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December 31, 2007
I've heard it said that the future is an opportunity yet unmet, a path yet untraveled, a life yet unlived. How our future will be lived depends on the priorities and purposes of our lives today. The direction we take right now determines where we will end...
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December 29, 2007
It's been a great year of ministry, from radio to online to Harvest Crusades. But we need your help to finish 2007 strong, with no outstanding costs going into the New Year. ...
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December 28, 2007
King Herod was a shrewd and clever tyrant, and he was a great builder. Today, some 2000 years later, the remains of his incredible structures, including his fortress of Masada, are still visible in Israel. He built Masada because he was afraid that someon...
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December 27, 2007
Some people come to church with great expectations. They expect something profound to happen in the church service, and then they don't see it happen. The question is, did they ever stop and think the problem might be with them? If they have not been wors...
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December 26, 2007
Worship can turn the most miserable circumstances into a wonderful time. But our reason for worshiping should not be because we are in a good mood and feel like it. Nor should we refrain from worship because we are not in a good mood. We should worship be...
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December 25, 2007
Years ago, one of my sons asked me, "Dad, why did God put us here on the earth?" I said, "God put us here on the earth so that we might worship Him and glorify Him and know the God who created us."
Our ultimate purpose in life is not to attain ...
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December 24, 2007
The story of Christ's birth is one of the Bible's most famous and loved stories, probably one that most people who are not even familiar with Scripture have heard at one time or another. And certainly a story we hear repeated every Christmas is the accoun...
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December 22, 2007
It's been a great year of ministry, from radio to online to Harvest Crusades. But we need your help to finish 2007 strong, with no outstanding costs going into the New Year. ...
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December 21, 2007
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 20, 2007
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 could not touch the ground.
As I held...
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December 19, 2007
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 wer...
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December 18, 2007
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 o...
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December 17, 2007
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, "C...
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December 15, 2007
I heard a story about a little girl who noticed that her mom was getting really stressed out around Christmas. Everything was bothering her mom, and she was very irritable. Evening came and the mom bathed the little girl, got her ready for bed, put her un...
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December 14, 2007
One of the first things that often comes to mind when we go through difficulties is, What have I done to deserve such a thing? But it is important for us to know that God does have lessons He wants to teach us during trials. I definitely want to le...
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December 13, 2007
In 1999, as the world prepared to enter a new millennium, there were some who claimed to have somehow deciphered a biblical code, secret messages, and an understanding of the original language of Scripture that revealed that Christ would come back in the ...
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December 12, 2007
At one point in Jesus' ministry, the people in His own hometown of Nazareth tried to kill Him. They had taken Him to the edge of a cliff to push Him off, but the Bible tells us that Jesus passed through their midst and went on His way (see Luke 4:30). Thi...
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December 11, 2007
Before I was a Christian, I had heard the gospel and even had a respect for it. But I didn't understand it. Christians would come up to me and give me tracts to read—even little red Bibles. They would thrust these things in my direction, say, "Read ...
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December 10, 2007
Some people will say the reason they are not Christians is that it is just not their time yet. They don't think they are ready.
That would be like someone who is drowning in the middle of the ocean saying to the lifeguard, "I am not ready yet."...
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December 8, 2007
It seems the older I get, the faster time seems to go by. It seems like Christmas arrives earlier and earlier every year.
When you are young, a lot of time seems to pass from one Christmas to the next. But when you are older, it seems significa...
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December 7, 2007
Sheep have a natural tendency to go astray and get themselves into trouble. When one sheep goes astray, the others will follow. We have the same tendency. The prophet Isaiah said, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own ...
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December 6, 2007
Job certainly stands out as a shining example of someone who was patient in adversity. He went through incredible difficulties. You probably remember his story: It started out in heaven, with God telling Satan about the faithfulness of His servant Job. We...
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December 5, 2007
As we look at this world we are living in, as we look at the way our culture is going, we say, "Lord, come back. Return soon." But God has His own schedule: He is not late, and He is not early. He will be right on time.
When Jesus came to earth...
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December 4, 2007
The early rains in Israel would usually come in late October or early November. These were anxiously awaited by the farmer, because they would soften the hard-baked soil for plowing. The latter rains would come in late April or May. These were essential t...
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December 3, 2007
Most Christians would readily agree with the simple truth that Jesus Christ is coming back again. But here is the question: If we believe that, how should it affect the way we live? We should be interested in taking the great truths of the Christian life ...
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December 1, 2007
We all like the idea of change in our life. Why do you think products are regularly repackaged and released with the statement "New and Improved"? It's because we like to have the newest, hottest, and most up-to-the-minute version of the things we want....
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November 30, 2007
The Bible doesn't condemn the person who makes plans for the future. Rather, it criticizes the person who makes those plans with no thought whatsoever for the will of God. That is a dangerous thing to do. God will not share His glory with another.
...
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November 29, 2007
When the Bible tells us to "submit to God," and to "resist the devil" (James 4:7), it doesn't mean we are to go out and attack the devil. The devil will do the attacking. The word "resist" is essentially a defensive word meaning "to withstand an attack."...
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November 28, 2007
When we come across the term "world" in the Bible, it isn't necessarily speaking of the Earth, per se. Rather, it is often speaking of a system, a mentality, or a way of thinking. This system, this mentality, is controlled by "the god of this world," also...
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November 27, 2007
The Bible tells us that one of the signs of the last days would be that people are lovers of pleasure rather lovers of God (see 2 Timothy 3:1–3). That is an accurate assessment of our culture today. We are a pleasure-mad society.
Yet the ...
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November 26, 2007
We are living in a time when we love to blame someone or something else for the things we do. It's convenient to have a scapegoat, especially when no one likes to take responsibility for their own actions anymore. We can make a million excuses for our wro...
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November 24, 2007
We all like the idea of changing, of becoming something different than what we presently are.
Starting over again . . . .
Reinventing ourselves . . . .
Experiencing a new beginning . . .
Certainly, our culture i...
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November 23, 2007
We must remember that God never tests us without a purpose or a reason. You might wonder, Why does God allow His children to go through these trials? The answer is God's ultimate purpose is that we might be conformed into the image of Jesus Christ....
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November 22, 2007
At this time of year, we tend put a lot of emphasis on Christmas. That is because merchants are pushing us in that direction, wanting us to believe that Christmas is all about trimming the tree, buying presents, and so on. In the process of all this, we c...
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November 21, 2007
It is noteworthy that neither James nor any of the other brothers of Jesus believed in Him prior to His resurrection. In fact, at one point, they even came to take Him home, thinking He had taken leave of His senses. John 7:5 tells us, "For even His broth...
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November 20, 2007
Have you ever had the bottom drop out of your life? Things had been going reasonably well. The birds were singing. The sun was shining. Then without warning, the storm clouds began to gather. It started to rain on your parade. A calamity hit. A tragedy st...
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November 19, 2007
Not only do many of us in the United States have more than one Bible, but we have them in every color and every translation. The question is do we read them? We need to read God's Word and commit it to memory. The psalmist said, "Your word I have hidden i...
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November 17, 2007
Have you ever gotten a gift that far exceeded what you could have expected? Something so nice that just saying "thank you" seemed so inadequate?
If anything, you feel like you want to do something special for that person, to show your appreciat...
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November 16, 2007
Sometimes I am asked what I think about Christians drinking alcohol. Do I think that is a good idea? I think it is a dangerous thing for a Christian to drink, because the thing with drinking is that if you drink, there is a possibility you can get drunk. ...
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November 15, 2007
Many people today have essentially believed a watered-down gospel that deletes the message of repentance. They believe in an all-caring, nonjudgmental God who requires no repentance or a change in their lifestyle. They will say things like, "I believe in ...
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November 14, 2007
There are people today who say, "I am a Christian," but they are out getting drunk. They say, "I am a Christian," but they are having premarital sex or being unfaithful to their husband or wife. They say, "I am a Christian," but in their business, they li...
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November 13, 2007
What do you think of when you hear the word "repent"? Maybe you think of someone wearing a sandwich board with flames on it who is yelling, "Repent!" It's a word we don't hear very much today.
You might be surprised to know that the first word ...
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November 12, 2007
Sometimes people on road crews are not very popular. I appreciate the work these crews do, but it seems they always do it at the worst time, like during rush hour. What I have never understood is why they have to close lanes miles before the work site. Th...
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November 10, 2007
Everyone worships someone or something. Of course, not everyone worships God, but everyone worships something. Everyone is a worshipper.
Christians often seek to worship God in "spirit and in truth," using songs of praise and various kin...
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November 9, 2007
There is a sign along an airport runway that says, "Keep moving. If you stop, you are in danger and a danger to those who are flying."
The same could be said of Christians. We always need to keep moving forward spiritually. We cannot rest on ou...
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November 8, 2007
Everyone who has run a race knows that you can break your stride by looking over your shoulder to see how your opponents are doing. Many races have been lost when the leader looked back. When you see that finish line, you are supposed to give it everythin...
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November 7, 2007
David wrote in the psalms, "One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple" (Psalm 27:4, emphasis mine). He w...
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November 6, 2007
When I was a kid, I had all kinds of ribbons on my walls for races I had run, but not one of them was blue. Not one of them had the words "first place." They were all purple. Purple represented "honorable mention." An honorable mention is not first, secon...
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November 5, 2007
When you become a Christian, one of the more notable changes is that you will give up many of the things you once did. Of course, this depends on your lifestyle prior to your conversion. But for many of us, a dramatic change will take place.
I ...
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November 3, 2007
Would you consider yourself a worshipper?
Believers in God might be quick to say yes, while others who are not believers—or perhaps are skeptics—would say they're not.
I would suggest to you that everyone is a wors...
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November 2, 2007
In many, if not most cases, temptation enters through the doorway of our minds. When Satan wanted to lead the first man and woman into sin, he started by attacking the woman's mind. That is why Paul warned the Corinthian believers, "But I fear, lest someh...
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November 1, 2007
Temptation comes to everyone, but the enemy focuses many of his attacks on those who are young in the faith and those who are making a difference in the kingdom.
After our conversion the devil is there, tempting us to doubt our own salvation. H...
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October 31, 2007
In a broad sense, temptation can come to us at any time. Of course, it often happens after times of great blessing. Jesus was tested, or tempted, in the wilderness for 40 days and nights, right after His baptism in the Jordan River when the Spirit of God ...
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October 30, 2007
On a trip to Alaska some years ago, I went fishing for king salmon. In one spot, our group used bright orange salmon eggs as bait. But in another place, we used another type of lure.
In the same way, the devil uses different kinds of bait, diff...
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October 29, 2007
We all know what it is like to be tempted. But where does temptation come from? It does not come from God. James 1:13–14 says, "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt an...
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October 27, 2007
I think we all have thought of questions we'd like to ask God someday. When something happens that seems inexplicable, we may wonder, "Why did God allow this to happen?"
A Sunday school teacher was speaking to her class about this very subject ...
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October 26, 2007
Because Jesus was God, we might ask, did He have full knowledge of God as a little baby in the manger at Bethlehem? Or did this knowledge come to Him over a period of time? When Jesus was born, could He have turned to Mary and said, "I am God Almighty, th...
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October 25, 2007
There are people today who say that Jesus never claimed to be God; it is just something people dreamed up. But that is a lie. Jesus claimed to be God. And any group who says that Jesus is not God is not a Christian group, no matter how big their Bibles ma...
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October 24, 2007
If you are going to follow Christ, it will create friction in some of your relationships. Jesus made a very radical statement on this subject: "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to...
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October 23, 2007
Everyone who serves the Lord is busy. We all have a lot of things to do. But I thank God for every volunteer in the ministries that we so often take for granted. When you go to church, there are people who will help you find a seat, minister to your child...
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October 22, 2007
When Jesus was in Jerusalem during the Passover, John's Gospel tells us that many believed in His name after they saw the signs He did. But Jesus did not entrust himself to them, because "He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man,...
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October 20, 2007
Charlene McDaniel was a beautiful young woman. Some even compared her to Marilyn Monroe, which was pretty heady stuff for someone from Friendship, Arkansas. Although she had been raised in a Bible-teaching Baptist church, she bristled at the idea of follo...
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October 19, 2007
A lot of us don't like commandments, because we see them as restrictive. CNN founder Ted Turner once made this statement about the Ten Commandments: "We're living with outmoded rules. . . . Today, the commandments wouldn't go over. Nobody around likes to ...
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October 18, 2007
Have you ever been semi-listening in on someone's conversation? Not intentionally, of course, because you would never do that. Maybe you were in a restaurant and your table was right next to someone else's. Maybe you were talking to the person you were wi...
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October 17, 2007
I have been amazed at the testimonies of some people when they tell me the way they used to be. I've looked at them and thought, There is no way they used to be that way. Jesus Christ has so radically changed them.
Isaiah 61:3–4 pr...
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October 16, 2007
I can think of so many times when I should have kept silent, but I just had to speak. On more than one occasion, I have said something, and the moment it left my lips, I thought, Why did I just say that? But I said it.
Have you ever been...
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October 15, 2007
Judge not, lest you be judged. . . . We have all heard it. It is in the Bible, in Matthew 7:1, where Jesus said, "Judge not, that you be not judged."
But let's understand these words contextually. A better translation of the statement wo...
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October 12, 2007
Some people see the Christian life as rules and regulations and hardships, but God's law is the law of liberty, which means that it is not a list of do's and don'ts, but rather wills and won'ts. Unless God's Word has made a change in our lives, it has not...
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October 11, 2007
In this day of instant information, we can get our news so fast that we don't have to wait for the evening news anymore. We don't have to wait for the newspaper. We can go out on the Internet and get our news in real time.
I think this makes it...
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October 10, 2007
It is possible to hear God's Word with our ears, but not with our hearts. Jesus knew that we can often hear without understanding. That is why He would so often say, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" If we were to paraphrase that in our modern lang...
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October 9, 2007
The human heart is like receptive soil to the seed of the Word of God. Jesus used this analogy in the parable of the sower (see Mark 4:3–20). The soil that the seed fell on represents four categories of hearers' hearts, four different reactions to t...
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October 8, 2007
A flurry of research recently has found that in spite of the secularism of popular culture, many people believe in God and identify themselves as being strongly religious. This is not only true of adults, but also of teenagers. However, analysts sai...
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October 6, 2007
The cross is en vogue today as a fashion accessory.
This symbol of the Christian faith is emblazoned on shirts and purses, and is even a popular tattoo design. People wear crosses around their necks and have them hanging on the walls of their h...
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October 5, 2007
The Ethiopian official was going home empty-hearted. He had not found the answers he had been searching for in Jerusalem. I wonder if anyone in Jerusalem told him about Jesus. The Bible doesn't say. But he did obtain something of immeasurable value: a cop...
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October 4, 2007
Philip was a man that God could call. He was used to leading others to Jesus because he was obedient. As he proclaimed the gospel in the city of Samaria, revival was breaking out. People were putting their faith in Christ.
But then an angel of ...
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October 3, 2007
Philip was a man God used to bring others to himself. But why was he so powerfully used by God? What was his secret?
Philip had a burden for lost people. This was evidenced by the fact that he went to Samaria and preached Christ. That may not m...
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October 2, 2007
The Bible tells the story in Acts 8 of a very empty man who met a very satisfied one. The former, an Ethiopian official, had everything this world could offer: power, wealth, influence, and fame. Yet there was a gnawing emptiness deep inside that sent him...
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October 1, 2007
The Ethiopian official's conversion in Acts 8 shows us what happens when someone becomes a Christian. A radical and immediate change took place in this man's life. He went instantly from being a miserable, empty, unhappy man to a man who was overflowing w...
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September 29, 2007
Some time ago, psychologist William Marston asked 3,000 people, "What have you to live for?"
He was shocked to find that 94 percent said they were simply enduring the present while waiting for the future. They described this as "waiting for som...
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September 28, 2007
Stephen had been brought before the Sanhedrin to be judged for preaching the gospel. There was no higher authority in all of Israel than the Sanhedrin. Standing before the religious elite, young Stephen gave them a brilliant overview of Jewish history....
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September 27, 2007
God not only gives us the right words to say in a given situation, but He also gives us the power to stand up for our faith, even it means harassment or hardship or persecution. This is what happened to Stephen, the first martyr of the faith, as he boldly...
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September 26, 2007
Have you ever noticed that when you start talking about one of God's qualities, by the time you have finished the conversation, you find yourself enjoying and appreciating that very quality even more? You start telling people how wonderful Jesus is, and b...
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September 25, 2007
Have you ever had one of those golden opportunities in life to share the gospel, and you found that you just weren't prepared? Or have you had someone fire some really hard questions at you, and you were rendered speechless?
After I had been a ...
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September 24, 2007
When David was called by God to be king, he was out watching sheep, just being faithful. The day David killed Goliath, he didn't wake up that morning and hear God say, "David, today you are going to the valley of Elah. There will be a giant Philistine nam...
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September 22, 2007
Pastor Greg Laurie is in New York City this weekend for Harvest 07 at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Please be praying for this one-nigh...
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September 21, 2007
With everything going on in our world today, we could be really fearful about our lives: I don't know if I should do that—an accident might happen. . . . I'd better not get on that plane—it might crash. I'd better not get in that car...
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September 20, 2007
If I decided how my day were to go, I would never write in "crisis." I would never write, "Get sick" here, or "Have my tire go flat" there, or "Have this unexpected disaster take place." I would just write in all the good stuff in life. I would plan for e...
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September 19, 2007
Let's say that your phone rings tomorrow morning, and it is a call from the manager of your bank. He tells you, "I received a very unusual call the other day. Someone who loves you very much and is quite wealthy has given you a large sum of money. This an...
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September 18, 2007
I read about a convention where Star Trek memorabilia was auctioned off, including a half-filled glass of water that had been sipped by a cast member who had a virus. The item sold for $40. The person who bought it immediately drank it, because he ...
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September 17, 2007
Joy Davidman, the wife of C. S. Lewis, said, "Living for your own pleasure is the least pleasurable thing a person can do. If his neighbors don't kill him in disgust, he will die slowly of boredom and powerlessness."
It has also been said that ...
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September 15, 2007
Are you facing what seems like an impossible situation?
A failing marriage? Loss of employment? Bad news from the doctor?
Then you need to read this. Because Jesus Christ is very concerned about what you are facing and has the...
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September 14, 2007
J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who directed the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, where the United States' first nuclear weapon was developed, said this about his life shortly before he died: "I am a complete failure." In looking back on his achievem...
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September 13, 2007
It is not that unusual to pick up a newspaper, read an article, or turn on the news and learn that another celebrity has checked into rehab or another rock star has overdosed or committed suicide.
We have a hard time understanding how these bea...
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September 12, 2007
If you find a person who has fallen into gross sin, I would say that in every situation that you can think of, it began with compromise. Very rarely do people fall away from God overnight. Sometimes it appears they do, but in reality, it doesn't happen th...
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September 11, 2007
I am so glad that God will overrule my prayers at times, because I have prayed for things fervently, believing they were the will of God, and they were flat-out wrong. I am so thankful that God said no to those prayers.
Yet I have heard some pe...
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September 10, 2007
When it comes to prayer, people sometimes mistakenly think they can first come up with a plan and then get God to do what they want Him to do. They think that if they really pester God through prayer, He will finally cave in.
Others would teach...
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September 8, 2007
What does it mean to be a Christian? How do you become one? I'm glad you asked. First, let's look at three ways you cannot become a child of God. That's right. How not to become a Christian.
But to all who did receive him, who...
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September 7, 2007
When I was a new Christian, I would hang around at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa. I was 18 years old, and I wanted to be used by God. When the pastors would leave for lunch, I would sit in the church office, hoping that someone would call for counseling an...
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September 6, 2007
The person God uses must be faithful. Stephen was a man full of wisdom and the Holy Spirit, and full of faith (see Acts 6:1–7). But the apostles didn't ask him to go out and do miracles and then preach the gospel to the Sanhedrin. What was his job? ...
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September 5, 2007
If you want to be used by God, then you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The word "filled" as used in the Bible—and specifically in Ephesians 5:18, which says, "Be filled with the Spirit"—carries many shades of meaning.
One t...
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September 4, 2007
I think we have lost the meaning of the word "hero" today. We throw it around so casually. Everyone is called a hero, from athletes to singers to actors. But a hero is really someone who does something sacrificial or courageous.
Acts 6 tells th...
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September 3, 2007
How should I live my life on this earth? What purpose does God have in mind for me, now that I have received His Son Jesus Christ into my heart?
These are questions every believer should ask, because if you have no goals or purpose, you ...
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September 1, 2007
I heard about a little boy who was frightened one night during a great thunderstorm. He called out to his father from his bedroom and said, "Daddy, I'm scared. Come in here."
His dad, who had settled in for the night and wanted to go to sleep, ...
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August 31, 2007
Ananias and Sapphira had a choice: They could give a lot to the early church, or they could give a little. Nothing was required of them, but they decided to act as though they were giving a lot when they really were not. This was a sin of hypocrisy.
...
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August 30, 2007
We all have our moments of hypocrisy—times when we are not behaving as we ought to behave as Christians, times where we really let the Lord down in our witness. The Bible tells us that hypocrites find out the hard way that you can't pull the w...
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August 29, 2007
When Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin, it was a source of complete amazement that these untrained laymen could be so well-versed in the Scriptures—and more importantly, in their understanding. They were ordinary fishermen, salt-of-th...
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August 28, 2007
The religious leaders thought they had eliminated the problem when they crucified Jesus. But now, His disciples were preaching and performing miracles. It was as though Jesus had returned. He was back in the hearts and lives of His people.
This...
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August 27, 2007
When Peter and John came before the priests, elders, and scribes to answer for their preaching the gospel, who was there? Acts 4:6 says that Annas, the high priest Caiaphas, and others were gathered together in Jerusalem.
Annas and Caiaphas wer...
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August 25, 2007
This life is filled with things to worry about, and we could easily spend every waking hour of our day worrying. Some of us do just that.
But if we're followers of Jesus, we know there's far more to life than the struggles that confront us ever...
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August 24, 2007
Why do we get tempted in our minds? Because it is command central. It is here that we reason. It is here that we intellectualize. It is here that we contemplate. It is here that we dream. It is here that we fantasize. The Bible tells us, "For though we wa...
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August 23, 2007
In the New Testament, we have the account of Jesus saying to Peter, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen you...
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August 22, 2007
As a guest on Larry King Live a few years ago, Billy Graham was asked to comment on the rash of violence on high school campuses as well as other problems in our culture. He said, "One thing that is being missed by many people is the devil is at wo...
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August 21, 2007
Madison Avenue discovered long ago that a good way to sell a product is to add the words "new and improved." The only thing that may be new and improved is the box, but we believe the product is better. There is something in us that loves the newest and t...
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August 20, 2007
It has been said the best cure for hedonism is an attempt to practice it.
If you chase after pleasure, you eventually will come to the same conclusion as King Solomon: "I said to myself, 'Come on, let's try pleasure. Let's look for the "good th...
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August 18, 2007
Have you ever wished your life could change?
Perhaps you have made choices you regret. You are facing the consequences of those decisions this very moment.
Is there any way to find help?
In the Bible, there's a story about...
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August 17, 2007
When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you became a part of the church. You are a part of the body of Christ. We are all together in this new family, and we should do nothing to unnecessarily disrupt it. In Ephesians 4, the apostle Paul likens the churc...
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August 16, 2007
In classical Greek, the word for "humility" is a derogatory term suggesting low-mindedness and groveling servanthood. The Greeks had no place in their language or beliefs for humility. It was looked upon as a bad thing. That is even true in our culture, a...
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August 15, 2007
I remember when both my sons took their first steps. We so desperately wanted to see our kids take them. We were so excited. Then once they started walking, we wished we never would have taught them how to do it. We had to constantly keep an eye on them....
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August 14, 2007
When God released the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt, it took them a while to get to the Promised Land—a lot longer than it needed to. When they finally arrived, Moses had died, and Joshua had been appointed to lead the Israelites into thi...
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August 13, 2007
A Christian's defeat on the spiritual battlefield lies largely in his or her ignorance of the facts. In Jesus Christ there is the power to no longer be under sin's control and to live a new life. But a lot of Christians don't realize this. They think they...
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August 10, 2007
There are two primary sources of spiritual attack in the life of the Christian: outward and inward. While an inward attack comes in the form of infiltration, an outward attack is persecution. And for many, an outward attack takes them down.
Per...
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August 9, 2007
We can often tell where people have been just by looking at them. For instance, if someone walked by wearing a wet swimming suit and sand-encrusted sandals, we would conclude that person had just come from the beach. We could see the telltale signs.
...
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August 8, 2007
Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus told His disciples that He had a job for them to do. He would come back and establish His kingdom (see Acts 1:6–8), but until then, He wanted them to go out and bring the gospel message to others and see His kin...
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August 7, 2007
The Book of Acts tells the story of a handful of men and women who, by the power of the Holy Spirit, did not leave their world the same way they found it. They were ordinary people whom God enabled to do extraordinary things. It was the beginning of a mov...
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August 6, 2007
Before I became a Christian, I was like most young people, looking for purpose and meaning in life. The thinking of the day was that we, the young people, were going to change our world. The adult establishment did not have the answers. Our faith in gover...
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August 3, 2007
The world has never been more advanced technologically, yet we have never been in worse shape spiritually and morally. It can be frightening to wonder what kind of world we are going to face and what kind of world our children and grandchildren will grow ...
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August 2, 2007
Jesus had told His disciples to go over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. They were in their little boat, rowing across, when a huge storm suddenly came out of nowhere (see Matthew 14:22–33). As the storm grew worse, they began to despair of ...
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August 1, 2007
As Jesus made His way to the home of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue whose daughter was ill, there was a woman in the crowd who had been sick for 12 years. It almost appears that Jesus was unaware of her in the crowd. But in reality, He had been waiting ...
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July 31, 2007
The Gospel of Mark gives us the account of a group of men who wanted to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus for healing. Jesus was teaching in a home, and the men could not get in because of the huge crowd. So they climbed up on top of the house and dug...
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July 30, 2007
Have you ever been afraid of the future? Maybe you feel as though you are in a rut, or maybe you are discouraged. Maybe you feel that you will have to face the problems and challenges of life all alone.
If any of these things are true of you, t...
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July 27, 2007
A man who fell over the side of a cliff was hanging on to a branch that was starting to give way. Recognizing it was only a matter of time before he would fall to his death, he shouted, "Is anybody up there? Somebody help me!"
Suddenly Jesus ap...
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July 26, 2007
Before I became a Christian, I thought I already was one. Whenever I was in trouble, I cried out to Jesus. I thought I must surely be a Christian because I was praying. But I did not understand what being a Christian really was.
When the chips ...
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July 25, 2007
Some people may believe they are going to heaven and may even be looking forward to the return of Jesus, yet still not necessarily be Christians. As they look at the world today and realize that Bible prophecies are being fulfilled, they might even believ...
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July 24, 2007
In Matthew 14, we read about the disciples being tossed by the wind and waves in their boat on the Sea of Galilee. Then Jesus came, walking on the water, at the fourth watch of the night. The fourth watch was the last part of the night, just before dawn. ...
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July 23, 2007
Although He knew that a storm was coming, Jesus said to His disciples, "Go to the other side" (see Matthew 14:22–24). Jesus sent them out on the Sea of Galilee because He knew there was a lesson for them to learn. He knew they would make it safely t...
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July 20, 2007
A traveler was visiting a logging area in the Pacific Northwest and was interested to see how logs were chosen that eventually would be used for furniture. As the logs came down the stream, the logger would suddenly reach out and hook one, pull it up, and...
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July 19, 2007
When you want to get in shape, it is actually through the process of tearing your muscles down that you build them up. The first day of your workout is not so hard. But the next day, you're in pain. Everything hurts. The next time, you feel weak, but you ...
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July 18, 2007
The apostle Paul did not merely endure his hardships. He gloried in them. The meaning of the word "tribulation" that Paul used in Romans 5:3 comes from a term that describes a threshing instrument in which a farmer would separate the grain from the husks....
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July 17, 2007
As a child, I always wanted to go to Disneyland on my birthday. I still remember making a vow in the backseat of the car that one day, when I became an adult and made my own money and had my own car, I would go to Disneyland every single day. And if I cou...
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July 16, 2007
One of the first things I remember about the day I put my faith in Christ was the sense of peace filling my heart. It was as though someone had lifted a heavy burden from me. It wasn't until later, when I read the Bible, that I learned about God's promise...
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July 13, 2007
Holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom once said, "Look within and be depressed. Look without and be distressed. Look at Jesus and be at rest." Looking without, she had reason to be distressed. She lived in a concentration camp. She saw her sister and father ...
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July 12, 2007
When I look back on my life at the things God has allowed me to do and the opportunities He has opened up, I can see the wisdom of His perfect timing.
Our tendency is to rush things. But just because something hasn't happened in your life today...
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July 11, 2007
I remember thinking as a young Christian that the reason God was blessing me was because of my disciplined and regular Bible study. I would get up before school every morning and study the Bible for about an hour, and then I would pray for an hour or more...
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July 10, 2007
Have you ever done anything that you are ashamed of? Have you ever done things you wished you had not done? If you have repented of those sins and have turned your back on them, the Bible clearly teaches that you are forgiven.
There is somethin...
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July 9, 2007
Contrary to what some might believe, the Bible doesn't teach that if you are a Christian, you will never stumble. It doesn't teach that if you are a true believer, you will not periodically make a mistake or fall short. But it does teach that if you are a...
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July 6, 2007
There is a lot of disagreement in the church as a whole over what we call "eschatology," or prophetic events. Most often, it seems, the differences lie in the order of events. Some don't believe Christ could return at any time. Some believe that we will g...
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July 5, 2007
A common characteristic of false teachers is the offer of false promises. You see them promising, for example, that God will prosper those who give $10 with a hundredfold blessing—multiplying that amount and returning it to them. This is a false mes...
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July 4, 2007
A Roman Catholic priest who had heard people confess every imaginable sin and crime, including murder and adultery, said that he had never heard anyone admit to being covetous. Yet coveting actually made God's Big Ten—The Ten Commandments.
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July 3, 2007
A fisherman who filled a bucket with crabs to take to the market every day was asked why he never put a lid on his catch. Wouldn't the crabs climb out? The fisherman replied, "I don't need to put a lid on the bucket. As soon as one starts to climb out, th...
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July 2, 2007
Though God's love toward us is undeserved, unconditional, and even unsought, it is possible for us to be out of harmony with Him. To keep ourselves in the love of God, as Jude 1:21 urges us, does not mean that we should keep ourselves lovable by God, beca...
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June 29, 2007
How do we show our friendship for Jesus? How do we show our love for Him? In John 15:14, Jesus points out three things we can do to show our friendship with God.
First, true friends of Jesus will obey Him. Quite simply, we will do what He says....
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June 28, 2007
We cannot choose our coworkers necessarily. We cannot choose all the members of our family. But we can choose our friends.
Choose your friends carefully, and look for godly friends. Look for friends who love God, who will speak the truth to you...
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June 27, 2007
Two men camping in the forest were enjoying their morning coffee when, all of a sudden, they spotted a very large, hungry grizzly bear running toward them. One of the men quickly pulled on his running shoes. "Do you actually think you can outrun that griz...
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June 26, 2007
If you think the Christian life is boring, then you haven't yet learned how to walk with God. He will change your outlook on life. I think a Christian can look at a beautiful sunset and enjoy it more than anyone else, because the Bible says God has given ...
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June 25, 2007
There are a number of things included in the concept of walking with God. The Bible says that we need to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). We should walk rooted in Him (Colossians 2:6–7). We should walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8). It means movin...
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June 22, 2007
Are you facing an emergency today? Dial 911—Psalm 91:1, that is. God can use adversity in the life of the Christian. None of us wants adversity in our lives, but God can be glorified through it. It might be a sickness that looks life-threatening, an...
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June 21, 2007
The angels of God are nearer than you may think. They are all around us all the time, taking care of us and ministering to us, even when we are not aware of their presence. That is fine with them, because essentially they are God's secret agents, doing Hi...
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June 20, 2007
When you were a child, did you have a hiding place you would run to when you were afraid or wanted to be alone?
God wants to be your hiding place. And the good news is that you can retreat to this hiding place wherever you are. When you have a ...
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June 19, 2007
To show us different facets of His nature, God gives us different names for himself. The words used in Psalm 91:1–2 include 'Elyôwn, Shaddai, Jehovah, and 'Elōhîm. First, we have ;the Most High:" "He who dwells in the sh...
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June 18, 2007
Without question, Psalm 91 is a real gem among the psalms. Next to Psalm 23, it probably has brought more encouragement and comfort throughout the centuries than any other psalm.
But it is worth noting that the blessings promised in Psalm 91 ar...
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June 15, 2007
The word "walking" speaks of regularity, of moving at a certain pace. The Bible tells us in Genesis 5 about Enoch, who walked with God. But what does it mean to "walk with God?" The prophet Amos asked, "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?" (Amo...
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June 14, 2007
Although it has been more than three decades, I still remember clearly the day I was joined in marriage to my wife Cathe. She walked down the aisle looking beautiful. I, on the other hand, resembled Jeremiah Johnson with my shoulder-length hair and big be...
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June 13, 2007
The concept of bearing fruit is used often in Scripture. In the Gospels, Jesus told the story of a sower who went out to sow seed. The seed fell on various types of ground. Some of the ground was rocky and hard. Other ground was receptive, but weeds choke...
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June 12, 2007
If you are seeking fulfillment or purpose or meaning from this world, I have some bad news: you will never find it. There is nothing in the world that will fill the deepest void in your life—not the ultimate car, not the greatest job, not the most b...
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June 11, 2007
A glance at today's headlines might cause us to conclude that we live in pretty bleak times. There is great uncertainty about the future, especially among teens and twenty-somethings. Many feel they have nothing to grasp, no one to believe in, and no one ...
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June 8, 2007
The ultimate betrayal is done by someone you love. And that was the case with Judas. It wasn't just that he turned against the Lord, but that he had pretended to love Him. Worse yet, Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. At the moment Judas appeared to be the...
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June 7, 2007
Before the Passover meal, Jesus took off His outer robe. He got down on His hands and knees, picked up the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet.
As Jesus made His way around the room, Peter was watching. Peter was one to always speak hi...
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June 6, 2007
What do you think God's love is? Do you envision a permissive love that allows you to do whatever you want to? That isn't what God's love is. You see, God loves you enough to put restrictions in your life. He loves you enough to say, "Do this. It will hel...
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June 5, 2007
At the first Passover in Egypt, the blood of the lambs that protected the Israelites was pointing to Jesus Christ. It was foreshadowing what He would do on the cross, when Jesus himself would become the Passover lamb, the lamb that was slain for all of hu...
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June 4, 2007
We all have probably heard someone say at some time, "God loves you." And sometimes we may wonder, Does God really love me? Maybe you have been let down and sorely disappointed by people. Maybe someone said they loved you and then turned against yo...
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June 1, 2007
Jesus said there is a promise of power for every Christian. When we become Christians, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, who gives us a dimension of power that can radically transform our lives. But power to do what? It is power to be a witness. It is a p...
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May 31, 2007
We may not even realize it, but the Spirit of God teaches us all the time. The Holy Spirit can unfold passages from the Bible in an incredible way through our reading and study of Scripture. Needless to say, that is why we should spend regular time in Bib...
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May 30, 2007
In the Upper Room, on the night Jesus was betrayed, the disciples were upset and discouraged by what He had been telling them about His impending betrayal and crucifixion. So Jesus shared some words of encouragement with them. He told them about the Holy ...
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May 29, 2007
What does the Bible mean when it says that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit? In the apostle Paul's day, when goods were shipped from one place to another, they would be stamped with a wax seal, imprinted with the signet ring of the owner. This was a uni...
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May 28, 2007
Why has the Spirit come into this world? What does God's Holy Spirit want to do in the life of the unbeliever? The Holy Spirit is very involved in the actual work of conversion. You see, before we were Christians, it was the Holy Spirit who convicted us o...
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May 25, 2007
When police officers are in trouble, what do they do? They call for backup. That is what believers need to do as well. When we are being hassled or tempted, we need to call for backup. We are to stand strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
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May 24, 2007
It may seem like a bit of a stretch to use Sodom and Gomorrah as an example and warning to us in the church today, but that is exactly what Jude did. One of the most obvious reasons that we are to put into remembrance this biblical account of sin and judg...
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May 23, 2007
Sometimes the question arises as to how a God of love could create someone as wicked as Lucifer. The answer is that God did not create Lucifer as we know Him today. In fact, he was once a high-ranking angel and, according to Ezekiel 28, was the model of p...
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May 22, 2007
Theology and doctrine are not trivial matters. Yet there are people today who set aside biblical teaching and say, "I just want to experience God. I don't want to argue over doctrine. I just want to love Jesus." That is a nice sentiment, but it is also a ...
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May 21, 2007
I am shocked at what some people today will do and still claim to be Christians. They will blatantly do what the Bible tells them they should not do.
The idea that you can do whatever you want as a Christian and still be forgiven isn't unique t...
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May 18, 2007
When God called Nehemiah, the cupbearer of King Artaxerxes, to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah was living in the lap of luxury. He was in a position of power and prestige.
But Nehemiah was stirred in his heart, because he knew that whi...
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May 17, 2007
I remember walking down Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki and seeing a man holding a big sign with red flames and the words, "The wages of sin is death." He was yelling out to people, "God hates you! God is going to judge you! God is going to get you!" I watched...
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May 16, 2007
Without question, the gospel is under attack today. And I believe that most Americans, not to mention the rest of the world, have not really heard the gospel message. The fact is that when a lot of people are supposedly preaching the gospel, they are not ...
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May 15, 2007
Is it possible to preach and not be a true believer, or to even do miracles and not necessarily be saved? Absolutely.
Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Fath...
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May 14, 2007
Whenever I am invited to speak somewhere, I can discern the biblical IQ of the group I'm addressing in the first few minutes of my message. I observe the way they track, the way they listen, what interests them, and what doesn't interest them. I note how ...
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May 11, 2007
Have you ever tried to explain something to someone and could not quite find the words? Have you ever tried to describe something complex to a child? For God to describe heaven to us in a way we could understand would be like trying to describe the beauty...
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May 10, 2007
The Bible says that God has loved us so that in the ages to come, He might show us the exceeding riches of His grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (see Ephesians 2:4–7). In other words, God is saying, "I can hardly wait until you get home s...
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May 9, 2007
We don't have to be stressed-out or troubled in our hearts, because as Christians, we are going to heaven. No matter what happens, no one can rob us of that great hope. Maybe you've lost your job or your car won't start. Maybe you have all kinds of proble...
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May 8, 2007
There are times in our lives as Christians when God will do things or fail to do things that we want Him to do, and it will not make sense to us. And because we don't see the big picture, we may falsely conclude that God has abandoned us. But we need to t...
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May 7, 2007
Have you ever felt troubled in your heart—agitated, stressed-out, or uncertain about tomorrow? Or to put it another way, have you ever driven on a freeway in Southern California?
There is a lot to be afraid of these days, isn't there? May...
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May 4, 2007
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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May 3, 2007
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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May 2, 2007
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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May 1, 2007
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 30, 2007
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 27, 2007
Jesus became very popular during His earthly ministry. He spoke in a way that people could understand. He reached out to hurting people. He was known as a friend of sinners. All that really irritated the religious authorities. Clearly, He was a threat to ...
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April 26, 2007
Most of us are suspicious of the trade-in deal. Maybe you have tried to buy a car and trade in something else. The salesman says, "Trade that in, and I'll give you a deal." Then you tell your friends, "I got this great deal for my trade-in." The real ques...
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April 25, 2007
The Bible tells us that when Passover took place, Jerusalem,— being the spiritual capital of Judaism,— teemed with visitors. People were everywhere. Not only that, but word traveled like wildfire that Jesus was there. Everyone was talking abou...
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April 24, 2007
I remember visiting a mental hospital years ago with my friend and fellow pastor, Mike MacIntosh. We were visiting the patients and sharing the gospel. Back then, I wore very long hair and had a full beard. Mike began talking with one patient and said, "H...
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April 23, 2007
Without question, Jesus Christ is the most fascinating person ever to walk the face of the earth. He is undeniably the most extraordinary, influential individual in human history. More books, music, and dramas have been written about Jesus Christ than any...
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April 20, 2007
In describing the last days, the apostle Paul said, "A time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to h...
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April 19, 2007
Within the first few verses of Jude's short epistle, he uses an important word twice: "beloved." In verse 1, he writes, "To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ. . . . " The word "sanctified" could better be tr...
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April 18, 2007
A while ago, I ran into a guy that I once hung out with in school. I hadn't seen him in 25 years. He called to say that he was coming to hear me speak, so we arranged to meet beforehand.
As we talked, he told me he had been married twice and wa...
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April 17, 2007
A number of words in the Bible are translated "worship." The one used the most often means "to bow down and do homage." Another biblical word for worship means "to kiss toward." Put the two words together, and you will have a good idea of what real worshi...
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April 16, 2007
It has been determined that the average American spends 15 years of his or her life in front of the television set—15 years. I am not saying we cannot watch TV. But I am saying that we can sure waste a lot of time in front of it. I sure have.
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April 13, 2007
David wrote in that familiar psalm, Psalm 23, "Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." The rod and the staff were shepherd's tools. The staff was a long, crooked instrument the shepherd would use when a sheep was going astray. But the rod was simply a ...
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April 12, 2007
Jairus was a well-known, powerful, wealthy individual who was the head of the local synagogue. When his 12-year-old daughter, his only child, was in great need, he sought out Jesus to heal her.
We don't know whether Jairus was a believer in Jes...
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April 11, 2007
Are you discouraged today? Are you afraid of an uncertain future? The Bible tells the story of a time when Jesus' disciples were not only discouraged, but they were afraid for their very lives.
Jesus had told them to get into a boat and go over...
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April 10, 2007
Paul had gone to Jerusalem to preach the gospel, and the next thing he knew, he was locked up in a cold, damp, dark prison cell. I'm sure that on his first night there, he was a discouraged man.
Why do I say that? Because of the Lord's words to...
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April 9, 2007
Even the most committed believer has those moments when fear or worry can kick in. Anxiety can overtake us. Maybe we are concerned about our future, or maybe we are discouraged about some things we have done or failures we've experienced.
But f...
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April 5, 2007
It all started to fall apart for Peter in the upper room. Jesus warned the disciples that one of them would actually betray Him and the others would desert Him.
Peter couldn't believe that Jesus would make such a statement. He boldly protested,...
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April 4, 2007
After Jesus' crucifixion, the disciples were terrified. Afraid that the same authorities who executed Jesus would come after them next, they hid behind shut doors, afraid for their very lives.
So what did Jesus do to bring courage to these frig...
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April 3, 2007
Mary Magdalene was one of the most devoted followers that Jesus ever had. Luke's Gospel tells us that she and others ministered to Him out of "their substance," which simply means that she financially supported Him. She traveled with Him. She wanted to be...
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April 2, 2007
Thomas, one of Jesus' disciples, had the nickname Doubting Thomas, but I think that is a bit unfair. I have always thought of Thomas as more of a skeptic than a doubter. After all, Thomas did not ask for a special revelation from Jesus. He simply asked fo...
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March 30, 2007
You know what I like about Martha? People always knew where they stood with her. She was someone who would speak her mind. After Lazarus died, she said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." That was classic Martha, callin...
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March 29, 2007
At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus surveyed the scene. Mary, Martha, and the others were all weeping and mourning. And Jesus wept. Tears rolled down His cheeks.
Jesus wept tears of sympathy for Mary and Martha and for all of the sorrow that is cause...
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March 28, 2007
When Mary and Martha informed Jesus that Lazarus was sick, they expected to see their brother recover as soon as the message reached Jesus. But nothing happened. And instead of coming right away, Jesus intentionally waited for two more days. By the time H...
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March 27, 2007
Often the question comes up as to whether we will know one another in heaven. I cannot give a definite answer to that, because the Bible does not specifically address this, although it does say we will know as we are known (see 1 Corinthians 13:12).
...
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March 26, 2007
As we get older, a new question begins to gnaw away at us: Is there life after death? Sometimes it will come earlier if someone close to us dies without warning, and we come face-to-face with the uncomfortable fact of death. This shouldn't come as a revel...
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March 23, 2007
People can talk all day about their love and deep sense of devotion for God, but the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. If you are a real Christian, if you have really asked Christ into your life, there will be evidence.
So here are a few tu...
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March 22, 2007
As you begin to know God's love and purpose for you, you can live a life that is unending—even overflowing. It is life as it was meant to be lived. This is exactly what David meant when he said, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want" (Psalm 23:...
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March 21, 2007
Jesus calls us His sheep, and we know that the Shepherd's primary objective for His sheep is that they flourish. He wants His sheep to be well-fed. He wants them to be well-cared for. He wants them to be content and satisfied. It is the joy of the Shepher...
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March 20, 2007
God has provided us with a radical contrast regarding the choice that we can make in life. Jesus has essentially told us, "Here is your choice: you can either follow the thief who wants to kill and destroy you, or you can follow Me, because I want to give...
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March 19, 2007
A few years ago, there was a lot of interest in the possibility of life on Mars. I was even interviewed for an article about that possibility. When asked what I thought about life on other planets, I said, "I don't see anything in the Bible that would ind...
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March 16, 2007
Even before Titanic arrived on the big screen in 1997, people have been fascinated by its story, perhaps because there is so much to it. Clearly, many mistakes were made that led to its sinking. Although it was called the unsinkable ship, it sank. ...
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March 15, 2007
Do you ever feel righteous indignation as you look at our confused society today? Righteous indignation is the result of seeing something that disturbs you deep in your soul.
Maybe you see something on television that is wicked and perverse. Ma...
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March 14, 2007
The apostle Paul was probably the greatest communicator the church ever produced. As a brilliant orator and a great student of Scripture, history, and culture, he knew how to make his case. That is clear when you read anything that the Holy Spirit inspire...
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March 13, 2007
So often the world misconstrues what Christians say. It draws erroneous conclusions because it never takes the time to really listen carefully to the gospel message. Jesus said, "My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight t...
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March 12, 2007
In 1948, General Omar Bradley made a statement with a prophetic ring to it: "We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount. . . . Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants."
What an accurate descriptio...
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March 9, 2007
In a broad sense, we should pray about everything. But there are certain things we don't need to pray about. For example, if someone were to say, "Greg, I am praying about robbing a bank. Would you pray with me?" I will pray for that person, but I ...
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March 8, 2007
For prayer to be powerful and effective, there has to be at least a few moments of recognizing the One to whom we are speaking.
"What? Isn't all prayer offered to God?" some might ask.
Not necessarily. I think it is entirely possible...
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March 7, 2007
It is hard to explain when someone's life has been cut short, when someone who is relatively young dies. We expected them to live a much longer life. But who is to say that it was not the appointed time for them to go? Who is to say that it was not the ex...
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March 6, 2007
It is my firm conviction that some Christians today don't have God's provision, God's healing, or God's blessing in their lives because they have not asked for it.
I am not saying that God will give us everything we ask for. But I am saying tha...
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March 5, 2007
Have you ever been in a situation where there seemed to be no way out? Everything is going along just fine when, all of a sudden, a storm cloud comes along and rains on your parade. Insurmountable obstacles seem to be growing worse by the minute, and you ...
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March 2, 2007
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 1, 2007
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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February 28, 2007
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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February 27, 2007
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 ha...
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February 26, 2007
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 und...
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February 23, 2007
You know what? The most aggressive witnesses for Jesus are brand-new converts. You'd think it would be the people who have known the Lord for a long time, who have walked with Christ for years. With all that accumulated Bible knowledge, with all of that t...
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February 22, 2007
God can work in spite of sickness. He still answers prayer and heals people today, and He still does miracles. In sickness and in hardships, He can work in a person's life. Even if a person still has the sickness or problem, God can work in spite of it an...
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February 21, 2007
Sometimes the question comes up of whether our physical suffering on earth is the result of sin. Who sinned? That is the question the disciples asked Jesus in John 9. Was it the blind man or his parents? Jesus responded by clearly pointing out there was n...
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February 20, 2007
When Jesus healed the blind man, did everybody in town begin to rejoice because of what God had done? No. Not everyone rejoiced. In fact, the man got in trouble with the religious authorities.
This man knew so little about Jesus. When he was q...
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February 19, 2007
We have all heard people say, "Seeing is believing. Show me and I will believe." But the Bible essentially teaches us that believing is seeing. When we say, "Show me and I will believe," God says, "Believe, and I will show you."
In John 9, we r...
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February 16, 2007
I have always felt that when I preach, especially at Harvest Crusades, I should generously quote Scripture, because I believe there is authority in the Bible. There isn't authority in the words of Greg Laurie, unless Greg Laurie is quoting the Bible. My a...
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February 15, 2007
What drove Saul to such a hatred for Christians? No doubt it was when he saw the courageous last stand of the young Stephen, who died praying for the forgiveness of the people who had murdered him.
Saul was present when Stephen boldly preached ...
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February 14, 2007
We know from reading about Saul, or Paul, that he was raised in a strict Jewish home. This meant that he would have learned the Scriptures from youth. His family sprang from the best soil, the tribe of Benjamin, where Israel's first king, Saul, came from....
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February 13, 2007
The mere mention of the name Saul of Tarsus would send chills down the backbones of the believers of his day. So significant an event was his conversion that it is mentioned three times in Scripture. And so unlikely was his conversion that a British agnos...
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February 12, 2007
You may know someone right now who you cannot even visualize as a Christian. Maybe it's one of those people who goes out of his or her way to criticize you and embarrass you. Sometimes, it may even seem like this person lives to make your life miserable a...
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February 9, 2007
"Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?" That was the question the Ethiopian dignitary had for Philip. It's a good thing Philip knew the Bible, because if he didn't, he would have had to say, "I don't know. Can I get back to you?"...
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February 8, 2007
Philip was used to lead others to Jesus because he was obedient. In Acts 8:26, we read that the Lord said to him, "Arise and go toward the south. . . . "
How easily Philip could have argued with the angel who gave him these instructions from th...
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February 7, 2007
Philip was a Jew, yet he went to a city in Samaria. That doesn't mean a lot to us today, but it meant a lot back then. You see, the Jews and the Samaritans didn't get along. There was a rift between them that had been passed from generation to generation....
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February 6, 2007
Many of us are afraid to ask someone if they would like to give their life to Jesus Christ for one simple reason: we're afraid the answer will be no. And it just may be. But there are those wonderful times when someone will surprise you and say, "I want t...
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February 5, 2007
When someone becomes a Christian, it isn't that he or she is simply a little better off than before. It isn't that he or she has improved life a little bit or has added a little something extra that was not there before. Rather, when someone becomes a Chr...
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February 2, 2007
As you get to know your Shepherd, you will come to realize that when He calls you, it is always worth obeying. When He says something, it is for your benefit. If He says, "Go this way," it is because He has green pastures and still waters for you. If He s...
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February 1, 2007
Sheep are timid little creatures. The strange thing about them is that because of their very makeup, it is almost impossible for them to lie down unless they are free from all fear. An entire flock can go stampeding off into nowhere because a rabbit jumpe...
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January 31, 2007
Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice . . . " (John 10:27). Of all the animals Jesus could have compared us to, He chose sheep. He didn't say, "My dolphins hear My voice," or "My chimpanzees hear My voice." He said, "My sheep hear My voice."
You ...
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January 30, 2007
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is a familiar and comforting picture of God's feelings for us and His outlook toward us. It is a picture that is certainly echoed throughout the pages of Scripture. Isaiah 40:11 tells us, "He will feed His flock like a shepherd; ...
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January 29, 2007
Does God still speak to people today? Is He interested in what happens to us as individuals? Does He really have a master plan for our lives? Or are we merely victims of chance?
God is indeed interested in us as individuals. He does have...
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January 26, 2007
It's a funny thing how we find sleep more and more appealing as we get older. When I was a kid, I hated to go to sleep. I still remember kindergarten, with the lukewarm milk in little cartons and having to lie down and take naps in the middle of the day. ...
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January 25, 2007
I have always been amazed at how upset and completely irrational some people can become when the subject of Jesus Christ comes up. You can be talking about anything, even politics, and they will be relatively nice—even considerate. But just mention ...
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January 24, 2007
Throughout history, God has given special grace and courage to millions of Christians who were persecuted for the faith or who lost their lives. They were unwilling to renounce the Lord, unwilling to deny the Lord who had so radically changed their lives....
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January 23, 2007
To recognize opportunity is the difference between success and failure. When opportunity knocks, we have to get up and answer the door. And we never know when it will knock.
If we as Christians are going to obey the Lord's command to go into al...
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January 22, 2007
I am sometimes a little amused when I read obituaries in the newspaper or hear what is said at some peoples' funerals. Whoever the deceased was, he or she was the greatest person who ever lived. There was never a person more compassionate, more loving, or...
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January 19, 2007
A lot of Christians today who have known the Lord for many years are facing spiritual stagnation. They are saying, "I have been a Christian for so long. I know the Bible so well. I go to church every week. What is wrong?"
I can tell you what is...
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January 18, 2007
When I was 18 and a new Christian, I quickly came to understand where the phrase "starving artist" came from. All I knew how to do was draw cartoons, so I was doing that as well as some freelance graphics on the side. I was trying to make ends meet, but I...
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January 17, 2007
One quality we consistently find in the lives of the men and women throughout Scripture whom God put His hand on is faithfulness. We read in 2 Timothy 2:2, "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful m...
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January 16, 2007
When we hear the term "filled with the Spirit," it can sometimes frighten us. We might have seen bizarre things take place in the name of the Holy Spirit. So we think, If that is being filled with the Holy Spirit, then I don't know if I want it....
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January 15, 2007
In many ways, we have lost the meaning of the word "hero." We throw it around so casually. If you can put a ball through a hoop, you are a sports hero. If you can play eight chords on a guitar, you are a rock' n roll hero. If you can pretend to be somethi...
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January 12, 2007
Believers who produce spiritual fruit are not like the seeds sown on the wayside that Jesus spoke of in the Parable of the Sower. These symbolize people who never seem to grasp the Word of God. Nor are they like the seed sown on rocky soil, representing t...
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January 11, 2007
When Jesus spoke of the seed that is sown among thorns, He was talking about ground that is embedded with weeds. There were over 2,000 types of weeds in ancient Israel, weeds that would hinder the growth of a seed. Seeds that were planted in that soil wou...
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January 10, 2007
Jesus spoke of people who hear the Word of God but it never quite takes root: "But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. F...
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January 9, 2007
Paul, in the Book of Acts, described the process of conversion as he spoke of his encounter with Christ on the Damascus road. The Lord told him, "I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open t...
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January 8, 2007
Every new Christian faces obstacles. And of course, every older Christian faces obstacles as well. These difficulties never go away. There never comes a moment when you reach some spiritual plateau. There is never a time when you don't need to grow in the...
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January 5, 2007
You remember how God fed the Israelites with manna. Every morning they would wake up, step out of their tents, and there would be the manna just waiting for them. But the manna would not keep overnight. God did not want them to live off the manna from yes...
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January 4, 2007
The end of a year is a time of reflecting and remembering what God has done. But there comes a point where I say, that was then. this is now. And I put it behind me.
Paul says he is forgetting the things that are behind (see Philippians ...
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January 3, 2007
With the world the way it is today, with things getting darker and darker and going from bad to worse, it seems to me the only way to live these days is as a completely sold out Christian. Not as a fence sitter trying to blend in, but saying I want to ...
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January 2, 2007
As you look back on this last year, can you say it was a year when you progressed spiritually? Was it a year when you found yourself becoming a bit more like Jesus Christ? Or was there some kind of a breakdown? It's a good time to make a change.
...
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January 1, 2007
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 have a fresh start. No doubt about it, there have been certain things we have said or done in this past year that we have come to regret...
