J. Lee Grady
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There’s a Big Difference Between Prophecy and Manipulation
I love the gift of prophecy, and the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:1 that we should desire to use it. I love to see people strengthened and encouraged by a personal word from God. But spiritual gifts, much like guns, can be misused—and when prophecy is misfired it always hurts people. That’s why
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Why Every Christian Should Pray for Strong Discernment
The recent scandal involving Mike Bickle and the International House of Prayer in Kansas City has triggered serious soul-searching—and the reaction is understandable. People feel angry, betrayed and bewildered. They trusted leaders who seemed incredibly spiritual, but those leaders violated that trust. I’ve watched this happen more times than I can count. When I was
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This Is How I’ve Stayed Married for 40 Years
Next month my wife and I will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. My parents were married for 67 years, so four decades doesn’t seem like much of a milestone to me. But I’m aware that in today’s culture—when couples consider divorce the easy escape from any conflict—we are blessed to still be together after tying
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How a Forgotten Moment in Black History Changed the World
Last week I was speaking at a men’s conference in western Uganda near the city of Rwentobo. After one afternoon session about marriage, men stood to repent of how they had physically or verbally abused their wives. Some of them later texted me to say they had confessed their sins to their wives. The next
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How to Encourage a Move of the Holy Spirit in a Dry Church
This past weekend I spoke at a men’s conference in Rwentobo, Uganda. Most of the men were Anglicans, including an archbishop from Rwanda and a bishop from Kenya. But these were not your grandmother’s Anglicans. These men danced in the aisles, shouted their praises and spoke in tongues. Even the bishops with clerical collars talked
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How Africa’s False Prophets Are Spreading Deception
In a church in Kampala, Uganda, a mysterious “prophet” known as Brother Innocent asks a woman to come to the front of the room. Then, in front of others, he puts on surgical gloves and reaches under the woman’s skirt to fondle her private parts. In most cases he eventually pulls out a piece of
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Is the Holy Spirit Nudging You? Learn to Obey His Prompting
I preached at a conference in California in 2013. During one of the meetings the Lord showed me that a woman there was struggling with infertility. I didn’t know who she was—all I knew was she was in the auditorium. When I shared this word of knowledge with the audience, a young woman in the
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How ‘The Chosen’ Is Taking the Gospel to Millions
The wildly popular TV series “The Chosen,” now in its fourth season, is likely to break records this week in terms of its audience. The show, which began as a low-budget project in 2017, has already been streamed by 600 million people. The first three episodes of Season 4 will be shown in theaters this
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5 Red Flags That Warn Us of False Teachers
Last week I wrote about how grieved I was that so many Christians naively swallowed the teachings of Nigerian prophet T.B. Joshua—in spite of repeated warnings from Nigerian pastors who knew of his occult origins. Sadly, even after evidence surfaced proving that Joshua practiced juju rituals and sexually abused women, some of his followers still
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Why Were So Many Christians Deceived by TB Joshua?
Twenty years ago, as I was preparing for my first ministry trip to Nigeria, a friend asked me if I had plans to visit a famous Nigerian minister named T.B. Joshua. I had never heard of the guy, so I did a bit of research before I flew to Lagos. I learned that thousands of
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Are You Worried Sick? Jesus Has the Answer for Anxiety
Americans are stressed out. The problem was bad enough before the pandemic, but statistics skyrocketed during and after that crisis. Today, more than 42 million people in this country suffer from an anxiety disorder, according to Mental Health America, and we spend more than $18 billion annually on medications for anxiety and depression. Why are
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One Leader’s Failure Isn’t an Excuse to Leave the Faith
I started seriously following Jesus in the 1970s. From those early days until now, I’ve watched many leaders fail. During the days of the Jesus Movement, we learned that Lonnie Frisbee—the hippie evangelist portrayed in the movie “Jesus Revolution”—got divorced because of sexual immorality and had to break ties with Calvary Chapel pastor Chuck Smith.
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How to ‘Number Your Days’ as You Enter a New Year
At the end of every year, I set aside time to reflect and evaluate. I look at photos from the past year, savor the good memories, grieve for the sad moments and celebrate the victories. I also carefully consider any mistakes I made and how I can grow spiritually in the coming year. I see
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7 Awesome Christmas Miracles We Should Celebrate
Dec. 25 is just a blip on the screen for some people. But for me it takes at least a month to celebrate the birth of Jesus. This is why Christmas is referred to as a “season.” The miracle of the incarnation is simply too wondrous to be limited to one day. When we study
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12 Ways to Overcome the Spiritual Blahs
A holy fire was ignited in your heart when you first met Jesus. You discovered true joy, peace and love. God sparked a spiritual hunger in you, which awakened a desire to pursue Him. You probably sensed an insatiable appetite for the Bible, you wanted to pray and you looked for every chance to fellowship
