1) Are you being sifted? Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Jesus knew Peter would deny him. He also knew he would return, because he’d prayed for him. Peter’s denial […]
Cleopas and his friend couldn’t They walked with Jesus for half a day, but didn’t recognize him. After all, he was dead. Jesus even explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Despite their hearts burning within them, they still didn’t understand. Over the evening meal, Jesus gave thanks, broke bread, and gave it to them. […]
I feel an increasing urgency to share Jesus. Time is short. Some years ago, a pastor in Havana, Cuba, invited me and a Honduran evangelist to dinner. In their culture, many have servants. When their maid brought our first course, the evangelist asked her, “What’s your name?” “Maria.” “Maria, do you know Jesus?” “No.” “Would you like to?” “Yes.” And […]
Psalm 112 speaks of a man whose heart is secure. “He will have no fear of bad news.” The reason may surprise you, for there’s a test. Will you pass? Our world is plagued with bad news—violence, war, famine, lockdowns, and bankruptcy. It’s hard not to be dragged down with disappointment, worry, or fear. Fear is faith in a bad […]
Two men guarded a modern building inside its glass entrance. The taller stood on a large, square mat—the shorter man on a smaller one. The mats overlapped where they touched. In my dream, the short man said, “How can you straighten the mat while you’re standing on it?” I have been puzzling over why intelligent people can be so deceived. […]
Is your channel-surfing age imposing its culture on your views of eternity? I’m told the attention span of the modern couch potato is four seconds. If it isn’t grabbed by then, down goes the thumb on the remote. (If you are still reading, either this is riveting or you don’t qualify for the couch potato Olympics.) But is that remote […]
“I wonder how they’re doing back home?” I caught myself saying the other day. England has suffered badly with Covid, with still no sign of relief. We have friends there who’ve recovered from the virus. My wife and I moved to New Zealand in 2005. Surely, it’s home by now? How long do we live in a place before it […]
I confess to feeling grumpy. The Lord took me to Paul’s letter to the Philippians. He wrote from prison, in chains. Seriously locked down. How did he survive? 1) He refused to be frustrated What has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel (Philippians 1:12). The devil intends the virus and pandemic to spread fear and restrict […]
What about this one? “Man has no advantage over the animal.” Anyone who knows their Bible knows they are both wrong. The destiny of those born-again, the sheep, is with the Lord; that of the goats—eternal destruction. And unlike the animals, mankind is made in the image of God. So both statements are false. But both are in the Bible! […]
When the Apostle Paul returned to Troas, he found the Lord had opened a door for him to preach the gospel there. On his first visit, he’d had no opportunity, being guided to Macedonia instead. Normally, he would have been delighted, thinking that the Lord had purposely led him back to Troas. Peace of Mind However, he writes in 2 Corinthians […]