The Prudent Woman and the Lost Coin

What we have is not enough! To grow content and satisfied with what we have in Christ and not hunger and thirst for more is defeat! The prudent woman was not content to say, “Well, I still have nine!” No! She had to search for the one that was lost! Look how the woman searched for the lost coin! She lit and lamp and searched through the entire house, moving every piece of furniture, looking in every closet and every corner, behind the bookcases and under the beds until she found the coin that was lost. That’s how Jesus searched for us, diligently, lovingly, purposefully, mercifully searching and searching until He found us. That’s how we should search for others!

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The Good Shepherd and the Lost Sheep

We often say we want to bring joy to God in the way we live. Jesus tells us in Luke 15:7 that “there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” Why, then, do we spend 99 percent of our time ministering to the 99 who need no repentance rather than seeking and searching for the one lost sheep?

Jesus gave us His mission statement in Luke 19:10 – “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost.” Is that our mission statement today, too?

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The Tough Questions

As we consider our need and desire for God’s favor, these are some tough questions for personal spiritual evaluation:

Do you hold the Word of God in a place of honor in your life? Do you respond obediently to its words? Do you have order in your life? Are your conversations holy? Do your words and actions draw people to Christ? . . .

If any of these questions prompt reflection and bring conviction into our lives, let us respond with humility and brokenness of heart. God never despises and broken and contrite heart. On the contrary, it is the key that opens the door to the increase of His presence and favor in our lives.

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Don’t Settle for Fake Anointing

“Do you trust the Holy Spirit to work in you, or do you lean on the flesh? Do you have the precious dew of His miraculous anointing on your life, or have you manufactured a cheap form of human moisture to do the job? Many Christians today can’t distinguish between the sweat of the flesh and the dew of heaven, but there is a big difference. As I have prayed for more anointing in my life, I’ve realized that we often mistake fake anointing for the real thing…”

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The Light shines in the darkness

When we are faced with situations like I wrote to you about in my last entry, we see only a few choices:

We can cut and run.
We can stay in the safe walls of our church or ministry center.
We can go to the location where the heart of the problem is and confront it head-on.

We chose Option C.

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A Tragic Death – A Need to Press On

One of the young men I knew was brutally murdered a month ago. He left his apartment one block from The Harvest Center to run an errand. Some youth were sitting on the hood of his car. He politely asked them to get off, informing them he had to go somewhere. Spewing profanity, one said, “I’ll get off when I feel like it.” After trying several more times for over ten minutes, the young man slowly pulled his car out of the parking space until they jumped off his car … Senseless death and violence.

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Bringing Tranformational Change

“I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: “Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! … The Enthroned continued, “Look! I’m making everything new” (Revelation 21:3-4 TMSG).

This is what God has begun in the neighborhood of the South Bronx. He is doing it in Detroit. This is what God wants to do in your neighborhood!

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The Call to Effective Outreach in Cities

The gospel, if allowed by the church, will powerfully affect our lives. IF allowed. IF our faith is not considered a sub-culture, but a counter-culture. IF our faith possesses a radical commitment of all that we are to all that He is in every part of our lives. IF allowed, the gospel will permeate every part of the human being to the very core – as the Word says, the marrow (Hebrews 4:12) – of our being, and thus to the very core of our homes, our churches, our families, our city and our culture.

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Love or works

Let me summarize the entire Word of God for you in one sentence:

God loves you and He desires an intimate relationship with you that will rock your world, change your soul, fulfill every dream and desire and bring you to the edge of faith every single day in a new revelation of the reality of who He is and who He wants to be in your life!

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