Known as the “Prince of Preachers,” 19th century minister Charles Spurgeon once said, “If God were a tyrant, it might be courageous to resist submitting, but since he is a Father it is ungrateful to rebel.” In a later sermon, Spurgeon gave excellent reasons why we should submit to God: We should submit to God because He created us. We should submit to God because His rule is good for us. We should submit to God because all resistance to…
Sometimes crying is just feeling lost and helpless, like God is waaaay over there somewhere, and you’re waaaay over here. Lots of feelings will surface but they are not the guide – the spirit is. Crossing over is difficult, dry, alone and confusing, but God is preparing to bring you across, even if you wail like a spiritual baby. While there is movement forward, no place is going to be okay for a long time. Home isn’t where you want…
In a vision the man saw the face of a clock, and he could hear it ticking. He would turn away and look back at the time, which had barely advanced. And the Lord said “it may seem like time is almost standing still because of the anxiety to want to get moving, but it is not yet time to make significant progress; it is a time of transition and waiting. Some of My people are bored. Some feel aimless…
Mary did you know That your baby boy will one day walk on water? Mary did you know That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters? Did you know That your baby boy has come to make you new? This child that you’ve delivered Will soon deliver you Mary did you know That your baby boy will give sight to a blind man? Mary did you know That your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?…
In every nature, purpose is innate, driven by a spiritual passion and supported by gifts and talents. It can be surprisingly difficult to identify, but it will cause dissatisfaction and suffering when not recognized and pursued. Passion is an irrational but irresistible force when focused on one specific pursuit. The passion that rules will eventually conquer reasons and doubts. Pay attention. Wait and watch, and refuse to hunt or search. The purpose will be revealed and the passion for that…
Martin Luther was a German professor of theology, priest, author, composer, former Augustinian monk, and is best known as an influential figure in the Protestant Reformation. Nearly 487 years ago, Martin Luther’s barber and old friend asked him for suggestions on how to pray. Luther responded with an open letter titled, “How One Should Pray, for Master Peter the Barber”. Luther gave his friend advice and instruction on how to take each petition of the Lord’s Prayer and expand them. He…
I loved all the old-time playground equipment. The monkey bars, jungle gym, barrel of fun, log swing, chain swings, horizontal bars, large wooden seesaws, and even the giant stride—which my eyebrow has the scar courtesy of this steel monster. But the one that a lot of my childhood friends loved, yet I had the hardest time with, was the hanging rings. Not being a daredevil by nature, the rings would swing and sometimes you had to let go of the…
There are many things that are beyond the scope of our responsibility and authority that we need to leave alone. We need to be true to our calling and only do what He has given us to do. Allow Him to mold us like clay in the hands of a potter to become the unique and precious vessel that He can use to accomplish His purposes. There are times we want to get involved in things where we think we…
Lately, there has been a stumbling around. Not sure-footed, tripping over things, bumping into things that are there but not seen, grasping for something, and completely missing it: car keys, a door handle, a jacket in the closet that took three tries to reach for it and hold on. The world would call this bumbling, a dexterity problem, or even a neurological condition. It is not, but really, what is this? I asked the Lord. It’s a reflection. What is…
In the Spiritual Journey, much time is spent being alone, reflecting on the alone, or feeling alone. In order to accomplish a rebirth, it is essential to be enclosed in a temporary cocoon-like environment. This separation and solitude may occur gradually, or quickly, and causes strong feelings of being isolated, alone, uprooted and often helpless, but is the necessary part of the redemptive and restorative process. The early-twentieth-century Scottish Baptist evangelist and teacher, Oswald Chambers, wrote much about solitude, alone,…