By Greg Laurie "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith." - Hebrews 11:7 The ministry Answers in Genesis has recreated, in actual size, an ark like Noah built. It gives you a sense of just how large it was. Noah didn’t have the sophisticated tools and resources that we have today, yet he built the ark. God came to Noah and, in so many words, said, “I want you to build a really big boat because it’s going to rain really hard.” Understand, it had never rained up to this point. But the Bible tells us that “by faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7 NKJV). Notice this says that Noah was “divinely warned of things not yet seen.” God told him what was coming down. He told him what was about to happen. God revealed secrets to Noah. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (NKJV). Has God spoken to you … [Read more...]

By Steve Horn Ephesians 6:10-18 gives us rich theology as well as practical application for the spiritual battles that we face. There are 3 main imperatives in this text: Be strengthened by the LORD, put on the full armor of God, and stand. Having given these three imperatives, Paul underscored 7 spiritual weapons that we should avail ourselves to as we carry out these imperatives. Near the end, Paul gives us the offensive weapon of the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God. Though every piece of the armor is important, I get the sense in this text that the sword of the spirit—that is the Word of God—is our “go to” resource. We all have our “go to” things and/or places. For example, pitchers speak of their “out” pitch. They have different kinds of pitches—fastball, curveball, slider, knuckle-ball. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, just understand that this refers to different ways that the pitcher can make the ball move. The pitcher has all of these pitches, but he has his “out” pitch. When he needs most desperately to get a batter out, he goes to this pitch. Golfers have their favorite club. When all else is going wrong, the golfer pulls out his “go to” club. Fishermen have their “honey” … [Read more...]

By David Jeremiah EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) - Everyone is familiar with the pursuit of approval in American politics. Since the first political public opinion poll was used in Pennsylvania in 1824, the polling industry has become ingrained in American life -- and not just in politics. Celebrities are offered roles or opportunities based upon their likability as well. But it's not just politicians and celebrities who are willing to be liked at all costs. It's a human condition; we're all guilty of longing to be approved. And it begins at a young age. You may have heard about the little boy in the first-grade Sunday School class. The teacher was talking about all the animals God created and asked, "Billy, what's the name of the furry little animal with a bushy tail that scurries around collecting acorns?" Billy replied, "Well, I know the answer is supposed to be 'Jesus,' but it sounds like a squirrel to me!" He was in a Sunday School where he had learned that the answer to most questions was "Jesus," so he said what he thought the teacher wanted to hear, regardless of how silly it sounded. He was at the same crossroads we face many times in life: Do we seek the approval of man or do we speak and act with truthfulness and … [Read more...]

By Greg Laurie "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer went up to You, into Your holy temple." Jonah 2:7 God told Jonah to go and preach to the people of Nineveh, but Jonah boarded a boat and went in the opposite direction. When a violent storm hit, the sailors began to cry out to their gods. But Jonah told them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me” (Jonah 1:12 NKJV). You know the rest of the story. They followed Jonah’s advice, and the Lord brought a “great fish” to swallow Jonah. I have to say that Jonah was stubborn. He spent three days and three nights inside that fish’s stomach . . . wrapped in seaweed . . . fish smacking him in the face . . . humidity like you wouldn’t believe. Yet he refused to budge. Eventually, Jonah came to his senses. He prayed. There in the belly of that fish, he had a personal revival. Jonah was ready to do what God had called him to do. He was revived and recommissioned by God. First God sent revival to Jonah, then Jonah brought revival to Nineveh. That is because nothing can happen through us until it first happens to us. It has to start with us. If you want … [Read more...]

By Waylon Bailey All over the world difficult events are occurring. It’s the history of the world. As I write this, people along the Carolina coast are preparing for what has been called “A beast of a storm,” and “The storm of a lifetime” for this section of the country. Hurricane Florence is a strong Category 2 storm, meaning that winds and storm surge will be high. What should we do about all the misery and suffering in the world? Our tendency is to wring our hands and wonder. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why is there so much suffering in the world? These are questions which should be studied, prayed over, and thought about, but not today. Today should be a time of action. It’s not time to speculate; it’s time to serve, pray, and care. Compassion should be at its highest when suffering is at its worst. Jim Denison recently wrote about this very thing. Today is the time to act. What should we do? We must prepare for life’s storms. Sitting and doing nothing is not the answer. Wise preparation based on experience and our own understanding will help carry us and others through tough times, whether storms or evil acts by humans. We must respond with compassion, but it must be compassion that … [Read more...]

By Steve Horn One of the big news stories of this week will be Hurricanes. As I write, there are three named storms in the Atlantic Region, one more area being closely monitored for tropical development, and two named storms in the Pacific Region. The most significant threat at the moment is of course, Florence, zeroing in on the North Carolina Coast. I first began thinking about the spiritual lessons from hurricanes years ago, but I always think about these lessons when we have encounters with hurricanes. Maybe somebody needs to be reminded of these lessons today. So, I offer these thoughts as “Top 10 Spiritual Lessons from Hurricanes.” 10. It is better to go through a hurricane in the daytime than at night. We ought to celebrate light. Things in darkness ought to raise a red flag for us. If we are hiding something in the dark, we should be convicted, because light is always better than darkness. 9. We must learn from the past. Much has been said about the mistakes made by all during other hurricanes. The good thing about mistakes is that we can learn from the past. 8. Advanced preparation is the key. In all matters of life, we must get ready well in advance of the problem. The time to prepare for … [Read more...]

By Joe McKeever “Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you” (Psalm 116:7). Want to see anxiety demonstrated?  Get on any highway in the country during morning rush hour traffic.  One out of every ten drivers is either running late, in a hurry, under the gun from the boss or the school kids, and taking it out on every other motorist on the road.  They’re not wicked, just stressed. They’re anxious. A friend wrote to thank me for an article on depression.  “I’m not really depressed,” he said, “but anxious.  I have a lot of problem with anxiety.” I could write a book on that subject myself.  (A friend, Dr. Larry Kennedy–now in Heaven and a member of the great cloud of witnesses–did just that.  I told him he might have thought of a more uplifting title than Down With Anxiety, but he felt the play on words worked.) I’ve been anxious.  It seems to go with the job of pastor. Ask any pastor how well he sleeps on Saturday night. Let’s not add to the misery of those battling anxiety by calling them unbelievers.  Anxiety may well be the norm for those who live in uncertain times.  And yet there is a Scriptural answer for it. Perhaps we should think of anxiety not so much as … [Read more...]

By Anne Graham Lotz In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith…of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire…may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  1 Peter 1:6-7 What fuel has the Refiner added to the fire as He works to reveal Jesus in and through you? He has recently stoked the fire under me! I’m encouraged when I remember that when a refiner purifies gold, he melts it in a pot over the fire. He keeps turning up the heat until the dross, or impurities, rise to the surface. He then bends over the gold to skim off the dross, and continues doing so, until he can see his face reflected in the surface of the gold. Gold being refined in the fire is a meaningful visual of the way God refines and purifies you and me.[1] He knows exactly how hot the fire needs to be in order to bring the impurities in our hearts, minds, and lives to the surface of our attention, enabling Him to skim them off, until He can see His own image reflected in us. The Refiner has just added fuel to the fire in my life. On the afternoon of August 17, 2015, between … [Read more...]