Category: Uncategorized (Page 2 of 109)

I was stirred in my spirit while watching a Leonard Ravenhill message this evening entitled “The Real Cost” He said something I had not heard before. I immediately knew the principle of it by having experienced it many times.

Before I disclose Ravenhill’s statement, I need to remind the reader what Paul endured. When Satan sent his minions to abuse the apostle Paul, they beat him with rods, he was stoned, and five times he was whipped with forty lashes minus one. I heard it said and read somewhere that the reason they called such a whipping forty minus one was that forty lashes would kill most men. So, they didn’t want to kill Paul but to make him suffer greatly. And Paul endured that lashing five times, plus all the other abuse. Continue reading

You can tell an ungrateful person by the nature, length, and number of his or her complaints. What many of Believers complain about is not worth a draw of blessed breath. Ever try praising God for the breath you are taking and complain in the exhale? Me neither.

Complaining is like gossiping about God to the Devil. If you have any problems about how He is monitoring and blessing your life, take it up with Him. But come plain before Him—not complain.

That appears as a cheesy cliche, but there is a worthy message in it. But first, here are a couple of verses to consider.

“The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.”— Proverbs 15:19

“And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.” — Mark 7:35

The Hebrew word for “plain” in that verse is “sawlal,” to exalt or make the righteous one seen.

In the second verse, the Greek word for “plain” is “orthōs,” meaning, in a straight manner, correctly (also morally), rightly. Continue reading

What does the word “obey” mean to people? Nowadays, people usually only obey at gunpoint. I hear and read many professing Christians stating, “The Lord used (or uses) me.” They also remark, “The Lord told me,” and “the Holy Spirit led me.” Afterward, they do or say what is clearly not of God. Why do they only engage in what brings attention and honor to them? Why don’t they ever just obey and bring honor to God?

The fact is, one cannot obey unless he or she knows God’s word, or He speaks to him or her via the Holy Spirit. He cannot get through to most people because they are too busy and interested in what someone else claims God told them. Do they ever hear Him speak something that requires saying or doing what the majority rejects? Continue reading