A drought will strike her water supply, causing it to dry up. And why? Because the whole land is filled with idols, and the people are madly in love with them. Jeremiah 50:38 (NLT)
California is once again facing drought conditions. The solution to a drought crisis is obviously water. Even in the best of times, there is not enough rainfall to supply all the needs in Southern California. We depend upon rivers and aqueducts to bring the water to us.
I doubt that many of our government leaders...
View all of The Cure for a Drought
Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:5 (CSB)
Our commitment to graciousness is sometimes inversely related to the importance of the situation. It is easier to be gracious when the stakes are low. That is when the issue does not matter significantly to us. However, when something that is dear to our hearts is under attack, graciousness might be the last thing that comes to mind.
In some parts of society, graciousness is considered a weakness. Synonyms f...
View all of Powerful Graciousness
So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe. For our God is indeed a devouring fire. Hebrews 12:28–29 (NET)
Natural earthquakes can cause significant damage with great loss, both lives, and property. You might be asking yourselves, why am I writing about earthquakes and great shaking?
Here is what Jesus said about the last days: People will be terrified at what they s...
Have you ever considered the difference between praise and worship? Is there a difference? It is not uncommon to hear the words praise and worship used in tandem and even interchangeably, but do they mean the same thing? On one level, they may seem the same, but there are significant differences.
There are numerous Hebrew and Greek words for both praise and worship as translated into English. The most prevalent Greek word for praise indicates esteem and honor, a recognition of God’s glory. The...
View all of A Reflection on Praise and Worship
My dear family, when you find yourselves tumbling into various trials and tribulations, learn to look at it with complete joy, because you know that, when your faith is put to the test, what comes out is patience. What’s more, you must let patience have its complete effect, so that you may be complete and whole, not falling short in anything. James 1:2–4 (The Bible for Everyone: A New Translation)
Very few “normal” people look forward to difficult trials and tribulations in their lives. In fa...
View all of Got Tribulations? – Be of Good Cheer?
“Have Faith in God.” These words from Jesus follow immediately after observing that the fig tree that Jesus had cursed earlier in the day had indeed withered and died. They immediately precede the statement by Jesus in which he said, “I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.” Mark 11:23 (NLT)
What does it mean to say, “Have faith in God?...
Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. John 17:18 (NLT)
Last week, we began to examine our options as we confront the forces of evil comprised of the world, Satan, our adversary, and our fleshly nature. In last week’s article, Resistance Is Not Futile , we learned that our choices include assimilation, that is, conforming to the ways of this world. Or do we attempt to isolate ourselves from the world? Or finally, we can choose to stand firm and resist th...
I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. John 17:14–18 (NLT)
The question of how we as followers of Christ interact and eng...
View all of Resistance Is Not Futile
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Matthew 28:19–20 (NIV)
Jesus spoke these words just before His ascension to describe the church’s primary mission. Mark’s gospel is a little different: He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15 (NIV). Finally, in both his gospel and Acts, Luke emphasized wait...
View all of Engaged: Fulfilling the Mission
“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...
View all of Dealing With Criticism
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...
It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:26 (NASB 2020)
I do not want to put you on the spot or embarrass you, but do you read the ending first when reading a book? Reading the end of a book first would be a serious breach of protocol for some people. For others, it is about removing the suspense.
We know what transpired before Resurrection Sunday. We observe Good Friday, remembering the price Christ paid to cover our sin. It may be a solemn time, but...
View all of The Silence in Between
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)
Is holiness a subject that anyone should bring up in “polite company?” If they even know what you are talking about, there is a good possibility that they will not have a proper understanding of what holiness really is all about.
If people have an adverse reaction to the concept of holiness, it may not be that they are opposed to holiness, but instead, they are ope...
View all of Without Holiness...
“Sir, we want to see Jesus.” John 12:21
In the days leading up to the crucifixion, some men wanted to see Jesus. They did not approach him directly but instead sought to use Philip as an intermediary. We cannot be sure, but perhaps they felt uncomfortable, as Greeks, to approach Jesus. Philip, having a Greek name, seemed like a possibility.
We do not know why these men tried to see Jesus. Some men wanted to see him so that they could worship him. While others, like Herod the Great, felt th...
View all of We Want to See Jesus
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...
View all of Encouraged: Words and Deeds
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 ...
View all of Empowered to Empower
The concept of eternity is often beyond the capability of our intellects to grasp. Surveying Christian history, we find conflicting thoughts and ideas about time and how it intersects with eternity. On the one hand, James Milton Black, who wrote “When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder,” penned the words, “and time shall be no more.” Conversely, John Newton in Amazing Grace declared, “when we’ve been there ten thousand years.” Can we reconcile these two thoughts?
Support for the concept that t...
View all of And Time Shall Be No More?
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...
View all of Deception and Discernment
Because of his love, God had already decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. That was what he wanted and what pleased him, and it brings praise to God because of his wonderful grace. God gave that grace to us freely, in Christ, the One he loves. Ephesians 1:5–6 (NCV)
“Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin; how shall my tongue describe it, where shall its praise begin? Taking away my burden, setting my spirit free, for the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.”...
View all of Wonderful Grace of Jesus
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12 (NIV)
I don’t know who coined the phrase “The length of our lives is represented by a dash between two dates,” but it is undoubtedly a concise way of stating what most people sense, especially as they get older, that life passes by quickly.
Last month, I received my Medicare card, so I suppose that that officially makes me a “senior citizen.” I am probably in some denial, and I can relate to someone who said, “I c...
View all of The Brevity of Life
Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13 (CSB)
Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 1 Corinthians 9:22 (NLT)
As we age, it is commonly believed that change becomes more difficult for many of us. Perhaps it is because we want to hold onto those familiar and comfortable things for us. This notion can be an obstacle to fulfilling our commission to “go and make disciples among all nations. ” The forces t...
View all of To Swim or to Stand
He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river. Ezekiel 47:5–6 (NIV)
Ezekiel presents us with a vision. There is a life-giving river flowing from the temple. In essence, it is the blessing of God coming from his presence. We see a river over 2 miles wide. For those with a desire to...
View all of Swim in the River of God
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...
“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...
This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Haggai 1:7 (NIV)
Once again, we find ourselves on the threshold of a new year. Traditionally, it is a time for making resolutions. Many of those resolutions will be cast aside by the middle of January. As I have previously written[1], I have found most New Year’s resolutions, however well-intentioned, ineffectual. We should begin immediately anytime we are aware of changes that need to be made, regardless of what the c...
View all of A Time for Careful Consideration
