Thoughts on Miracles
I recently saw the following post by Christopher Alam (www.dynamisworldministries.com) on social media. Christopher has preached in 75 nations and has been a missionary evangelist since 1983. … read more
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Highlights from Whitefield’s Journal (1740-1745)
George Whitefield (1714-1770) has been rightly called “America’s Spiritual Founding Father.” Born, raised, and educated in England, he made thirteen trips across the Atlantic and had an unparalleled spiritual impact on the American colonies. … read more
Opinions or Oracles?
I don’t recall a time in my life when I’ve seen more opinions, theories, and speculations swirling around throughout the population with such intensity. It is essential now, of all times, to remember that our assignment is to preach oracles, not opinions. … read more
Pentecost Changed Everything
A pastor friend texted and asked my thoughts on how the original disciples had been changed by what they experienced in the second chapter of Acts. In other words, what were they like before and after that momentous event of being filled with the Holy Spirit? … read more
Remembering Our North African Brothers
In my new book, Miracles and the Supernatural Throughout Church History, there is a chapter entitled “The Holy Spirit at Work in Northern Africa.” The vast majority of ancient church history took place around the Mediterranean Sea, and believers and leaders from Northern Africa played a vital role in the development of the church. Here is an excerpt from this chapter. … read more
Vision vs. Forecast
It is always important for leaders to be focused, but it seems even more vital in the type of year we have been experiencing. I can’t think of a time in recent history when there have been more distractions and upheaval, and it has been challenging for spiritual leaders to help believers stay steady and on course. … read more
Donald Gee on Prophets, Ministry Gifts, etc.
One of the Bible teachers that Brother Hagin referenced frequently when he was teaching along the lines of spiritual and ministry gifts was the British minister, Donald Gee (1891-1966). Known for depth, simplicity, and balance, Gee was an important voice for the Pentecostal movement in the Twentieth Century, and what he taught then is still powerful and relevant today. Re-reading his books recently has been tremendously encouraging to me, and I thought you would enjoy some of the following rich quotes. … read more
Thoughts on Father Nash and Humble Gospel Helpers
I recently shared with a number of ministers in the northeastern United States about how profoundly that region had been impacted in the past by such powerful ministers as Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, Charles Finney, D. L. Moody, and A. J. Gordon. … read more
Praying for the Emperor Who Exiled John to Patmos
How did the early church pray for those in the authority, including rulers they probably disliked? Paul refers to one of his fellow workers named Clement (Philippians 4:3). It is unknown if this is the same individual who later became a Bishop in the Empire’s capital city, but Clement of Rome prayed the following for “our rulers and governors upon the earth” toward the end of the first century:… read more
Should We Preach Something We Have Not Experienced?
This is such a great question. Initially, I was inclined to say that we should preach on things we have experienced, and that is a good approach much of the time. We don’t want to be overly theoretical or ethereal—always preaching things that seem out of reach for the common person. … read more
Keeping Your Soul Whole
We hear periodically about how ministers can get discouraged, even overwhelmed at times. And it sure is a good thing for all of us to have friends and people we can turn to in really difficult times. In that sense, we need to be our brother’s keeper!… read more
Toward Better Teaching
I recently had a great time teaching (online) third-year students at Rhema Brazil on “The Ministry of the Teacher.” My sessions totaled five hours (which is more than I had ever taught on that specific topic before), so I did some study and research to make sure I had plenty of material. This was not only enjoyable, but it was also challenging to me personally. … read more
Let’s Not Be a Stumbling Block
Years ago, I received a call from a nurse at a local public elementary school. She was asking if I could help with a situation. When asked for the name of the family physician, the parents of a new student had written “Doctor Jesus” on the form… … read more
Improving our Communication Skills
As ministers, a constant focus should be to make sure that what we are sharing is genuinely connecting with our listeners. This is more than simply asking, “Is my doctrine solid?” and “Are my points good?” Those have to do with us, but much of effective communication has to do with our hearers, and this brings us to two vital issues: (1) Do we really know our audience? and (2) Are we really connecting with them? … read more
With Malice Toward None
A mere forty-one days before his assassination, Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address. His speech contained 701 words and took less than five minutes to deliver. Amazingly, it was longer than his Gettysburg address, which had only 272 words and was delivered in less than three minutes. Perhaps there is a great lesson here for public speakers, but I will leave it unsaid lest I indict myself. … read more
Predictive Prophecy, Part 2
One of the Bible teachers that Brother Hagin referenced frequently when he was teaching along the lines of spiritual and ministry gifts was the British minister, Donald Gee (1891-1966). Known for depth, simplicity, and balance, Gee was an important voice for the Pentecostal movement in the Twentieth Century, and what he taught then is still powerful and relevant today. … read more
Predictive Prophecy, Part 1
With the possible exception of 1988 (88 reasons why Jesus was supposed to come back then), I don’t think I’ve seen a season where more emphasis has been placed on “predictive prophecies” than I have this year (2020). The difference is that this year, it is not just the stir from a single person making a prediction, but it seems like a plethora of voices are predicting things in the name of “The Spirit told me.” As a Bible teacher, it concerns me when I seem to see more emphasis on “What does prophet so-and-so say?” as opposed to “What does the Bible say?” … read more
Going on the Offensive
I am no sports analyst, but I’ve seen several games, especially in basketball, where a team gets overly cautious, and instead of playing to win, they simply begin playing not to lose. Usually this happens late in the game and often coincides with a surge of momentum and increased effort from the opposing team. … read more
Unimaginable Grace
2020 has been an unsettling and disconcerting year for many, and yet it has also been a time of great grace being poured out by God. There is nothing that this world can throw at us that is more powerful than God’s ability! In the last half of the year, I have shared at several events for leaders, and I have encouraged pastors and other ministers to consider the events this year in three perspectives: global, historical, and eternal. … read more
Jesus and His Messengers
As you read each of the letters, imagine what it would be like to have been one of the pastors of the seven churches. Jesus Christ, the head of the church, communicates a letter to you through the legendary apostle John. It will be your responsibility to faithfully represent Jesus in stewarding that message and helping the congregation receive and apply all that the Lord has communicated. An ambassador is not assigned to a foreign land to share his or her own opinions, but to accurately represent the commissioning government. … read more
The Age of Laodicea?
Someone just recently asked me if I felt we are living in the age of the Laodicean church. As you probably recall, Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) was one of the seven churches Jesus spoke to through John when the aged apostle was exiled on the island of Patmos. Many people remember that church as one that Jesus described as extremely lukewarm. In short, my answer is “no,” but the topic is worth exploring. I see nothing in Scripture to indicate that there are seven different or distinct church ages. … read more
The Anatomy of a Riot
Two emotions—fear and anger—have been running rampant across our nation and have now reached a fevered pitch. For some, fear has turned to panic, and anger has turned to rage. Many seem to be at each other’s throats, and the words of some exude venom and vitriol. We witnessed months of rioting in many cities throughout the summer, and now the hatred being expressed in our nation’s capital has brought further angst and agitation to the populace. The purpose of this article is not so much to analyze current happenings in our country but to try and obtain a few lessons from what happened around 2000 years ago in ancient Ephesus. … read more
A Good Report from Your Doctor
It is quite common for someone to ask for agreement in prayer that they will receive a good report when they visit the doctor for an examination concerning symptoms they have been experiencing. I will not say we can never do this. I will say this is prayer with the wrong focus and it puts faith in a realm where it is not intended to function. … read more
Ninguém Consegue Fazer Sozinho de Tony Cooke
Na entrada da igreja Good News em Moscou, há uma grande placa que expressa a gratidão aos parceiros que ajudaram a tornar aquele estabelecimento maravilhoso em realidade. Cada vez que entramos e saímos do prédio durante minha visita mais recente, Rick Renner parava e colocava suas mãos sobre aquela placa. Ele fazia um breve agradecimento a Deus por seus parceiros e orava para que Ele que os abençoasse. … read more
Defund the Police?
As numerous voices began calling for the defunding of police across our nation, I was reminded of a time when soldiers came to John the Baptist (in the light of his preaching of repentance) and asked what they should do. Interestingly, John did not tell them that they belonged to a corrupt profession and that they should all resign. … read more
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