The last of the ten commandments is not coveting anything that is your neighbors. Ahab’s coveting of Naboth’s vineyard illustrates the dynamics and results of coveting. Coveting expressed itself in this example through false witness, murder and stealing. Those who follow deception because they have no shepherd covet and commit idolatry. Dynamics of Coveting Ahab…
Thomas Aquinas wrote, “Without prayer we become deaf to the voice of divine love and become confused by the many competing voices asking for our attention. When we try to become very still, we often find ourselves so overwhelmed by our noisy inner voices that we can hardly wait to get busy and distracted again….
Charles Spurgeon spoke of four “certain signs and tokens for good which prayerful faith clearly perceives when an awakening, a genuine revival is about to come.” Christians should regard the following things as clouds, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea.1. A growing dissatisfaction with the present state of things, and an…
A congregation rallied other churches in a college town to pray downtown during an annual Halloween festival that brought 25,000 revelers resembling Mardis Gras with its drunkenness and sensuality. Police broke up fights, arrested out-of-control people, and hoped that a riot would not erupt. The cost for the clean up was nearly $100,000. Churches prayed…
Charles Spurgeon wrote, “The precious blood of Jesus is not meant for us merely to admire and exhibit. We must not be content to talk about it, and extol it, and do nothing with it; but we are to use it in the great crusade against unholiness and unrighteousness, till it is said of us, ‘They…
Building a team can be tricky, whether it’s a family, church or business. One is tempted to lay down the law to make things happen quickly. If things begin to fall apart, it’s easy to set up man-made systems instead of trusting God. When Rehoboam succeeded his father, Solomon, as king, he became a bully…
We lose out in achieving our full kingdom potential by allowing fleshly lust and worldly prestige turn our hearts away from God. Even more tragic, we lose sweet fellowship with God. Solomon started out well, but he paid the price when his heart away from the Lord. You can be wise and give good advice…
Someone said, “I asked God for strength that I might achieve. I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health that I might do greater things. I was given infirmity that I might do better things. I asked for riches that I might be happy. I was given poverty…
Oswald Chambers wrote: “Today we hold conferences and conventions and give reports and make our programs. None of these things were in the life of Jesus, and yet every minute of His life He realized that He was fulfilling the purpose of His Father (John 9:4). How did He do it? By maintaining the one…
Quoting Andy Stanley in his book, Fields of God: “Under the mounting weight of uncertainty, it’s easy to slowly become irrational about our possessions. We lose sight of who really owns them. We fail to grasp how we should be sowing them for God’s kingdom. And we get confused about what we should really fear…
For most work, unless God provides the wisdom and skill to form plans, set up strategic partnerships and allocate tasks with proper supervision and human resources, it won’t get done. When God dwells in your work, you attract people to Him. Solomon told Hiram king of Tyre that David was unable to build a house…
Media and the world wants to squeeze you in a certain mold. God offers the valuable possession of wisdom. When Solomon asked for wisdom, he received many tremendous benefits. Solomon formed a marriage alliance with the daughter of Pharaoh king of Egypt and brought her to the city of David until he finished building his…