
Have you ever had someone look at you that way?...
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July 31, 2006
In the first chapter of John's Gospel, we see John the Baptist pointing to Jesus and directing his disciples to follow Him. Andrew and John heard him and followed Jesus. Then Andrew went to tell his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus.
The t...
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July 28, 2006
God knows whether we mean business. He knows who the true seekers are. To those who are really seeking Him, He reveals Himself. He says, "Come and see." And to those who are playing silly religious games, He utters not a single word.
You might ...
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July 27, 2006
When it comes to sharing our faith, we sometimes will spend a lot of time getting answers down pat to questions people may ask. But we should never come across as preprogrammed robots. It would do a lot more good if, instead of just rattling off informati...
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July 26, 2006
The first disciples who came to Jesus, Andrew and John, heard John the Baptist proclaim Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. As a result, they sought out Jesus for themselves (see John 1:35–39). Next, Simon Peter was brought...
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July 25, 2006
One of the things we see throughout the Gospels is the way Jesus dealt with individuals. It is worth noting that Jesus never dealt with any two people in exactly the same way.
What would you think of a physician who gave the same prescription t...
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July 24, 2006
What are you looking for in life? What are you living for? The reason I ask this question is that 2,000 years ago, Jesus asked it of some very inquisitive individuals, Andrew and John.
In the Gospel of John, we read the account of John the Bapt...
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July 21, 2006
I am glad God didn't answer my prayer back in 1972 when I was praying with many other believers, "Lord, come soon." Here's why: A lot of people have become Christians since 1972. The Bible says, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count...
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July 20, 2006
The people in Noah's day mocked his beliefs. They laughed at the old man who was building his huge boat when there was no body of water around. But when those first drops of rain started coming down, they changed their tune.
This mockery like N...
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July 19, 2006
Sometimes I think I can predict the weather as precisely as most weather forecasters today. Doesn't it seem like they can be incredibly inaccurate? It seems that whatever they say, the opposite will happen. On the other hand, I can just walk outside and l...
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July 18, 2006
In spite of our breathtaking advances in science and technology, we have only seen the human condition get worse and worse. It seems like things get darker every day. And in these anxious and critical days in which we are living, people are wondering what...
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July 17, 2006
It sounded a little illogical. The disciples had been out fishing all this time and hadn't caught anything. Now Jesus was telling them to move the net to the other side of the boat. Was that really going to matter?
But the technique wasn't impo...
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July 14, 2006
It was a familiar scene. The disciples had been fishing all night, but caught nothing. Then they hear a voice from the shore call out, "Children, have you any food?" (John 21:5).
The word "children" used here could also be translated "boys." Bo...
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July 13, 2006
Sometimes we think we are failures, because what we do isn't as big as we had hoped it would be, or we don't have the worldly earmarks of success.
But more important than how successful we have been is how faithful we are. We may not know how s...
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July 12, 2006
What do we consider success? If we were to classify a successful person, what would be the earmarks? Power? Wealth? Popularity? Respect?
If that is our criteria for success, then apparently Jesus was a horrible failure. Was He popular? Not for ...
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July 11, 2006
Did you know that success can be a form of failure? Some may argue that success is the most important thing in life. After all, there is so much emphasis on it today. But is success the most important thing in life? That all depends on whose definition of...
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July 10, 2006
An Old Testament story tells how God supernaturally provided for the children of Israel on a daily basis with something from heaven called manna. As they journeyed through the wilderness, the manna would be waiting for them every morning when they would c...
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July 7, 2006
When God told Jonah to go preach in Nineveh, he instead caught a ship going in the opposite direction. But Jonah was miserable as long as he was running from God. And when he was swallowed by a great fish, he cried out to God (see Jonah 2:7). Jonah knew ...
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July 6, 2006
We have heard the story of the prodigal son from Luke 13, but have you heard the story of the prodigal pig? That's in the Bible too. Peter talks about a pig that has been washed, but then goes back to wallowing in the mud (see 2 Peter 2:22).
Pi...
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July 5, 2006
The one who is walking with God should always be looking forward to the Lord's return. The Bible tells us to prepare to meet our God (see Amos 4:12). The prophet Isaiah went to King Hezekiah and essentially told him, "Get your house in order, because tomo...
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July 4, 2006
Having had the opportunity to travel around the world, let me say that I think America is the greatest country on Earth!
We are far from perfect. We have our many flaws. But we have so much to be thankful for as a nation.
Imagine wha...
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July 3, 2006
As a student of Bible prophecy for many years, I have always been struck by the accuracy of the Word of God. God, living in eternity, sees the future as clearly as we see the past. The Bible maps out events in the last days with vivid and rich detail....
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June 30, 2006
Jonah was God's child. He was a believer—a wayward, disobedient one, but a believer nonetheless. The Bible says this about God's children: "For whom the Lord loves He chastens . . . " (Hebrews 12:6). Because God loves us, He will seek to get our att...
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June 29, 2006
There are so many challenges facing the youth of today as their friends are drinking, smoking, doing drugs, and having sex. They tend to think they are indestructible, with long lives ahead of them.
But in many ways, my generation faced the sa...
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June 28, 2006
God called Jonah to go and preach in Nineveh, a notoriously wicked city. Not only that, but Nineveh was also an enemy of the Israelites.
So when God said to Jonah, an Israelite, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it" (J...
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June 27, 2006
Maybe you don't believe God is good. Maybe you think that God is out to ruin your life. Perhaps someone misrepresented God to you somewhere along the line. Maybe you had a bad experience years ago. Maybe someone did or said something that disillusioned yo...
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June 26, 2006
Have you ever tried to run from God and His will for your life? Perhaps you thought you had a better plan than God did. Or perhaps certain truths were taught in Scripture that you simply did not want to follow.
Then again, it may have been the ...
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June 23, 2006
When we read the words of James 5:16, which says, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much," we might think, "That counts me out. I am not a righteous person."
In a technical sense, this is true of all of us. None of us are...
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June 22, 2006
I believe that God heals today. We know He has miraculously built into the human body a natural process in which it heals over time. But I believe God can quicken the healing process. I also believe that He can do a miracle when we have been told there is...
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June 21, 2006
The great British preacher C. H. Spurgeon said, "Any fool can sing in the day. It is easy to sing when you can read the notes by daylight. But the skillful singer is he who can sing when there is not a ray of light to read by. Songs in the night come only...
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June 20, 2006
I have come to realize that when I am seeking to walk in the will of God and when I am engaging in the things of God, then I can expect opposition from the enemy of God, the devil.
Sometimes afflictions do not come into our lives because of our...
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June 19, 2006
When we find ourselves in trying circumstances, often the temptation is to strike out at the person who helped bring those circumstances upon us. Or, we want to blame someone for our state of affairs. We may even become mad at God for allowing this in our...
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June 16, 2006
When the prodigal son finally went home, his father ran to meet him (see Luke 15:20). In that culture, it was undignified for an older man to run. But the father didn't care about dignity; all he cared about was his son. The father smothered his son with ...
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June 15, 2006
One of the most attractive things about those who live the Christian life is their lifestyle. And there are unbelievers who are watching Christians, looking at the way they live. In fact, I came to know Christ because I watched the Christians on my high s...
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June 14, 2006
Jesus told the story of the prodigal son to give us a picture of what God is like. The son left his father, just as we turn our backs on God. Soon he ran out of money. Maybe he even sent a message back to his father asking for more money, but was refused ...
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June 13, 2006
I read an interesting story about a cat that decided to leave home one day. His owners thought they would never see him again, but eight years later, they heard a noise at their door, and in walked a cat. He started purring away as if he owned the place. ...
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June 12, 2006
Have you ever been homesick? This can happen when you travel. Perhaps you have gone away to college or have spent time in military service. One day, you heard a song on the radio or saw something that reminded you of home, and suddenly you desperately wis...
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June 9, 2006
When the prodigal son decided to go back home, he said, "I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants'...
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June 8, 2006
The parable of the prodigal son begins with a young man deciding to leave home (see Luke 15:12–13). You see, he thought he had it tough in his father's house. Maybe he was tired of school or work or responsibilities. So off he went, saying, "Look, I...
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June 7, 2006
Many people are ungrateful for God's offer of forgiveness. It's as though they had all the resources and time in the world and believe they are almost doing Him a favor by considering Christianity.
They are like people sitting in a fine restau...
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June 6, 2006
Jesus' parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15 is one of the best-known stories in the pages of Scripture. It clearly shows us that God gives second chances. It's a story that illustrates God's attitude toward us, even when we have miserably failed Him. It...
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June 5, 2006
Have you ever felt you need a second chance in life? I heard a story of a man whose name was printed by mistake in the obituary column. He awoke one morning, opened the newspaper and there was his name listed as someone who was now deceased. He was so ang...
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June 2, 2006
We read in 1 Corinthians 13 that love endures all things. It refuses to give up. It refuses to surrender, to stop believing or hoping. Love will simply not stop loving. Love never fails.
And we may think, "Oh, please. How could we ever live up ...
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June 1, 2006
How often will someone come and say, "Did you hear about so-and-so?" And how often our response will be, "No, what?" How often we will believe a rumor. Rather, we should say, "Stop right there. Have you talked to them about it? Maybe they didn't do it. I ...
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May 31, 2006
In an old village in England, this inscription was reportedly found on a tombstone: "Here lies a miser who lived for himself and cared for nothing but gathering wealth. Now where he is or how he fares, nobody knows and nobody cares." How would you like to...
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May 30, 2006
Every year we can watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on television, along with some 60 million other viewers. With giant helium balloons of cartoon characters, marching bands, people dressed up like clowns, and lots of pizzazz and noise, it is desig...
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May 29, 2006
I remember one Christmas when I was a boy, I had received lots of toys and was so happy—until I went over to my friend's house. He had a toy I'd never seen before. It was a little battery-operated plastic skin diver with miniature flippers that kick...
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May 26, 2006
One of the most powerful verses in the Bible is Luke 22:61: "And the Lord turned and looked at Peter." Peter had just denied the Lord three times, but Jesus turned and looked at him.
How do you think the Lord looked at Peter? Knowing Jesus, I t...
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May 25, 2006
We all know Peter denied the Lord. Is that really when he backslid? In a sense, yes. But there were steps that led to it.
Peter's first step to spiritual failure and denial was self-confidence. He said to the Lord, " 'I will not deny You' " (Ma...
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May 24, 2006
Did you know that your shortcomings and failures come as no surprise to God? He is all-knowing. God knows everything about you. Jesus Christ knows you better than you know yourself. So it came as no shock to the Lord when Peter failed. But Jesus loved tha...
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May 23, 2006
Backslider is a harsh word. When we think of a backslider, we think of someone who has really blown it, whose life is in the pit. But did you know that you can come to church every Sunday and still be a backslider? That's because backsliding is a m...
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May 22, 2006
When I was attending Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa as a young Christian, I remember asking Pastor Chuck Smith, "Chuck, how long have you been a Christian?"
I don't remember his exact answer, but I think he said somewhere around 25 years. I thought...
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May 19, 2006
Too many people look at the Christian life and think to themselves, I can't do it. I can't live like that.
Listen. It's not that we live for God through our own power. God does it through us. Yes, He wants our cooperation. Yes, He wants ...
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May 18, 2006
People often say that nothing in life is free. Know this: God's forgiveness is free, but it certainly isn't cheap.
While we don't have to do anything to earn or merit God's forgiveness, it cost Him dearly. We were bought at a price. And...
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May 17, 2006
She had probably been used and abused all her life by men. And now they were demanding her execution.
I'm speaking of the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1–11. Her accusers could only see a woman who was living an immoral lifestyle. Je...
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May 16, 2006
She wasn't used to being called a lady. But that's essentially what Jesus called her.
While most people probably looked down on the woman caught in adultery due to her immoral lifestyle, Jesus simply asked her, " 'Woman, where are those accuse...
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May 15, 2006
Have you ever been caught in the act of doing something you weren't supposed to be doing? One day I found my son playing a game on the computer, something he can't do until he gets done with his school work. With a guilty expression on his face, he looked...
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May 12, 2006
A number of years ago, we held a Harvest Crusade in Colorado. When we arrived, it was around 70 degrees, and the sun was shining. Our crusade was to begin the next evening. But as we watched the news that night, we learned that a cold front was moving in....
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May 11, 2006
We live in a culture in which every thing happens fast. We don't have to wait for much of anything anymore. So when we are told to wait for the Lord's return, it can be hard for us. We look around at our world and say, "Lord, come on. Have You forgotten? ...
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May 10, 2006
Like children on Christmas Eve who can't wait for morning to come to open their presents, we should be looking for the Lord's return in the same way. Yet a lot of believers are not doing this at all. They are not watching and waiting. Instead, they are si...
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May 9, 2006
When we study Bible prophecy (and we should), there ought to be a reason. There are some who love to consider the developments that are taking place globally, technologically, and militarily today. Bible prophecy is sort of a hobby to them. But it should ...
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May 8, 2006
It's worth noting that whenever the subject of the Lord's return comes up in Scripture, it is usually connected to an exhortation or admonition to take action as a result.
For instance, 2 Peter 3:10 tells us, "But the day of the Lord will come ...
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May 5, 2006
Sin can be defined in many ways. There is the sin of commission, which is doing that which is wrong—crossing the line, disobeying God, and breaking a commandment.
But then there is a sin that James mentions, which is omission. This is fai...
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May 4, 2006
A watchmaker who built grandfather clocks inscribed these words on every clock he built: "Lo, here I stand by thee upright to give thee warning day and night, for every tick that I do click cuts short the time thou hast to live." It reminds us that our li...
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May 3, 2006
The Bible is filled with stories of people who took credit for something God gave them the ability to do. A classic example is someone who, at one point, was the most powerful man on Earth. His name was Nebuchadnezzar, and he was the king of Babylon. One ...
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May 2, 2006
The Book of Acts tells the story of Philip and how the Lord was blessing him in Samaria as he preached the gospel. Everything was going well. People were coming to faith. Miracles were taking place.
Then God told him to go to the desert. And no...
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May 1, 2006
There was a time in my life when I could remember every week and month and year. Now I remember decades more easily than I remember individual years. Time seems to go by so quickly.
When Billy Graham was asked what had been his greatest surpris...
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April 28, 2006
Can you imagine the world we would live in if people operated by the principle that says, "Don't look out for your own needs and interests, but for the needs of others"? Yet we live in a culture that tells us to forget about others and to look out for num...
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April 27, 2006
The Bible tells us again and again that we should love one another. Love is like the glue that holds us all together. The apostle John wrote, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God" (1 Jo...
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April 26, 2006
The Bible likens the church to a family and to a physical body. We are called as Christians to be functioning, participating, contributing members of the body of Christ. We need to be a part of a body where there is accountability, where there is friendsh...
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April 25, 2006
There is nothing in this world quite like Christian fellowship. We know that the early church worshipped and prayed together. They studied the Scriptures together. They ate together. They gave their tithes and offerings together. They shared the gospel to...
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April 24, 2006
We live in a time in which our society is becoming more and more disjointed and divided. Rather than celebrating what we have in common, it seems nowadays we emphasize the things that separate us. In fact, I don't know of a time, at least in my brief life...
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April 21, 2006
There are two essential elements for worship to be what God wants it to be. Jesus said, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). That's it: two simple elements. Worship must be in spirit and in truth.
...
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April 20, 2006
Something supernatural takes place when people worship, more than we may ever realize. Even the enemy's power can be broken through worship.
I can think of times during our Harvest Crusades when I could almost sense a moment when something incr...
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April 19, 2006
When a worship service is biblically grounded and properly done, what a powerful testimony it can be to nonbelievers. They come into the midst of it and don't quite know what it is, but they know it's different from anything they have seen anywhere else. ...
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April 18, 2006
At the mention of the word "worship," we tend to think of singing. After all, we place a great emphasis on worship in our church services. And certainly worship includes singing, but worship is much more. It is not just singing our praises to God; it incl...
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April 17, 2006
As Christians, we often say, "Ever since I found the Lord. . . ." And of course, what we really mean is there was a point in our lives where we discovered there is a God who loves us. It was like finding Him. But we do not "find" the Lord; He finds us. Go...
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April 14, 2006
On the morning of the Resurrection, Jesus didn't allow Mary to touch Him. He was essentially saying, "It's not going to be the way it used to be. You can't hold on to Me in the old way. It's a new covenant."
Then He made a radical statement: "G...
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April 13, 2006
Of all the people Jesus could have appeared to first after His resurrection, He appeared to Mary Magdalene. It is interesting to think about, because among the Jews of the day, the testimony of a woman was not held in high regard. In fact, some of the rab...
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April 12, 2006
An advice columnist received this letter about the Resurrection: "Dear Uticus, Our preacher said on Easter that Jesus just swooned on the cross and the disciples nurtured Him back to health. What do you think? Sincerely, Bewildered."
Here was t...
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April 11, 2006
Not only does the Bible tell us we will live beyond the grave, but it also tells us there is hope beyond this life. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead proves there is life beyond the grave for the believer. The Bible says, "He has appointed a day on ...
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April 10, 2006
In one of the oldest books of the Bible, the Book of Job, the question is asked, "If mortals die, can they live again?" That is something everyone should ask in life: "What's going to happen to me when I die? What is there beyond this place called Earth?"...
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April 7, 2006
When the devil uses this world to appeal to the sinful bent inside us, all hell can break loose in our lives. James 4 likens this flirting with the world as unfaithfulness, or spiritual adultery.
This analogy of unfaithfulness is used often in ...
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April 6, 2006
A woman went to a doctor with both ears severely burned. The doctor said, "In all of my years of practice, I have never seen anything quite like this. How did you burn your ears?"
"Well," she said, "I was ironing and watching television. Sudden...
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April 5, 2006
There is no question that faith is a key element in effective prayer. On one occasion, Jesus could not do many miracles in a certain place because of the unbelief of the people there. That place was Nazareth, which happened to be His hometown. He had done...
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April 4, 2006
I am amazed when people say, "I'm trying to find myself," usually followed by the statement that they are abandoning their marriage or making a significant change in their lives. But Jesus said that if you want to find yourself, then you must lose yoursel...
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April 3, 2006
When Scripture says, "Love your neighbor as yourself," it is not saying, "First learn to love yourself, and then love your neighbor." Rather, it is saying, "It is obvious you already love yourself. Love your neighbor in the same way."
It is thi...
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March 31, 2006
We find in John 12 a story of true worship, a time when Jesus was a guest in the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. As Jesus sat at the table, Mary took a bottle of expensive ointment (worth an entire year's wages), broke it, anointed the feet of Jesus wi...
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March 30, 2006
We were created to worship the Lord and to glorify Him. But if we fail to do this, we find that our failure will affect every area of our lives. The Bible tells us in Romans 1 the negative consequences for failing to worship the Lord.
First, we...
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March 29, 2006
We can worship God and give thanks to Him, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. We can give thanks for the fact that God is still on the throne. We can be confident in the fact that He ultimately will work all things "together for good to those w...
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March 28, 2006
If you are not worshipping the true and living God, then you will worship a god of your own composition, or some false god. The problem with a false god is that it can't hear you. It can't see you. It is not aware of you. It is not real. It's a god of you...
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March 27, 2006
We were all created to worship. And when you get down to it, everyone on the face of the earth worships. We don't all worship the God of heaven, but we all worship someone or some thing. It may be a sports figure. It may be an entertainer, an actor or act...
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March 24, 2006
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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March 23, 2006
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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March 22, 2006
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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March 21, 2006
A mother who wanted to teach her daughter the joy of giving gave her both a quarter and a dollar to take to church one Sunday morning. She told her daughter that she could put in either one; the choice was hers. As they were leaving church, the mother ask...
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March 20, 2006
The story is told of Sam Houston, hero of Texas history who gave his life to the Lord in the later years of life and asked to be baptized. He was taken down to a little country stream and the pastor said, "General Houston, you should take your glasses off...
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March 17, 2006
A pastor once asked a farmer in his congregation, "If you had $200, would you give $100 to the Lord?"
"Yes I would, Pastor," the farmer said.
So the pastor asked, "If you had two cows, would you give one of those cows to the Lord?"...
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March 16, 2006
The Bible offers several examples of people who loved to give. In the Old Testament, we read that when the tabernacle was being built, the Israelites were so generous and so blessed by the opportunity to invest in it that Moses had to tell them, "All righ...
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March 15, 2006
The story is told of Billy and Ruth Graham and an experience they had in church one Sunday. As the offering was being received, Billy reached in his pocket and meant to pull out a five dollar bill. Instead, he pulled out a 50 dollar bill and didn't discov...
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March 14, 2006
It has been wrongly said that the Bible teaches that money is the root of all evil. The Bible teaches no such thing. Rather, it teaches that "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6:10, emphasis added). There is a difference. The is...
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March 13, 2006
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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March 10, 2006
Why do we pray for certain things? What is the purpose of prayer? Perhaps if we didn't first think about it, if we just said what came to mind, we would say that it is to get things from God.
Then there are some who would tell us that if we nam...
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March 9, 2006
Years ago I was visiting the home of Billy and Ruth Graham when I noticed a strange dog that would chase his tail all day long. At one point, he came to a little embankment, still chasing his tail. I watched him, wanting to see how far this dog would go. ...
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March 8, 2006
In the 1990s, we found a new scapegoat, something we could blame practically everything on. It was called El Niño. No matter what happened, that is what we could blame it on. I think that is because, as a society, we love a scapegoat. We love someo...
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March 7, 2006
Among the many ways we can use our words to hurt others, three of them are backbiting, gossip, and flattery.
The word used for "backbite" in Hebrew means "to play the spy." It is a picture of someone who collects clues and scraps of information...
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March 6, 2006
Some of the greatest people God has used have had a problem with their tongues. God called Job "blameless" and "upright." But Job had trouble controlling his tongue, as revealed when he said, "Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer You? I lay my hand over...
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March 3, 2006
Some years ago I went to the Rose Parade. One of the most memorable sights of this impressive parade is when I saw a man riding down Colorado Boulevard on the back of a buffalo. I had never seen anything quite like it. I have seen buffaloes in the wild, b...
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March 2, 2006
If you were in a rowboat and wanted to move forward, which would better? The right oar or the left oar? You actually need both, because if you use only one oar, you will go in circles. But when both oars are working together in harmony, they will get you ...
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March 1, 2006
The Book of Acts records the story of a man named Simon, who had been misleading people in Samaria with his cultic practices. But one day Philip, a follower of Christ, showed up and began to do miracles by the hand of God. The people turned from Simon and...
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February 28, 2006
It may surprise you to know that the demons and the devil himself are neither atheists nor agnostics. The devil and the demons believe in the existence of God. The devil and his demons believe in the deity of Jesus Christ. The devil and his demons believe...
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February 27, 2006
The Great Blondin, probably the Evel Knievel of his day, was notorious for his incredible, death-defying acts. On one occasion, he strung a tightrope across the Niagara Falls. As a crowd gathered, he stood before them and said, "How many of you believe th...
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February 24, 2006
When you get up in the morning, what is the first thing you think about? The Bible? Maybe some people do. And if you're one of them, I tip my hat to you. When I get up in the morning, what is the first thing I think about? The church? No. Harvest Crusades...
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February 23, 2006
When the apostle Paul says a time will come in which people will have "itching ears," it is an interesting phrase. It means "an itch for novelty." Or as another translation puts it, they will be "looking for spicy bits of information."
This is ...
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February 22, 2006
The church we read about in Acts 2 turned their world upside-down. Considering the moral and spiritual condition of the world right now, we need to do the same. But it seems nowadays that the world is turning the church upside-down. It seems our culture i...
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February 21, 2006
Poor Martha. She was frantically trying to prepare some food for the Lord. There was Jesus, and Mary was sitting in rapt attention at His feet, soaking up every word. But instead of being touched by that or joining her, Martha became angry. She wanted the...
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February 20, 2006
We live in a mobile and fast-paced society. We just don't like to wait for anything anymore. We like things fast. We don't even have to wait for ketchup anymore. It comes in an upside-down squeeze bottle now.
I have to admit that, personally, I...
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February 17, 2006
A church that is focused on exalting God and on building up believers in the knowledge of God's Word will overflow into the world with the Good News. That's the commission Jesus gave us when He said,
"Go therefore and make disciples of all ...
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February 16, 2006
I think one of the reasons false teaching is gaining a foothold in our churches today is that we have largely abandoned the teaching of God's Word. A main goal of the church should be the edification of believers. The apostle Paul said his goal was not me...
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February 15, 2006
God put us on this earth to know Him and to glorify Him, but that comes as a revelation to some people. They think they are on this earth to make their mark on society, or to find a career and make a living, or to have a family. Or, they believe they are ...
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February 14, 2006
If you asked me why I think the church exists, you might be surprised by my response. I believe the church is on this earth for three reasons: the exaltation of God, the edification of the saints, and the evangelization of the world.
Maybe you ...
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February 13, 2006
More Americans today are hungry for the spiritual than perhaps at any other time in history. It seems people are in a search mode. That is not to say there are more Christians or even more people in our churches, necessarily. But there is a tangible sense...
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February 10, 2006
Far too often, we unnecessarily put ourselves in the way of temptation. We put ourselves in the wrong place with the wrong people, leading to our doing the wrong things. Look at Peter, for example. Where was he when he denied the Lord? He was warming hims...
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February 9, 2006
I find it interesting how we can look at the past through rose-colored glasses. Remember the children of Israel? They had been delivered from the tyranny and bondage of Egypt, where they had been slaves for years. They cried out to God for deliverance, an...
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February 8, 2006
In not all cases, but in most, temptation comes through the doorway of the mind. When Satan wanted to lead the first man and woman into sin, he began by attacking Eve's mind. Why? Because it is there that we think. It is there that we reason. We contempla...
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February 7, 2006
Without question, the devil focuses his attacks on those who are often young in the faith and those who are making a difference in the kingdom of God.
You probably remember that when you first put your faith in Christ, the enemy was there to at...
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February 6, 2006
History tells us that during World War II, Hitler had an interesting strategy for attacking the various European nations: he always did it on a weekend. Hitler knew the various parliaments would not be in session, making it more difficult to react swiftly...
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February 3, 2006
I have had the opportunity to meet many Christian people over the years. I have had the opportunity to sit down with many Christian leaders, household names, if you will, in the evangelical world. And I can say that, without reservation, the most spiritua...
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February 2, 2006
Did you know that temptation can have a positive effect in your life as a Christian? If you really want to follow God, you will cling to Him all the tighter during temptation. As A. B. Simpson said, "Temptation exercises our faith and teaches us to pray. ...
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February 1, 2006
When I was a kid, I was walking down the street one day with some little cap guns that looked like six shooters, complete with holsters. I was feeling pretty good as I made my way down the street, firing these things off.
But then I encountered...
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January 31, 2006
I have often said of the Bible, "Sin will keep you from this book, and this book will keep you from sin." If you obey God's Word, it will keep you from sin. But sin will keep you from God's Word.
The devil will do everything in his power to kee...
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January 30, 2006
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He responded to every enticement of the enemy by beginning with the words, "It is written. . . ."
When the devil suggested that Jesus turn a stone into bread, He replied, "It is written, 'Man shall not ...
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January 27, 2006
A. W. Tozer once commented that if the Holy Spirit were taken away from the New Testament church, 90 percent of what they did would come to a halt. But if the Holy Spirit were taken away from the church of today, 10 percent of what we did would come to a ...
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January 26, 2006
The early church was completely dependent on the work of the Spirit. They were dependent on God using them. They didn't have many of the advantages that we have today. These were men and women who had committed their lives to Christ. They were believers. ...
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January 25, 2006
I think one of the reasons that so many churches are ineffective or falling apart is that they have strayed from God's original plan. There are clear principles found in the church as Jesus originally set it up and as the believers applied it, and as a re...
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January 24, 2006
I am shocked at how, on almost a weekly basis, it seems that things get spiritually worse and worse in our culture. People flaunt their immoral lifestyles. They wink at things the Bible says are clearly wrong. And then there is the violence in our culture...
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January 23, 2006
As believers living in an ungodly world, sometimes we wonder if we can ever make a difference. We wonder if we can effectively penetrate this cynical world with the Good News that God has given us to proclaim.
The answer to that question lies i...
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January 20, 2006
Have you ever been surprised when God actually answered your prayer? I have. Yet that is a lack of faith. And the Bible tells us that our prayers can be hindered by a number of things, including a lack of faith.
There is no question that faith ...
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January 19, 2006
Why are there times when we pray, yet our prayers don't seem to go any higher than the ceiling? What can stop our prayers from being answered in the affirmative? There are several reasons our prayers may be hindered.
The first is selfishness...
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January 18, 2006
Have you ever tried to eat just one potato chip? How about just one fresh-baked cookie or just one warm, glazed doughnut? It's hard to stop. Almost impossible, in fact. That is how temptation to sin is. It just grabs us.
When we pray, "Lead us...
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January 17, 2006
If we could see our own temptation as clearly as we see that of others, it wouldn't be all that hard to identify and avoid. Yet with ourselves, we are somehow able to rationalize our giving in to temptation.
Let me give you a couple of little ...
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January 16, 2006
We have all seen the bumper sticker that reads, "Lead me not into temptation. I can find it myself." Jesus knew that we are easily tempted, so He taught us to pray, "Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one . . . " (Matthew 6:13)....
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January 12, 2006
We are the most litigious society on the face of the earth, with about 80 percent of the world's attorneys living in the United States. More people graduate from law school than from any other professional academic course of study in the entire nation. An...
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January 11, 2006
Jesus taught that our generous and constant forgiveness of sin should be the natural result of our understanding of the forgiveness that God has extended to us. Forgiven people should be forgiving people.
In The Lord's Prayer, Jesus instructed ...
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January 10, 2006
In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, "Forgive us our debts" (see Matthew 6:12). This word debts could also be translated "sins." Jesus meant that we as Christians need to pray for forgiveness on a regular, even daily basis.
Som...
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January 9, 2006
It is really an amazing thing to consider that the all-knowing, all-powerful God who created the entire universe would have any interest in us spiritually. Why would God concern himself with our petitions?
It reminds us of the psalmist's questi...
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January 6, 2006
In the Lord's Prayer, we are taught to pray, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Don't ever be afraid to pray this, because it is an acknowledgement that we don't have all of the answers. And it is an acknowledgement that we just might be pra...
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January 5, 2006
When we pray The Lord's Prayer and say, "Your kingdom come," we are praying on a number of levels. We are obviously praying for the return of Jesus Christ to the earth. The word that Jesus used here for "kingdom" does not primarily refer to a geographical...
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January 4, 2006
What does it mean when we pray, "Hallowed be Your name"? The word "hallowed" means we are to attribute to God the holiness that is already His. We are saying, "Lord, I want You to rule over every aspect of my life. I want You to be glorified and honored i...
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January 3, 2006
The prayer that we call The Lord's Prayer begins with a simple phrase: "Our Father in Heaven." It is hard for us to appreciate how significant and radical a statement like that was to the average mindset in Jesus' day.
You see, the religious pe...
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January 2, 2006
The conversion of Saul of Tarsus was so unexpected that hardly anyone even believed it. But God said to Ananias, " 'Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying.' " ...
