Category: Spiritual Growth
If Anyone Thirsts
“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink’” (John 7:37). Jesus made this dramatic statement in connection with the water-drawing ceremony associated with the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles....
Discovering God’s Unsearchable Greatness
Psalm 71 contains a puzzling sentence: My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And of Your salvation all day long; For I do not know the sum of them. (v. 15) Can you see why I said the sentence is puzzling? The psalmist offers his limited...
Doubting Jesus
Do believers ever have doubts about Jesus? John the Baptist did, which might be surprising because he had a stellar start as a preacher of the gospel. For example, he declared, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier...
Do You Have a Camel in Your Throat?
Let me give you a scenario. Imagine that you’re a father who is concerned for your children’s safety. “You are not allowed to cross the street in front of our house,” you tell them. So far, so good. But now imagine that while you’re away from...
Answer Not a Fool
Proverbs 26:4 reads like this: “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.” The message seems clear enough: Don’t be a fool the way you answer a fool. We can be certain that verse is not telling us that we...
When Jesus Speaks: Following New Covenant Commands
When Eric Liddell (1902-1945), the famous Scottish Olympic runner of “Chariots of Fire” fame, dedicated his life to working with the Chinese as a missionary, he still could outrun most of us. His daughter recalls that he once caught a hare on foot for supper. But...
What Did George Muller Think About the Bible?
George Muller loved orphans. By the end of his life in the late 1800’s, he had housed over 10,000 in Bristol, England. Remarkably, throughout his ministry he made needs known only to God. Muller’s ultimate desire for destitute boys and girls was not just to provide...
Still Faithful: George Muller’s Prayer-hearing God
The living, eternal Lord always came through for George Muller. He cared for over 10,000 orphans throughout his life in Bristol, England, but he made his needs known only to God. He believed God answered over 50,000 of his prayers. One of Muller’s hopes in trusting...
Prayer That Changes Things
Despite my best intentions, I’ve often been disappointed in the lack of results from my praying. Since the death of my wife, however, I can honestly report more effectiveness than in any previous recollection. But why? Perhaps because the trauma of death forced a shift in...
What Should You Do About Sexual Sin?
In the town where I grew up, the sexually explicit magazines in the bookstore were placed on the top shelf. That usually didn’t keep a curious young boy or teen from grabbing one, stuffing it in a Sports Illustrated to make it look like he was...