Category: CHRISTIAN LIFE
Better Prayer Meetings and Prayer Groups: Less Confusion, More Communion
Most of us have experienced both “good” and “bad” prayer meetings. Eventually we may find out that the “good prayer meeting” which seemed to go very well was actually tainted. Those who prayed sounded spiritual, but they were full of pride. And Peter tells us, “God...
What it Means to Pray in the Name of Jesus
“If you ask anything in my name,” Jesus promised, “I will do it.” (John 14:14). What incredible confidence this should infuse into our prayers! But do we tap the power and potency of heaven simply by tacking the words “in Jesus’ name” onto the end of...
You Talk About What You Love
Leading a retreat for men several years ago, I remember being aware of the spiritual immaturity of some men who had been part of their church for years. The first night I discovered that these men were capable of knowing a lot, including much detailed information....
When Finney Was Right
I have no real love for the methods or doctrine of Charles Grandison Finney who lived in the early 1800s. He was a watershed figure whose ways have caused modern evangelicalism much trouble. To use a word that is not common to most, he was a...
What Pastors Must Do, and How to Help Them
I once heard a pastor who preaches weekly to thousands confess that he and his fellow pastors were failing the members of their church. Yes, he teaches the Bible faithfully every week. Yes, a large number of people in the church are regularly sent out for...
What It Was Like: Geography and Culture Make a Difference
I recently returned from a trip to Israel. The purpose for the trip was to create mental images in the minds of my students of that part of the world where so much Bible history took place. As we hiked down Judean hills, traversed the barren...
Why You Don’t Read Your Bible
To go through life as a professing believer without taking in the Word of God is like trying to drive across the country without a road. You won’t make it. It’s like saying, “I’m not really interested in God at all.” People who don’t have any...
Your Best Life … Later
In his best-selling book, Your Best Life Now, TV preacher and mega-church pastor, Joel Osteen, writes: “God wants this to be the best time of your life” (p. 5). According to Osteen, God wants everybody to have financial success, physical health, and social comfort, in this...
You and God’s Law: How’s the Relationship Going?
God’s true people are saved by His grace, but they are distinguished from the rest by their relationship with His moral standard of conduct as revealed in Scripture—His law. Those who are truly His people have always been known for their affectionate submission to His authority...
When God Moves Kings: The Second Exodus
As Moses climbed down the craggy face of Mt. Horeb, you might say he was awestruck. He had just been speaking to a bush engulfed in flames, to the angel of the Lord, and had reluctantly agreed to the impossible task of leading Israel out of...
