Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me. Revelation 3:20 (NIV) It is not always easy to make a sensible decision based solely on emotion, or on the strength of a vague and unfounded promise made by another. When we make a decision based on emotion, we run the risk of wanting to turn back. When we make a decision based on someone else’s promise, we risk regretting it—for, i

The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken! Haggai 2:9 (NLT) Most often, when we see no way out—because we are trapped in a situation over which we have lost all control—we become so discouraged that we lose hope, to the point of wanting to give it all up and simply wait for the inevitable to occur. We often fall prey to the illusion th

They will console you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, says the Lord God. Ezekiel 14:23 (RSV) In this passage, we see God addressing Ezekiel, declaring to him that if He were to decide to raise His hand against a land—even if Noah (for his righteousness), Daniel (for his faithfulness), and Job (for his perseverance) were present within it—all three combined would be unable to save a si

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware. 1 Corinthians 12:1 (NASB) Some of our readers have shared with us the difficulty they experience in understanding the use of spiritual gifts and their manifestation. This is a glaring reality within our churches. We live in a deeply "spiritual" world—and yet, often, a deeply confused one. We observe this through trends such as being "spiritual but not religious," or the quest for supernatur

To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Isaiah 40:25 (NIV) Some might wonder why God poses this question: Does He harbor doubts regarding His own identity? This inquiry does not stem from a need for information, but rather constitutes a declaration of absolute uniqueness. In a world prone to creating substitutes for the Divine, God asserts His position as "The Holy One"—a title signifying that He is set apart unto Himself. He is not merely a super

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:3 (ESV) One of the most widespread controversies within the Christian community concerns spiritual gifts. While some traditions maintain that these gifts still exist and play a vital role in the edification of the Church, others believe that the gifts of the Spirit ceased with the death of th

For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NLT) We all feel the need to be saved—to be spared from the coming judgment. Even those who refuse to acknowledge and accept the existence of God nevertheless feel this need to have their past faults erased, so that they may walk in a new life. At the very least, they desire to be forgiven by those again

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:8 (HCSB) I began hearing about the Garden of Eden in my childhood—at school, at church on Sundays, and at summer camps. All I understood of it was that Eden was the name of a garden where God had placed man to cultivate it, and where He could meet with him to discuss the affairs of

Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.” Matthew 13:30 (NASB) In elementary school, a young boy used to sit in the front row. Even if he arrived late, he always managed to avoid ending up any further back than the third row. Yet, his best friend always sat in the last two rows. One day, when his teacher asked him

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 1 Timothy 6:9 (NKJV) Every person who comes to Christ is endowed with a spiritual gift—a gift entrusted to them by the Holy Spirit to fulfill God's will among those to whom they are sent. The gift bestowed upon certain individuals is intended for the edification of the Church; it finds expression through worship, teaching, pre

Moses’ hands, however, grew tired; so they took a rock and put it under him and he sat on it. Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady until sunset. Exodus 17:12 (NABRE) We all love those biblical passages that bear witness to miracles, reveal prophecies, or announce blessings. Consequently, whenever we read the Bible or listen to a message, we always expect to find something within it that will captu

Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Nehemiah 8:6 (NIV) I remember that in 2022—I was living in Canada at the time—activities were just beginning to tentatively resume following the COVID period. I visited a church that had just reopened its doors after remaining closed for a year and a half. There weren't many people there, but one c

And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: “If You give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” Judges 11:30-31 (NIV) One of the errors we all commit—without even realizing it—is sometimes using our doubts to put God to the test. Most often, this occurs when we expect Him to do exactly what we want in order to prove something to th

And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, grant me success today, I pray Thee, and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. Genesis 24:12 (RSV) It was a Sunday, after church. A young woman went to see her father and told him that a young man had come to her, claiming that God had revealed to him that she was destined to become his wife. Her father asked her to go fetch the young man and bring him to him. His first question, upon seeing the young man, was: "You know nei

And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19:12 (NLT) I meet many Christians who claim they never hear the voice of God speaking to their hearts when they pray. They even wonder if there is a specific spiritual level one must reach in order to hear God address them. We all go through moments when we feel an urgent need to hear God speak to us—particularly when we are endurin