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God’s tests

January 13, 2014

We cannot answer every why question. But there is always this answer: my faith is being tested by the Lord who loves me and will help me. And our Lord never wastes his tests. Whether we believe this truth is, in fact, part of the test. In the mind of Jesus, the promise that he would give them the crown of life was enough to sustain the Christians in Smyrna. I praise God that this has been, and pray that it always will be enough…

Excerpted from A Godward Heart by John Piper

Daily Reflection: How can you reminder yourself daily of Jesus’ promise?

Sneak Peek: The Holy Land Key – Chapters 17 & 18 – by Ray Bentley

January 12, 2014


Don’t Just Read Prophecy. Step into Its Fulfillment.

Click here to download chapter 17 & 18 of The Holy Land Key.

The Holy Land Key opens our eyes to little-known aspects of prophecy, including:
·         God’s master plan revealed in the seven Feasts of the Lord
·         The ingathering of God’s people, and the ways Israelis are hearing from God today
·         Significant prophetic patterns discovered in the lunar cycle
·         Awe-inspiring testimonies to God’s glory spelled out in the night sky
·         Glimpses of God’s future kingdom revealed in the stories of well-known figures from Scripture

 

Click here to download chapter 17 & 18 of The Holy Land Key.

FREE DOWNLOAD: A Fearless Life – A Bible Study and Reflection Guide

January 7, 2014

Download a FREE discussion guide about the book, FEARLESS: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown.

About the guide –

In case the worst happened, Adam Brown wrote to his children:
“I’m not afraid of anything that might  happen to me on this Earth because  I know no matter what, nothing can take my spirit from me…”

Adam Brown lived his life with a very clear set of values: God, country, family.

He was flawed, sometimes frightfully so, yet with a keen sense of integrity that set him apart. One of Adam’s final wishes, written by hand on his casualty form,  was that his spiritual testimony—his complete story—be told, including “my life before I met Jesus Christ and Kelley.” His story serves as a reminder of the power of faith.

Adam [ … ]

Giving Like a Child

January 6, 2014

“She handed me a Plastic Donut from her kitchen play set.

I looked at the Donut and back at my daughter. She stood waiting for a response. So I put the Donut up to my mouth and said with great animation, “Yummm, yummm… Thank you, Autumn! This is soooo goood.”

Then something beautiful happened. Her big brown eyes widened, and her lips pushed a giant smile against her puffy cheeks. She stood up on her toes, shrugged her shoulders up to her ears, and let out a high-pitched squeal…

For Autumn, this exercise in giving gifts kept bringing her back to Daddy. For me, it kept me looking for my child to return to my side. I was moved by the exchange. I loved the interaction and connection. I was so pleased…

I didn’t see it coming, but at that [ … ]

Ignite the Ordinary

January 2, 2014

Today’s Bible reading: Exodus 3:1–10

When you strip the biblical miracles of their spectacular special effects, a common plot point emerges: extraordinary moves of God begin with ordinary acts of obedience.

Consider Moses’s first encounter with God.

Moses is tending the family sheep out in the nondescript countryside.

He happens to notice a bush that’s caught fire.

He walks over to take a look…

Up to this point, it’s not exactly a riveting scene, is it?

In reality, the illustrious burning-bush encounter that seemed so captivating in Sunday school is…really…quite…ordinary. Moses is performing menial manual labor, working for his father-in-law. It’s dusty. The sheep stink. Does it get any more mundane?

Almost all encounters with God begin that way. You may be living under the illusion that when God ignites great things in your life, He’ll announce it with a [ … ]

Walking the Talk

December 31, 2013

“Our peers judge us not by what we say but by what we do. If you claim to be a good wife and mother, then you sometimes will have to put your family’s interests above your own. If you believe your purpose is to share your artistic talents with the world, then you will be judged on the works you produce, not on those you merely propose. You have to walk the talk; otherwise you have no credibility with others—or with yourself—because you, too, should demand that your actions match your words. If they don’t, you will never live in harmony and fulfillment.”

Excerpted from Unstoppable by Nick Vujicic

Daily Reflection: How can your actions match your words this new year?

We Are All Different

December 26, 2013

“They say variety is the spice of life. Perhaps that’s why God so often puts people of such different personalities in the same family. (Either that, or he’s trying to prepare us for marriage!) Mary was the sunlight to Martha’s thunder. She was the caboose to Martha’s locomotive. Mary’s bent was to meander through life, pausing to smell the roses. Martha was more likely to pick the roses, quickly cut the stems at an angle, and arrange them in a vase with baby’s breath and ferns.

That is not to say one is right and one is wrong. We are all different, and that is just as God made us to be. Each gifting and personality has its own strengths and weaknesses, its glories and temptations.

I find it interesting that when Jesus corrected Martha, he didn’t say, ‘Why can’t [ … ]

Emmanuel

December 25, 2013

Christmas is about the great mystery of Emmanuel, “God with us.” Jesus gave up equality with God to come down from glory as a baby. Mary would carry the Son of God in her womb and be His earthly mother. She submitted to God’s plans for her in spite of the questions and whispers surrounding her. She believed the words of Gabriel when he told her she was “highly favored” by the Lord and He was with her.

She gave her body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this was her spiritual act of worship. Did Mary know that Isaiah 53 was a prophecy about her son? Did she know that His birth would change history? Mary’s attitude, one of humility, love, and confidence, provides an example.

May we have the same attitude of humility when [ … ]