A Prayer: Let Us Get Home Before Dark

Father of spirits, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith,we lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,that we may run with perseverance the race that is set before us. Few, they tell us, finish well… Lord, let us get home before dark. Before the darkness of staining your … Continue reading A Prayer: Let Us Get Home Before Dark

You are Beloved of the Lord

Believer, stop here, and think awhile. Is it a small thing in your eyes to be beloved of God; to be the son, the spouse, the love, and the delight of the King of glory? Christian, believe this, and think on it. You shall be eternally embraced in the arms of that love which was … Continue reading You are Beloved of the Lord

The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy

"She brought forth... she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes" (Luke 2:7). It is indeed very beautiful, but oh the pity of it, the tragedy of it, the loneliness of it, that in that hour of all hours, when womanhood should be surrounded by the tenderest care, she is alone. G. Campbell Morgan Let us marvel … Continue reading The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy

A Treasured Prayer from My Grandfather-in-Law

Years ago, my grandfather-in-law, Pete Austin, gave me this prayer/poem from Henry van Dyke that he cherished and memorized. I came across it today in my studies. It encouraged and challenged my heart again and I hope it will do the same for you: "These are the gifts I ask Of thee, Spirit serene: Strength … Continue reading A Treasured Prayer from My Grandfather-in-Law

The Antidote for Anxious, Fearful Hearts

In corporate worship, we invest time in prayer. We do this because God commands us to seek Him in prayer. Prayer also serves as one of the main ways that we exercise our faith in His promises as well as an antidote for our anxious hearts (Luke 18:1; Philippians 4:6-7). Prayer is hard work and … Continue reading The Antidote for Anxious, Fearful Hearts

The Fundamental Reason of a Ruinous Revolution & the Need for Prayer

When he received the Templeton Prize in Religion in 1981, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn explained concisely the demise of Russia and the extermination of 60 million of her citizens: “Over half a century ago, while I was still a child, I recall hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that … Continue reading The Fundamental Reason of a Ruinous Revolution & the Need for Prayer

Hungry Hearts

Like Bruce Springsteen said, all of us have hungry hearts. We have a hunger to experience the transcendent. We have a hunger to love and be loved. We have a hunger for purpose and meaning in life. Left to ourselves, we generally look to satisfy our hungry hearts with the treasures and pleasures of this … Continue reading Hungry Hearts

The Major Markers of Spiritual Progress

Have you ever wondered what does it really look like to make spiritual progress in your journey? What kind of Christians does the Holy Spirit want to develop? Christians whose lives display the following seven features: Doxology, the habit taught and modeled by Paul of constantly praising God and giving him thanks; Humility, the downward … Continue reading The Major Markers of Spiritual Progress

The Fear that Releases Us from All Other Fears

The fear of the Lord releases us from the bondage to all other fears. What does Jesus tell us his followers when he wants to calm our fearful hearts? When Jesus wants to calm the fearful hearts of His followers, he tells us to fear God! He says in Luke 12:4-5: “I tell you, my … Continue reading The Fear that Releases Us from All Other Fears