When you and I get to heaven, all that will really count is the relationship we have with our God and the relationships we have with one another. Church buildings and church programs will crumble, but relationships last throughout eternity. The early church met “house to house” so they could experience family-type relationships to the [...]
When LaVerne and I were married, I worked on a construction crew. I learned quickly that the first step to building a house that will last is to put in a solid foundation. It was pretty simple to understand. Likewise, our Christian lives must be built on the sure foundation of Jesus Christ. The Bible [...]
A few years ago a businessman sat in my office and shrugged in despair as he admitted, “I inherited my dad’s terrible temper, so I can’t help it when I blow up.” That same day a middle-aged woman told me, “My mother had terrible fears, and she passed them on to me. I guess I’m [...]
LaVerne and I were in Washington DC this past Memorial Day weekend. Thousands converged on our nation’s capital to remember their loved ones and grieve for those who gave their lives in combat. It was a moving experience. There is so much pain and loss all around us; families and marriages in crisis, those who have lost their jobs and homes, and business persons needing to liquidate due to a tough economy. You do not need to be a prophet to see that we are in a global economic crisis. But we need to have a proper perspective.
Here is a lesson in faith from the weatherman. A construction company owner told me recently that he trusts the weatherman’s forecast, because it has been correct again and again. That might surprise some of you, but he was serious. He has built his company on the weatherman’s daily forecast. A weatherman uses radar and [...]
Demon forces are always waiting to invade an empty house. Let’s keep our personal house filled daily with the Word of God and with the Holy Spirit. Jesus explained it to his disciples like this. "When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. Then it says, [...]
Let’s never despise the day of small beginnings! Our God loves to meet us right where we are at. Jesus’ disciples watched a little boy give their master his few loaves of bread and fish, and 5000 were fed. The young man took a step of faith, gave his lunch away, and then watched it [...]
British preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, “By perseverance the snail finally reached the ark.” Many start out in their Christian lives and ministries filled with the vision of God burning in their hearts. But a few years later they find themselves shipwrecked, failing to persevere and complete their destiny in God. Three young ministers of [...]
When we are really honest, most of us will admit there are times we feel God is distant. This has happened numerous times in my life. Various Christian leaders have confided in me that they felt they had lost their way, slipping into a deep pit, unable to see the road ahead. Nearly every man or woman of God goes through these “dark nights of the soul” when the Lord seems to be silent.
I love Resurrection Day! And I love the Easter season! This weekend we again celebrate Jesus Christ, raised from the dead. Just a few days before the resurrection, Jesus’ followers experienced some of the darkest days in all of history. Jesus had died. Their hope for a positive future seemed to be gone forever. But [...]