Valentine's Day is the beginning of the Lenten season. While many people do not celebrate Lent, billions of people around the world enter into a time of fasting. What is Lent? It is a time period of 40 days leading up to Resurrection Sunday where Christians reflect on Christ's sacrifice with sacrifices of their own. …
When God Remodels Your Life
I have discovered that the most significant and important life changes can be the most difficult. Imagine resolving that you want to remodel your home. Your initial thoughts may be dreams of the exciting and creative possibilities. You may imagine the end results. Perhaps you are contemplating the new beautiful space you will entertain in, …
Jesus Carries Our Suffering
Sometimes pain can come on in an unexpected moment, such as when you step barefoot onto a sharp object, or when you suddenly lose a loved one. Other times, the pain is a deep ache of an old injury that resurfaces with a change in weather - or when your past emotional pain is triggered …
Trusting God for All Our Needs
I cried and cried. We didn’t tell anyone but the Lord. I spent time talking to God about what he had asked us to do. He wanted us to move to a new city where we didn’t know anyone, make sacrifices and yet here we were in this situation. I remember being brutally honest with the Lord in my prayer time.
When it seems like our prayers aren’t being answered
We do not need to fear the enemy, including when he seems relentless and our defense doesn't seem to be working. Truthfully speaking, the enemy lost at the cross. He lost the war, but he doesn't like to give up in the battle. How much more should we, who won the war in Christ, not give up in the battle? Why do we say, "Oh well. Jesus won the war, so who cares if we lose this battle?"
Waiting on the Promises
What have you been waiting on the Lord for? A breakthrough? Healing? Deliverance from an oppressive situation? Our need and our pain reveal a greater glory that we were created for. Hunger suggests that we were created for food. Exhaustion says that we were created for rest and strength. Loneliness calls that we have a …
How Much is Truth Worth?
This excerpt is from The Puritan Classic The Christian in Complete Armour Volume 2 by William Gurnall We have the truth at a cheap rate now; but how soon the market may rise we do not know. Truth is not always available at the same market price. We must buy it at any cost but …
Urgent Call to Pray and Fast for Afghanistan
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets …
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The Encouragers
Some people in the body of Christ have a special gift to encourage. The first encourager listed in scripture was Barnabas. “Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.”Acts 4:36-37 Barnabas …
Give Me Self-discipline, Lord!
A well quoted verse is 2 Timothy 1:7. The well known part of the verse is this: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear!" I have quoted this to myself and others for years — even decades. But, today it came to me with fresh eyes and revelation. Let's look at the …