
Recent Articles
- Holding Fast to What We Have Attained March 30, 2023
- Have We Forgotten Hell? March 25, 2023
- Brother Hagin’s Injury and Prophetic Insights March 21, 2023
- Did God Send the Earthquake in Turkey? March 1, 2023
- A Healing Hymn from the Reformation February 10, 2023
Unity, Not Uniformity by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeMarriage is the unique opportunity for two people to become one flesh, as Mark 10:7 puts it, quoting Genesis 2:24. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” Becoming one flesh is a lifelong process between two individuals, particularly for two independent individuals. …read more
Give Ear to the Words of My Mouth by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeDavid prayed in Psalm 5:1-3 “Oh Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but You. Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.” …read more
A Very Present Help in Trouble by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeWho doesn’t have trouble at some point in their lives? We know that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but we also know that He delivers us out of them all. That deliverance may not happen instantaneously however, and our “time of trouble” may be with us longer than we want. …read more
Now More Than Ever by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeNow more than ever, it is imperative to have “the power of an endless life” (Hebrews 7:16) at work within us. With headlines bringing news of pervasive distress, terrorist activities, and countless other current events, we feel the urgency to ever be pressing toward the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. …read more
Waiting for the Prodigal to Return by Lisa Cooke and Andrew Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeIf you are a parent, friend, or family member of someone who is rebelling and living a destructive lifestyle, never cease in praying for that person. Without a doubt, the only reason I am still breathing on this earth today is because of divine intervention, caused by prayer, during dangerous scenarios. This intercession kept me alive until I finally responded to God’s love and redemption. …read more
An Honestly Lived Life by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeEver since Adam and Eve tried to hide their sin from God in the garden, mankind has had the temptation to hide his sin from the eyes of the Omniscient One. How futile this is when we consider that God is able to know every moment of our being, nothing being hidden from Him. Hebrews 4:13 says, “And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Luke 8:17 says, “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”…read more
The Reward of the Gift by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeIn the fourth chapter of Philippians, a “fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God” has arrived from the Philippians to Paul through Epaphroditus. This is not the first time the they have sent aid to Paul as he journeyed through the land, preaching the good news of Jesus Christ to all who would listen. …read more
Through the Church by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeChurch. The word by itself evokes a powerful image in the mind of most Americans. We imagine a building with a steeple, a gathering of like-minded people, the place people go to worship on Sunday or Saturday, at least on Easter or Christmas. Love it or hate it, church has been a part of our culture, and the culture of many parts of the rest of the world, for a long time. …read more
Your Father’s Good Pleasure by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa Cooke“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). Oh that we could truly fathom the depth of this statement! What an incredible difference it would bring to our lives if we would but accept and walk in the understanding of all that this verse means to us. …read more
My Grace is Sufficient For You by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeIn these days, what do we need as believers more than anything else in this world? How about the need for a personal realization of the power of God resting upon us as stated in 2 Corinthians 12:9, where Paul is describing the revelation God had given him of this very thing? …read more
The Beauty of Holiness by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeTo Savor the Things of God by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeWe have a choice to make in what we “savor;” what we delight in or take pleasure in. We can choose the things that be of God, or the things that be of men. Unconsciously we make those decisions all day long and I’ll speak for myself here, I bet I savor the things that “be of men” more often than not. It can be so automatic, so mindless, this pleasing of our flesh. …read more
Think It Not Strange by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeTests, trials, afflictions, persecutions, the fiery darts of the enemy: all these and more are sufferings that every Christian experiences in their lifetime. We are to “think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to test you, as though some strange thing happened unto you” (1 Peter 4:12 KJV). …read more
Own the Mercy! by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeMatthew Henry’s commentary on Philippians 4:2-9 had this portion that caught my eye today as I was studying. He says, “We must join thanksgiving with prayers and supplications; not only seek supplies of good, but own the mercies we have received.” …read more
The Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeTruly we have only scratched the surface of all that God has for us, but here we see the Father’s heart for us to have more than all we ask or think. He provides the way to the fullness of Himself through the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. …read more
See How Much the Father Has Loved Us by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeAmong the many things I’m thinking about this holiday season is this mind-blowing truth that the God of all creation has called us His children. I am “beholding what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us” as the King James translates this verse. To behold is to see, “to feast your eyes on,” and what I want to be able to see with the eyes of my understanding is the grand meaning of His love toward us. …read more
Why Did You Make Me Like This? by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeIn humility we are wise to come to the point of accepting the giftings God has given us, and seek His wisdom on how best to use what He has entrusted to us for the edifying of the Body of Christ. We can never get away from the fact that we are to love God and love others with our lives. The purpose of any gift is not for our own consumption, enjoyment, or self esteem, but for the betterment of those around us. …read more
Seated in the Seat of the Learner by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeChristians have tried to explain why bad things happen, why they happen to good people, and why they happen in our own lives. In a message on the storms of life, Tony shares three biblical examples of why Jonah, the disciples, and Paul all encountered a terrible storm. Simply stated, Jonah’s storm was encountered because of disobedience, The Disciples’ in the midst of Jesus’ mandate to go to the other side (Mark 4:35-41), and Paul’s because of the decisions other people made that affected his life while on his way to trial in Rome (Acts 27). …read more
Resurrection Ordained by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeFor several years now I’ve had Philippians 3:10-11 rolling around in my heart. I have prayed it many times over family members, friends and strangers. It is my standby prayer when I hear the sound of a police car or fire truck siren for the folks involved in whatever situation warranted that siren. There is a longing in my heart for people to “know Him” and all that the knowing entails, and so I find myself speaking this scripture often in prayer form. …read more
Season Shift By Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeThe Opportunity of Their Lifetime
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeIf you consider the statistics that George Barna has accumulated concerning the impact of ministry to children, it’s easy to realize the value we must place on this “single most strategic ministry activity”. He says that most people’s spiritual beliefs are “irrevocably formed when they are pre-teens” and “what they believe by the time they are 13 is what they will die believing”. …read more
Kids and Worship by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeWe know from this verse that God seeks worshipers, those who will worship Him authentically and accurately. Currently in the church worldwide there is tremendous emphasis being placed on praise and worship, and most adults in the Body of Christ are aware of God’s desire for their adoration. But what about children? Can they also worship God in spirit and in truth? Does their age preclude them from what Joseph Garlington described as a “holy function enjoyed by angels, men and the entire created universe?” …read more
Little is How Much? by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeI can’t seem to let go of the idea that God gets great pleasure out of taking nothing or very little, and doing great things with it. From the beginning we see Him creating something from nothing. He formed man out of dirt and yet the Bible says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Something happens when God breathes on dirt. Something happens when Jesus asks His Father to bless a few fish and some loaves of bread. …read more
Are You a Kid Magnet?
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeOne of the highest compliments I have ever received was said in a somewhat funny/sarcastic way: “You’re a Kid Magnet!” You’ve probably heard the phrase “money magnet” used to describe someone who seems to have money coming to him easily and in abundance. Likewise, a children’s minister is most effective when he or she is a Kid Magnet, someone a child is attracted to. …read more
Building Each Other Up In Love by Lisa Cooke
/in Articles by Lisa Cooke /by Lisa CookeThis verse, applied in the context of the local church, can encourage pastors and department heads to take heed to the health and well-being of the workers who serve under their supervision. It can apply to every part of the local body, but in this article I want to focus on children’s workers. …read more