"Ready in Season"
Many of us suffer from the unbalanced tendency to “be ready” only “out of season.” The season does not refer to time; it refers to us. This verse says, “Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season.” In other words, we should “be ready” whether we feel like it or not. If we do only what we feel inclined to do, some of us would never do anything. There are some people who are totally unemployable in the spiritual realm. They are spiritually feeble and weak, and they refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired. The proof that our relationship is right with God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.
It was a beautiful Easter morning and I had attended the Sunrise Easter Service not far from my home. The past year had been very rough due to losing my husband of cancer one year this particular month. His illness and departure had came within a five month period, one I wasn't expecting. I had been struggling to receive answers by going to church, reading my Bible at times, and being around family and friends. This all helped some, but didn't fill the emptiness inside of me. On this particular day after arriving home from church and feeling somewhat better, due to knowing this day was our Remembrance of our Lord's Resurrection. I decided to watch the second service on television after returning home from church. They were showing Jesus carrying the cross in which brought me great sorrow. I started crying and looking up above the television, and then I cried out, I do believe you arose from the dead. At that moment a beautiful presence came in the room and I knew it was him (Jesus) and he let me know, he indeed was alive. Not seeing a person or hearing someone speak out, it was more like a quick presence and inner voice to my heart and soul that he spoke to me. I was filled with love, peace, joy and assurance in knowing that our Dear Lord lives and is with me every moment. My life began to change for the better and I have never been the same. This encounter was so special to me because of all days, He visited me on Easter and at the time I most needed to fill His presence!
Don’t Give Up
Bob Foster, my mentor and friend for more than 50 years, never gave up on me. His unchanging friendship and encouragement, even during my darkest times, helped carry me through.
We often find ourselves determined to reach out and help someone we know who is in great need. But when we fail to see improvement right away, our resolve can weaken and we may eventually give up. We discover that what we hoped would be an immediate change has become an ongoing process.
The apostle Paul urges us to be patient in helping one another through the stumbles and struggles of life. When…
The Warning Against Desiring Spiritual Success
Worldliness is not the trap that most endangers us as Christian workers; nor is it sin. The trap we fall into is extravagantly desiring spiritual success; that is, success measured by, and patterned after, the form set by this religious age in which we now live. Never seek after anything other than the approval of God, and always be willing to go “outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Hebrews 13:13). In Luke 10:20 , Jesus told the disciples not to rejoice in successful service, and yet this seems to be the one thing in which most of us do rejoice.
Bring your desperation to Jesus
Have you ever been so panicked that you felt like you couldn’t breathe? Today on Discover the Word, the team picks back up on the series titled, “Bring It to Jesus.” The discussion is on how we can bring everything to Jesus, especially our desperation. Listen today to Discover the Word!
The Kingdom We Long For
I remember the way grief hung so heavy the morning after news broke of the deadliest mass shooting in US history in 2016.
Why Am I Getting Baptized?
I was baptized some years ago by immersion—but not for the reason you might think. At the time, my fiancé and I were looking for a church to get married in.
The Small Things
My friend Gloria called with excitement in her voice. She had not been able to leave her home except for doctors’ appointments. So I understood why she was so happy to tell me, “My son just attached new speakers to my computer, so now I can go to my church!” Now she could hear the live broadcast of her church’s worship service. She raved about God’s goodness and the “best gift my son could have given me!”
Gloria teaches me about having a thankful heart. Despite her many limitations, she’s thankful for the smallest of things—sunsets, helpful family and neighbors, quiet…
Do You Worship The Work?
Beware of any work for God that causes or allows you to avoid concentrating on Him. A great number of Christian workers worship their work. The only concern of Christian workers should be their concentration on God. This will mean that all the other boundaries of life, whether they are mental, moral, or spiritual limits, are completely free with the freedom God gives His child; that is, a worshiping child, not a wayward one. A worker who lacks this serious controlling emphasis of concentration on God is apt to become overly burdened by his work.
Offering Refuge and Hope
My friends Shelah and Jade Acker are the founders and directors of Refuge and Hope, a faith-based ministry serving the urban refugee community in Kampala, Uganda.
The Shrinking Piano
For three consecutive years, my son participated in a piano recital. The last year he played, I watched him mount the steps and set up his music. He played two songs and then sat down next to me and whispered, “Mom, this year the piano was smaller.” I said, “No, it’s the same piano you played last year. You’re bigger! You’ve grown.”
Spiritual growth, like physical growth, often happens slowly over time. It is an ongoing process that involves becoming more like Jesus, and it happens as we are transformed through the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2).
When the Holy Spirit…
The Light That Never Fails
A servant of God must stand so very much alone that he never realizes he is alone. In the early stages of the Christian life, disappointments will come— people who used to be lights will flicker out, and those who used to stand with us will turn away. We have to get so used to it that we will not even realize we are standing alone. Paul said, “. . . no one stood with me, but all forsook me . . . . But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me . . .” (2 Timothy 4:16-17). We must build our faith not on fading lights but on the Light that never fails. When “important” individuals go away we are sad, until we see that they are meant to go, so that only one thing is left for us to do— to look into the face of God for ourselves.
Songs Before Dawn
While spending a few days in the great outdoors, a bird woke me up one morning before dawn. His persistent singing eventually roused the rest of his winged friends, who also sang until the trees teemed with excitement. It was as if the first tweets I heard were a lullaby for the night animals and an alarm clock for the day creatures. One bird appeared to prepare an entire forest for the sun to rise.
Always Listening
Dad was a man of few words. He had hearing damage due to years of military duty and wore hearing aids. One afternoon when Mom and I were talking a little longer than he thought necessary, he responded playfully, “Whenever I want peace and quiet, all I have to do is this.” Lifting both hands in a single motion, he turned off both hearing aids, folded his hands behind his head and closed his eyes in a serene smile.
We laughed. As far as he was concerned, the conversation was over!
My father’s actions that day remind me how different God is…
How A Preacher I Didn’t like Convicted me
“But if not for the grace of God, I am finished!” said the speaker at my church one Sunday.
