We have just added a new sermon to the Keep Believing website called What You Seek, You Find. Here's an excerpt:
As we peer into the unseen future, we know that God intends to bring us to his appointed end for us. That means he will see to it that we are led step by step from where we are to where he wants us to be. But exactly how he will get us there, what intermediate steps we will take, that is not revealed. And certainly it means for us what it meant for the exiles, that sometimes we may feel that we are consigned to Babylon, that God has forgotten us, that we have messed up so badly that there is no hope or future for us. God says, “Do not judge my purposes by what you see in the mirror or what you see around you.” God is reminding his people that they are in no position to judge him at all.
You can reach the author at ray@keepbelieving.com. Click here to sign up for the free weekly email sermon.
heck out this amazing collection of
online interactive maps for understanding the land of the Bible. These free resources make it easy for any computer user to locate the places and events mentioned in the Bible.
Speaking of maps, check out this map of the dominant religious groups in the U.S. on a county-by-county basis.
Chuck Lawless imagines what he would do if he were the devil to attack spiritual leaders. This paragraph caught my eye:
The devil’s strategy is really quite simple: he
wants us to mess up, give up, or get puffed up - in any order. We get
puffed up when we think we are strong enough to stand against the
enemy. We mess up when we fall into his trap. Then, we give up when
even the church refuses to welcome us upon repentance.
Steve Diggs was shafted by a church in Texas. He writes about his experience in When Christian Leaders Do Wrong. He also offers five lessons he learned along the way. I particularly liked lessons 4 & 5.
H. B. Charles, Jr. offers some wise theological reflection on the catchphrase “Taking Back What the Devil Stole”.
This post is just jammed with good, Bible- based common sense. I
especially commend his final paragraph because he rightly says that to
focus on what the devil supposedly stole is to “dishonor the unfailing
promises of God, the redemptive work of Christ, and the sanctifying
work of the Holy Spirit.”
Ben Stein will be happy about this.
I love to listen to the preaching of S. Lewis Johnson, Jr.
And in a completely different vein, Ed Levine wonders, Does Anyone Still Eat Chicken-Fried Steak? The answer is yes.
You can reach the author at ray@keepbelieving.com. Click here to sign up for the free weekly email sermon.
“I’m praying for you.”
How often have we said those four words? Christians routinely promise to pray for others. And such a promise, whether deeply felt or not, is always a wonderful gift. How encouraging it is to be going through a hard time and have someone who loves you say, “I’m praying for you.”
But there is something that can mean even more. Next week Marlene and I are traveling to the Czech Republic for the Josiah Venture Spring Conference. Because I am speaking on spiritual warfare, I wrote to some friends asking for their prayers. One of those friends wrote back yesterday and included his prayer for us. He prefaced it with these words: “I believe that God is going to do something wonderful and unexpected through your visit. Therefore, I want to specifically lift you and Marlene before the Lord.” This is the text of his prayer:
Father of Power and Light,
I lift my brother Ray and my sister Marlene before you this morning to plead with you on their behalf. You have called them to the task that awaits them in the Czech Republic next week. We know you are going to do something incredible next week because we see the evil one at work – doing all he can to stop you from accomplishing your purpose in this event. He knows that he has no influence over you, so he is attacking your children, hoping to distract, dishearten, and disrupt them as they attempt to obey your will. Don’t let him get away with any of it! Instead, Lord, put him on the defensive! Send him running for the hills so that he has no time to plot and scheme or attack Ray and Marlene or anyone associated with this upcoming trip and conference. Make him look over his shoulder in fear of you, the Almighty. Fill Ray and Marlene with your matchless power and through them shed your light on all they come in contact with in the Czech Republic. This trip is all about you!! Not our will, but thy will be done. Amen.
I love that prayer because it is powerful, biblical and personal. I read it and re-read it and felt strengthened to know that we have friends who pray for us like that.
I encourage you to do the same thing. Write a prayer for a friend. Don’t just say, “I’ll be praying for you.” Write out your prayer and send it to them. It doesn’t have to be long or fancy. A sentence or two is fine. Just write from your heart what you are praying to the Lord.
Write it and send it. A written prayer is a wonderful gift to those you love.
You can reach the author at ray@keepbelieving.com. Click here to sign up for the free weekly email sermon.
On Tuesday Marlene and I watched Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed at a theater in Tupelo. Here are a few quick reactions:
Ben Stein is fun to watch.
This is a viewpoint documentary designed to elicit strong reactions.
The movie is mostly about academic intolerance.
Good animation showing the complexity of a single cell.
Richard Dawkins is honest about the implications of believing in evolution.
So is William Provine.
“No God. No life after death. You live, you die. That’s it.”
To the academic establishment, ID = Creationism = Lunacy.
Loved David Berlinski.
Ditto for John Lennox.
Ben Stein wears a suit and tie and tennis shoes–very cool look.
This is really a battle of worldviews.
No one is truly “neutral” about creation and evolution.
Chilling scenes from a Nazi death camp.
Christian parents should watch this film.
Young people heading off to college should watch it too.
Don’t expect a comprehensive critique of evolution.
Don’t expect anything about the Genesis account of creation.
I can see why the mainstream media hates Expelled.
It’s not “objective” but it does tell the truth.
Those are my quick impressions. I enjoyed Expelled and highly recommend it. Go see it and make up your own mind.
You can reach the author at ray@keepbelieving.com. Click here to sign up for the free weekly email sermon.
