Allow for Differences

Just recently I’ve been struck again by how often Christians compare themselves with other Christians. Sometimes it is to our detriment. We feel we are not as gifted, as spiritual, as friendly, as prayerful or serving as much as they are. We might feel their prayers are being answered, while ours are not. But perhaps the problem could be more than we are not listening to or liking the answer we’re getting. Just because God answered someone else a certain way in a certain situation does not necessarily mean He is obliged to answer us the same way. What is … Continue reading

Dreams and Visions

God spoke to people in Old Testament times in dreams and visions and even in New Testament times by this manner, does this mean we can expect God to speak to us today by dreams and visions. I don’t believe it necessarily does. Yes, I know there are those that will disagree about his and that people have written books about how we can still expect God to speak to us in this manner today. These people will say that God hasn’t changed. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Certainly that is true. So what has changed? What … Continue reading

How Can Reading a Psalm Help You?

Let me give you some ideas of how reading a psalm can sharpen and challenge our thinking. And suggest how to apply it to your life. This morning I read Psalm 57. In verse 1 David pleads with God to be gracious. Why? Because his soul ‘takes refuge’ in God. Is God my place of refuge and the One I run to when trouble comes? Is he yours? Notice David’s confidence in verse 2. He knows exactly where to turn and why to go there. He has confidence in God’s ability to undertake for him. David knew God ‘accomplishes all … Continue reading

What Really Matters

Over the past few days we’ve looked at getting our priorities right and making sure our lives exhibit transformation, love, commitment, joy. But how practically can we change our lives to incorporate these important features in our lives, when each day is so busy and so crammed with activities? If we’re waiting for a day without any troubles before we implement a change, it will never happen because each day has troubles, Jesus said the forecast is trouble, trouble and more trouble, Matthew 6:34. So it’s not likely to get better. It’s a fact too, that each day only comes … Continue reading

Psalm 5: Praying Expectantly to Combat Discouragement

The older I get and the closer I grow to the Lord, the more I’ve come to realize that discouragement is really ungodly thinking in disguise. I don’t really mean to say that one should never be discouraged. But rather a discouragement without hope, one that ruins our day and our thoughts, is discouragement that hasn’t been handed over to God. And yet, how do we hand discouragement over to God? David, if anyone, had a reason to be discouraged. Like so many of God’s faithful he was persecuted for doing nothing wrong. He served Saul faithfully, so faithfully in … Continue reading