“We can do nothing without prayer. All things can be done by importunate prayer. That is the teaching of Jesus Christ”. ~ E. M. Bounds “As is the business of tailors to make clothes and cobblers to make shoes, so it is the business of Christians to pray.” ~Martin Luther I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the LORD; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. When you…
Last week we talked about how Zachariah doubted God’ ability to give him a son. Because of this he was unable to speak until the day of the circumcision of his son. He got his voice back after he had written on a tablet “His name is to be John”. Oh, how Zachariah praised the Lord! “Bless the Lord God of Israel because he has come to help and has delivered his people. He has raised up a mighty savior…
Jesus was not just any teacher. Jesus came so the dark corners of our lives could be restored. Jesus came because without him we would not be whole. His life, death, and resurrection changed our destiny. Yet many of us still live in darkness. Jesus arrives quietly, humbly, and in peace. Do we recognize Jesus in the middle of our Christmas celebrations? Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion. Sing aloud, Daughter Jerusalem. Look, your king will come to you. He is righteous…
The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity. If we want to see mighty wonders of divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let us answer God’s standing challenge, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not!” ~J. Hudson Taylor LORD my God, listen to your servant’s prayer and request, and hear the cry and prayer that your servant prays…
How much should we pray? Seriously. The Bible tells us “Pray without ceasing!”, “Devote yourselves to prayer!”,” Pray diligently!” and “Offer prayers and petitions in the Spirit all the time!” That’s a lot of prayer, don’t you think? How much should we pray? Leonard Ravenhill has said “To be much for God, we must be much with God. Jesus, that lone figure in the wilderness, knew strong crying, along with tears. Can one be moved with compassion and not know…
Why is Christmas such a big deal? Does it really matter that Jesus was born? Yes, it does. Without Jesus we would live our lives in dark without hope. Without Jesus there wouldn’t be a chance to be made right with God. Without Jesus we would still stumble in the dark. Christmas matters because YOU matter to God. The birth of Jesus was promised hundreds years before it happened: Therefore, the Lord will give you a sign. The young woman…
The Bible is a treasure. The more I read it, the more I marvel God’s perfect plan. Just take the prophecies of Jesus. Every single one of them came through. Therefore, the Lord will give you a sign. The young woman is pregnant and is about to give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14, CEB) Also there are so many parallels between the Old testament and the New testament. Just think of Abraham and…
Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord! Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you’re in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer. (Romans 12:11-12, CEB) When I go aside in order to pray, I find my heart unwilling to approach God; and when I tarry in prayer my heart is unwilling to abide in Him. Therefore I am compelled first to pray to God to move my heart into Himself,…
You might ask what money and spiritual fruitfulness have in common. I used to question that myself. I’ve always thought that giving is good and we need to take care of each other. But I did not see what it had to do with spiritual fruitfulness. Martin Luther has said “There are three conversions necessary: the conversion of the heart, mind, and the purse.” For a long time I did not particularly like this quote. But now I see its…
I’ve always thought the Bible is valuable and precious. But the more I read it, the more I cherish it. The Bible is priceless. The salvation plan of God, which is revealed in the Bible, is beyond amazing. The Bible is a treasure map to God’s heart. That’s why the Bible is such a huge gift. Whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction so that we could have hope through endurance and through the encouragement of…
