#S4-030: How to Locate Your God Ordained Place [Encore Podcast]

You Can Know God's Place For Your Life

Josh McDowell told this great story. An executive hirer, a “headhunter” who goes out and hires corporation executives for other firms, once told me, “When I get an executive that I’m trying to hire for someone else, I like to disarm him. I offer him a drink, take my coat off, then my vest, undo my tie, throw up my feet and talk about baseball, football, family, whatever until he’s all relaxed. Then, when I think I’ve got him relaxed, I lean over, look him square in the eye and say, “What’s your purpose in life?” It’s amazing how top executives fall apart at that question. “Well, I was interviewing this fellow the other day, had him all disarmed, with my feet up on his desk, talking about football. Then I leaned up and said, ‘What’s your purpose in life, Bob?’ And he said, without blinking an eye, ‘To go to heaven and take as many people with me as I can.’ For the first time in my career, I was speechless.” What about you? Do you know what your place is in God? Do you know how to find it?

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[Tweet “If God promotes you from little to much, it is obvious that little was not your place.”]

One Necessary Component You Need for Spiritual Growth in God

The Bridge Commentary: The Epistle of First Peter

The Word of God is the Key to Spiritual Growth

The earliest African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in their private devotions. Each one reportedly had separate spots in the thicket where he poured out his heart to God. The several paths to these little ‘Bethels’ became distinctly marked; and when anyone began to decline in devotions, it was soon apparent to others. They would then kindly remind him, saying, “Brother, the grass grows on your path yonder.”1 Being regular in your time with God is a key to spiritual growth as the Apostle Peter lets us know in his second epistle.

Why You Don’t Have to Be Sick in Light of the Bible

[Tweet “You can be saved for a whole pile of physical years and still be a spiritual infant.”]

Why You Need To Walk In The Light to Enjoy Fellowship 

You Can Have a Rich and Full Fellowship with God

During World War II, the enemy conducted experiments to find the most effective type of punishment for eliciting information from prisoners. They found that solitary confinement was the most effective. After a few days of solitary confinement, most men would tell all. That is why we need fellowship—without it, we too become easy prey for temptation and abandonment of our values.1 Fellowship is what we are going to look at today. What is fellowship? The word is one of those ingrained Christian words. It ranks up there with the word prayer, faith, grace, and righteousness. But what is real fellowship with God?

[Tweet “Fellowship is not a one-way street. Joint participation is a better way of looking at the word fellowship.”]

Are You Over Prioritizing Your Everyday Life?

Are You Over Prioritizing Your Life?

Someone asked Emily Post, “What is the correct procedure when one is invited to the White House and has a previous engagement?” She answered, “An invitation to lunch or dine at the White House is a command, and automatically cancels any other engagement.” 1 The issue is one of priority. There are life’s situations which take precedence. What about God and His Kingdom? Is there a priority we need to observe in the realm of the Spirit? The word ‘priority’ is not a Bible word but the concept is. It is epitomized by the word ‘first’ in such passages as Matthew 6:33. Many in our generation are experiencing the pains of an overload. We overcommit and overprioritize. Practicing the concept of ‘first things’ is a sure way of helping you navigate the maze.

[Tweet “Taking take care of your family is a responsibility, not a calling. There’s a difference.”]

#S4-021: What Is Revival and Why Is It Fatal to the Kingdom of Darkness [Podcast]

Revival Fire for the Twenty First Century

What is Revival?

What is a revival? According to Ron Mcintosh, former chaplain of ORU, the term ‘revival’ means several things. For one, it is a divine attack on society. It is the marshaling of forces fatal to the kingdom of darkness. It is the enlisting, training, and empowering of believers as a prelude to evangelism. Revival is God’s military tactic which concentrates His resources for a vital blow at a crucial moment. It is a reinvigoration of God’s people with His truth and power.1 As you can see, true revival covers a wide and diverse range. In the last two podcasts, Why Humility Is Part of An Excellent Life and Humility: Putting on God’s Suit we introduced and spoke on the fruit of the spirit called humility. Humility certainly finds it’s way into the spectrum of revival via verses like 2 Chronicles 7:14. We’ll take a look at this and some other matters as we start this new series with the subject ‘Why Revival Is Fatal to the Kingdom of Darkness’, all this and more on this week’s Light on Life.

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[Tweet “When you experience His reviving personally then revival becomes God’s active moving for you.”]

#S4-020: Humility: How to Put On God’s Glory Suit [Podcast]

Developing the Fruit of the Spirit

How to Put On Humility

Some people think of themselves as God’s gift to the world. However, a meek person is not this way at all. Listen carefully to this story about an American general. General Grant was stricken with a fatal illness. As he approached the end of his life, he felt his need of the Saviour and His sustaining presence. He called for a minister. Simply the minister presented the gospel to him. “General,” he said, “God in love sent the Saviour to seek and to save that which was lost. If you will sincerely call upon Him from your heart, you will receive from Him mercy and abundant pardon!” When the minister knelt and prayed, God opened the heart of the general and he was joyfully converted. God cleansed his heart from sin. The minister was elated. “God’s kingdom has gained a great acquisition in your conversion, General,” said the minister. Immediately General Grant protested, saying, “God does not need great men, but great men need God! There is just one thing that I now greatly desire since Christ’s great peace has come to me …” “What’s that, General?” asked the minister. “I would like to live one year more so that I might tell others of this wonderful gift of God’s love!” Strength is always found in true meekness. Meekness is not weakness; rather it is the proper way to demonstrate strength and resolve.1 But how do you develop in humility? How do you put it on?

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[Tweet “Humility is a right evaluation of yourself. The right value to possess is the ‘real truth about you.'”]

#S4-019: Why Humility is Part of An Excellent Life [Podcast]

Humility is PArt of Living An Excellent Life

A minister, a Boy Scout, and a computer expert were the only passengers on a small plane. The pilot came back to the cabin and said that the plane was going down but there were only three parachutes and four people. The pilot added, “I should have one of the parachutes because I have a wife and three small children.” So he took one and jumped. The computer whiz said, “I should have one of the parachutes because I am the smartest man in the world and everyone needs me.” So he took one and jumped. The minister turned to the Boy Scout and with a sad smile said, “You are young and I have lived a rich life, so you take the remaining parachute, and I’ll go down with the plane.” The Boy Scout said, “Relax, Reverend, the smartest man in the world just picked up my knapsack and jumped out!”1 Have you met people in your world who make themselves out to be candidates for the title “Smartest Man in the World?” People, who possess an innate overestimation of themselves? What you will find as you study the truth of God’s Word is that pride is an absolute downer. Overrunning pride always leads to a severe fall. In the case of this illustration, it was a several thousand foot fall. The way of humility is the right way, the normal Christian life. How do you diminish the pride of natural life while increasing in the fruit of humility?

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[Tweet “Mark this down, you don’t want any of Satan’s ‘I will’ business. You want God’s will, not yours.”]

#S4-017: Why You Need to See the World As God Sees It [Podcast]

Gospel Truths on Healing

We Need to See the World As God Sees It

One gentleman named ‘Brother Roloff’ had a friend who had quite a number of pigeons. On a certain occasion Brother Roloff, who lived in Ohio, was invited to the home of Vernon the pigeon man. Vernon told him about one particular bird in his collection. He said, “See this bird. I’ll point out just one. She flew the five hundred miles from St. Louis to Ohio non-stop!” Roloff said, “Non-stop! Now, let’s be done with this foolishness! You weren’t there. How do you know?” “Oh,” he said, “Brother Roloff, there’s a way to know. She came in clean.” He said, “What! Came in clean!” “When she came in, she had no flour and no mud, on her feet; and had nothing on her to make me think she had stopped. She came in clean.1 What is the concept of clean and unclean in the Old Testament? We need to see it as God sees it. We will continue to look into this idea as we pick-up where we left off in last week’s podcast on the ritual cleansing of the leper in Leviticus fourteen.

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[Tweet “Clean and unclean is a viewpoint which God has. It’s how He saw the world after Adam’s sin.”]

#S4-013: Do You Have A New Vision for A New Year? [Podcast]

Do You Have A Vision for Your Life?

This is the New Years edition of Light On Life. This is the time of the year where people think about things like resolutions, goals, and vision for the upcoming year. Soon after the completion of Disney World, someone said, “Isn’t it too bad that Walt Disney didn’t live to see this?” Mike Vance, creative director of Disney Studios, replied, “He did see it—that’s why it’s here.” 1  Vision is seeing things invisible. Do you have a new vision for this new year?

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[Tweet “The degree of vision which dwells in a man is a correct measure of the man.”]

#S4-012: Why You Need to Understand What the Star of Bethlehem Really Means [Podcast]

The Christmas Podcast

Understanding the Reason Behind the Star of Bethlehem Will Help Your Faith in God.

God’s plan was thought up and set in motion before the foundations of the world (Eph. 1:4). Particular courses of events and situations, at times, align to bring into a focus a particular aspect of God’s wisdom and plan. Today, we are going to look at the birth of Jesus in this way. We are going to look at some of the events that came into view and we are going to ask a rather startling question about one of those events, the appearing of the star. Here is the question: ‘What would have happened, had the Star of Bethlehem not appeared?’

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[Tweet “God’s plan for your life was thought up and set in motion before the foundations of the world.”]

Why You Need to Pour Your Jesus Life Into Others

Discipling Is Where You Pour Your Life Into Others

A young man who works in an aquarium explained that the most popular fish is the shark. If you catch a small shark and confine it, it will stay a size proportionate to the aquarium. Sharks can be six inches long yet fully matured. But if you turn them loose in the ocean, they grow to their normal length of eight feet. That also happens to some Christians. I’ve seen some of the cutest little six-inch Christians who swim around in a little puddle. But if you put them into a larger arena—into the whole creation—only then can they become great.1 Is it your goal in life to just be a cute six-inch puddle swimming Christian? Wouldn’t you rather get out into the ocean and make a big splash for the Kingdom of God? How do you do it? First, you have to make a decision about being willing to pour your life into others.

[Tweet “Ministry, discipling, and teaching, is where you share and pour your spiritual growth into people.”]

For more on this subject see ‘How to Develop Spiritually [Podcast].’

#S4-006: How and Why It’s Important to Honor Your Parents [Podcast]

Honor your parents, that's the Word of God unto us.

Philo, a first-century Jew living in Alexandria, Egypt, writes about the obligation of children in the home to honor their parents.

“Parents have not only been given the right of exercising authority over their children… for parents pay out a and invest in nurses, tutors, and teachers, in addition to the cost of their clothes, food, and care in sickness and health from their earliest years until they are full grown. Given all these considerations, children who honor their parents do nothing deserving of praise since even one of the items mentioned is in itself quite a sufficient call to show deep respect…Therefore, honor your father and mother next to God, he [Moses] says [Ex. 20:12].… For parents have little thought for their own personal interests and find their fulfillment and happiness in the high excellence of their children, and to gain this the children will be willing to listen to their instructions and to obey them in everything that is just and profitable; for the true father will give no instruction to his son that is foreign to virtue.” 1

Philo had it right. The Bible is clear, honor your parents.

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[Tweet “Jesus connects the word ‘honor’ with doing things financially for your father and mother.”]