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Asleep in the Light
Though written in the 70’s, this song by Keith Green speaks boldly and truthfully to the church today. My prayer today is that the Spirit of God awakens His church from its slumber, that we begin to seek Him diligently and urgently and walk in the power He has provided through His Holy Spirit to turn this world upside down for Jesus Christ, for His glory alone!
Read MoreThe valley of the shadow
A dear friend of mine understands loss. When I met her years ago, her teenage son had been killed by a drunk driver. A month after his death, her husband informed her that he was leaving. This humble servant of the Lord was crushed by these tragedies but held on to her faith. I just spoke to my friend. She said these words to me …
Read MoreDo you know the origins of Valentine’s Day?
Do you know the origins of Valentine’s Day? Valentine was a priest in Rome in the third century. During his time, Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families. The emperor outlawed marriage for young men to preserve his potential crop of soldiers. Realizing the injustice of the decree, Valentine defied Emperor Claudius and continued to perform marriages of young lovers in secret …
Read MoreToo Good for This World
I have just watched two videos of a house church in Vietnam, taken a few moments after hired government “thugs” broke into the church and attacked the pastor, leaders and church members simply because they worship Jesus. The video is shocking, emotional and heart-breaking. Blood drips from head wounds. Others cannot walk because of their beatings. One is unconscious. Some lie bleeding with their heads resting on Bibles. I wept as I watched it…
Read MoreIt’s Past Time for a Charistmatic Revolution
I’ve grown increasingly aware that the so-called “Spirit-filled” church of today struggles with many of the same things the Catholic church faced in the 1500s. We don’t have “indulgences”—we have telethons. We don’t have popes—we have super-apostles. We don’t support an untouchable priesthood—we throw our money at celebrity evangelists who own fleets of private jets. In honor of Reformation Day, I’m offering my own list of needed reforms in our movement. And since I can’t hammer these on the Wittenberg door, I’ll post them online.
Read MoreThe Father’s Heart
God cares about the lost. It is estimated that 80,000 people die every day without Christ. That’s 55 people every 60 seconds! How much time to we invest in non-eternal things while so many in the world still do not know about Christ’s saving love? Do you pray for them? Jesus does! Do we seek them? Jesus does!
Read MoreThe Loving Father and His Two Sons
The Father of the Prodigal in Luke 15 said that the oldest son with with him every day. That leads me to this question: How can you be in the Father’s presence and not have the Father’s heart?
Read MoreThe 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!
Read MoreThe 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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