Blog Articles
You Shall Know Them by Their Fruits
What does “Ye shall know them by their fruits” mean in Matthew 7? Jesus makes this statement in Matthew 7:16. The previous verse provides surprising clarification: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening...
God’s Economy of Faith
For business and trade, every nation employs an economic currency. In America, we use dollars; the euro is the choice of European Union member states; India has the rupee, China the renminbi (yuan) and Japan the yen. Economies have currencies. In God's Economy, the...
New Book: The Liberating Life of Jesus
Have you ever felt trapped in a box of someone else's making, perhaps a modern fundamentalist-style box, and yet, down deep, you know the Christian life is neither that nor an up-for-grabs version of your own making? In my early years of ministry, I was sincerely...
Good Hearing
For some, age brings a need for hearing aids, but regardless of age, we all need good hearing in the spiritual realm. Jesus designates two aids to good spiritual hearing. First, Jesus warned us to take heed what we hear (Mark 4:24). He offered this caution after...
A Garden and God
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth…And the LORD God planted a garden…to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food…and a river went out of Eden to water the garden” (Gen. 1:1; 2:8-10). God planned and planted the first garden...
The Urgency of the Hour
Years ago, I remember my father praying, “May the urgency of the hour be upon us.” If that was true in the nineties, it is certainly true in 2021. For many, the times are unsettling, but for the people of God, it is certainly no time for despair and lethargy. Though...
The Gift of Christmas
Jesus is the gift of Christmas, Love of God revealed to man, Born to die that He might save us, All in God's great master plan. Jesus is the hope of Christmas, Full salvation offered free, Christ in you the hope of glory, Gift of life and victory. Jesus...
The Real Battle
In the earthly realm, we observe battles and our senses offer us more than seeing and hearing should we find ourselves actively engaged in a struggle. But where truth is at stake and God's cause is the real issue, the battlefield is in the unseen realm. Battles for...
The Gift of Jesus Christmas Tract
Christmastime has an air of hope. Songs of Jesus ring out in the marketplace. The season is a wonderful opportunity to give out gospel tracts, and many include Christmas-themed tracts with the cards and letters they address to unsaved family and friends. Working as an...
Fishing for Souls
Years ago when my wife and I visited Israel, we got up early one morning to watch the sun rise over the Sea of Galilee. What an unforgettable and beautiful sight! It could have been a morning like that when Jesus walked along the Sea of Galilee and called out to Peter...
Awakening Saints & Sinners
In a portion of Scripture where Paul argues for the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (the fact that He is alive, and, therefore, real and worth suffering for) Paul boldly says, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I...
Otto Koning on Spiritual Warfare
Well do I remember being a bit frightened by the concept of “spiritual warfare” and then having my faith bolstered by the truth of the authority of the believer who accesses Christ's authority. Some years ago, after preaching a series on the Spirit-filled life, an...
The I AM and Time
In the Welsh Revival of 1904-05, David Matthews testifies in his book I Saw the Welsh Revival that as an unsaved man he pressed himself into the back of an overcrowded church. When he finally left and stepped back into the cool air he realized he had been in that...
Netcasters Evangelistic Training Course
There was a time when I would put hours and hours into soulwinning, but in spite of the effort, I had to admit I was having little impact. Let me tell you how God changed everything. Stirred to lead souls to Christ, I worked hard. I trained and became certified in...
Revival and Holiness
When revival comes and hearts are restored to life again as they experience the very life of Jesus within, holiness will follow. The Spirit convicts of that which is not the life of Christ. For some, the Spirit convicts of pride, envy, jealousy, strife, bitterness,...
Who Names and Who Claims?
I often hear people say (especially as they pray), “I claim such and such….” Is this legitimate? The word claim is used in the sense of “take by faith.” Former generations called it appropriation. As is often the case, there is a legitimate Bible truth and a going...
The Wind of the Spirit – Back in Print!
Let me tell you about a time when I thought I was going to get passed by and how the Lord mercifully met with me. In 1992-93, the Lord graciously launched me on a revival journey through a discovery of the meaning of grace, but there was so much more to learn. As a...
The Necessity of Believing
Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Two profound truths are set forth. First, without faith it is not possible to please...
The Unpardonable Sin
Occasionally, someone will ask with trembling what the unpardonable sin is. Fear in their voice and a troubled countenance suggest that they wonder whether they have committed this sin beyond all hope. Jesus said, “And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man,...
In the Last Days
This phrase from the Bible is highlighted in an enlightening way in the following letter written by Pastor Jim Bickel to his church family, Bethel Baptist Fellowship of Brooklyn, New York. In the troubled times in which we find ourselves, may we find hope in God's...
More Thoughts on Conviction vs. Convenience
For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:6,8) Every child of God should have convictions. To be conviction-less is to be spineless, double-minded, unstable, driven by...
Conviction or Convenience?
Over the years, I’ve noticed that some so-called convictions are really more positions of convenience based on accepted positions and pressures from a given Christian subculture. I fell into this myself in earlier days. In such a setting, identity and even...
Unity: Goal or By-product?
In the midst of the ministry battles of today and the ensuing clash of beliefs, there is often a call for unity. Understandably so. But will it ever work to make unity the goal? At best, such an attempt can only produce a surface unity. True unity is a by-product, not...
The Assembling of the Saints
As COVID-19 has changed normal living for many in certain states, churches have had to adapt. Several have taken advantage of modern technology and now live stream their services. This is a great blessing! Yet, as I have had opportunity to interact with several...
Lords vs. Leaders
In the COVID-19 crisis, through the varying approaches governors have taken, we are seeing examples of both “lords” and “leaders.” The former is provoking as we see demonstrated across the country; the latter is refreshing. We would do well to learn from all this both...
Genuine Spirituality
“Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16 Genuine spirituality can only be when you access the Holy Spirit so that He is imparting to you the life of Jesus Christ. Is this possible? Not only is it possible, it’s the privilege...
The Plague of Our Hearts
A pastor friend told me that due to COVID-19 precautions, his church is using an internet venue to pray together on Wednesday evenings. He said over the last few weeks the prayers have turned from normal petitions to repentance. That stirred my heart! While we pray...
The Jesus Movement
The 1960s saw the hippie generation change many of America’s youth. A non-conformist spirit prevailed in a movement known for sex, drugs and rebellion, but God saw a generation searching for something more. The Spirit of God moved and what became known as “The Jesus...
Why Asbury?
In researching the 1970 and 2006 revivals at Asbury College, one may wonder, “Why Asbury?” God is not a respecter of persons, but the Word of God does make clear that those who seek the Lord will find Him (2 Chron. 15:2; James 4:8). Seeking God is faith, yet faith is...
Asbury 2006
Last week we highlighted the Asbury Revival of 1970. Before we move on to other accounts from that decade, we will consider another Asbury season of refreshing from 2006. Special thanks goes to Steven Smallwood for his research on this particular revival. Asbury:...
