A local newspaper carried an article called “Road Rage” that demonstrated a need for grace. A motorist cut into another driver’s lane so abruptly that the other motorist had to apply his brakes to avoid collision. Both drivers became angry enough that one of them threatened the other with a gun. No shots were fired. Police arrested the gun-wielding man as he came off the interstate: The first man had called the police from his car phone. The gunman resisted arrest and had to be forcibly … [Read more...]
February 6, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Not By Our Strength
Have you ever tried to love somebody you do not like? It is hard to do. You can try. You can do good things for people you do not like. By doing good things for people you do not like you may confuse your human ability to act with the empowerment of God’s Spirit and think you are loving them. There is no place in Scripture where God says He will empower you to use your human abilities to love people. That is not what God does. He empowers us with His Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 states, “And do … [Read more...]
January 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment
We Can’t Do Without You!
Final exams before graduating from college had just been completed. A group of my friends and I rejoiced that we were finally finished with the university experience and were all going into full-time ministry. We went to the gym to play basketball and work off the tension and stress of finals. I discovered there is a way to rebound a basketball and a way not to rebound the ball. I went up for a rebound and the ball hit my little finger bending it backward and breaking it in the joint. I … [Read more...]
January 23, 2013 By 1 Comment
Where To Turn for Self-Help
Jesus said to His disciples: Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 The apostle Paul taught: Walk in [live by] the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Gal. 5:16 Everyone has two options: turn to God for help or, turn to the world for help. It’s like determining if you are headed north or south. Those are opposite directions. Suppose we … [Read more...]
January 16, 2013 By 2 Comments
Making a Difference
While many do not have an accurate nor positive view of repentance, neither does there seem to be an accurate view of whom God works in and through to bring revival and reform. Revival leaders through the years began as unknown, unidentified, unnamed, unacknowledged, unattested, unavowed, unclaimed, uncredited, undesignated, and unsigned. Just who were these people before God invaded their lives and caused them to lead out in significant works for Him? Were they bankers, pastors, musicians, … [Read more...]
January 7, 2013 By 1 Comment
Worldly Sorrow
Worldly sorrow is unmistakably different than godly sorrow. Is it possible for you to say, “I am sorry,” but not mean it? Yes. What kind of sorrow is that? It is worldly sorrow, not godly sorrow. This type of sorrow has no intention of producing change, it is simply sorry that a situation exists, or sorry that the situation is bringing grief to life. If you get into an argument with your boss and say some things you should not say, you know that the situation must be made right. When you … [Read more...]
December 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Victory!
Are you slow to anger? Are you quick to respond in defiance? Is there any Godly discretion in your life? Are you looking for recognition? Are you looking for approval or are you satisfied to walk in service to your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be approved by Him? During this season, let the following be a challenge to personal renewal. The following was printed and handed out during Boston’s Awakening of 1909 under guidance of Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman: original–source unknown. Given to me … [Read more...]
December 12, 2012 By 2 Comments
A Response to An Attack!
Elaine’s Testimony (Taken from the book, The Joy of Repentance) I had just gone through major surgery and had been home from the hospital for a week. Up until that time I had not been alone. In fact, I was feeling smothered by everyone’s attention. My husband asked me if I would be all right while he and our little boy went to the Fair Grounds. Once a year, there was a large celebration called Dairy Day in this small Texas town. They wanted to go see what was taking place at Dairy Day … [Read more...]
November 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Right Choices
The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression. Proverbs 19:11 Discretion is not something you can determine that you will develop just because you think you can act intelligent and all knowing. Godly discretion comes from God, not from human ingenuity. You cannot in and of yourself determine to be discreet in everything you do. Your human wisdom will not sustain you through an entire week of life without making an error in judgment. But, as you … [Read more...]
November 14, 2012 By 1 Comment
Irrigation Requires a Reservoir
Our world needs love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; it needs a good dose of these virtues. Most mental-health workers would agree with that statement. We would, however, sharply disagree on how to generate such virtues. If you were an atheist, your only option would be to find a way to create an environment that will either produce these qualities inside a person or release them from within a person, assuming something is blocking … [Read more...]
