Very few “normal” people look forward to difficult trials and tribulations in their lives. In fact, most of us will do everything that we can to avoid hardship and testing. But should we? In John 16, Jesus is preparing his disciples for the aftermath of his crucifixion. He tells them that they will be scattered in many directions, leaving him alone and yet he will not be alone because the Father is with him. He then proceeds to tell them a most astonishing thing. **“These things I have spoken to...
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*A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength*. Proverbs 17:22 (NLT) If you want to generate controversy, just begin a discussion about health care. People have strong opinions on affordability, availability and just about every other aspect of the topic. It is not my intention or desire to open this can of worms, but instead to remind us of a natural remedy that is found in the Bible. Unlike the medicine that we find advertised on television in which they spen...
I recall a Christmas when I was about 10 years old when I did not receive the gifts that I wanted or expected. I was vocal in expressing my displeasure to the dismay of my parents. I was neither pleasant nor civil with my disrespect and ungratefulness. I was immature and did not appreciate all of the blessings and advantages that were mine, but today it reminds me of Christians who are begging and even demanding favor from God. They do not realize how much favor they already possess. I believe w...
We often hear the declaration: “God is good.” It is easy to say it, but at times, if we are honest with ourselves and others, we may not be as sure, particularly when things are not going our way.
For our words to have any meaning, we must live our lives in such a way that we believe that God is good. Some people live their lives according to how much money they have in the bank. Some people live their lives according to what kind of car they drive. Some people live their lives by how many lik...
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**“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes.”** Luke 6:43–44 (NLT) ===  There is not a definitive answer as to how many species of fruit there are in the world, but it is estimated that 1000 to 2000 types of fruit are edible. Individual preference would probably pair this list down quite a bit, but just bec...
The account of Caleb’s life in the Promised Land is found in Joshua 14:6-15 and there are four lessons from his life as we begin this New Year. *“I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out, and I am just as ready to fight now as I was then. So give me the mountain country the LORD promised me that day long ago.”* Joshua 14:11–12a (NCV) The first lesson that we can learn from Caleb is to have a *passionate heart for God.* There are six references in Scripture that indicate to u...
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Writers know that a provocative title can entice people to read what they have written. However, the ploy cannot be overused because it will soon lose its effectiveness. I am writing this because I have been inspired by the words of Paul to the Galatians. *“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.”* Galatians 4:19 (NIV). Paul used the illustration of childbirth to convey the seriousness and determination that he had to see the life and chara...
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NIV)
The car salesman exclaims, “This car is fully equipped. It has every option.” The car may have features you never thought you needed, but now you decide that you cannot live without heated seats with the built-in massage feature. Equipping the child of God for service may not be as gla...
“In the Beginning God…” Genesis 1:1
“In the beginning God” may be the four most important words in the Bible. This is the introduction for everything else that is to follow. If we do not understand it correctly, all conclusions regarding life, meaning, and purpose will be flawed. If you start in the wrong place, it is unfeasible to build a life that will fulfill its ultimate purpose and destiny.
Getting to the correct destination can be challenging if we do not begin in the right pla...
Every relationship requires attention and maintenance, even our relationship with God. Let’s look at the challenges, obstacles and opportunities so that we will not be caught off-guard. In the book of Revelation, Jesus Christ writes letters to seven different churches. We are going to look at Revelation 2:1-7 which is addressed to the church at Ephesus. Each of the letters serves as an evaluation of where the church is in regard to its relationship with Christ. Ephesus was an important center of...
Forgiveness is an issue where even secular mental health professionals find themselves in agreement with the Bible. Clinging to unforgiveness can devastate others, but especially ourselves. However, forgiveness can be difficult to offer especially when we have been hurt, misunderstood or abused. We try to convince ourselves that we have earned the right not to offer or ask for forgiveness, but we must see how important forgiveness is to maintaining healthy relationships. *Everyone says that forg...
Him Jesus told his disciples, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20 (NIV).
Do we think of mountains as obstacles that stand in our way? Or in the way of others? When a mountain stands in the path of what God wants to do, the mountain will have to go. “Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a leve...
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Jesus told his disciples, *“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”* Matthew 17:20 (NIV). When we are confronted by a mountain we should ask, “Why is it there before exercising our faith to remove the mountain.” We are conditioned to think of mountains in this context as obstacles that stand in our way or in the way of progress. Recently I was preparing to preac...
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When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” John 21:15 (NIV)
I could not believe what I was hearing; a pastor was telling, perhaps even bragging, that in his church, he preaches only the meat of the word, never milk. Maybe he was trying to say that he never compromised the truth of Scripture, but it did not sit well with me. I wondered if he had any...
**Complete Followers of Christ** *But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.* 2 Corinthians 8:7 (NIV) In baseball, they refer to a complete well-rounded player as a five tool player. A five tool player hits the baseball for average, for power, has good speed and base running skills, fields his position well, and throws well. In the history of baseball, there h...
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*“Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.”* Hebrews 10:36 (NLT) The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines endurance as *“the ability to withstand hardship or adversity; especially: the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity.”* I enjoy riding my bicycle, in fact, I will usually ride several thousand miles per year. However, without making any excuses, I recently emerged from...
We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory. 1 Thessalonians 2:12 (NLT)
Words and concepts often have surface meanings that belie vast depths and rich significance. As a student of Scripture without training in Greek and Hebrew, I may, at times, overlook great treasures. For example, the word “encouraged.” At E4 Ministry Network, it is one of our core values. If asked to de...
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And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.” Luke 24:49 (CSB)
Some people will remember the American Express slogan from the 1970s, “Don’t leave home without it.” It was a successful campaign that ran for 25 years. Although there were alternatives to that credit card, there are no alternatives to being empowered by the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said to the disciples, “stay in the city until you are empowered from on ...
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I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. Philippians 3:13 (NLT).
Looking backward can be a great hindrance to moving forward. Regret over past mistakes afflicts many people. Past victories and triumphs can also impede forward progress.
20th-century philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” There is value in learning lessons from our past, but nothing is gained by reliving or returnin...
“O Most High, when I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” (Psalm 56:2–3, NRSV)
You may have heard the claim that there are 365 references in the Bible to “fear not” or “do not be afraid.” However, a check of popular translations does not support this claim or is it a meme? I am not sure where this started or why someone felt the need to exaggerate, but does it really matter? On one hand, we can be grateful that it does appear well over 100 times in Scripture, but if God commands us to “fear not”...
Examine me, O Lord, and test me! Evaluate my inner thoughts and motives! Psalm 26:2 (NET)
Just Because It Seems to Be Working, It Doesn’t Mean That Everything Is All Right
Many of us have had the unpleasant experience of driving in our car when we notice that the Check Engine light has come on. We may not immediately detect that there is any problem. The car seems to be running fine. Maybe the light came on by mistake. Perhaps it will go away.
We think to ourselves, “Nothing seems to be w...
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So let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good. Job 34:4 (NLT)
Let me begin with a question. How great is our need for discernment? There is a meme that has been floating around the Internet for several years: “Don’t believe everything you see on the Internet.”-Abraham Lincoln. Regardless of our sources of information, we must develop discerning hearts and minds.
One of the significant challenges of our age is to filter all the competing voices vying to pe...
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**“To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person.”** Luke 6:27–28 (The Message) ===  There is not a leader or anyone in ministry who has not at one time or another faced criticism. It seems to come with the territory and should probably be written into the job description itself, but how w...
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“To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person.” Luke 6:27–28 (The Message)
Recently I was in conversation with several pastors. One of them reported that he had spent his previous Monday speaking with members of his church who were critical of the earlier day’s services. Some complained about the music. Others had Covid-19 and social...
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Faith is a difficult thing to quantify. Jesus said that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed that you would be able to command a mountain to be moved from here to there. The seed of the mustard tree is among the smallest seeds, so we could only imagine what we might be able to accomplish if our faith was much larger, but for most of us even the idea of having mustard seed sized faith is daunting. Many of us probably relate to the father who cried out to Jesus, *“I believe, please help my...
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