“For just as rain and snow fall from heaven, and do not return there without saturating the earth, and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and will prosper in what I send it to do.” (Isaiah 55:10-11 Holman Christian Standard Bible […]
Category Archives: Ministry
Reconciling Prayer
After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his prosperity and doubled his previous possessions. All his brothers, sisters, and former acquaintances came to his house and dined with him in his house. They offered him sympathy and comfort concerning all the adversity the Lord had brought on him. Each one gave him a qesitah, and a gold earring. (Job 42:10-11 Holman Christian Standard Bible ©®) When you […]
Being Heard
On days, being heard is not nearly as important as hearing is. Be quick to hear, and slow to speak (James 1:19). How can they believe, if they have not heard, though? (Romans 10:17) When our conversations include more listening than talking, we might be much more effective with the little that we say, because we hear people’s fears or needs or problems. We can offer Jesus as the Answer […]
Not Growing Old
You can’t grow old. By not growing, you just become old. You are either growing or dying. You get to decide, no matter what you perceive your limitations to be with regard to health or wealth or other resources. Plants grow best in manure piles. A worker’s appetite works for him because his hunger urges him on. (Proverbs 16:26 Holman Christian Standard Bible ©®)
Read and Listen
We need to have instruction from the Spirit of God if we expect to get anything in life right. That is righteousness – doing things according to the will of the Lord. We must know what needs to be done. We can’t just do what seemed to work last time – we need fresh revelation about what the Lord is doing today. A friend may need encouragement, or rebuke. Knowing […]
Full Shields
The safest place in the universe with regard to unclean spirits who might be trying to harm us is the place of absolute surrender and humility before our God. When we begin to defend our actions and failures in answer to the Holy Spirit’s conviction, we insulate ourselves from His help and offer our lives to our enemies. Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put […]
Righteous Liberty
We have been given great liberty. It is not license to sin, though. It is license from sin. That doesn’t mean that our liberties won’t be called sin. The more liberty we walk in, the more dangerous we will become to our enemies, and the scarier we might become to our friends. John the Baptizer announced that Jesus was the “Lamb of God, Who will take away the sins of […]
Positively
We are not called to optimism. Some of the ideas in Norman Vincent Peale’s 1960 best-selling book “The Power of Positive Thinking” could help me perhaps have a better life, but would probably be insufficient strength to move me from being called to fulfilling my calling. That is because just having a positive attitude does not make me strong enough to answer powerful adversaries like death and deception and accusation […]
Faith and Belief
Believing something can be as simple and powerless as deciding which toothpaste cleans teeth better. Even if I believe in a brand’s ability, if it is too expensive, I may not use it. I believe it is best, but I would not be putting any faith with my belief if I did not use it. Believing God can heal is much less than trusting Him regarding my health – adding […]
More Horsepower
Motors are described in several ways. One is by the type of fuel they use to create energy. Electricity, hydrogen, diesel, jet fuel, gasoline are examples. Another category is the method of conversion of the fuel, such as turbine, rotary, internal combustion. The amount of power that is created by motors is usually measured in horsepower. This term was created before the year 1800 by the Scottish engineer James Watt […]