Apples of Gold
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The Danger of Familiarity
When Jesus enters "our house" - whether it is our place of worship, our home, our workplace, or our heart - do we take Him for granted? Is His Need being met?
God is Sufficient for the Cares of Life
Paul wrote that even the most severe pressures of daily life never separate us from the tenderness and compassion of our Heavenly Father. On the contrary, when we feel like our world is falling apart, God's power and grace are magnified.
The Third Road
Since I've discovered life on the road of ever growing trust in Jesus' love for me and his purpose in my life, I have found a new depth of fellowship I never thought possible.
Touching the Living Christ
Receiving Christ Jesus the Lord is the Gate, while walking in Him is the Path. The first happens in a moment, while the second is a daily process.
Indwelling Christ
The astonishing fact is that Jesus lives within the believer, and they become one in spirit. The apostle Paul described this as "the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.
One Man's Death Every Man's Guarantee
Hope for a "new world" must rest in God, not man. Death is man's legacy; life is God's. The Lord Jesus Christ said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die"
How God Answers Prayer
Over the years, I’ve discovered from Scripture and experience that God loves to answer our prayers. Here are five of his most frequent answers.
Washing One Another's Feet
I believe we cause untold harm when we notice someone who is hurting or lacking peace but say nothing. Maybe he's even become defiant in his attitude toward the Lord. Something is wrong, but we ignore it. We don't want to get involved.
Have You Been Hurt by Someone?
Suffering is a gift. "It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him,
Love is Meeting Each Other's Needs
Submission is necessary for order and stability. Without it, each person does his own thing. One popular song says, "I did it my way." Go ahead and see how many people you hurt, including yourself. Lack of submission leads to disaster.
Why is There Evil and Suffering?
In writing about the origin of evil, John H. Gerstner admitted: "This is the most difficult problem in all of theistic theology and philosophy." Yet to be honest to reality, we must consistently avoid the irrational options of denying the existence of evil or of God.
Why Does God Allow Suffering?
If there really is a God, people wonder, why has He allowed so much suffering in the world? Many Christians honestly struggle with that same question. Only by turning to the Bible can we begin to understand the problem of suffering.
Hope for Healing
What skeletons are you hiding in your closet? Maybe you've struggled with homosexuality. Perhaps you had an abortion. Whatever you've done--mistreating someone you love, lying, having an affair--there is hope for healing.
Forgive and Forget
My friend, has anyone ever offended you? Has your spouse been unfaithful? Have your children disappointed you? Has someone cheated you in business? How we respond to the difficult experiences of life directly affects our spiritual well-being.
What Must We Do?
Good works are obedience to God's revealed commands. An honest Christian will always feel that his good works are for sure less than perfect. But he's at peace with imperfection because he's not basing his right standing with God on his good deeds. Daily he proclaims, "My soul will boast in the Lord"--alone (Psalm 34:2). That's what salvation is all about.
Spiritual Burnout
When a believer burns out, it's his own human resources that have been exhausted. God's infinite zoe can never be depleted. If He lives in each of us and is our life, then spiritual burnout is caused by the believer's failure to rest in and receive the continual flow of His life.
When Heaven is Silent
Great things can happen to you in the midst of your suffering too. But if not... We can keep asking, "Why?", or we can look with all confidence as Job toward Heaven and proclaim, "Though He slay Me, yet will I trust Him!"
Feel Like Giving Up?
Every Christian on this planet reaches that crisis point at one time or another in life. And in that moment, when the walls seem to be caving in and the roof appears to be collapsing, when everything seems to be coming apart, a voice deep within cries out, "Walk away from it all... Give up!"
Finding God When You've Failed
"How can I pray when I know I've failed God?" I may ask myself. The awareness of recent sin or even a remote memory can haunt the mind and cripple all confidence in prayer.
Walking in Darkness: Trusting When You Cannot See
Everyone who has set his heart on serving God will have darkness come at some point. Has it happened to you?
Why Settle for Anything Less?
Do you remember the first day that you knew God loved you? Do you recall the euphoria, the wonder that the Almighty God who spoke worlds into existence even took note of you, much less genuinely cared about you and every event in your life?
The Truth about Faith
I believe God works miracles in answer to the prayer of faith. I believe every promise in God's Word - as is! But, through much suffering and tears, I've discovered something wonderful about the way God works.
A Selfish Symphony
Everyone told us it was all about us, didn't they? Weren't we urged to look out for number one? Find our place in the sun? Make a name for ourselves? We thought self-celebration would make us happy. But what chaos this philosophy creates.
Why are You So Afraid?
God invites us into relationship with him where he becomes far more real than any circumstance we encounter. Instead of seeing wind and waves, or our inability to deal with them, we see him in the midst of it all.
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