When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” — Luke 19:37–38 * Jesus rode down the…
Praying to Know God as Lord Over Every Area of your Life
Once I’d begun to know God as Savior, as Father, and as Holy Spirit, I found I needed to expose many areas of my life to His influence. This was difficult because it called for my deepening trust. Until then I’d had few positive experiences when someone other than myself was in control of my…
I Am Safe in the Lord
They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid. — Ezekiel 34:28b I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. — John 10:28 By the time he was five years old, my dad had discovered that the world is not safe.…
Prayer: The Garden of Gethsemane
“Not My Will, but Yours” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” — Luke 22:41-42 Gethsemane means “oil press.” The Garden of Gethsemane is mentioned in Matthew 26:36: Then Jesus went…
Season of Grief, Journey of Faith
Understanding Your Grief But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. — Isaiah 40:31 Grief is not an enemy or a sign of weakness. It is a sign of being human. Grief is…
Peace: God’s Ultimate Goal
God’s ultimate goal for humanity is for peace to blanket the earth. His Son, Jesus Christ, was called the “Prince of Peace” by Isaiah the prophet (Isaiah 9:6). That’s because Isaiah saw another day on the prophetic horizon. He described that day as a time when nations would beat their swords into plowshares, and their…
Recovering Transitions
Your soul is the vessel God fills, yet there is no room for Him to fill if your soul is wrung out, twisted, haggard, fried. Put another way, your hands cannot receive a gift while they are still tightly clenched. That is the condition we are trying to recover from and avoid further commerce with.…
Secret Messages Inside New Folsom Prison
Editor’s note: Casey Diaz was a violent gangbanger whose crimes had caught up to him landing not only in jail but in solitary confinement. Then he experienced a miraculous encounter with Jesus and chose to follow Him. As he grew in his faith, he began to look for ways to share the Gospel among…
The Winds and Waves Obey Him
Jesus and the disciples were in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee. A storm arose suddenly, and what was placid became violent. Monstrous waves rose out of the sea and slapped the boat. Mark described it clearly: A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.…
Secrets to an Awesome Marriage: Three Keys to Connecting Well
The foundation of successful communication is first and foremost found in looking in the mirror. How does your spouse view you? What are the qualities that you possess as a spouse? All of this informs how your spouse will frame you in his or her mind, and it’s to your own advantage to keep this…