The Vision

My Dear Friend, Before a vision of God's purpose may be believed and followed, it must first be cast. Someone must place before us a clear vision of God's purpose. Then we can believe in it, hope for it, and work toward it. Bear with me, please, as I set…
Be the first to comment!
Read more...
Last modified on Monday, 22 December 2025 18:03
Page 1 of 3

We publish new, free e-Devotionals weekly.

Would you like to receive them?

YES, I WANT TO RECEIVE THEM

We publish new, free e-Devotionals weekly.

Would you like to receive them?

YES, I WANT TO RECEIVE THEM

More Devotionals

More Devotionals

Search

My Dear Friend, Before a vision of God's purpose may be believed and followed, it must first be cas...

My fellow Christian, "The Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the pr...

My Dear Friend, Some think that Christian worship should involve our human emotions. Others do not,...

My Dear Friend, In this utterly materialistic world, we are evaluated and rated, consciously or unc...

My fellow Christian, Overwhelmed and undone by the terrible adversities God poured upon him to test...

My Dear Friend, One of the most miraculous episodes in the Old Testament is described in 1 Samuel 1...

My fellow Christian, Christians are often taught by well-meaning ministers that we will all rule wi...

My Dear Friend, Across the centuries of sacred history, Psalm 134 is calling us. It's summons? Bles...

My Dear Friend, Satan's assaults on God's people are not imaginary. They are real, constant, destru...

My Dear Friend, We all admire spiritually strong leaders. They are thick-skinned, durable, indefati...

My Dear Friend, For a long time now, too many American churches have used sophisticated advertising...

My Dear Friend, The Holy Spirit showed Solomon there are six things God hates, the first being "a p...

My Dear Friend, May I share with you something that has recently weighed heavily on my heart? I am...

My Dear Friend, Revelation 22 is the last Word on God's Word. It closes the Book of Revelation, the...

My Dear Friend, Recently, my devotional reading took me to 1 Peter 4:18. There Peter prophesied som...

My Dear Friend, A paradox is something that sounds as if it cannot be true, yet it is. The Bible's ...

My Dear Friend, In the degree program section of its University Catalogue, Family Law University (F...

My Dear Friend, Do you know what the greatest praise and worship is in God's eyes? That which gives...

My Dear Friend, After years of trying to hide this from the Christian public, I must now come clean...

My Dear Friend, Being omniscient, God immediately sensed Moses was overwhelmed at the commission He...

My Dear Friend, Deeply disappointed by many years of not seeing God's direct intervention in Israel...

My Dear Friend, A major correction is coming to the church as we move toward the time of the transl...

My Dear Friend, Petrine eschatology, or Peter's view of the last things, is, when read thoughtfully...

My Dear Friend, As Luke's Gospel tells it, Jesus' ministry got off to a bad start. In fact, it almo...

My Dear Friend, When he first met Jesus, Paul's name was "Saul," meaning "asked for, sought after."...

The young, popular high schooler had no clue what he was getting into. All Greg Hinnant wanted to do...

My Dear Friend, May I share what I believe the Holy Spirit is saying to the churches in 2025? It is...

My Dear Friend, Contrary to popular Christian opinion, the highest ministry - or most spiritual, el...

My Dear Friend, A multifaceted Sacrament, Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper, is: central, contro...

My Dear Friend, In John 7:37-38, Jesus gave us this amazing promise: "If any man thirst, let him co...

My Dear Friend, May I tell you about a key New Testament minister who, though already fervent, scho...

My Dear Friend, What is the truest measure of being a real Christian? What is the surest evidence b...

My Dear Friend, Are you, a friend, or a family member considering marrying or remarrying? If so, th...

My Dear Friend, When in the lowest season of his life Gideon was suddenly told by an angel he was d...

My Dear Friend, Sometimes in our zeal to discover more new, details about biblical events, authors,...

My Dear Friend, I will refrain from prefacing this message with "Thus saith the Lord," but I do bel...

My Dear Friend, For years, John the Baptist lived alone in the desolate Judean wilderness in deep, ...

My Dear Friend, In Phillip Keller's classic book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, he describes a "cas...

My Dear Friend, Jesus declared, "Blessed are the pure in heart," and added the promise, "for they s...

My Dear Friend, The translation of the church, or rapture, is the sudden catching away of tested, s...

My Dear Friend, He led them through the depths," says Psalm 106:9, speaking of the way God chose to...

My Dear Friend, This is a wonderful yet dangerous and potentially confusing moment for Christians. ...

My Dear Friend, In the beginning, church leaders ordained those they felt Jesus had called and gift...

My Dear friend, Here is a New Testament news flash: being saved is not a "commitment." Yes, you rea...

My Dear friend, An oft-seen biblical pattern is this: God always accomplishes His sovereign will an...

My Dear friend, Are you experiencing a very challenging test of faith and patience? Despite much pr...

My Dear Friend, You have surely heard it said, "Don't try to play God!" But have you ever wondered ...

My Dear Friend, Miraculously rescued, freshly revived, and newly recommissioned, Jonah perceived Go...

My Dear Friend, Prayer is a primary Christian discipline and teaching topic. All believers have tak...

My Dear Friend, If honest, pastors everywhere will admit they desire to see their churches grow. Or...

My Dear Friend, For centuries many Christians have been drawn to religiousness, while others were b...

My Dear Friend,   Truth gets around. And here's some timely truth: “Every house divided a...

My Dear Friend, "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind," wrote Paul in Romans 12:2. If he ...

My Dear Friend, The Bible reveals God has a plan to take us from here to glory, earth to heaven, an...

My Dear Friend, One of the most unrecognized causes of trouble in Christians' lives and churches is...

My Dear Friend, Inspired by the inerrant, divine, Spirit of prophecy, an unnamed Jewish prophet iss...

My Dear Friend, In a key revelatory moment, God told Samuel, "The Lord doesn't see things the way y...

My Dear Friend, Materialism has two meanings. First, it is the philosophical theory that only mater...

My Dear Friend, Just before Jesus arrived, God spoke to His people through another man. A different...

My Dear Friend, Whenever a man presumes to speak a word of correction to ladies, he is on thin ice....

My Dear Friend, In the beginning God came down every afternoon to walk with Adam and Eve in the gar...

My Dear Friend, In John 15:2, Jesus frankly described the true nature of the spiritually fruitful l...

My Dear Friend, Satan's most powerful weapon is not a guided missile, million-man army, nuclear att...

My Dear Friend, Many Christians own flip calendars inscribed with an inspirational Bible verse for ...

My Dear Friend, In recent decades tattoos have been trending. Now many Christians are getting tatto...

My Dear Friend, I am sure this piece, which is addressed solely to Christians, is timely. I also ho...

My Dear Friend, The Scriptures and life confirm that God loves last-minute deliverances! Time and a...

My Dear Friend, Has God called you to personally share the gospel in foreign fields? If so, go! And...

My Dear Friend, Our culture is reeling from the newest new thing: the idiocy of cancel culture. But...

My Dear Friend, If asked, "What was the first word of the true, original gospel?" most Christians w...

My Dear Friend, While being pitilessly grilled over his healing by corrupt religious leaders bent o...

My Dear Friend, As we quietly and unceremoniously pass through this sad, dark world, many people wo...

My Dear Friend, For several decades now, the American church has been in spiritual decline because ...

My Dear Friend, It happened suddenly, and in the most unlikely place, a fruitless, hot, dry, dead, ...

My Dear Friend, Barnabas wisely exhorted the new converts at Antioch "that with purpose of heart" t...

My Dear Friend, In Mark 8:22-26, a perfectly blind man met a perfect Guide and followed His instruc...

My Dear Friend, When 4,000 Gentiles who had been with Jesus three days ran out of food, the discipl...

My Dear Friend, Long ago and far away, hidden in the dusty pages of our Bible, an ancient Jewish sc...

My Dear Friend, Not long ago, I lunched with a minister friend from a nearby city. He knew I teach ...

My Dear Friend, The Holy Trinity is an acknowledged mystery in that no human mind, however brillian...

My Dear Friend, As many do, I believe the Scripture and Spirit are telling us an awesome, sovereign...

My Dear Friend, In Psalm 12, David recorded his urgent visceral cry for rescue: "Help, Lord" (Psalm...

My Dear Friend, True justice is truly apolitical, and any form of justice that is political is trul...

My Dear Friend, After being freed from bitter bondage to Pharaoh, the children of Israel received a...

In Genesis 2:2-3, God blessed the 7th day and sanctified it as holy because on that day He rested fr...

My Dear Friend, Are you anxiously planning your future? Are you confused, troubled, unsure, unsettl...

My Dear Friend, My not-so-subtle title gives away my theme. Yes, I am saying believers should atten...

My Dear Friend, Hannah's story is well known (1 Samuel 1:1-18). Barren Hannah envied her female riv...

My Dear Friend, As God would have it, people who habitually indulge in gossip - untruths, half-trut...

My Dear Friend, Quiet time spent absolutely alone at Jesus' feet, giving thanks, worshiping, and me...

  My Dear Friend,   To feel good or to be good? that is the question! And it is on ever...

My Dear Friend,   When Jesus arrived at Bethany, everyone was in a low condition. Very lo...

My Dear Friend,    One Sunday morning not long ago, it rained rather heavily. As a resul...

My Dear Friend,   We often, and understandably, pray, "Lord, please give me an answer to pray...

Dear Friend, Uncannily, yet just as God would have it, the 1970 Asbury College awakening and this 2...

Dear Friend, Recent extended, extraordinary encounters of God's presence at Asbury Seminary in ...

Dear Friend, We often hear well-intended criticism of perfectionists. These complaints usually desc...

Dear Friend, Surprisingly, God's prophet spoke God's Word prophesying God's coming judgment on God'...

Dear Friend, I believe in missions, support several missionaries, and consider it my distinct privi...

Dear Friend, The long-awaited day finally came. Scripture carefully notes the triumphant moment whe...

Dear Friend, We typically distinguish between ministers and physicians, seeing them as two separate...

Dear Friend, While some Christians do not observe Christmas, others enjoy giving and receiving Chri...

Dear Friend, When suddenly thrust into grave danger with no apparent way out, the Jerusalem church ...

Dear Friend, This is a call to attend a funeral. But not an ordinary one.There will be no flowers o...

Dear Friend, Attention! This is a negative piece, a critique of church practice, and I realize I m...

Dear Friend, As sweet and inspiring as it is, our walk with Christ has some unusual, even strange, ...

Dear Friend, We often hear this question posed, almost always speaking of our natural homes, or phy...

Dear Friend,  In the fall of 1973, I enrolled at Appalachian State University in Boone, North ...

Dear Friend, One of our nation's most valued agencies is the Secret Service. It is a division of th...

Dear Friend, A powerful lesson is hidden in Isaiah 26-27. Let's uncover it.Isaiah 26-27 are part of...

Dear Friend, In Mark 6:45-52, Jesus' disciples were toiling to row against strong winds that not on...

Dear Friend, In the simple, short phrase, "Let God be God," lies the wisdom of the ages. Then let's...

Dear Friend, A recent chat with a pastor reminded me of a rather unpleasant fact: churches can make...

Dear Friend, Referring to the relentless and contentious quest for water in the arid plains of the ...

Dear Friend, A devilish, divisive, destructive force has been unleashed among us and, for the prese...

Dear Friend, "How good! How pleasant!" - says the psalmist of God's commanded blessing. And his ent...

Dear Friend, In the promised land, unlike Egypt, there were fountains of living (fresh, free-flowin...

Dear Friend, David was the first in a long line of spiritual clingers. Listen to the testimony of h...

Dear Friend, Many Christians today are trying to get by on one work of grace when the first church ...

Dear Friend, A concern has been gestating in my soul for some time now and I simply must birth it. ...

Dear Friend, A zone is an area or region distinguished from its surroundings by some distinctive fe...

Dear Friend, In Mark 6:30-32, Jesus addressed a subject that is discussed often in our day: stress!...

Dear Friend, Genesis 49 and Psalm 129 have an important message for Christians who are being repeat...

Dear Friend, Just after saving Israel from Egypt, God had a word for His people: "Open thy mouth wi...

Dear Friend, Before Jesus' First Advent, the Jews were looking earnestly for a Messiah. But not the...

Dear Friend, Psalm 41 records David's grief over the shocking betrayal of his best friend, Ahithoph...

Dear Friend, Faithfulness is a key character trait of every Christian who is prepared for Christ's ...

Dear Friend, The numbers racket, or numbers game, is a form of gambling in which a bettor tries to ...

Dear Friend, There is a vast difference between leadership and "followship." Let's examine it.Leade...

Dear Friend, I want to announce publicly today that I am pro life and pro choice. Yes, that's right...

Dear Friend, Psalm 137 describes Jewish captives in Babylon who had been defeated in more ways than...

Dear Friend, In its essence, Christianity is a supernatural flow of divinely empowered life, a rive...

Dear Friend, The church today has two halves, evangelical and Charismatic / Pentecostal, with one e...

Dear Friend, The present reality is we are surrounded by too much unreality. So much we see is not ...

Dear Friend, In the first century AD, those who worshiped Greek and Roman gods paid no attention to...

Dear Friend, A Christian women's counselor recently asked me to review her article on the Jezebel s...

Dear Friend, Nehemiah 3 has a very modern message hidden in its very ancient story. And a very time...

Dear Friend, When Solomon was coronated as Israel's king, he became the pastor of God's flock. Sudd...

Dear Friend, Joseph was faithful in his fellowship with God and service to Him in a day of small th...

Dear Friend, In years past it was not uncommon to hear someone, when speaking of a person rising in...

Dear Friend, The Lord wants to say something to us - His covenant people, born-again Christians, Sp...

Dear Friend, Can anything good come from a Bible paraphrase? Being an expositor, I'll tread lightly...

Dear Friend, After walking on water to save His disciples, Jesus walked on land to heal the afflict...

Dear Friend, Moses prayed, "Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord w...

Dear Friend, When a listener exclaimed, "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God" ...

Dear Friend, The Pantheon is a remarkably designed, exquisitely beautiful marble temple that was bu...

Dear Friend, We all know what an ideal Christmas looks like: family together, good food, gifts and ...

Dear Friend, The ultimate wordsmith, God searched His unsearchably deep heart for just the right wo...

Dear Friend, Both Old and New Testaments call Christians to be faithful witnesses. "Ye are my witne...

Dear Friend, WARNING: the content of this message may be disturbing. Read at your own risk of havin...

Dear Friend, Among God's many distinctive names we may add yet another: the Ropemaker. A little his...

Dear Friend, This is a story about a cloak - but no ordinary one. It was worn by a wilderness man o...

Dear Friend, May I present my thesis: Leaders can't lead effectively without assistants assist...

Dear Friend, Don't fool around with sharp knives, or you may be cut. Don't play with fire, or you m...

Dear Friend, When in 1922 British archaeologist Howard Carter, aided by candlelight, first peered i...

Dear Friend, Many a pastor has started out on fire and ended up on ice. How did this happen?Full of...

Dear Friend, As we read the sad story of Herod Antipas' interaction with the brave prophet John the...

Dear Friend, After three years of stunningly fruitful ministry, Jesus told His apostles even more f...

Dear Friend, We know very well that Jesus frequently ministered to multitudes, hundreds here, thous...

Dear Friend, She couldn't have children, never had had children, and never would have children, so ...

Dear Friend, Sometimes we Christians forget a key fact: We live, move, speak, act, react, and minis...

Dear Friend, Caught suddenly in a multilevel, burning building, any person of normal awareness and ...

Dear Friend, The author of Psalm 130 is waiting steadfastly, confidently, intently, and expectantly...

Dear Friend, I have two simple questions for you: First, do you have spiritual treading power? Seco...

Dear Friend, "Now faith is the substance [foundation or 'stand-under'] of things hoped for, the evi...

Dear Friend, Upon Knowing one's goal is essential to success in war, sports, and spiritual life. Le...

Dear Friend, Upon arriving in Capernaum, Jesus was immediately met by “one of the rulers of the [lo...

Dear Friend, Two very different needy people anxiously awaited Jesus' arrival by boat in Capernaum ...

Dear Friend, Bear with me, please, while I use a shallow metaphor to convey a deep truth. Following...

Dear Friend, When Jesus delivered a woman long bound by an oppressive "spirit of infirmity," He sho...

Dear Friend, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread," goes the adage. And in no area is this tru...

Dear Friend, The American public has recently developed a serious vision problem. Or, more accurate...

Dear Friend, In John 15:14, Jesus gave us the key to the amazing, unique wonder of friendship with ...

Dear Friend, Let it never be said that ignorance is acceptable. It's not, especially in Christians,...

Dear Friend, Everything around us in this world operates on trust - reliance on others acting in go...

Dear Friend, Pastor, associate pastor, elder, counselor, mentor, missionary, teacher, parent, and e...

Dear Friend, Recently, evangelical worship police - overzealous polemicists and apologists - have i...

Dear Friend, Jesus cleansed the Jews' temple of religious commercialists and unauthorized trafficke...

Dear Friend, In ancient Jewish wedding customs, during the period of the betrothal (engagement), a ...

Dear Friend, In Jesus said if He calls us, equips us, anoints us, gifts us, and sends us, we will "...

Dear Friend, In His foundational parable of the sower and soil, Jesus said, "The sower soweth the w...

Dear Friend, Real revival, the "suddenly ... from heaven" kind (Acts 2:2), is not merely a series o...

Dear Friend, The Bible speaks of many kinds of prayer: doubting prayer, selfish prayer, vengeful pr...

Dear Friend, Our title sounds silly, doesn't it? Everyone knows how to walk. Right?Yes, but every C...

Dear Friend, Much is said today of "coverings," particularly of human authorities being spiritual c...

Dear Friend, Of consistently upright and faithful worshipers, David wrote, "He that doeth these thi...

Dear Friend, This is a word to all worshipers, especially worship leaders. You will never sele...

Dear Friend, The more scientific strata of our culture spends much time discussing and debating ori...

Dear Friend, The Gospels reveal Jesus selected a variety of locations in which to teach His discipl...

Dear Friend, Study, read, listen, pray, or think as I may, I cannot find any door to the abundant C...

Dear Friend, Every heaven-sent revival - or visitation or move of the Spirit - in this Church Age i...

Dear Friend, By leading Israel to victory over Debir, Othniel, who would later become Israel's firs...

Dear Friend, Mark 1:41 tells us a leper’s condition and plea “moved” Jesus, or prompted Him to act ...

Dear Friend, Nehemiah was an effective Christian lawyer before his time. Let me explain.Time and ag...

Dear Friend, American Christians, it's time for us to turn the page. Why? God has turned His. Let m...

Dear Friend, Have you suddenly received unexpected, unwanted news? Well, this, too, is part of God'...

Dear Friend, There is a clear connection between spiritual breakthroughs and outbreaks of spiritual...

My Dear Friend, Five times Jesus corrected, and in a sense insulted, Jewish Old Testament scholars ...

My Dear Friend, Mark 1:40-45 is a shocker. It tells us that after Christ healed a man of leprosy - ...

My Dear Friend, Every Christian, if trusting, obedient, and persistent, can grow to become a master...

My Dear Friend, There are many different kinds of blindness: total blindness, color blindness, snow...

My Dear Friend, Ever foreseeing, faithful, and gracious, our Lord Jesus Christ did not leave His ch...

My Dear Friend, When Elijah put his face between his knees and prayed persistently for a drought-bu...

My Dear Friend, Got family trouble? Go have a talk with Jesus. He knows all about it. When His mini...

My Dear Friend, A cowardly Christian and a courageous Christian both stood at the same crossroads. ...

My Dear Friend, My fellow Christian, are you not getting your way? Hmm... Perhaps there's a divine ...

My Dear Friend, Mark tells us that from His seaside pulpit - a small fishing boat - Jesus "taught t...

My Dear Friend, (NOTICE: I usually don't delve into political issues; this piece is an exception in...

My Dear Friend, It is reported by some that ministers receive special treatment. This is true.If tr...

My Dear Friend, On our journey through life we meet an array of religious and social issues on whic...

My Dear Friend, In a prophetic vision, the apostle John saw, heard, and thus personally witnessed, ...

My Dear Friend, In my good friend John Shiver's wonderful book, Discoveries in Ministry, ...

My Dear Friend, Daniel was a man of extraordinary devotion and discipline. His heart was wholly aba...

My Dear Friend, David taught that obedience to God's Word brings us significant rewards: "In keepin...

My Dear Friend, In his excellent book, Discoveries in Ministry, my spiritually wise friend, Dr...

My Dear Friend, Early in my writing ministry I received a God-lesson I never forgot. I don't want y...

My Dear Friend, Solomon said, "The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall ...

My Dear Friend, Mark 1:21-38 describes "launch day," the first twenty-four hours of Jesus' ministry...

My Dear Friend, Many Christians confuse the new birth that saves us with the new way that transform...

My Dear Friend, Being In His most basic parable, The Sower and The Soils (Mark 4:1-20), Jesus laid ...

My Dear Friend, Being appreciated for who we are and what we do is a very precious thing. Whether w...

My Dear Friend, God has a cure for every wound, even loneliness. As Jesus informed Paul, “My gr...

My Dear Friend, As the Psalmist ran the race of life, he was focused on the finish line and det...

My Dear Friend, Billy Graham is gone but his words are not. And they are more timely than ever!...

My Dear Friend, Strangely, yet undeniably, God uses "horrible pits" to raise honorable princes ...

My Dear Friend, In His most fundamental parable of the Sower and the Soil, Jesus warned us when...

My Dear Friend, Stay-at-home orders are being rolled back across America and Christians are beg...

My Dear Friend, Our devotional theme today is simple: let us not succumb to fear in fearful tim...

My Dear Friend, When God was on the move, intervening to bring Israel out of Egypt, His people ...

My Dear Friend, In the sixth century BC, God gave the prophet Ezekiel a special vision of a spe...

My Dear Friend, Inescapable" best describes the situation of those who try to hide their sins f...

My Dear Friend, Every born-again Christian is given the Spirit-induced desire to glorify God an...

My Dear Friend, Spiritual Amputation? O what a hard subject! But our Master taught there are ti...

My Dear Friend, As the present COVID-19 crisis continues, our minds are turning naturally to th...

My Dear Friend, Our title expresses what the author of Psalm 84 had in mind: his annual trek to...

My Dear Friend, His heart stirred with profound gratitude, David wrote, "The Lord is my Shepher...

My Dear Friend, For weeks our government has instructed us how to respond to the Coronavirus pa...

My Dear Friend, Soon an UNforeseen awakening will visit our largely UNspiritual churches. Upon ...

My Dear Friend, Our title sums up the great lesson hidden in Zephaniah 3:14 and 17. There God u...

My Dear Friend, Are you a remnant believer currently experiencing great distress? If so, prepar...

My Dear Friend, What a blessing it is when committed disciples join your church! Every Christia...

My Dear Friend, Grace, grit, growth, glory - these terms describe adequately, if briefly, the C...

My Dear Friend, After being born again by repentance and childlike faith in Jesus, we're sudden...

My Dear Friend, In Psalm 18, David penned two closely related truths we need to carefully exami...

My Dear Friend, The gospels reveal Jesus' penchant for nicknaming people. While nicknames may a...

My Dear Friend, Spiritual revival awakens us from the sleep of sin and indifference to God. It ...

My Dear Friend, Do you want to be close enough to Christ to discern (a) He is speaking, (b) He ...

My Dear Friend, The apostles’ call was twofold: first, “to be with him [Jesus]” (Mark 3:14); se...

My Dear Friend,Jesus chose His apostles in His divine sovereignty, demonstrating His absolute lordsh...

My Dear Friend, Like it or not, this is the day people all over the world reflect on the last y...

My Dear Friend, Before a vision of God's purpose may be believed and followed, it must first be cas...

My fellow Christian, "The Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the pr...

My Dear Friend, Some think that Christian worship should involve our human emotions. Others do not,...

My Dear Friend, In this utterly materialistic world, we are evaluated and rated, consciously or unc...

My fellow Christian, Overwhelmed and undone by the terrible adversities God poured upon him to test...

My Dear Friend, One of the most miraculous episodes in the Old Testament is described in 1 Samuel 1...

My fellow Christian, Christians are often taught by well-meaning ministers that we will all rule wi...

My Dear Friend, Across the centuries of sacred history, Psalm 134 is calling us. It's summons? Bles...

My Dear Friend, Satan's assaults on God's people are not imaginary. They are real, constant, destru...

My Dear Friend, We all admire spiritually strong leaders. They are thick-skinned, durable, indefati...

My Dear Friend, For a long time now, too many American churches have used sophisticated advertising...

My Dear Friend, The Holy Spirit showed Solomon there are six things God hates, the first being "a p...

My Dear Friend, May I share with you something that has recently weighed heavily on my heart? I am...

My Dear Friend, Revelation 22 is the last Word on God's Word. It closes the Book of Revelation, the...

My Dear Friend, Recently, my devotional reading took me to 1 Peter 4:18. There Peter prophesied som...

My Dear Friend, A paradox is something that sounds as if it cannot be true, yet it is. The Bible's ...

My Dear Friend, In the degree program section of its University Catalogue, Family Law University (F...

My Dear Friend, Do you know what the greatest praise and worship is in God's eyes? That which gives...

My Dear Friend, After years of trying to hide this from the Christian public, I must now come clean...

My Dear Friend, Being omniscient, God immediately sensed Moses was overwhelmed at the commission He...

My Dear Friend, Deeply disappointed by many years of not seeing God's direct intervention in Israel...

My Dear Friend, A major correction is coming to the church as we move toward the time of the transl...

My Dear Friend, Petrine eschatology, or Peter's view of the last things, is, when read thoughtfully...

My Dear Friend, As Luke's Gospel tells it, Jesus' ministry got off to a bad start. In fact, it almo...

My Dear Friend, When he first met Jesus, Paul's name was "Saul," meaning "asked for, sought after."...

The young, popular high schooler had no clue what he was getting into. All Greg Hinnant wanted to do...

My Dear Friend, May I share what I believe the Holy Spirit is saying to the churches in 2025? It is...

My Dear Friend, Contrary to popular Christian opinion, the highest ministry - or most spiritual, el...

My Dear Friend, A multifaceted Sacrament, Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper, is: central, contro...

My Dear Friend, In John 7:37-38, Jesus gave us this amazing promise: "If any man thirst, let him co...

My Dear Friend, May I tell you about a key New Testament minister who, though already fervent, scho...

My Dear Friend, What is the truest measure of being a real Christian? What is the surest evidence b...

My Dear Friend, Are you, a friend, or a family member considering marrying or remarrying? If so, th...

My Dear Friend, When in the lowest season of his life Gideon was suddenly told by an angel he was d...

My Dear Friend, Sometimes in our zeal to discover more new, details about biblical events, authors,...

My Dear Friend, I will refrain from prefacing this message with "Thus saith the Lord," but I do bel...

My Dear Friend, For years, John the Baptist lived alone in the desolate Judean wilderness in deep, ...

My Dear Friend, In Phillip Keller's classic book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, he describes a "cas...

My Dear Friend, Jesus declared, "Blessed are the pure in heart," and added the promise, "for they s...

My Dear Friend, The translation of the church, or rapture, is the sudden catching away of tested, s...

My Dear Friend, He led them through the depths," says Psalm 106:9, speaking of the way God chose to...

My Dear Friend, This is a wonderful yet dangerous and potentially confusing moment for Christians. ...

My Dear Friend, In the beginning, church leaders ordained those they felt Jesus had called and gift...

My Dear friend, Here is a New Testament news flash: being saved is not a "commitment." Yes, you rea...

My Dear friend, An oft-seen biblical pattern is this: God always accomplishes His sovereign will an...

My Dear friend, Are you experiencing a very challenging test of faith and patience? Despite much pr...

My Dear Friend, You have surely heard it said, "Don't try to play God!" But have you ever wondered ...

My Dear Friend, Miraculously rescued, freshly revived, and newly recommissioned, Jonah perceived Go...

My Dear Friend, Prayer is a primary Christian discipline and teaching topic. All believers have tak...

My Dear Friend, If honest, pastors everywhere will admit they desire to see their churches grow. Or...

My Dear Friend, For centuries many Christians have been drawn to religiousness, while others were b...

My Dear Friend,   Truth gets around. And here's some timely truth: “Every house divided a...

My Dear Friend, "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind," wrote Paul in Romans 12:2. If he ...

My Dear Friend, The Bible reveals God has a plan to take us from here to glory, earth to heaven, an...

My Dear Friend, One of the most unrecognized causes of trouble in Christians' lives and churches is...

My Dear Friend, Inspired by the inerrant, divine, Spirit of prophecy, an unnamed Jewish prophet iss...

My Dear Friend, In a key revelatory moment, God told Samuel, "The Lord doesn't see things the way y...

My Dear Friend, Materialism has two meanings. First, it is the philosophical theory that only mater...

My Dear Friend, Just before Jesus arrived, God spoke to His people through another man. A different...

My Dear Friend, Whenever a man presumes to speak a word of correction to ladies, he is on thin ice....

My Dear Friend, In the beginning God came down every afternoon to walk with Adam and Eve in the gar...

My Dear Friend, In John 15:2, Jesus frankly described the true nature of the spiritually fruitful l...

My Dear Friend, Satan's most powerful weapon is not a guided missile, million-man army, nuclear att...

My Dear Friend, Many Christians own flip calendars inscribed with an inspirational Bible verse for ...

My Dear Friend, In recent decades tattoos have been trending. Now many Christians are getting tatto...

My Dear Friend, I am sure this piece, which is addressed solely to Christians, is timely. I also ho...

My Dear Friend, The Scriptures and life confirm that God loves last-minute deliverances! Time and a...

My Dear Friend, Has God called you to personally share the gospel in foreign fields? If so, go! And...

My Dear Friend, Our culture is reeling from the newest new thing: the idiocy of cancel culture. But...

My Dear Friend, If asked, "What was the first word of the true, original gospel?" most Christians w...

My Dear Friend, While being pitilessly grilled over his healing by corrupt religious leaders bent o...

My Dear Friend, As we quietly and unceremoniously pass through this sad, dark world, many people wo...

My Dear Friend, For several decades now, the American church has been in spiritual decline because ...

My Dear Friend, It happened suddenly, and in the most unlikely place, a fruitless, hot, dry, dead, ...

My Dear Friend, Barnabas wisely exhorted the new converts at Antioch "that with purpose of heart" t...

My Dear Friend, In Mark 8:22-26, a perfectly blind man met a perfect Guide and followed His instruc...

My Dear Friend, When 4,000 Gentiles who had been with Jesus three days ran out of food, the discipl...

My Dear Friend, Long ago and far away, hidden in the dusty pages of our Bible, an ancient Jewish sc...

My Dear Friend, Not long ago, I lunched with a minister friend from a nearby city. He knew I teach ...

My Dear Friend, The Holy Trinity is an acknowledged mystery in that no human mind, however brillian...

My Dear Friend, As many do, I believe the Scripture and Spirit are telling us an awesome, sovereign...

My Dear Friend, In Psalm 12, David recorded his urgent visceral cry for rescue: "Help, Lord" (Psalm...

My Dear Friend, True justice is truly apolitical, and any form of justice that is political is trul...

My Dear Friend, After being freed from bitter bondage to Pharaoh, the children of Israel received a...

In Genesis 2:2-3, God blessed the 7th day and sanctified it as holy because on that day He rested fr...

My Dear Friend, Are you anxiously planning your future? Are you confused, troubled, unsure, unsettl...

My Dear Friend, My not-so-subtle title gives away my theme. Yes, I am saying believers should atten...

My Dear Friend, Hannah's story is well known (1 Samuel 1:1-18). Barren Hannah envied her female riv...

My Dear Friend, As God would have it, people who habitually indulge in gossip - untruths, half-trut...

My Dear Friend, Quiet time spent absolutely alone at Jesus' feet, giving thanks, worshiping, and me...

  My Dear Friend,   To feel good or to be good? that is the question! And it is on ever...

My Dear Friend,   When Jesus arrived at Bethany, everyone was in a low condition. Very lo...

My Dear Friend,    One Sunday morning not long ago, it rained rather heavily. As a resul...

My Dear Friend,   We often, and understandably, pray, "Lord, please give me an answer to pray...

Dear Friend, Uncannily, yet just as God would have it, the 1970 Asbury College awakening and this 2...

Dear Friend, Recent extended, extraordinary encounters of God's presence at Asbury Seminary in ...

Dear Friend, We often hear well-intended criticism of perfectionists. These complaints usually desc...

Dear Friend, Surprisingly, God's prophet spoke God's Word prophesying God's coming judgment on God'...

Dear Friend, I believe in missions, support several missionaries, and consider it my distinct privi...

Dear Friend, The long-awaited day finally came. Scripture carefully notes the triumphant moment whe...

Dear Friend, We typically distinguish between ministers and physicians, seeing them as two separate...

Dear Friend, While some Christians do not observe Christmas, others enjoy giving and receiving Chri...

Dear Friend, When suddenly thrust into grave danger with no apparent way out, the Jerusalem church ...

Dear Friend, This is a call to attend a funeral. But not an ordinary one.There will be no flowers o...

Dear Friend, Attention! This is a negative piece, a critique of church practice, and I realize I m...

Dear Friend, As sweet and inspiring as it is, our walk with Christ has some unusual, even strange, ...

Dear Friend, We often hear this question posed, almost always speaking of our natural homes, or phy...

Dear Friend,  In the fall of 1973, I enrolled at Appalachian State University in Boone, North ...

Dear Friend, One of our nation's most valued agencies is the Secret Service. It is a division of th...

Dear Friend, A powerful lesson is hidden in Isaiah 26-27. Let's uncover it.Isaiah 26-27 are part of...

Dear Friend, In Mark 6:45-52, Jesus' disciples were toiling to row against strong winds that not on...

Dear Friend, In the simple, short phrase, "Let God be God," lies the wisdom of the ages. Then let's...

Dear Friend, A recent chat with a pastor reminded me of a rather unpleasant fact: churches can make...

Dear Friend, Referring to the relentless and contentious quest for water in the arid plains of the ...

Dear Friend, A devilish, divisive, destructive force has been unleashed among us and, for the prese...

Dear Friend, "How good! How pleasant!" - says the psalmist of God's commanded blessing. And his ent...

Dear Friend, In the promised land, unlike Egypt, there were fountains of living (fresh, free-flowin...

Dear Friend, David was the first in a long line of spiritual clingers. Listen to the testimony of h...

Dear Friend, Many Christians today are trying to get by on one work of grace when the first church ...

Dear Friend, A concern has been gestating in my soul for some time now and I simply must birth it. ...

Dear Friend, A zone is an area or region distinguished from its surroundings by some distinctive fe...

Dear Friend, In Mark 6:30-32, Jesus addressed a subject that is discussed often in our day: stress!...

Dear Friend, Genesis 49 and Psalm 129 have an important message for Christians who are being repeat...

Dear Friend, Just after saving Israel from Egypt, God had a word for His people: "Open thy mouth wi...

Dear Friend, Before Jesus' First Advent, the Jews were looking earnestly for a Messiah. But not the...

Dear Friend, Psalm 41 records David's grief over the shocking betrayal of his best friend, Ahithoph...

Dear Friend, Faithfulness is a key character trait of every Christian who is prepared for Christ's ...

Dear Friend, The numbers racket, or numbers game, is a form of gambling in which a bettor tries to ...

Dear Friend, There is a vast difference between leadership and "followship." Let's examine it.Leade...

Dear Friend, I want to announce publicly today that I am pro life and pro choice. Yes, that's right...

Dear Friend, Psalm 137 describes Jewish captives in Babylon who had been defeated in more ways than...

Dear Friend, In its essence, Christianity is a supernatural flow of divinely empowered life, a rive...

Dear Friend, The church today has two halves, evangelical and Charismatic / Pentecostal, with one e...

Dear Friend, The present reality is we are surrounded by too much unreality. So much we see is not ...

Dear Friend, In the first century AD, those who worshiped Greek and Roman gods paid no attention to...

Dear Friend, A Christian women's counselor recently asked me to review her article on the Jezebel s...

Dear Friend, Nehemiah 3 has a very modern message hidden in its very ancient story. And a very time...

Dear Friend, When Solomon was coronated as Israel's king, he became the pastor of God's flock. Sudd...

Dear Friend, Joseph was faithful in his fellowship with God and service to Him in a day of small th...

Dear Friend, In years past it was not uncommon to hear someone, when speaking of a person rising in...

Dear Friend, The Lord wants to say something to us - His covenant people, born-again Christians, Sp...

Dear Friend, Can anything good come from a Bible paraphrase? Being an expositor, I'll tread lightly...

Dear Friend, After walking on water to save His disciples, Jesus walked on land to heal the afflict...

Dear Friend, Moses prayed, "Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord w...

Dear Friend, When a listener exclaimed, "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God" ...

Dear Friend, The Pantheon is a remarkably designed, exquisitely beautiful marble temple that was bu...

Dear Friend, We all know what an ideal Christmas looks like: family together, good food, gifts and ...

Dear Friend, The ultimate wordsmith, God searched His unsearchably deep heart for just the right wo...

Dear Friend, Both Old and New Testaments call Christians to be faithful witnesses. "Ye are my witne...

Dear Friend, WARNING: the content of this message may be disturbing. Read at your own risk of havin...

Dear Friend, Among God's many distinctive names we may add yet another: the Ropemaker. A little his...

Dear Friend, This is a story about a cloak - but no ordinary one. It was worn by a wilderness man o...

Dear Friend, May I present my thesis: Leaders can't lead effectively without assistants assist...

Dear Friend, Don't fool around with sharp knives, or you may be cut. Don't play with fire, or you m...

Dear Friend, When in 1922 British archaeologist Howard Carter, aided by candlelight, first peered i...

Dear Friend, Many a pastor has started out on fire and ended up on ice. How did this happen?Full of...

Dear Friend, As we read the sad story of Herod Antipas' interaction with the brave prophet John the...

Dear Friend, After three years of stunningly fruitful ministry, Jesus told His apostles even more f...

Dear Friend, We know very well that Jesus frequently ministered to multitudes, hundreds here, thous...

Dear Friend, She couldn't have children, never had had children, and never would have children, so ...

Dear Friend, Sometimes we Christians forget a key fact: We live, move, speak, act, react, and minis...

Dear Friend, Caught suddenly in a multilevel, burning building, any person of normal awareness and ...

Dear Friend, The author of Psalm 130 is waiting steadfastly, confidently, intently, and expectantly...

Dear Friend, I have two simple questions for you: First, do you have spiritual treading power? Seco...

Dear Friend, "Now faith is the substance [foundation or 'stand-under'] of things hoped for, the evi...

Dear Friend, Upon Knowing one's goal is essential to success in war, sports, and spiritual life. Le...

Dear Friend, Upon arriving in Capernaum, Jesus was immediately met by “one of the rulers of the [lo...

Dear Friend, Two very different needy people anxiously awaited Jesus' arrival by boat in Capernaum ...

Dear Friend, Bear with me, please, while I use a shallow metaphor to convey a deep truth. Following...

Dear Friend, When Jesus delivered a woman long bound by an oppressive "spirit of infirmity," He sho...

Dear Friend, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread," goes the adage. And in no area is this tru...

Dear Friend, The American public has recently developed a serious vision problem. Or, more accurate...

Dear Friend, In John 15:14, Jesus gave us the key to the amazing, unique wonder of friendship with ...

Dear Friend, Let it never be said that ignorance is acceptable. It's not, especially in Christians,...

Dear Friend, Everything around us in this world operates on trust - reliance on others acting in go...

Dear Friend, Pastor, associate pastor, elder, counselor, mentor, missionary, teacher, parent, and e...

Dear Friend, Recently, evangelical worship police - overzealous polemicists and apologists - have i...

Dear Friend, Jesus cleansed the Jews' temple of religious commercialists and unauthorized trafficke...

Dear Friend, In ancient Jewish wedding customs, during the period of the betrothal (engagement), a ...

Dear Friend, In Jesus said if He calls us, equips us, anoints us, gifts us, and sends us, we will "...

Dear Friend, In His foundational parable of the sower and soil, Jesus said, "The sower soweth the w...

Dear Friend, Real revival, the "suddenly ... from heaven" kind (Acts 2:2), is not merely a series o...

Dear Friend, The Bible speaks of many kinds of prayer: doubting prayer, selfish prayer, vengeful pr...

Dear Friend, Our title sounds silly, doesn't it? Everyone knows how to walk. Right?Yes, but every C...

Dear Friend, Much is said today of "coverings," particularly of human authorities being spiritual c...

Dear Friend, Of consistently upright and faithful worshipers, David wrote, "He that doeth these thi...

Dear Friend, This is a word to all worshipers, especially worship leaders. You will never sele...

Dear Friend, The more scientific strata of our culture spends much time discussing and debating ori...

Dear Friend, The Gospels reveal Jesus selected a variety of locations in which to teach His discipl...

Dear Friend, Study, read, listen, pray, or think as I may, I cannot find any door to the abundant C...

Dear Friend, Every heaven-sent revival - or visitation or move of the Spirit - in this Church Age i...

Dear Friend, By leading Israel to victory over Debir, Othniel, who would later become Israel's firs...

Dear Friend, Mark 1:41 tells us a leper’s condition and plea “moved” Jesus, or prompted Him to act ...

Dear Friend, Nehemiah was an effective Christian lawyer before his time. Let me explain.Time and ag...

Dear Friend, American Christians, it's time for us to turn the page. Why? God has turned His. Let m...

Dear Friend, Have you suddenly received unexpected, unwanted news? Well, this, too, is part of God'...

Dear Friend, There is a clear connection between spiritual breakthroughs and outbreaks of spiritual...

My Dear Friend, Five times Jesus corrected, and in a sense insulted, Jewish Old Testament scholars ...

My Dear Friend, Mark 1:40-45 is a shocker. It tells us that after Christ healed a man of leprosy - ...

My Dear Friend, Every Christian, if trusting, obedient, and persistent, can grow to become a master...

My Dear Friend, There are many different kinds of blindness: total blindness, color blindness, snow...

My Dear Friend, Ever foreseeing, faithful, and gracious, our Lord Jesus Christ did not leave His ch...

My Dear Friend, When Elijah put his face between his knees and prayed persistently for a drought-bu...

My Dear Friend, Got family trouble? Go have a talk with Jesus. He knows all about it. When His mini...

My Dear Friend, A cowardly Christian and a courageous Christian both stood at the same crossroads. ...

My Dear Friend, My fellow Christian, are you not getting your way? Hmm... Perhaps there's a divine ...

My Dear Friend, Mark tells us that from His seaside pulpit - a small fishing boat - Jesus "taught t...

My Dear Friend, (NOTICE: I usually don't delve into political issues; this piece is an exception in...

My Dear Friend, It is reported by some that ministers receive special treatment. This is true.If tr...

My Dear Friend, On our journey through life we meet an array of religious and social issues on whic...

My Dear Friend, In a prophetic vision, the apostle John saw, heard, and thus personally witnessed, ...

My Dear Friend, In my good friend John Shiver's wonderful book, Discoveries in Ministry, ...

My Dear Friend, Daniel was a man of extraordinary devotion and discipline. His heart was wholly aba...

My Dear Friend, David taught that obedience to God's Word brings us significant rewards: "In keepin...

My Dear Friend, In his excellent book, Discoveries in Ministry, my spiritually wise friend, Dr...

My Dear Friend, Early in my writing ministry I received a God-lesson I never forgot. I don't want y...

My Dear Friend, Solomon said, "The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall ...

My Dear Friend, Mark 1:21-38 describes "launch day," the first twenty-four hours of Jesus' ministry...

My Dear Friend, Many Christians confuse the new birth that saves us with the new way that transform...

My Dear Friend, Being In His most basic parable, The Sower and The Soils (Mark 4:1-20), Jesus laid ...

My Dear Friend, Being appreciated for who we are and what we do is a very precious thing. Whether w...

My Dear Friend, God has a cure for every wound, even loneliness. As Jesus informed Paul, “My gr...

My Dear Friend, As the Psalmist ran the race of life, he was focused on the finish line and det...

My Dear Friend, Billy Graham is gone but his words are not. And they are more timely than ever!...

My Dear Friend, Strangely, yet undeniably, God uses "horrible pits" to raise honorable princes ...

My Dear Friend, In His most fundamental parable of the Sower and the Soil, Jesus warned us when...

My Dear Friend, Stay-at-home orders are being rolled back across America and Christians are beg...

My Dear Friend, Our devotional theme today is simple: let us not succumb to fear in fearful tim...

My Dear Friend, When God was on the move, intervening to bring Israel out of Egypt, His people ...

My Dear Friend, In the sixth century BC, God gave the prophet Ezekiel a special vision of a spe...

My Dear Friend, Inescapable" best describes the situation of those who try to hide their sins f...

My Dear Friend, Every born-again Christian is given the Spirit-induced desire to glorify God an...

My Dear Friend, Spiritual Amputation? O what a hard subject! But our Master taught there are ti...

My Dear Friend, As the present COVID-19 crisis continues, our minds are turning naturally to th...

My Dear Friend, Our title expresses what the author of Psalm 84 had in mind: his annual trek to...

My Dear Friend, His heart stirred with profound gratitude, David wrote, "The Lord is my Shepher...

My Dear Friend, For weeks our government has instructed us how to respond to the Coronavirus pa...

My Dear Friend, Soon an UNforeseen awakening will visit our largely UNspiritual churches. Upon ...

My Dear Friend, Our title sums up the great lesson hidden in Zephaniah 3:14 and 17. There God u...

My Dear Friend, Are you a remnant believer currently experiencing great distress? If so, prepar...

My Dear Friend, What a blessing it is when committed disciples join your church! Every Christia...

My Dear Friend, Grace, grit, growth, glory - these terms describe adequately, if briefly, the C...

My Dear Friend, After being born again by repentance and childlike faith in Jesus, we're sudden...

My Dear Friend, In Psalm 18, David penned two closely related truths we need to carefully exami...

My Dear Friend, The gospels reveal Jesus' penchant for nicknaming people. While nicknames may a...

My Dear Friend, Spiritual revival awakens us from the sleep of sin and indifference to God. It ...

My Dear Friend, Do you want to be close enough to Christ to discern (a) He is speaking, (b) He ...

My Dear Friend, The apostles’ call was twofold: first, “to be with him [Jesus]” (Mark 3:14); se...

My Dear Friend,Jesus chose His apostles in His divine sovereignty, demonstrating His absolute lordsh...

My Dear Friend, Like it or not, this is the day people all over the world reflect on the last y...

GoldLearn about Gold Tried in the Fire

Tested Truths for Trying Times

I Want To Know More! Not Interested
Jesus calls us to a great quest for spiritual riches, specifically, “gold tried in the fire”—faith in God and knowledge of God refined and proven in challenging, intense life-tests.