Recently in Devotions for Church Leaders Category

Apart from Jesus Christ, Abraham is probably the most important person in the Bible. Abraham is a giant in Scripture--his stature is far greater than that of Moses, David, or Paul. These latter three were great men, and God used them in great ways, even giving portions of the Scriptures to us through them. But each of them would have agreed without qualification that Abraham was his father in faith.

The period in church history from A.D. 100 to A.D. 314 was known as the Martyr Period, when literally thousands and thousands of courageous Christian men, women, and even children sealed their fate with their blood. 

As I looked across the table at her, I could still see the pain in her eyes. She had been rejected years ago, but the hurt was still fresh. Linda Sullivan, my mother-in-law had grown up in a Christian family and had harbored dreams of working with young children, showing them the love of Christ. She met a young man at a Christian youth camp and soon married him. He was going to be a lawyer, but he could have been a pastor. That's how people felt about him. When they both walked down the aisle it would be the beginning of a great life together.

Life is difficult. That blunt, three-word statement is an accurate appraisal of our existence on this earth. When the writer of the biblical book named Job picked up his stylus to write his story, he could have begun with a similar-sounding and equally blunt sentence, "Life is unfair."

Revival is a seemingly old-fashioned word that conjures up numerous definitions, some of which have little to do with authentic revival, or "times of refreshing" sent from the Lord as described in Scripture. To aid in defining what I mean when I reference true, biblical revival I want to draw from one of the most important modern documents written on the topic, An Urgent Appeal-To Christian Leaders in America for Consensus and Collaboration on the Biblical Nature and Hope of Corporate Revival.

"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name." Matthew 6:9-10 

When you pray "Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," do you realize that this prayer has not yet been answered, but it will be answered?

For a long time now, I've been convinced that the way most Christians think about redemption is influenced more by ancient Greek philosophy than by the Bible. We think of ultimate redemption as being redemption from the body, not of the body; redemption from the world, not of the world; redemption from the material, not of the material. This, however, goes against what the Bible clearly teaches about redemption.