How To Pray for Your Pastor Or Your Spiritual LeaderNow I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints; That I may come unto you with joy by the will o...  Read More

Mark 11:23 Works for the Devil Too!For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.— Mark 11:23The devil loves to make a playground out of people’s minds and imaginations. He delights in fi...  Read More

Gird Up the Loins of Your Mind!Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.— 1 Peter 1:13Today I want to draw your attention to the phrase “gird up the loins of your mind” that is used in the verse above. This isn’t just an interesting phrase that Peter concocted when he wrote this verse. It ...  Read More

Who Are You Considering Today?And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.— Hebrews 10:24Do you ever get so busy and self-consumed that you forget there are people all around you who have needs and challenges too? It’s true that we are often so concerned about ourselves that we forget or bypass people who are struggling terribly, not realizing that they need a special ac...  Read More

What Would You Do If a Poisonous Snake Bit You?And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.— Acts 28:5When I read about the travels of the apostle Paul, I find his story to be simply remarkable! What he had to endure to take the Gospel to the Gentiles was out of the ordinary!For example, in Second Corinthians 11:25, Paul tells us that during the course of his ministry, he was shipwr...  Read More

Bringing Correction Into Someone Else’s LifeAnd the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient. — 2 Timothy 2:24Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you are trying to help someone who isn’t listening or paying attention to what you are trying to tell him? Should that happen to you in the future, don’t allow yourself to get so angry that you ...  Read More

Is It Possible for a Christian To Become the Enemy of God?Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.— James 4:4How does God view a believer who once walked with Him and knew the power of the Holy Spirit but has now become so entangled in the world that he hardly ever picks u...  Read More

Don’t Throw Away Your Confidence!Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.— Hebrews 10:35Have you ever gotten so exhausted from waiting for God’s promise to come to pass that you were tempted to say, “Forget it! I’ve waited long enough! I’m not going to sit here and wait any longer. I’ve given enough of my life to this, and I’m tired of it. I’m going to toss t...  Read More

Do You Need Some Convincing?And when he is come, he will reprove...of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more.— John 16:8,10Have you ever complimented someone who responded by arguing with you — rejecting your compliment and essentially questioning your judgment in the matter? For example, after you told someone that he looked as if he had lost weight, did he respond by tel...  Read More

Isn’t It Time for You To Tell Your Flesh To Shut Up?Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.— Romans 6:11Left unchecked, your flesh will try to run you over, take charge of your emotions, and promote laziness in your life. It will tell you that you’ve done too much; that you’ve already done more than anyone else; that you don’...  Read More

God’s Delivering Power Is Yours!For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.— 2 Corinthians 1:8,9Everyone has had to endure hardness at some po...  Read More

The Essential Attitude for Success!Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.— 1 Corinthians 4:1We live in a world that loves to take it easy. We want instant results — and we want them right now. Technology has made almost everything instantly accessible. Our entire Western lifestyle is centered around making things as easy, fast, effortless, ...  Read More

Has Satan Ever Tried To Use You As a Source of Strife?But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.— James 3:14Many years ago, I worked as an associate pastor in a large Southern Baptist church. The pastor I served was a wonderful man of God who taught me and gave his life to me unselfishly. I nearly adored this man — until one day, I became off...  Read More

Pearls and Pigs!Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.— Matthew 7:6Once I was on a farm where the farmer had a hog that was so huge, I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw it! It just lay there on the ground, flicking its ears and shaking its rolls of fat in an attempt to shoo awa...  Read More

Don’t Throw Holy Things to the Dogs!Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.— Matthew 7:6Sometimes we try in vain to help people who don’t appreciate the help we are offering them. When we try to help people like this, they are so ungrateful that it almost feels like they spit in our f...  Read More

A True Story To Demonstrate The Danger of ‘Cracks’ in Your LifeWherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.— 1 Corinthians 10:12There is an incredible story from history that demonstrates the danger of “cracks” in your spiritual life. The story comes from the city of Sardis, where one of the seven churches in the book of Revelation was located (see Revelation 3:1-6).The city...  Read More

How Badly Do You Want To Win Your Race?Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but only one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. — 1 Corinthians 9:24When runners run in a race, they have one thing foremost in their mind — the finish line! It was with this thought in mind that the apostle Paul wrote and told the Corinthians, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all,...  Read More

Don’t Ignore the Fruit Growing On the Branches of the Tree!Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. — Matthew 7:20Jesus taught very strongly that when considering people for any leading position, it is necessary that we first carefully look at the fruit in that person’s life. Even if the person is willing and eager to serve, the fruit in his personal life and attitude is exactly what you’re g...  Read More

Your Faith Will Put You On Center Stage!Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.— Hebrews 10:33Have you ever taken a stand of faith that made you the biggest joke in your church, among your friends, in your city, or in your state? When people heard what you believed that God told you, did they l...  Read More

The Rank and File of Satan’s KingdomFor we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. — Ephesians 6:12I realize that many people tend to think that screaming, yelling, screeching, stomping, and shouting are required to defeat the devil. However, these actions will ac...  Read More

Spiritual Warfare Is Real!For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. — Ephesians 6:12Spiritual warfare is real! The devil and his demon spirits are not myths or fantasies. These are real beings that hate the human race and therefore roam about seeking whom the...  Read More

You Can Make a Difference In Someone Else’s Life!And of some have compassion, making a difference. — Jude 1:22If you are burdened for someone who isn’t serving God the way he used to, it’s time for you to do something about it. Worrying won’t change a thing! But turning that worry into action can make a big difference in the outcome of that other person’s life.You can make a difference in someone ...  Read More

Weeping and Gnashing of TeethAnd cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.— Matthew 25:30When I was a boy growing up in the church, I would frequently hear preachers use the phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth” as a part of their sermons, especially if they were preaching on the subject of eternal damnation. Every time I heard the phrase ...  Read More

What Jesus Thinks of LazinessAnd cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.— Matthew 25:30My grandfather was a German immigrant who spoke no English when he arrived at Ellis Island in New York’s harbor, so he had to work very hard to achieve anything in his new life in America. Because he had no time to go to school to learn English, the bes...  Read More