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Are You Complacent or A Zealous Jesus Disciple?

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Are You A Zealous Disciple of the Lord Jesus? If Not You Can Be.

How does a zealous disciple of Jesus behave? John Wesley was denied the privilege of preaching from the pulpit in the church; but with true evangelistic fervor took his father’s tomb for a pulpit and preached to the people the great truths of full salvation. Whitefield loved field preaching. Returning from a tour he lighted a candle and went upstairs to retire, weary after the journey; but the people gathered in front of the house and filled the street; and there on the stairway with a lighted candle in his hand, he preached his last message, retired and was no more; for God took him. John Knox, who cried out in his earnestness, “Give me Scotland or I die,” carried with him this zeal to the close of his ministry. Often he would be supported by attendants in order to reach the pulpit; but when he arose to speak the divine passion so filled his soul that one of his friends said: “So mighty was he in his yearning that I thought he would break the pulpit into bits.”1 How is your zeal for the things of God. On a scale of one to ten, where would you rank yourself? Here are some Bible verses to help stir your heart to full white zeal for the Lord.

[Tweet “People do not want to just see you hand out salvation tracts, they want to see your tracks!”]

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

Revival Fire for the Twenty First Century

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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.

Listen to the Audio

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

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Three Areas We Need to Be Prayer Smart In

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Three Areas to Be Prayer Smart In

Pastor Jim Cymbala shares his experience with us: After I had been pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle for about a year, the church had grown to fifty people, but we were facing problems: little money, few people coming to faith in Christ. One Tuesday afternoon, I sat in my cubbyhole office on Atlantic Avenue, depressed. I knew that later that day, fifteen people, at most, would come to church to pray. How could God call me and my wife to this city not to make a difference? I wondered. I walked into our empty, little sanctuary and recited to God a list of my problems: “Look at this building, this neighborhood … Our offerings are laughable … I can’t trust So-and-so … There’s so little to work with.” Then the Holy Spirit impressed upon me, “I will show you the biggest problem in the church. It’s you.” In that moment I saw with excruciating clarity that I didn’t really love the people as God wanted me to. I prepared sermons just to get through another Sunday. I was basically prayerless. I was proud. I fell on my face before God and began to weep. “God, whatever it takes, please change me. I would rather die than live out some useless ministry of catchphrases.” The Brooklyn Tabernacle began to turn around, and twenty years later, we are still learning about the tremendous power of prayer. Every Tuesday evening many hundreds of people come together simply to pray. 1 The Bible is our prayer book. In it are truths which will help make us smart in the fine art of prayer. Here are three truths which will help you.

[Tweet “It is a very good idea to read the scriptures about what you are praying about before you pray.”]

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

Developing the Fruit of the Spirit

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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?

Listen to the Audio

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

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How to Gain A Quality Prayer Life

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How to Build A Quality Prayer Life

Two Christian men lived near each other. The first was a farmer. Since there had not been any rain for several weeks, the farmer got up one morning and prayed for rain. His next-door neighbor was also up early, but he was praying that it would not rain, because he was taking an unsaved friend fishing that morning.1 One person’s prayer was answered, the other one was not. Is answered prayer just like rolling dice? You know hope that sevens come up? Or is there some truths from the Word of God which we can act on to help us build a quality prayer life and get the answers God promises in His Word?

[Tweet “The Bible give us clues and remedies to the disease of unanswered prayer.”]

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Are You Stoked about God’s New Sensational City?

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Are You Excited about Going to God's City?

Every promised portion of God’s Word will surely come to pass.

  • Jesus promised us as much.

Matthew 5:18 (KJV) — 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

  • In fact, the very health and stability of the universe as we know it depends on the fulfillment of every single promise of God.

Matthew 24:35 (KJV) — 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

  • God promised believers in Him, a new city, a stunning capital that speaks to the glories of our God.
  • This is a city God Himself will indwell and be happy to do so.
  • Here is the promise.

Revelation 21:1–4 (KJV) — 1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

  • Nothing in the realm of men has ever or will ever compare to this holy city.
  • Are you excited to go there?

[Tweet “God promised believers in Him, a new city, a stunning capital that speaks to His glory.”]

Taken while visiting family in Hungary. For more of our travels check out our Instagram account.© 2017 Emery Horvath

For more ‘photo posts’ see ‘Have You Noticed the Beauty of the Sky Lately?’.

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

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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?

Listen to the Audio

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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.”]

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Scriptures to Feed Your Faith and Combat Fear

Fear Not Scripture List

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Here Are 125 Fear Not Scriptures

A young girl stands in a picturesque meadow. In another part of the field is a gigantic African rhinoceros, which begins charging toward the girl. Her serene and happy face remains unmoved. As the rhinoceros gets closer, the words appear on the screen, “Trust is not being afraid.” A split second before the rhino tramples the helpless child, it stops, and the girl, her smile never wavering, reaches up and pets the animal on its massive horn. The final words then appear, “even when you are vulnerable.” The commercial was designed to tout the abilities of an insurance company to protect its clients from the uncertainties of life. How much more does it describe the believer, who can say with the psalmist, “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’ ” (Psalm 91:2)!1 Just like this little girl in this commercial, believers in Jesus can stand fearlessly in the face of the charging rhinos in Satan’s herd. ‘Fear not’ is not just a nice Sunday School suggestion. It’s a commandment laced throughout the entirety of the Word of God. Because it’s a commandment from God, it’s also doable. It doesn’t take any special act of grace or prayer to make it good in your life. All it takes is simple obedience.

[Tweet “Here are 125 Bible verses with one common theme: fear not.”]

For more scripture lists see the following page.
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#S4-018: Why You Need to Receive God’s Hesed Mercy [Podcast]

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God's Hesed Mercy Is Available for You to Receive from His Hand

Long ago, a poor woman from the slums of London was invited to go with a group of people for a holiday at the ocean. She had never seen the ocean before, and when she saw it, she burst into tears. Those around her thought it was strange that she should cry when such a lovely holiday had been given her. “Why in the world are you crying?” they asked. Pointing to the ocean she answered, “This is the only thing I have ever seen that there was enough of.” God has oceans of mercy. There is enough of it—and God delights to show his mercy and compassion (Micah 7:19). 1 Hesed is the Hebrew word for God’s covenant faithfulness and mercy. God’s very mercy flows out from His Throne. His instructions to us, as His children, is to boldly come to receive it when we need help.

Listen to the Audio

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[Tweet “God loves you loyally. Camp on this. There is no thought equal to this in the realm of men.”]

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Family versus Discipleship, Do You Have These Right?

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Family Versus Discipleship: Do You Have It Right?

The family is such an important blessing from the hands of the God to the inhabitants of planet earth. We get to have a family in heaven and also experience family in the earth. Family is a bid deal. But, like all other blessings, there’s order and balance. We can allow any blessing from heaven to become bigger in our lives than the Blesser who bestowed it. That’s the danger. A Jesus follower has this issue to walk out. To enjoy the blessing of God all the while keeping God first in his heart and life. It’s a challenge for any disciple of Jesus. How are you doing in this all-important area?

[Tweet “Jesus, Abraham, Elisha, & the Apostles all fielded the family or God first question. What about you?”]

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

Gospel Truths on Healing

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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.

Listen to the Audio

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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.”]

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Focused Cross Carrying Disciple of Jesus Is That You?

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Are You a Cross Carrying Disciple of Jesus?

It is possible to be a follower of Jesus without being a disciple; to be a camp follower without being a soldier of the king; to be a hanger-on in some great work without pulling one’s weight. Once someone was talking to a great scholar about a younger man. He said, “So and so tells me that he was one of your students.” The teacher answered devastatingly, “He may have attended my lectures, but he was not one of my students.” There is a world of difference between attending lectures and being a student. It is one of the supreme handicaps of the Church that in the Church there are so many distant followers of Jesus and so few real disciples.1 What kind of disciple are you?

[Tweet “Isn’t it telling, that there are believers going to ‘war’ in Jesus Name while others are just sitting around?”]