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Newsletters

  • The Awful Presence of God

    The Hebrew word for "awful" means dreadful, fearsome, great— awesome! We normally give this word a negative connotation, but that is not at all the biblical meaning.

    In the Old Testament, Jacob was touched by a holy dread. During his journey to Haran he lay down and slept, and in the middle of the night he awoke and saw a ladder of angels reaching into heaven. At the top of the ladder the Lord appeared, and He revealed Himself to Jacob, declaring, "I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac" (Genesis 28:13).

  • Sifted Saints

    "Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison and to death.

  • Bearing Fruit

    There is a portion of Scripture that convicts me deeply. It involves a great and terrible responsibility that no true disciple of Jesus Christ can ignore. Jesus said, "I am the vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit...If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned..." (John 15:1-2,6).

  • A Spirit of Slumber

    "According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this day" (Romans 11:8).

    "For the Lord hath poured out upon you the Spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your leaders, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed" (Isaiah 29:10-11).

  • The Crime of Unbelief

    Unbelief grieves the heart of God more than any other sin committed on earth. He considers it a crime to doubt His word or to question His faithfulness. We Christians cry out against the sins of the flesh - homosexuality, alcoholism, drug abuse, adultery. We call them vile abominations, and they are! But God is mostly concerned about the sins of the heart. The real issues of life and death have to do with how a person thinks - with what goes on in his mind.

  • Victory Over Your Besetting Sin

    Sin causes Christians to become craven cowards who live in humiliating defeat. They can't stand up with courage against sin because of the secret sin in their own lives. They excuse the sins of others because of the disobedience in their own hearts and they can't preach victory because they live in defeat. Some of them once knew what it was like to live victoriously, taking vengeance against sin, having fulfilled Christ's righteousness in their own lives. They experienced the power, the courage, the blessings that come to those who are obedient to the Lord.

  • How to Live Happy

    Does God want us to be happy? That’s a loaded question for many Christians. The church hasn’t given a clear answer on it for over a generation. Yet from beginning to end the Bible gives us a very clear answer, and it’s meant to transform the way we live.

  • Special Favor

    Hearing God’s Call to a Higher Love

    Everyone wants to be special.  The world knows this, and businesses capitalize on it.  It’s why we’re offered different levels of “specialness” for doing business with them.  Hotels, airlines and others tout gold, silver and bronze levels for its participating members.  The more you patronize their service, the higher you get bumped up in membership, with all kinds of favor for discounts and rewards.  They make you feel special for choosing their business.

  • A Time to Thrive

    God’s Plans for You Have Not Changed

    This season has been one of pandemic, protests, riots, political upheaval and economic uncertainty.  The immediate fear may have subsided, but many now live with a troubling uncertainty. Some struggle with isolation, others with health, others with loss of work and keeping their families afloat. Amid all of this, they still don’t know what next week will bring or what their long-term future will be.

  • Taking Hold of the New Covenant

    My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips” (Psalm 89:34). The term “covenant” plays an integral part in the Christian faith. Yet in all my years I have never heard a preacher or teacher adequately describe the significance of “covenant” in a Christian’s life. The Bible itself is divided into two Covenants (or Testaments), Old and New. Throughout the Old Testament, God makes one covenant after another with humankind. What are all these covenants about? More importantly, what do they have to do with us today?