Spiritual warfare isn’t a sink-or-swim business. But how many of us are wearing ourselves out treading water in these last days? This week, I faced an attack from the enemy that raged for an entire day. From the time I woke up until I was about to sleep, I fought relentlessly. Relief didn’t come until… Continue reading Isaiah 59:19: The Lord Shall Lift Up a Standard
Analogies are great. Sometimes you can find them just by paying attention to the little things in our world. Sometimes, they jump from the pages of the Bible itself. This week, I was on vacation in another town and visited the little church that was right across the street from where I was staying. The… Continue reading Sin is Like a Plague on Our House
Spring and early summer in the south are lovely. This week, I saw flowers everywhere I went. I mean everywhere. Whether it was on my street or in my Facebook feed, I kept seeing – and I mean really noticing – flowers. The phenomenon was so pronounced and out of character for me that I… Continue reading Waiting to Bloom: Christians Are Like Century Plants
Flying is a great way to travel when you need to go long distances fast. A trip that would take a good 24 hours in a car can be done in just four or five on a plane. This week, I had the opportunity to fly to another state to visit my daughter. I experienced… Continue reading Life is Like Air Travel for Strangers and Pilgrims
The account of King Joash and the Prophet Elisha in 2 Kings 13 is the story of a missed opportunity. The Lord had given the king a chance to secure the fate of Israel against the Syrians. All he had to do was to “strike the ground” with his arrows to signify victory, and the… Continue reading Strike the Ground According to Your Faith
Most Christians understand grace as God’s unmerited favor. We can’t earn it. It’s a gift, and God bestows it on whom He will. The funny thing is that in some Christian circles, grace has sort of a bad name. Since there are those who would misuse grace as a license to sin, others have heard… Continue reading On the Tightrope of Life, Grace is Not the Net
God’s kingdom is not like a vending machine. You can’t just put your labor in and expect a guaranteed and immediate return. In fact, lots of times the work we do for God will look like it is going unnoticed by everybody, including God Himself. We keep praying, we keep posting messages that encourage and… Continue reading Our Labor Is Not in Vain
Time may be an abstract concept, but analogies can help us understand. One way the Bible speaks about our time on earth is with the metaphor of a path. After all, as we “walk” through this life, we are all heading to one of two eternal destinations: Heaven or Hell. For those of us actively… Continue reading The Feet to Walk the Path God Has Chosen
Mistletoe is a familiar sight and symbol of Christmastime. Often hung in doorways and adorned with ribbon, the little green sprigs with white berries bring love and affection wherever they go. As tradition holds, anyone found standing underneath one is fair game for a holiday kiss. While the history and symbolism of the tradition make… Continue reading Beware of Spiritual Mistletoe: An Analogy
Sharing Jesus with someone the Holy Spirit is not drawing is like mixing all the ingredients for dinner and putting them onto a cold stove. You may have the freshest meats and vegetables, the perfect blend of spices, and the most expensive cookware, but if there is no flame under the burner, it will just… Continue reading In Evangelism, Pray for Holy Spirit Fire
