How many down times have been uplifted with a song? In my life the answer would be “many” times. It may be a song from my childhood or youth days in which case, it is classified as an old song. It may be a contemporary song that only recently has become a part of my…
It’s working! I suspected that it would. It always has. I’m talking about prayer. I’ve been working with the leadership of Vancouver (Canada) Focus in starting new churches in the metro Vancouver area. I agreed to take on the responsibility for the Frasier River Delta, an area between the city of Vancouver and the U.S….
Occasionally we become so familiar with God’s supernatural blessings that we begin to take them for granted. Health. Friends. Housing. Transportation. Food. Now there’s the one that caught the Israelites. Rather than allow them to go hungry in the wilderness, God supernaturally provided manna for their food. Manna, a word that literally means, “what is…
On many an occasion, someone has quoted to me, “Joy comes in the morning” (Ps. 30:5). Why do you think the morning is so special? Why doesn’t joy come in the middle of the afternoon, or at midnight? Is there something about the night that generates joy, so that first thing in the morning we…
“What if they don’t accept me” the student asked. He had been invited to interview for a position and his anxious condition caused him to seek my advice. His concern was a universal one. Everyone seeks acceptance of some kind, even those who boast they don’t care what anyone else thinks about them. Counselors tell…
I watched the super bowl last night. What a game! In the midst of all the on-field excitement and the funny commercials I couldn’t help but notice that the camera kept showing the backup quarterback on the sidelines. He was excited and kept shouting encouragement to his teammates, even though there was little chance of…
I just returned from the semi-annual meeting of America’s National Prayer Committee. What a great group of cross-denominational folks. I’m one of only a few Southern Baptists on the committee of approximately 100 and possibly the only one from the academic world. I love being with them. No one cares who I am or what…
Ideas from other cultures fascinate me. For instance, the Hebrews spoke of the future as though it was behind them, rather than in front, believing that you could see what was in front of you, but not what was behind you. Thus the unseen future was described as behind one, while the known past was…
Is there ever a time when God cannot provide? Have you ever doubted God’s ability to provide? I have. I can now confess that I was not sure God could provide enough income for me in retirement. How foolish! In Psalm 78:20-33 others wondered if God could provide. This time there was doubt that God…
I was asked in a recent internet interview, “What key concepts (of prayer) do you present to your students; future leaders in the Church?” I teach first that prayer is biblical, throughout the Bible from the first mention in Genesis to the final verses of Revelation, as well as modeled by Jesus. The most often…