Category Archives: Spiritual Development

Practical teachings from the Bible for every day living.

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Why Redemption Through the Blood of Jesus Is God’s Way [Podcast]

Podcast: Light on Life Season 8 Episode 39

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Why Redemption Through the Blood of Jesus Is God's Way [Podcast]

In today’s podcast, we are looking at a big Bible word — the word redemption. What is redemption? You’ve heard people say in church circles that they thank God that they are redeemed. Redemption implies a ransom paid to secure the desired object. God paid a ransom for you. Do you think you are worth the price that God paid to ransom you? The Bible says that you did not come cheap. For example: Suppose you are standing outside of a great auction room, and you hear a clerk say, “He paid $25.00 for a picture, another man paid $600,000.00 for one.” You know quite a lot about the two pictures: The twenty-five-dollar picture may be any one of 10,000 little dogs done by amateur artists who paint hoping to get paid for them. The six hundred thousand dollar picture—was it a Gainsborough, Rembrandt, Rubens? You can judge the painting by the price that is paid for it. We can judge ourselves by the price Christ paid for us – when I form conclusions that are justified from other portions of the scripture—how great was my sinfulness, the depths of my nature, and the height of His love.1 Why Redemption through the Precious Blood of Jesus is God’s Way, that’s our focus on this week’s Light On Life.

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How the Spirit Energizes By the Principle of Saturation

[Tweet “When you redeem someone, you have to pay a price which results in some kind of freedom or liberty.”]

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How Predestination and God’s Foreknowledge Elevates Your Everyday Life [Podcast]

Podcast: Light on Life Season 8 Episode 38

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How Predestination and God's Foreknowledge Elevates Your Everyday Life [Podcast]

Predestination is a big Bible word. Have you ever heard the term? What does it mean to be ‘predestined?’ How does it elevate your life? What about the term foreknowledge? Have you ever heard that term used about God — the fact that God has perfect foreknowledge? Of course, I am leading somewhere specific by these questions that I’m asking you because you run into these two big Bible Words as you read the front part of Ephesians chapter one. We understand and know from the scripture that God knows the end from the beginning. But, how does God’s all-inclusive knowledge work together with His calling on our lives? One gentleman told the following story. Dr. Harry Ironside told of a man who gave his testimony, telling how God had sought him and found him. How God had loved him, called him, saved him, delivered him, cleansed him, and healed him. It was a tremendous testimony to the glory of God. After the meeting, one rather legalistic brother took him aside and said, “You know, I appreciate all that you said about what God did for you, but you didn’t mention anything about your part in it. Salvation is really part God and part us, and you should have mentioned something about your part. “Oh, the man said, “I apologize. I’m sorry. I really should have mentioned that. My part was running away, and God’s part was running after me until he found me.” God called this man in Christ Jesus, and you know what? — He has called you. How Predestination and God’s Foreknowledge Elevates Your Everyday Life, that’s our focus on this week’s Light On Life.

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Walking Blamelessly Before Almighty God: Why It’s Good [Podcast]

[Tweet “God has predestinated you to be holy and blameless before Him. Holy and blameless is your destiny.”]

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Walking Worthy of the Lord: What It Means for Your Everyday Life

Podcast: Light on Life Season 8 Episode 37

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Walking Worthy of the Lord: What It Means for Your Everyday Life

In Ephesians chapter four, we are admonished by the Holy Spirit of God to walk worthy of the calling to which we have been called. But what does that mean, and how will that impact my everyday life? F. W. Boreham reminds us of a story from the life of Francis d’Assisi, which might begin to give us a clue.

“Brother,” Francis said one day to one of the young monks at the Portiuncula, “let us go down to the town and preach!” The novice, delighted at being singled out to be the companion of Francis, obeyed with alacrity. They passed through the principal streets, turned down many of the by-ways and alleys, made their way out to some of the suburbs, and at length returned, by a circuitous route, to the monastery gate. As they approached it, the younger man reminded Francis of his original intention. “You have forgotten, Father, that we went down to the town to preach!”

“My son,” Francis replied, “we have preached. We were preaching while we were walking. We have been seen by many; our behavior has been closely watched; thus, we preached our morning sermon. It is of no use, my son, to walk anywhere to preach unless we preach everywhere we walk.”1 While you are walking, you are preaching. Now that’s a thought. While you are living your everyday life, people are reading your life. What kind of message are you declaring by the life that you live before others? Walking Worthy of the Lord: What It Means for Your Everyday Life. That’s our focus on this week’s Light On Life.

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Casting Crowns: Are Your Works Floor Worthy?

[Tweet “The ‘old you’ is no longer you so, therefore, your ‘old walk’ should not be your walk.”]

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Why the Prayer of Agreement is So Vital and Powerful [Encore Podcast]

Encore Podcast: Light on Life Season 8 Episode 36

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Why the Prayer of Agreement is So Vital and Powerful

In today’s podcast, we are centering on the Prayer of Agreement: what it is and why it’s so powerful. In World Vision magazine John Robb writes: Seven years ago, a giant tree stood on the banks of the Awash River, in an arid valley about two hours’ drive southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It had stood there for generations, seemingly eternal. For years, the people who lived in the surrounding district had suffered through famines. In their suffering, the people looked to the tree for help. Believing a spirit gave it divine powers, they worshipped the towering giant. Adults would kiss the great trunk when they passed by, and they spoke of the tree in hushed, reverent tones. Children said, “This tree saved us.”

In 1989, World Vision began a development project there, including an irrigation system. But even as they labored to build the system, the great tree stood like a forbidding sentinel of the old order, presiding over the community, enslaving the people through fear. For spirits need to be appeased with animal sacrifices and strict observance of taboos. When World Vision workers saw how the villagers worshipped the tree, they knew it was an idolatrous barrier to the entrance of Christ’s kingdom and transformation of the community. One morning as the staff prayed together, one of Jesus’ promises struck them: “If you have faith, you can say to this tree, ‘Be taken up and removed’ … and it will obey you.” In faith, they began to pray that God would bring down the menacing Goliath.

Soon the whole community knew the Christians were praying about the tree. Six months later, the tree began to dry up, its leafy foliage disappeared, and finally, it collapsed like a stricken giant into the river. The people of the community were astonished, proclaiming, “Your God has done this! Your God has dried up the tree!” In the days and weeks afterward, approximately 100 members of the community received Jesus Christ because they saw his power displayed in answer to the Christians’ prayers.1 Today’s podcast focuses on the power of praying with people specifically the prayer of agreement. What results are achievable praying this prayer and what are some of the rules that govern it? That’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

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[Tweet “If there is great faith coupled with a great anointing, the healing manifestation is quicker.”]

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Why Your Holy Spirit Preparation Is Part of Your God Story [Podcast]

Podcast: Light on Life Season Eight Episode Thirty-Five

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Why Your Holy Spirit Preparation Is Part of Your God Story

You may have heard the quote that proper preparation prevents poor performance. There is a great measure of truth in that statement. God needs prepared men. Several centuries ago, a Japanese emperor commissioned an artist to paint a bird. Several months passed, then several years, and still, no painting was brought to the palace. Finally, the emperor became so exasperated that he went to the artist’s home to demand an explanation. Instead of making excuses, the artist placed a blank canvas on the easel. In less than an hour, he completed a painting that was to become a brilliant masterpiece. When the emperor asked the reason for the delay, the artist showed him arm-loads of drawings of feathers, wings, heads, and feet. Then he explained that all of this research and study had been necessary before he could complete the painting.1 Preparation is vital in the things of God. It’s something you will find that you will always be involved with. And that’s what we are going to look at in today’s podcast: Why Your Holy Spirit Preparation Is Part of Your God Story, that’s our focus on this week’s Light On Life.

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How God Grows A Courageous Church and Why It Matters

[Tweet “Apollos was a careful, exact, and accurate teacher of God’s Word. To be so  – takes effort — it takes preparation.”]

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How God Did Healing Miracles Through the Early Church Fathers

Podcast: Light on Life Season Eight Episode Thirty-Four

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How God Did Healing Miracles Through the Early Church Fathers

We see healing miracles in the Bible, a book that spans 4000 years of recorded history. From the very first book of the Bible where God healed Abimelech in response to Abraham’s prayer in Genesis 20:17 all the way through to the leaves of healing from the Tree of Life in Revelation 22: 2, we see God’s desire for man to be ‘every bit whole.’ Yet some say it’s all in the past that the age of miracles has ceased. That God waited until the last apostle’s death and then removed His miracle hand from the earth because now we have His Word. Or, at least that’s the theory of it. This ideology has a name. It is called cessationism. Cessationists believe that when the Old Testament canon closed at Malachi, the gifts had ceased for the next 400 years until John the Baptist. Similarly, when the New Testament canon closed, the gifts ceased.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessationism] Well, if God doesn’t do miracles anymore, then that’s bad news. But, I’m here to tell you today that the good news is, the bad news was wrong. How God Did Healing Miracles Through the Early Church Fathers, that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

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Do People Need Miracles to Believe Jesus Is Real

[Tweet “How can people say that healing is no more when we have historical records from the Church Fathers?”]

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How God Grows A Courageous Church and Why It Matters

Podcast: Light on Life Season Eight Episode Thirty-Three

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How God Grows A Courageous Church and Why It Matters

How does God grow a courageous church? How did he do it in the early church? I ran into this somewhat humorous fictional illustration on this subject of church growth. A group of believers called a meeting to order – they decided they wanted to discuss with Jesus over some of His methods. The meeting and the discussion went something like this.

Pete: This meeting has been called at the request of Matt, John, Tom, and Little Jim. Bart, will you please open with prayer? Bart: Almighty God, we ask Your blessing on all we do and say and earnestly pray that You will see our side as Your side. Amen. Pete: Jesus, we have been following you around for some time, and we are getting concerned about the attendance figures. Tom, how many were on the hill yesterday? Tom: Thirty-seven. Pete: It’s getting to be ridiculous, Jesus. You’re going to have to pep things up. We expect things to happen. John: I’d like to suggest you pull off more miracles. That walking on the water bit was the most exciting thing I have ever seen, but only a few of us saw it. If a thousand or so had a chance to witness it, we would have more than we could handle on the hill. Little Jim: I agree. The healing miracles are terrific, but only a limited number really get to see what has happened. Let’s have more water to wine, more fish and chips (it never hurts to fill their stomachs), still more storms, give more signs. This is what the people need. Pete: Right. And another thing, publicity is essential, and you tell half the people you cure to keep it quiet. Let the word get around. Matt: I’m for miracles, but I want to hear a few stories I can understand. This “those who have ears to hear, let them hear” business just clouds the issue. You have to make it clear Jesus or most of us aren’t going to be able to take anything home. Big Jim: I’d like to offer an order of service. First a story, then a big miracle followed by an offering, then maybe a saying or something, followed by a small miracle to bring them back next time. Oh yes, and a prayer if you’d like. Tom: We have to do something. Little Jim: That’s for sure. Attendance has been awful. Judas: I’d like to say that if we continue to meet in this upper room, we ought to do something about the carpet.1 You know, this funny story is a little bit of a concern because even though this story has humorous points, it’s actually close in some respects to how the church world generally thinks about building the Kingdom — building the church of God. The question we need to ask ourselves is this: How Did God Build the Early Church, and Why Does it Matter? Answering that question is our focus on this week’s Light On Life.

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Why God Wants You to Have Spiritual Revelation Flowing In Your Life

[Tweet “How did the saints get to be saints in Ephesus? How did God build a body of believers there?”]

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The Powerful Authority Resident in Being Seated with Christ

Podcast: Light on Life Season Eight Episode Thirty-Two

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The Powerful Authority Resident in Being Seated with Christ

We have heard the term being seated with Christ, but what does that mean, and how can knowing the truth of those words make a difference in my everyday life? An article in a San Francisco newspaper reported that a young man who once found a $5 bill on the street resolved that from that time on, he would never lift his eyes while walking. The paper went on to say that over the years, he accumulated, among other things, 29,516 buttons, 54,172 pins, 12 cents a bent back, and a miserly disposition. But he also lost something—the glory of sunlight, the radiance of the stars, the smiles of friends, and the freshness of blue skies. I’m afraid that some Christians are like that man. While they may not walk around staring at the sidewalk, they are so engrossed with the things of this life that they give little attention to spiritual and eternal values. Perhaps they’ve gotten a taste of some fleeting pleasure offered by the world, and they’ve been spending all their time pursuing it. But that is dangerous. When God’s children, who are “seated with Christ in the heavenlies,” give their affection and attention to a world that is passing away, they lose the upward look. Their perspective becomes distorted, and they fail to bask in heaven’s sunlight. Taken up with the baubles of this world, they become defeated, delinquent Christians: buttons, pins, and pennies, but no treasures laid up in heaven. The apostle Paul said, “If ye, then, be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above” (Col. 3:1). To live for the things of this world is to miss life’s best. Let’s set our sights on the heights!1 The heights, the high position, seated with Christ, and the power and authority resident in that fact. That’s our focus today on this week’s Light On Life.

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#S3-020: How Jesus Destroyed Demons in One on One Encounters [Podcast]

[Tweet, “There is a great need in the church for understanding and using the authority that Jesus left the church.”]

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How God Uses Your Inward Conscience to Direct Your Life [Encore Podcast]

Podcast: Light on Life Season Eight Episode Thirty-One

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How God Uses Your Inward Conscience to Direct Your Life [Encore Podcast]

Here’s a story that illustrates many people’s views on the role of the inward conscience. “A man consulted a doctor, ‘I’ve been misbehaving, Doc, and my conscience is troubling me,’ he complained. ‘And, you want something that will strengthen your willpower?’ asked the doctor. ‘Well, no,” said the fellow. “I was thinking of something that would weaken my conscience.'” There’s more to the conscience than being a ‘right and wrong’ referee. But that’s what we’ve been taught: that the conscience’s only role is to gauge morality.  Your inward conscience is the voice of your spirit. It’s how your spirit communicates with you. How God Uses Your Inward Conscience to Direct Your Life, that’s the focus of this week’s Light on Life.

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Secrets to Hearing God: The Number One Way God Leads You

[Tweet, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ, will set anyone free from the law of sin and death.”]

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Why God Wants You to Have Spiritual Revelation Flowing In Your Life

Podcast: Light on Life Season Eight Episode Thirty

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Why God Wants You to Have Spiritual Revelation Flowing In Your Life

In this week’s podcast, we are headed to the book of Ephesians to take a look at spiritual revelations. That book contains several prayers that Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers. Often, you wonder how or what we should pray for our fellow believers in Christ. Well, the Holy Spirit helped us in this area. He had Paul write these prayers out in detail. We have a record of the exact words that Paul uttered to God the Father for them. Now, you can find these words starting in Ephesians 1:15–23 and Ephesians 3:14–19. If Paul thought that these prayers were important to pray for the Ephesian church, do you think that you can pray the same prayers for your church and yourself? Thank God – the answer to that is a resounding yes. I mean, you are in the church. You are part of the body of Christ. Everything that the Lord laid out in these prayers, God wants you to have. He desires that you flow and move in a revelation of His power. He wants to be filled with strength in your inner being. These prayers are one of the primary prayers that I pray for others. I am praying these prayers for you right now. ‘Father, in the Name of Jesus, I pray for the listening audience concerning this podcast. I ask you, Lord, to grant unto them all, a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of you — in the knowledge of Your Word. Let the eyes of their heart be opened — be enlightened that they may know you in a greater way. Strengthen them with might by your spirit in their inner mind – that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith. I pray for them now and I thank you for doing it in advance.” You know I have prayed these prayers hundreds and hundreds of times over the course of my life. And I am going to keep doing it. There are spiritual things in these prayers that you need to get a hold of — that you need active and working in your life. These prayers will enrich and elevate your life, just like they have lifted my life. Let’s take a particular look at one of these prayers today. Why God Wants You to Have Spiritual Revelation Flowing In Your Life, that’s our focus on this week’s Light On Life.

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How to Build Your Life Praying Bible Prayers

[Tweet “In the city called the ‘Light of Asia,’ Paul instructs the Ephesians to pray for light, to pray for a spiritual revelation of God’s power.”]

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How Running Your God-Given Race Brings Great Salvation

Podcast: Light on Life Season 8 Episode 29

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How Running Your God-Given Race Brings Great Salvation

A couple of weeks ago, we did a podcast on ‘How to Run a Steady Race Right Into Glory.’ After that message, I told you to stay tuned for a second installment. So here goes. We are talking about the metaphor of running. After all, it’s a thoroughly scriptural image that the apostle Paul used from the ancient world. But did you know this modern-day fact about running? The percentage of those who own running shoes in America, but don’t actually run, stands at 87%.1 What do you think is the percentage of people who say they are followers of Jesus but don’t actually follow? How many say that they are in the race for God, but if the truth is known, they are on the sideline watching? What is the impact of not running your race? Does it make a difference? How Running Your God-Given Race Brings Great Salvation. That’s our focus on this week’s Light On Life.

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More of Why God Desires You to Live A Committed Life

[Tweet “The majority does not rule. God plus one is what makes the majority.”]

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Why Destroying Devilish Giants Is Part of Your Spiritual DNA

Podcast: Light on Life Season 8 Episode 28

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Why Destroying Devilish Giants Is Part of Your Spiritual DNA

In today’s Light On Life podcast, we are talking ‘giants,’ that is, giant problems, destroying devilish giants as part of your spiritual DNA. Tony Evans says that most of us have experienced our children’s dependence on us to face their fears when they have nightmares or when it’s thundering and lightning during a storm. They’ll wake up, scream, and jump out of their bed. They will walk through the valley of their bedroom, down the valley of the hall, to the valley of your room. They jump in your bed because what they need is somebody to be with them. Your hugging them doesn’t stop the rain, the thunder, or the lightning, but it changes how they face it. They’ll fall asleep in your arms. The fear that they have alone, they no longer have, because Mama or Daddy holds them. You help them face their fears in the midst of their struggles. This is exactly what the heavenly Father does for us when we face our own fears and insecurities.1 You can face devilish giants not because of who you are but because of whose you are. But, there is even more good news than that. You can eliminate these giants totally from your life. Why Destroying Devilish Giants Is Part of Your Spiritual DNA, that’s our focus on this week’s Light On Life.

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The Problematic Irreverance for God

[Tweet “There is a measure of strength that you acquire just by hanging out at the Throne Room.”]