holy spirit prayer

October 29, 2024
The judgments of God, postmodernism in American evangelical church

Five ways the church gets God’s judgments wrong

  Napoleon stands out as perhaps the ultimate example of a tyrant who, when brought to justice, has the opportunity to reflect on life and eternity. Napoleon in exile on St. Helena observed of Christ, “What a conqueror! A conqueror who…wins to Himself not only one nation, but the whole human race. What a marvel! He attaches to Himself the human soul with all its energies. And how? By a miracle which surpasses all others. He claims the love of men – that is to say, the most difficult thing in the world to obtain…..He claims it; He requires it absolutely and undividedly….Alexander, Caesar, Hannibal, Lous X!V strove in vain to secure this…He kindles the flame of a love which causes a man’s self love to die.”
October 11, 2024

God’s justice is a mercy: why we pray for His intervention

The satirist and statesman Jonathan Swift compared laws to cobwebs, "which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through." Lawfare and two-tiered justice are not new.     God's justice, which is His will, is not automatic. When Christ instructed His disciples to pray "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done" (Matthew 6:10) He was giving them a directive to overthrow the works of the ruler of this world (2 Cor. 4:4) and displace them with His own righteous edicts.
July 9, 2024
pray for your nation, intercession for country

Have we neglected God’s heart of prayer for our homeland?

Why does Paul attach so much importance to praying for those holding positions of authority in the land? Should we really even bother with those corrupt kings, prime ministers, presidents, judges, magistrates, and legislators? The answer comes in the verse that follows. "This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:3-4, ESV).
June 26, 2024
cynicism, idealism and fatalism

Hell’s trifecta trap: Cynicism, Idealism, and Fatalism

Without fervent prayer, God's will is largely held back from what He purposes to do in the earth. As Chip Brogden stated, "“If God will do whatever He wishes, regardless of whether we pray or not, then we do not need to pray at all, and the Lord’s instructions on praying for the Kingdom and His will are superfluous. . .Apart from Him, we can do nothing. Apart from us, He will do nothing.”
April 6, 2024
Jesus disciples storm wind waves

Slammed by contrary winds

We all did what the Lord sent us out to do. We got on board the ship - our individual calling - because Jesus told us to.But here we are on the sea, and the storm is bigger than us. The wind is contrary - in opposition to us. And we're battered.And in the midst of the wind-lashing and skin-soaking tumult that threatens to sink us, a steady pelting of solemn rebukes issues forth from well-meaning fellow Christians for boarding the ship in the first place. There are other pursuits Christ sanctions. Why step into the vessel that draws the tempest of controversy?
February 10, 2024

The frightening truth about failing to pray

"Inattention to prayer actually gives place to the devil to advance his cause and evil." -Todd Smith, Unless We Pray An incident happened a couple years ago of which I only grasped its implications this week. It was July 2021. I had gone to a Wednesday night prayer meeting. There were only a few of us gathered, although our pastor was often reminding us as a congregation not to fall into "vacation mode" and lose spiritual focus, just because it was summer.
December 12, 2022
He lives that death my die

A curious quickening and the freedom in dying

The Lord is infinitely good beyond the scope of our comprehension, even when the whole world is falling apart.  The grief and loss, if given to Him, He will not only share in with us, but He can redeem it to instigate in us a fire to see His word accomplish its purposes in tangible and expedient ways.