Look at What You’ve Been Given In Jesus Christ!But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.— John 1:12You have been given so much in Jesus Christ! You have no legitimate reason for failing to be an awesome success in life, because you have so much going for you! In fact, you have much more going for you than you could possibly...  Read More

Where Does the Bible Ever Say God Is Looking for Brains?For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despi...  Read More

A Celebration Like No Other!And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.— Colossians 2:15Have you ever wondered what kind of celebration took place in Heaven after Jesus’ defeat of the devil? Well, it is possible for us to know exactly how Heaven celebrated because Paul gives us a glimpse into that heavenly gala event in Colossians 2:15. ...  Read More

Have You Noticed the People Whom God Has Called To Help You?Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.— 1 Corinthians 4:1When I was first starting to study New Testament Greek many years ago, I pulled out my Greek New Testament one day and flipped it over to First Corinthians 4:1. There I discovered that the Greek word for “ministers” was the w...  Read More

Being Led by the Holy SpiritAnd when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched He their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.And their eyes were opened......  Read More

Be Sure To Go To Sword Practice!And take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.— Ephesians 6:17Have you ever been confronted with a situation where you felt you needed a word from the Lord, but you didn’t know which word you needed? Did you run to your Bible and start flipping through the pages, searching for that perfect word you needed — but it seemed like you just couldn’t quite f...  Read More

Lay Hands Suddenly on No Man!Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.— 1 Timothy 5:22No car manufacturer would release a new model car to the public without first testing the weaknesses and strengths of that automobile. To test the new model, the manufacturer will order it to be driven as fast as it can be driven. It will be crashed into a wall. It ...  Read More

What Lies in Your Future If You Choose To Give Up and Quit?Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition.... — Hebrews 10:38,39One day as I was ministering in a certain church, the pastor of the church asked me if I would take the time to have lunch with a minister who had previously been associ...  Read More

Have You Ever Wondered What Songs They Sang in New Testament Times?It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:If we suffer, we shall also reign with him:if we deny him, he also will deny us:If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful:he cannot deny himself.— 2 Timothy 2:11-13Have you ever wondered what kind of worship services took place in the first-century Ch...  Read More

Developing the Divine RomanceBut thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.— Matthew 6:6If you would like to know the Holy Spirit more intimately, it is important for you to understand what Jesus said in Matthew 6:6. He said, “But thou, when thou prayest, ent...  Read More

Pray That the Word of the Lord May Have Free Course!Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you. — 2 Thessalonians 3:1Have you ever wondered how you should pray for missionaries or for people who are preaching the Word on the front lines where it is more difficult? Well, today I’m going to give you the answer. And please ...  Read More

A Partner To Help You When You Don’t Know How To Pray!Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.— Romans 8:26Have you ever experienced a time when you didn’t know what to pray for yourself or for someone else? Have you ever been in a dilemma, and you ...  Read More

The Helmet of SalvationAnd take the helmet of salvation.... — Ephesians 6:17How would like you to have supernatural protection wrapped so tightly around your head that it would safeguard your mind from every mental assault of the devil? Well, you may not realize it, but if you are a child of God, you have already been given this kind of safeguard to protect you from the enemy’s attacks against you...  Read More

A Supernatural EndowmentFor Those Who Work on the Front Lines! Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. — 2 Corinthians 12:12During Paul’s day, the problem of false apostles was so rampant that he felt it necessary to validate his ministry by pointing out the “signs” of an apostle that were evident in his life. In Second Corinth...  Read More

Whatsoever a Man Soweth, That Shall He Also Reap!Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. — Galatians 6:7It has been my pleasure to stand before my precious Russian congregation many thousands of times over the years and to boldly tell them, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).Th...  Read More

Instant ‘in Season’ And ‘out of Season’!Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season.... — 2 Timothy 4:2Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy during a very difficult season in Timothy’s ministry. A few years earlier, the picture had been radically different. At that time, the church of Ephesus was growing and thriving. Timothy was the new young pastor whom the church loved! Those earlier...  Read More

Don’t Deliberately Invite a Typhoon Into Your Church, Ministry, or Business!Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. — 1 Timothy 3:6Maybe you’ve had an associate or a worker whom you once greatly trusted — until he or she deceived and betrayed you. If you’ve gone through that kind of difficult experience, you may not be too excited about trusting pe...  Read More

The Devil Has a Plan for Your Life!The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. — John 10:10I realize that John 10:10 is a well-known verse to millions of believers around the world, but today I want to give you fresh insight into this powerful scripture. Rather than simply read it as you’ve r...  Read More

Where Sin Abounds, Grace Much More Abounds!...But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. — Romans 5:20I’ll never forget the time we were being attacked on every side by the enemy. It seemed like an all-out assault had been unleashed against us. At the same time we were experiencing this attack on our ministry, the city where we lived was in political upheaval. This chaotic situation was s...  Read More

Take My Yoke Upon YouCome unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. — Matthew 11:28-30When our family first moved to the Soviet Union, the Soviet economy was so collapsed and the system so broken that even th...  Read More

Meekness and TemperanceBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.... — Galatians 5:22,23Few people think of “meekness” as a desirable attribute. Most assume that if a person is “meek,” he must be “weak.” To these people, a meek person is one who is timid, shy, bashful, or perhaps introverted.But this is a grossly incorrect vie...  Read More

Goodness and FaithBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. — Galatians 5:22Once when I was flying from New York City to another city in the United States, I noticed the man sitting next to me had his head lowered against the seat. I could tell he was experiencing some kind of terrible throbbing pain in his head, so I asked him, “Is there any way ...  Read More

Longsuffering and GentlenessBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness.... — Galatians 5:22Have you ever thought, Lord, You have to help me deal with this person You’ve put in my life! I’m so tired of trying to help him with his rebellious attitude that I’d like to walk away and leave him forever! Please give me the patience I need to keep working with him! Do you r...  Read More

Joy and PeaceBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace.... — Galatians 5:22I’ll never forget many years ago when a so-called “brother in the Lord” tried to destroy our ministry in the former USSR. When I finally discovered the destructive schemes he was covertly planning, I was dumbfounded — stunned that someone I had worked with so closely could be deviously used by the devil. It was a true...  Read More