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Let me give you the heart of the true grace message: It is not a permissive gospel but one that teaches holiness! “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13, NKJV). According to Paul, we are not walking in grace until we have broken from worldly corruptions. Unless we are endeavoring through the power of the Holy Spirit...

My friend Eric had a very hard childhood. His father told him repeatedly, “You’re no good, and you’ll never amount to anything.” As Eric grew older he turned to drugs. “I was a terrible addict,” he says. “I mixed together all kinds of things that could have killed me. I was even terrible at being an addict. My needle would break, or I would be short of cash to feed my habit. I felt like a total failure.” Eric’s life became a complete mess. His addiction drained him of every penny, so he decided to rob a convenience store to...

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great...

The book of Daniel mentions several benefits for those who have a repentant heart. Indeed, for all who acknowledge their sin, God does the miraculous. One such benefit is a new and clearer image of Jesus. Read what happened after Daniel’s repentance prayer in Daniel 10. “I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his...

How do we most often view God? Everyone struggles with having a slightly one-sided view of God. We tend to assume that he most often shows one certain trait. That trait tends to be based on how we were taught to view God overall. What if, though, an infinite God reflects all of his traits fully at all times? It’s hard to get our heads around the idea that God is the essence of the words used to describe him. He isn’t merely just, wise and holy, he is justice, wisdom and holiness. He is the source and embodiment of...

Most Christians don’t listen to God. They go to him only to talk! The scriptures reveal that any person who was ever used of God learned to remain in his presence until they heard from him. Scripture makes it clear that the Lord wants to talk to every one of us. “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21, NKJV). I heard of a little girl suffering from leukemia who was struggling with the thought of...

“Praying through” is a term coined by the early pentecostals. To some, it meant simply staying on your knees until you were assured you had an answer from God. To others, it meant continually coming back to the Lord until you had the answer in hand. This was also called “persevering in prayer.” As a young boy in those early camp meetings, I heard people testify, “I’m going to lay hold of the horns of the altar, and I won’t let go until God answers!” However, I don’t believe that is the truest meaning of “praying through.” You can be...

The Holy Spirit directed me to the book of Nehemiah; and as I read chapter 2, I saw something I had not seen before. This chapter contains an encouraging story for all who come to the Lord with a heavy heart. Nehemiah was a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. He tasted the wines before they were brought to the king’s table to make sure they weren’t poisoned. Over time, Nehemiah became a trusted servant to the king. Nehemiah received a report from his brother that Jerusalem was in ruins. The population had been decimated; the people were in terrible straits, and...

Elisha inherited the role of prophet from Elijah. In 2 Kings 4, Elisha encountered one of his first big tests when he was approached by a Shunammite woman whose son had just died. In desperation, she told Elisha, “I’ve prayed and fasted, wept and pled; but I have received nothing from the Lord. With my son gone, I don’t have the strength to go on. I just don’t understand what God is doing. This is more than I can bear.” Elisha responded by doing something unusual. “He said to Gehazi [his servant], ‘Tie up your garment.’” In other words, “Gird...

When we read the beginning books of the Bible, we tend to forget something very important. God had promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob a homeland where he would provide for them. He didn’t keep his promise the way that anyone would’ve thought he would. We forget that because we know the end of the story. Who would have thought that 400 years of slavery in Egypt would be part of keeping that promise, though? We feel like it’s hard to trust God when he’s not keeping his promises the way we think he should or with the timing we would...

Perhaps prayer is a burden to you. Is prayer boring to you? Is it more of a duty than a pleasure? So few Christians enter God’s presence with delight, simply for the pleasure of his company. Some think of it only as work. When we commune with a dearly loved one here on earth, do we think of it as work? No, it is a pleasure to us! If you are happily married, you don’t think of your times of intimacy with your spouse as work. Christ likens his relationship with his people to that of a husband and wife,...

I believe the kind of prayer that most pleases God is very simple and easy to understand. It is so simple that a little child can pray in a way that pleases him. The disciples said to Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1, NKJV). They would not have asked unless they had wanted to learn. I believe that most who are reading this message would love to be faithful in prayer, but they do not know how. They simply do not understand the purpose of prayer; and until they grasp this vital purpose, they will never be able...

“Suddenly, a hand touched me… And he said to me, ‘O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright…’ Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words” (Daniel 10:10-12, NKJV). Show me a Christian who refuses to acknowledge his sin and who says, “My hands are clean”, and I will show you someone with a false piety. Such a person puts...

We all have a high calling from the Lord. At some stage of our lives, he sets before us a preordained plan we are to fulfill. God promises that if we act in faith, he will bring that plan to completion. However, this is not always easy. As everyone who has walked with Jesus for any length of time knows, following his calling means we will encounter obstacles. One of the most common obstacles is the skeptic’s voice. As we seek to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land, we will hear every kind of voice telling us not...

“Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and irons – because they rebelled against the words of God…therefore he brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help” (Psalm 107:10-12, NKJV). They were bound in affliction because they rebelled against God and rejected his counsel (see Psalm 107:11). Beloved, could this be you? You have sat under godly preaching, and the Holy Spirit has convicted you, but still you are miserable and continue to sin. When a person willfully disobeys God, our tendency is to hide and...

Are you facing trouble in your business or career? As you read the following verses, be reminded that career people here are likened to seamen in ships. The great waters signify the big world of competition, an ocean of activity. “Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, they see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. For he commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. . . Their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like...

Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, and they drew near to the gates of death” (Psalm 107:17-18, NKJV). According to the dictionary, a fool is someone who lacks judgment or good sense, one who does silly things without thinking of the consequences. What could be more foolish and unthinkable than indulging in sexual activity with an unknown person? The whole world knows that sexually transmitted diseases are an international problem, and yet people all over the world are still contracting them. People simply refuse to be alarmed....

Isaiah chapter four opens with a concise and tragic description of what I call the church of forgiveness only. “And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, ‘We will eat our own food and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by your name, to take away our reproach.’” (Isaiah 4:1, NKJV). I believe we are living in the last days, and this chapter in Isaiah is one of the clearest prophecies about how the church will look just prior to the coming of the Lord. The seven would-be brides that Isaiah mentions...

Many people find it difficult to think of God as a loving father. They see him through eyes clouded with pain from their past experiences with an ungodly father or stepfather. Thousands of Christians do not believe God loves them because their earthly father abandoned, wounded or grieved them badly. I pray that this message will speak not only to them but also to those of you who have not yet discovered the depths of the heavenly Father’s love. Many of us know the scriptures and the theology behind God’s great love for his children. However, very few of us...

The prophet Isaiah provides us with an example of how we can heal our tongue. 1. Isaiah drew near to the Lord and prayed for a vision of God’s holiness. “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up” (Isaiah 6:1, NKJV). Anyone who wants to live a life that pleases God must constantly go into his presence until he sees God’s holiness. All healing, true blessings and victories begin at his throne. That is where we see God in his holiness! 2. While standing in God’s holy presence, Isaiah was deeply convicted for having unclean lips....