My guess is that you know Christians who are an absolute blessing to be around. They carry the joy of Christ wherever they go, sacrificially serving others while spreading the hope and peace of God. Conversely, you have likely also known people who call themselves Christians but are prideful, unhappy, scheming and always desiring to be first. These types of people bring despair to the whole church.
My guess is that you know Christians who are an absolute blessing to be around. They carry the joy of Christ wherever they go, sacrificially serving others while spreading the hope and peace of God. Conversely, you have likely also known people who call themselves Christians but are prideful, unhappy, scheming and always desiring to be first. These types of people bring despair to the whole church.
My guess is that you know Christians who are an absolute blessing to be around. They carry the joy of Christ wherever they go, sacrificially serving others while spreading the hope and peace of God. Conversely, you have likely also known people who call themselves Christians but are prideful, unhappy, scheming and always desiring to be first. These types of people bring despair to the whole church.
In 1947, a Bedouin shepherd boy and a wayward goat made an amazing discovery in a nearly inaccessible cave in Qumran, Israel, forever confirming the accuracy of the Bible. When the goat wandered into the dark cave, the shepherd boy was curious and ventured inside to explore. He threw a stone into the cave and unexpectedly heard something crack. He returned later with friends to search the cavern, which eventually resulted in the discovery of a fantastic collection of ancient biblical scrolls in clay jars.
What if you had a handwritten note sent to you from God Himself? Would you carry it around in your pocket for a couple of weeks and open it when you got around to it? I doubt it. You probably would tear it open as you’re thinking, “Wow, God spoke to me! What does He have to say?” The Bible is a written letter from God. Many people carry it around. They have it in different colors and sizes. They have it in different translations. They even have it on their phones and devices. But they never open it. A letter from God Himself goes unread.
I want to look at somebody who you rarely, if ever, hear a sermon about: Joseph of Arimathea. He was the man who buried Jesus, but we don't even know very much about him.
Joseph of Arimathea is mentioned in all four Gospels. He is described as a rich man who became “a disciple of Jesus” (Matthew 27:57), “a prominent council member” (Mark 15:43), “a good and just man” (Luke 23:50-51), and “a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews” (John 19:38).
We live backstage in our own lives. We know what lies behind the façade. We know we have strayed from God’s ways and in the process burdened ourselves with sin. We sense what Ezekiel 18:20 says explicitly: “The soul who sins shall die.” His life affirms that our lives have meaning. His death paid for our sins. And His resurrection gives certainty to the promise of eternal life. World history is littered with the dead bodies of those who claimed to answer the human dilemma. But Jesus is not like them. Of all the individuals who ever lived, He alone answers our deepest needs.
When the waters grow rougher than we imagined, these truths remain: (1) our Guide is in the same boat with us, (2) He knows everything about the way ahead, (3) He is worthy of our trust, and (4) He has already defeated these waves. Even death is now survivable because Jesus is the victor.
Consider the love of parents, many of whom would jump in front of a car to save their disobedient children. It helps us understand God’s selfless love. This is the Good News: For those who trust in Jesus the Messiah, the punishment for all our sin was paid for on the cross—past, present, and future (Hebrews 10:14). “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
Sex within the context of marriage is like drinking pure water from a clear well. But sexual sin is like drinking polluted water from a sewer. One will delight you and the other will destroy you. One is a river and the other is a swamp.
If God is important, then why do we give Him our leftovers? God certainly doesn’t want our leftovers. He makes that quite clear in Scripture. God said to Israel, “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king . . . and my name is feared among the nations!” (Malachi 1:14).
Abram’s integrity was strengthened as he chose to rely upon the “Possessor of heaven and earth” rather than men. He believed God was faithful and had no need to take what Sodom offered, not even a thread of a sandal strap!
One of Paul’s favorite descriptions of Christians and of Christianity, was that phrase, “in Him,” or “in Christ.” In Paul’s correspondence, he used that phrase eighty-seven times. It's a good way to describe our relationship with God. And it’s unique to Christianity.
Have you ever felt a longing you couldn’t quite explain? Like birds, we have a “homing instinct.” We too have a desire to go to a place we’ve never been before. Of course, that place is called Heaven. Deep inside, we all long for something more. The Bible puts it this way, “[God has] has planted eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). But what exactly is Heaven like?
I am sometimes criticized as a heretic for telling sinners that they must turn from their sins. Some claim this teaches works-based righteousness. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am sometimes criticized as a heretic for telling sinners that they must turn from their sins. Some claim this teaches works-based righteousness. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Bible warns that God is so holy and just that He will not only judge those who slaughtered innocent people but also liars, thieves, blasphemers, adulterers, and fornicators. Scripture says His judgment will be so thorough that it will grind to powder. When something is ground to powder, nothing remains untouched. So how should these truths affect me as a Christian? That was the challenging question. My conclusion was simple: if I truly believe in Hell, nothing else should matter more.
Picture this. You are in your church’s auditorium, and the musicians have just finished playing. As they return to their seats, you flip to a fresh page in your sermon notebook and open your Bible expectantly. The pastor introduces the special guest speaker and the congregation applauds as the man walks across the platform and sets his Bible on the pulpit. He looks at the congregation, a warm smile on his face, then says, “Thank you, my friends, thank you. It’s so good to be with you. Beloved, I come to you with grace and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, about your sin problem….”
The supreme example of this lowliness of mind is the Lord Jesus Christ. This is how Jesus lived, and how we ought to live. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men”
God reveals Himself to us in His Word. We know that God is holy because in Isaiah’s vision of Him, heavenly creatures declare, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:3). We know that God is righteous and just because Psalm 11:7 says, “The righteous Lord loves justice.” Holiness describes God’s character; righteousness and justice describe how He deals with humankind.
It is easy to conclude from this verse that God was moving powerfully and uniquely in the early days of the church. While that observation is accurate, it doesn’t mean He has stopped moving in equal measure today.
Many Christians are tempted to believe the lie that when we’re in the will of God, everything will be smooth sailing. But often just the opposite is true. Doors slam in our faces. Obstacles appear in our paths. Storms arise that threaten to drive us off course.
I’m convinced that one reason so many Christians are living defeated lives today is because they do not believe or they do not understand the reality of Satan and His strategy for their spiritual destruction. A knowledge of the enemy is essential for spiritual victory.
Jesus and His disciples journeyed to Caesarea Philippi. In the preceding two years, the Nazarene Rabbi’s reputation as a truth-speaker and miracle-worker had steadily grown, as news of His exploits and teachings had swept across 1st-century Judea and Samaria. Now, withdrawn into this remote and predominantly pagan region, with shrines to the Greek god Pan immediately behind Him and the breathtaking beauty of the woods and cliffs all around Him, Jesus turned to His disciples and posed a seemingly simple, straightforward question: “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
The Bible says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). It doesn’t say that we should only pray about some things or the big, scary things, but about everything.
The thorn’s purpose was to keep Paul humble because he had personally received great revelations from Christ. Without the thorn, Paul might have become exalted or filled with pride and lauded it over others (2 Cor. 12:7).
Worship is an intelligent and obedient response to God. You read the Scriptures, you understand, and you worship accordingly. This is why Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). Worship is not a frenzy or an emotional outburst. Worship is a lucid, sober-minded response to truth.
Jesus came with good news for those whom the world overlooks—the downcast and brokenhearted. I will never forget the day God provided the perfect analogy of this truth. I was speaking to hundreds of inmates at Ironwood Prison, and as I was preaching, sparrows flew in and out of the fences, free as can be. I told the men, “Stop and watch. These birds are not held captive by their environment, and you don’t need to be either. That is what Jesus Christ can do in your heart right here, right now. In a single moment, you can be set free from the prison that is inside of you, the captivity that landed you in this place.”
The Bible tells us that we inherit the promises of God through “faith and patience” (Heb. 6:12). There are times when a Christian asks God for something, and there is a delay. But he doesn’t lose patience. He hangs in there. The One holding onto the string can see things he can’t, and He knows what is best for him. The Bible says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Prov. 3:5).
Jesus warned against turning back as He revealed the cost of discipleship: “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Lk. 9:62). Looking back while plowing will create crooked lines. Followers of Jesus must focus on the present and look forward. As the Lord said, “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it?” (Isa. 43:18–19).
As an evangelist, I take sharing the Word of God and the hope of Jesus Christ very seriously. The way I look at it, eternity is at stake every time I stand up at the podium. When eternity is on the line—the difference between Heaven and Hell—I don’t pull punches. People need to know that both are real, literal places, and surrendering one’s life to Jesus is the difference. There is no middle ground with Christ. If you aren’t for Jesus, you’re against Him.
Our hope in Jesus’ imminent appearing is truly a light shining in a dark place (2 Peter 2:19), and as such, it enables us to escape the delusion that this life matters more than eternity. It’s this anticipation that increasingly draws the longings of our hearts heavenward in the midst of the perilous and confusing times in which we live.
When I asked Jesus to come into my life in July of 1973, I experienced a deep joy and peace. I felt as though a burden had been lifted from me. But I soon learned that I had also inherited His enemy. I discovered the Christian walk includes both abundant life and abundant warfare. I had peace deep within, but at the same time, a battle. The Prince of Darkness, whom I had once followed, now hated my new Friend, so he turned his attention to me.
As great as Moses was, though, God told him that another leader of Israel would come, one like Moses. “I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him” (Deuteronomy 18:18). Although many prophets succeeded Moses, no one was as great as he (34:10). No one, that is, until the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus compared Himself to a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to find one stray sheep—and comes home rejoicing: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4). That’s how much we matter to Him.
Coming back to Billy Graham. I once asked him, “If an older Billy could speak to a younger Billy, what would you say to yourself? What would you tell yourself to preach more on?” And he said, “I would say preach on the cross of Christ and the blood because that’s where the power is.” I think what’s true of preaching is also true of one-on-one evangelism. The power of the gospel is when you get to the message of the death of Jesus for them and why they need their sin forgiven.