Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19 (NKJV) Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. It’s not for those who are good enough—otherwise none of us would qualify. It’s for those who have accepted Jesus. That’s why I pray every day for opportunities to reach people. I remember praying for one of my coworkers back when I was a paramedic. Often I would say, “God, I ask for the spirit of wisdom and revelation upon him, the eyes of his understanding being opened (Ephesians 1:17–18).” One day he sat down at my desk and said, “Witness to me.” Taken aback, I replied, “Excuse …
REDIRECTING ETERNITY
Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. Colossians 4:3 (NLT) One day on the way home from the hospital where I worked, I felt a nudge in my heart to turn around and go back. Sally had supper waiting, but God reminded me I had been praying He would use me—so I listened. As it turned out, I soon came across a vehicle collision. One of the drivers wasn’t breathing and had no pulse. I gave him a quick breath and declared, “Live, in Jesus’ name!” Right then, the paramedics showed up and took over, and I followed them to the hospital. Puzzled as to why I didn’t see them performing CPR, I …
EQUIPPED FOR EVERY OPPORTUNITY
May he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen. Hebrews 13:21(NLT) I had the pleasure of pastoring with my dad in his church for 14 years. During that time, he taught me a crucial habit. Every day, he prayed and believed God for at least one opportunity to minister to someone. I watched him do this day after day, and I began doing the same. One day, I was having a conversation with a young man, and we got around to talking about what Jesus means to me. Suddenly angry, this man swore a blue streak and …
GOD MOVES THROUGH YOUR PRAYERS
For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us… Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26–27 (NKJV) One of the most dangerous doctrines is the belief that everything that happens is God’s will. It absolves us of responsibility and allows us to think, “If something is God’s will, why would I need to pray?” But just because God wants something to happen doesn’t mean it will. For example, He doesn’t want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9), yet people die every day without choosing Jesus. Many great men and women of …
THE TRUTH IS SIMPLE
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. Romans 1:16 (NLT) The good news Paul is talking about in our verse today seems almost too simple: we are right with God just because we trust in Jesus. In fact, it’s so straightforward that many people trip on it. We’ve been cultured to believe that we need to earn everything we get, so the idea of salvation being a completely free gift seems too good to be true. But it is the truth. Jesus gave His life to pay the penalty for the sin of mankind. As believers, we may still suffer earthly consequences when …