By Greg Laurie I read the other day that $5.8 billion in gift cards go unclaimed every year. Think of all that money not utilized. Those gift cards are already paid for. They just need to be cashed in. The Bible is filled with promises from God that we all too often disregard like unused gift cards. Someone has estimated there are 3,000 promises to believers found in the pages of Scripture. I don’t know if that figure is accurate, but I do know there are numerous promises that God has given us in the Bible. For example, God says we will never be alone in life. In Isaiah 41, the Lord says: “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (verse 10, NLT). And Jesus said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5, NKJV). God also promises to get us through whatever we’re facing. A while back, a young friend of mine had just received a round of chemo treatments and sent me a text asking me to pray that he could keep food down. I texted him my prayer for him. I happened to be writing down this promise from Isaiah at the time, so I included it in my text: “When you go through deep waters, I will be … [Read more...]
Communication is …
By Jerry Pipes Just Imagine a church or business where there is: A culture of encouragement True communication — focused on adding value to others A positive atmosphere and a spirit of adventure Members or workers who are committed to understanding first, speaking second Healthy conflict resolution And more… This new volume is born out of the book of Proverbs. It is communication according to the wisdom of Solomon. Whether Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, atheist, etc., virtually everyone recognizes the wisdom of Solomon. He is widely known as the wisest man that ever lived. So, what does Solomon have to say about communication? Below is the basic outline of the book along with key references. In future blogs we will be exploring these key points. Communication Is: Taking responsibility … being a responder not a reactor (Proverbs 15:28, Proverbs 15:1) Choosing a winning attitude (Proverbs 17:22) Understanding first, speaking second (Proverbs 18:13) Adding value to others (Proverbs 18:24, 27:17) Creating a culture of encouragement (Proverbs 15:23) All about integrity (Proverbs 19:1, 11:13) Saying only what you mean (Proverbs 12:18) Learning to duck (Proverbs 19:11) … [Read more...]
On Valentine’s Day, strengthen your marriage
By Waylon Bailey Marriage is good. In fact, it’s very good. This is what I say repeatedly to couples contemplating marriage: “I highly recommend marriage!” I really do recommend it. My marriage to Martha has blessed my life immensely and immeasurably. It would be easy to say, I can’t imagine living without her, but several years ago I had to deal suddenly with that reality. While I wouldn’t want that to happen to anyone, it made me think more carefully about the blessing of living with someone for a lifetime and getting to care for one another. Yesterday, I read about Louisiana’s longest married couple (83 years) in a blog post from Louisiana Family Forum. At the same time, I read of a report from Fox News citing the Brookings Institution study of marriage. Marriage is the greatest anti-poverty tool we have. The report showed that we would reduce poverty 25% if we had the same marriage rate as the 1970’s. In 1970, 79% of adults were married while the rate is 52% today. You would never think of marriage being a value for a stable and more prosperous life, but it is. We live in a society that has ridiculed and devalued marriage. That attitude is harming marriage and harming the well-being of children and … [Read more...]
Don’t get discouraged
By Steve Horn I had the opportunity to address a group of pastors recently. I was asked to speak to them on the general subject of leadership. My message was simple. “Don’t Get Discouraged.” I think this is a lesson for anyone. I shared from my experiences briefly, but mostly I shared from the Bible story of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was as a great a leader as I have ever studied. Nehemiah got people who had a decades old history of inactivity to build a protective wall around Jerusalem in 52 days. How did he do that? Nehemiah was able to get them to dwell on what God had said, rather than on what others were saying. Compare Nehemiah 2:8, 2:12, 2:20 with Nehemiah 4:2-3. Nehemiah was able to direct attention to the half built wall instead of the rubble. Rubble paralyzes us, but half built walls energize us. Nehemiah discovered friends who encouraged him. I have decided not to waste my time on the people who are critical all of the time. They zap the life out of me. I call them “drainers.” I look for the “refreshers.” We have to listen to critics, but we cannot hang out with critics. We become like them. Finally, Nehemiah decided that his God was bigger than all other struggles. Here is Nehemiah’s motto: “Remember the … [Read more...]
Graham: Prayer breakfast a refreshing example of Republicans, Democrats coming together in Jesus’ name
By Franklin Graham It was a privilege to be at the National Prayer Breakfast Feb. 8. Many powerful testimonies to God and prayers for our country were shared by different individuals. The Prayer breakfast is a bipartisan event co-chaired by a Democrat and a Republican. This just goes to show you that both parties in Washington can work together – when we come together in Jesus' name. It was refreshing to see. Below are some of the comments made by the President yesterday morning. Pray for himand for all of our leaders in Washington. “Each year this event reminds us that faith is central to American life and to liberty. Our founders invoked our Creator four times in the Declaration of Independence. Our currency declares ‘In God We Trust.’ And we place our hands on our hearts as we recite the Pledge of Allegiance and proclaim we are 'One Nation Under God.'" “America is a nation of believers and together we are strengthened by the power of prayer.” “Our rights are not given to us by man; our rights come from our Creator. No matter what, no earthly force can take those rights away. That is why the words, ‘praise be to God’ are etched atop the Washington Monument, and those same words are etched into the hearts of … [Read more...]
Archaeology – from the subtle to the sublime
By Gary D. Myers NEW ORLEANS (BP) – A massive pile of rocks and rubble greets the visitor to the ruins of Lachish, 60 kilometers southwest of Jerusalem. The remains of a 2,700-year-old Assyrian siege ramp, this pile of rubble and the other archaeological finds at Lachish bear witness to the trustworthy nature of Scripture. More often than not, archaeology serves as a subtle, helpful tool for the church. Archaeology provides cultural and contextual clues to help us better understand the people and places of the Bible. The finds help close the culture gap created by time, place and worldview. Certain sites and finds offer more than mere context, and that is why I love Lachish. While the archaeology of Lachish cannot prove the amazing works of God, it does offer confirmation of an important biblical account. It was during the reign of Hezekiah that Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, attacked Judah and built the siege ramp at Lachish. You can read about the events in 2 Kings 18 and 19, 2 Chronicles 32, and Isaiah 36 and 37. Tired of paying tribute to Assyria, Hezekiah rebelled and began preparing Judah for war. Twenty years earlier the Assyrians had destroyed Israel, and Sennacherib now had his sights on Judah. In 701 … [Read more...]
How to tell you’ve the joy of your salvation
By Joe McKeever “Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation” –Psalm 51:12. Just because salvation is for eternity, anchored forever in the faithfulness of God, does not mean you cannot lose the closeness and fellowship with our wonderful Lord. A married couple can lose their joy and intimacy for a season, although the marriage is still valid and intact. God’s faithfulness does not wax hot and cold depending on what we do or how we felt when we woke up this morning. He does not undo our salvation when we weaken and falter. The blessings upon us are conditional to our faithfulness and may dry up, but the relationship never varies. Forever, we are His and He is ours. My children may be in or out of my favor at given times, but they are still mine. Just because the Lord brings us into His forever family (through faith in Christ, by His precious blood, as a result of His grace) and promises to “never leave thee nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5) does not mean we cannot lose the joy of that relationship. We can. And many have. Try not to lose yours. Jesus promises us His joy (John 15:11 and 17:13) and fullness of joy (15:11 and 16:24). He promises that no one can steal our joy from us (John 16:22). Jesus sees joy as … [Read more...]
What every church needs
By Waylon Bailey Most of the people who read this blog are very much interested in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Most go to church and most want the church to do well. What is it that every church needs? Let me give you some ideas. First, people who pray. Almost always we look for the wrong things to be first and foremost about the church. We look at power or prestige or money instead of looking at the prayers of the people. The church needs people who pray—fervently, believing, and urgently. Second, people who serve. Jesus made serving the centerpiece of the church. He gave the church Himself as an example. He did not come to be served but to serve. Churches are blessed or crippled by the amount of service by the people. Third, people who give. Most churches give far below their potential. We’ve said it many times before, God has provided all we need if only we will give what He has given to us. Fourth, people who exalt Christ. The church is about Christ. It is not about us or our desires. Christ is the head of the church, and we are His body. Fifth, humility. God opposes the proud but exalts the humble. Humility pleases God. Every church needs it. Humility is the recognition that the Lord is God and … [Read more...]
What to do?
By Steve Horn, Pastor First Baptist Church, Lafayette LAFAYETTE -- A few days ago I read in my daily Bible reading Proverbs 24:10, “If you do nothing in a difficult time, your strength is limited.” My mind went to several difficult things that I am presently involved in and a few other difficult things that I could be involved in if I allowed myself. I thought about one of our past church initiatives that we simply called “Do something.” I began thinking what would the Lord have me to do. The next day, in my reading, I read Luke 24:49 which contains the instruction of Jesus to His disciples after His resurrection and before His ascension. “And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.” In addition I saw an article based on this Scripture that challenged pastors that there were certain occasions “to do nothing.” Ah… “to do something” or “to do nothing.” There are occasions when one is right and the other is wrong. And to know the difference? How do we know? Maybe these few principles will guide us in some way. There are certain times when it is always right to do something. It is always the right time to share the Gospel. That seems to be one … [Read more...]
How to battle a giant
By Greg Laurie My New Year’s resolution is to make no New Year’s resolutions. I’ll tell you why. They get broken quickly. We all have giants we face in life, seemingly insurmountable problems or obstacles. It could be a giant of fear, something that’s frightening you. Whenever you think about it, you’re filled with anxiety and dread. Maybe it isn’t even a rational fear, but it’s a real fear nonetheless. You find yourself asking, “What if this happens? What if that happens?” Maybe you overcame this giant, so to speak, for a week or even a month. You thought you had victory. Then it came back with a vengeance, stronger than ever, and it brought you down. Here’s what you need to know: You can overcome these giants. We need to face them in faith and know that God is bigger than any giant we will meet in the coming year. In the Bible we see what happened in the life of one young man who was able to bring his giant down. His name was David. Here’s what Hebrews 11 tells us about him: “It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They … [Read more...]
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