PrayerLife

To appreciate the good news of God's Gospel we need to understand man's need. The apostle Paul writes, "You were (spiritually) dead in your trespasses and sins" (Eph 2:1). He goes on to say, "remember that you were at that time separated from Christ ... having no hope and without God in the world" (v 12). Those are powerful words: dead ... separated ... no hope ... without God. There was nothing w...

Nicodemus was a very religious man but he didn't know God personally. It took an encounter with Jesus to open his eyes to the truth of the gospel. He discovered that knowing God didn't depend on his track record, but on Jesus' track record being credited to his life.

Jesus was constantly looking for opportunities to care for the deep needs of others. He wasn't looking for perfect people. He came to meet the needs of the broken, the lost, the immoral, and the desperate. As a result of Jesus' single encounter with a spiritually thirsty woman at a well, many came to know him as the source of life and personal transformation.

"Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1). Engaging in Spiritual Warfare means standing against the lies and deception of the enemy.

The importance of prayer is seen on an occasion when Jesus' disciples were unable to cast out a demon. Jesus told them “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer" (Mark 9:29). There are some things that can only be accomplished through prayer.

Spiritual Warfare requires that we trust God regarding the truth of realities we cannot see. Perceiving the unseen demands that we believe what God has revealed in His word. Faith is the response of a heart that has heard God's truth, believes God's message, and then acts on what God has revealed.

The key idea of Jesus being the Good Shepherd is that Jesus is not simply a "hired hand" who doesn't have a personal investment in his sheep and abandons them at the first sign of danger. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who cares for His sheep and lays down his life for them. Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a she...

Jesus communicates that He is the exclusive means of access to a personal relationship with God. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture" (John 10:7-9).

Jesus identified himself as being the source of light and life. He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Join with me as we pray for Jesus' light and life giving ministry to impact our families, our churches, and our communities.

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst (John 6:35). The "bread of life" is a person and his name is Jesus. He is the source of eternal life. Jesus uses the metaphor of eating his flesh and drinking his blood for a faith that is relying on him alone for LIFE !

Happy New Year! Here is God's counsel to Joshua to help insure a year of blessing. "Be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you...

In the Old Testament, memorial stones were a way of commemorating an momentous event so its lessons would never be forgotten. As you reflect on the key events and valuable lessons of 2016, what are some "memorial stones" that you want to carry with you into the new year?

As we anticipate serving God in 2017, what is the single most important thing we can do? Jesus answers that question for us. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30).

As we anticipate living our lives for God in 2017, Proverbs 4:23 has a strategically important message for us - "Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." The things we allow our hearts (our inner being) to dwell on, are the same things that will determine our attitudes and actions in the days ahead. We need to fill our hears with God's truth and the things t...

God has a purpose for your life! He wants to use you to be a blessing to others and bring Him glory. Ask God for a vision of how He uniquely wants to use your life in 2017.

As we begin to make plans for the new year, James reminds us to humbly yield to God's authority over our life. He writes, "Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away...

In these final days of 2016, it is appropriate to review the past year and begin to set goals and objectives for the new year. Psalm 90:12 says "So teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom." Let's invite God's wisdom as we anticipate the New Year.

Merry Christmas! Over 2000 years ago, infinite God expressed His love to finite man by taking on human flesh and being born as a baby in a manger. Christmas is the celebration of God's greatest miracle. On this Christmas day, "The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26)...

Merry Christmas Eve! We don't want the holiday season to slip by without it having an impact on our lives. From Angelic announcements to shepherds, to Magi bearing gifts, we are told that "Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart" (Luke 2:19). Let's ask God for a Spirit of wisdom to recognize and appreciate all that He is doing in our lives this Christmas. Let's take time to po...

"When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh" (Matthew 2:10-11). Just as the wise men worshipped Jesus and gave their treasures to Him we need to give Him our treasures a...

One of my favorite Christmas joys is listening to my granddaughter recite the Christmas Story. We recorded this together two years ago and it has become a special part of our family Christmas tradition. Sometimes when you hear a familiar story in a new way, its meaning can impact you afresh. Enjoy this telling of the Christmas Story through a Child's voice.

Worship is a central part of our Christmas celebration. We are told that after the shepherds came into Bethlehem and saw the infant Jesus, they returned to their flocks "glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them" (Luke 2:20). From marveling at the many prophecies fulfilled at Jesus' birth to being in awe at the incarnation (God taking on human fle...

We serve a praying God. Both the Holy Spirit and Jesus, the Son, intercede on behalf of believers. God, himself, views prayer as supremely important. Join with me, this Christmas, and give the valuable gift of prayer, interceding on behalf of our family and friends.

The Christmas story is filled with messages of honor and hope. For example, the birth of Jesus was first announced by angelic messengers to shepherds. These working class laborers would not have been on anyones list for such a remarkable announcement. From an insignificant town for Jesus' birth to a humble adolescent girl to be his mother, God constantly encourages us with unexpected honor and ble...

One of the most beautiful passages of scripture in all the Bible is Mary's Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). It is a spontaneous expression of praise from Mary's heart in response to the wondrous things that God is doing in and through her. Mary reminds us that Christmas is all about worship.