All believers are called to a life of prayer. That is not saying that everyone is called to a ministry of prayer – though some are. A person whose spiritual gift is faith, prophet, intercession, or knowledge could find great work they may be able to accomplish in prayer. Without regard for what your gift and work are, your communication […]
When I first met a certain friend, I was sitting in a public place talking with some people about some spiritual things that I don’t currently remember. Another friend brought him to the table and introduced us. He said to me, “I hear that you allow people to speak in tongues in your home meetings.” He wanted to know if […]
For suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring, dressed in fine clothes, and a poor man dressed in dirty clothes also comes in.(James 2:2 HCSB ©®) James wrote, “…suppose a man comes into your synagogue…” The various translations vary regarding what they think should be in our minds as we read it in English: meeting and […]
So the king, the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them got up, and when they had left they talked with each other and said, “This man is doing nothing that deserves death or chains.” Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”(Acts 26:30-32 HCSB ©®) I have become convinced […]
If a congregation of believers is being led by people who are using their spiritual gifts, the expectation of success in ministry should be multiplied. If a congregation is being led by one person, with a random spiritual gift – maybe pastor, maybe evangelist, maybe teacher – it should be expected that the person will either be fired or will […]
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them. But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?” that is, to […]
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, either men or women, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light […]
The season is changing. When the revolution against our nation ends, we will be moving forward to something different. Either the Marxist revolt will replace our government and culture and we will be the new Cuba or Venezuela, or the counter-revolution will cast off the destroyers and the states will be united in a new way, with new vision and […]
Imagine a tree and a bicycle wheel. The new growth on the tree grows further from roots of the tree every year. Still connected, still gaining nutrition from the roots, the term “branching out” describes the new moving away from the old. It isn’t planned, measured, or intentional. The spokes on the wheel are closer to each other on the […]
Indeed, a king will reign righteously,and rulers will rule justly.Each will be like a shelter from the wind,a refuge from the rain,like streams of water in a dry landand the shade of a massive rock in an arid land.Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed,and the ears of those who hear will listen.The reckless mind will […]