Patience and Perseverance
It takes many hours to catch a fish. The same is true in sharing our faith. Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching in the synagogues, preaching good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness (severe pain, demon-
Our mission agency, Christ For the City Int’l, spent a day serving during our bi-annual board meetings. During lunch, I sat down next to a man eating alone. I asked, “How’s your day going?”
After an awkward pause, he opened up. I sensed a melancholy spir
Fear and doubt are the two main reasons why people don’t share the gospel with others. You fear that people will think you are a religious fanatic if you share the gospel with them. You doubt that the gospel makes a difference in someone’s life so you keep quiet. Supernatural signs including life transformation and…
Our society rewards glitz and glamour. We live in an impatient society. Enron’s “creative” accounting practices show that companies often look for short-term profits instead of long-term health and sustainability. Employees get promoted based on image and style instead of character and substance. Movie stars get publicity because of their looks and wild lifestyle, not…
Life contains many mine fields disguised as distractions and desires of your sinful nature seeking to kill you. Everything in this world conspires to lead you astray from the simplicity and pure devotion to Christ. Religious leaders sought to kill Him. His disciples turned away from Him. Only one woman in Mark 14 lavished praise…
Reading the newspaper headlines about natural disasters, terrorist attacks and relational unrest throughout the world have tendency to create fear. Remember these are birth pangs for Christ’s Second Coming. Instead of being anxious, prepare yourself spiritually by putting your hope in Christ, not in things of this world. Christ comforts and encourages, while the world…
Like in Jesus’ day, people are confused why Jesus came to earth. A Muslim will shrug his shoulders if you ask him for a solution after doing something wrong. A Hindu will tell you maybe you can get it right in your next life. A psychiatrist will tell you, “You need some counseling, step in my…
George Mueller lived during the 1800s and prayed in millions of dollars (in today’s currency) to meet the needs of his orphan houses. He never asked anyone directly for money, but trusted God to put in people’s hearts to send him what he needed. He never took out a loan or went into debt. And…
No one wants to live a mediocre Christian life. As hard as I try, forces pull me back to the status quo where I’m not different than anyone else. It’s like rowing against a strong current. Every force is fighting against my best efforts to live the normal Christian life in the way God designed….
One of George Barna’s mega themes for 2010: The influence of Christianity on culture and individual lives is largely invisible. He states that Christianity has arguably added more value to American culture than any other religion, philosophy, ideology or community. Although there were a few subgroups that were more likely than average to experience church-based accountability, there…
One verse in Steve Green’s song, “Embrace the Cross,” goes like this: “Embrace the crossWhere Jesus sufferedThough it will costAll you claim as yoursYour sacrifice will seem smallBeside the treasureEternity can’t measureWhat Jesus holds in store.” Mark 8 develops this theme beginning with feeding the 4,000, Jesus confronting the wrong thinking of the Pharisees &…
Church leaders are calling American Christians to “wake up” to the calls of the Gospel by living a radical life. Consumerism and materialism have made them captive to the American dream with focus on self instead of others and accumulating wealth instead giving to the poor. Jesus, in contrast, gave priority to comprehensive radical living, which…