For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. —1 Corinthians 3:11

What we are told in this verse is that when Paul laid the foundation in Corinth some four years earlier, he was doing nothing more than following God’s architectural blueprint.

Peter says that foundation was predestined; the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world, who died on the cross, was slain from the foundation of the world. What happened at Calvary two thousand years ago was simply the following of a blueprint that had been predestined in eternity.

It is provided, or as Jude puts it, ” . . .the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3). We do not need to go looking for this blueprint in the archives building as though no one knows what the faith is. We have it in the Bible, given by inspiration of God.

This foundation is an unchangeable foundation, not just from place to place as in Ephesus, Corinth, or Thessalonica, but also from generation to generation. This is why Jude says, “I . . .urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” It is not received from the saints; it is delivered to the saints.

But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice [propitiation] for our sins. —1 John 2:1-2

What does John mean? For God to be propitious toward us means that He is favorable toward us, because when Jesus died He was the propitiation who satisfied the justice of God! Thus, calling this foundation propitious simply means that all who rest on it are saved. The superstructure may go wrong, but all who rest upon the foundation are saved.

Excerpted from When God Says “Well Done!” (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1993).

I know you by name and you have found favor with me. —Exodus 33:12

I heard Gigi Tchividjian give a talk in which she admitted to low self-esteem. She said, “Whenever I was introduced, I was referred to as Billy Graham’s daughter, the wife of a Swiss psychiatrist, or the mother of six children.” She concluded that she had no identity of her own, but she sought it and found it in Christ.

As God earmarked you for a work in the future, I would urge you to get your sense of self-esteem from knowing you please God alone. Just Him. He isn’t hard to please. First, the blood of Jesus washed all sin and imperfection away. Second, Jesus is at the Father’s right hand and is moved with compassion over our weaknesses. Third, the Father, in any case, “knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust” (Ps. 103:14).

It is true that God will refine you so that when your time has come you will be ready and trustworthy of a greater anointing. But you won’t be perfect. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). God isn’t waiting for you to get perfect before He can use you. Otherwise He wouldn’t use anybody—ever.

Do you have a heart after God? Do you yearn to honor Him? Do you aspire to seek not honor and glory from your peers but the honor that God alone can bestow? If so, God will find you. Your parents may not see in you what is there, however well they think they know you, but God does. He will find you. He will discover you. Someone said, “It takes fifteen years to become an overnight success.” God’s time has come when someone who knows all that is needed to know about you steps in without your raising a finger.

Excerpted from The Anointing: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (Charisma House, 2003).

Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. —1 Timothy 4:14

It is imperative that you discover what God wants you to do and go ahead with it in the church and in your life. Dr. Clyde Narramore says, “Your natural gift is God’s hint what to do with your life.” Let me pose three questions to help you explore ways in which your gifts can be recognized.

This first is: What do you enjoy? Your gift is often what you like to do. And you say, “Well, I couldn’t have imagined that to be something God would want me to do.” I never will forget, back in 1954, when God used a Scotsman, Dr. John Logan, who was ministering in America, to make me come to terms with the fact that God had called me to preach because I loved talking about the Bible. And I think it was one of the reasons I had postponed recognizing a call to preach, because I almost felt guilty that it was what I loved more than anything.

The second question is: What do you feel is right for you? I often quote Romans 14:19: “Do what leads to peace.” That does refer to church unity, of course, but I think equally it refers to internal peace. A person who operates at the level of his incompetence is tired all the time. This is what causes a nervous breakdown. And sometimes his pride won’t let him admit to himself, “I can’t do this.” When this happens you need to step back, admit that this is not your gift, and do what leads to peace. You need to ask yourself, What is right for me? You do what gives you peace inside.

The third question is: What do others recognize in you? If God has called you to preach, there will be open doors; people will want you. We must live within the limit of our gift, but also up to the level of responsibility that our gift requires. Do not covet another person’s gift, but admit what you know is your own gift and responsibility.

Excerpted from When God Says “Well Done!” (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1993).

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. —Revelation 2:7

If we are going to learn how to develop active listening to the voice of the Spirit, there are a few characteristics that we need.

The first characteristic required for active listening is an open mind. That means, a mind closed to nothing that coheres with holiness. Paul says about this, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure . . .” (Phil. 4:8, KJV).

The second characteristic for active listening is a willingness to let go of our pride, a willingness to be vulnerable.

The third characteristic is that we are always listening out for God’s voice, even when this involves a telling off. God may speak to us through a friend or a stranger; through unanswered prayer or through the withholding of vindication. It may be through disappointment. It can be simply because we see the need. If we are really walking in the light, we will look anywhere for God’s way of speaking.

So often we expect God to speak to us in one way, when all the time He is approaching us differently. Someone has put it like this: God gives hints rather than directions. He lets you come to the conclusion for yourself.

The fourth characteristic to hearing God is that we deal with any impediment that militates against the Spirit, for example, any personal bias that we superimpose upon God, calling it His will when it’s actually our own prejudice, and any grudge or unforgiving attitude.

Again, we must beware of any fleshly appetite that dulls our spiritual outlook: it may be a television program, our choice of reading or of friends. Some things may not be bad in themselves, but we know that they dull our desire for God.

When we learn to develop a lifestyle of active listening, we will hear God’s voice much more frequently than before, because now we are beginning to recognize when He speaks.

Excerpted from Worshipping God (Hodder & Stoughton, 2004).

Instead of honoring me, you profane me. You profane me when you say, “Worship is not important, and what we bring to worship is of no account.” —Malachi 1:12, The Message

The expression “to take for granted” means to be so sure of having something that we no longer appreciate it. That is what this passage is about.

The thing that particularly grips me about this passage is that God notices. These professional clergymen had actually given God animals they couldn’t use themselves. They thought that God wouldn’t notice and didn’t care. But He did notice. He sees everything we do.

This word is not just for preachers; it is for every believer, because every believer is part of the body of Christ. God not only noticed what was happening, but He also was angry about it. He didn’t let the priests get away with what they were doing, and He won’t let us get away with taking Him for granted either.

How do we know God was upset with them for taking Him for granted? He felt so strongly about it that He said He would prefer that the doors of the church were closed than for this mockery to continue. “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires upon my altar!” (Mal. 1:10).

If you are engaged in ministry, whether you are a deacon or involved in children’s work, doing the flowers or sweeping the floors, and you are saying, “What a burden,” and you are bored with it, don’t you realize what a privilege God has given to you to do anything in His name?

You will never be a Christian until you come to the place where you recognize that, far from being able to do anything for God, you don’t deserve the least of His grace. As long as you feel you deserve better from God than He has given you, you are not saved. The people who are saved are those who realize they were lost and on their road to hell when God stopped them in their tracks and showed them that Jesus died for them. When the Holy Spirit showed them their sin, the last thought in their minds was that they could do God a favor! And what a warning to us.

Excerpted from Between the Times (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 2003).

Many Christians lack the
courage—or the conviction—to testify to their faith. But the power of
the Holy Spirit helps us to speak up.

As I go out into the world, presenting the gospel on
television and radio talk shows or exalting Jesus from secular and
religious platforms, I am treated with respect—most of the time. But
reviews of my engagements are not always as gracious as my live hosts
are.

They sometimes describe me as a middle-aged woman parading a
worn-out, old-time message that has no relevance in our century—simply
because I lift up the cross.

I have been accused of trying to ride my father’s
coattails and make a name for myself because I have walked through
doors of opportunity that have been opened for me to proclaim God’s
Word. I have been attacked as a Jezebel who is leading women within the
church into sin by my own example of ministry leadership. I have been
labeled unloving, intolerant, exclusive, narrow-minded, fundamentalist,
naive—and more. I have been excluded from social functions, platforms,
seminars—and even from some churches.

When I look at John 15:17-27, which records Jesus’ words
the evening before His crucifixion, I see that Jesus prepared His
disciples—and those like you and me who would follow them—for the kind
of treatment they could expect from the world around them—a treatment
that would require deep convictions and the courage to live by them.

Courage to Stand Out
Jesus began His challenge to stand out for Him in the
world with the command “‘Love each other’” (John 15:17, NIV). He showed
the disciples how they would find the courage to not only live their
lives for Him on a daily basis after Jesus was gone but also give their
lives for Him on a final basis in death.

Knowing how difficult it was going to be to live for Him
in the midst of the world, Jesus reminded His disciples: “‘Remember the
words I spoke to you: “No servant is greater than his master.” If they
persecuted Me, they will persecute you also’” (v. 20).

They didn’t just persecute Jesus; they crucified Him! Why do you and I think we will be treated any better?

Jesus gave five reasons for the world’s persecution of
Christians. These reasons have remained valid in the lives of believers
down through the centuries:

The first reason Jesus gave is our identification with
Him, whom the world hates: “‘If the world hates you, keep in mind that
it hated Me first’” (v. 18).

Hate Jesus? What evidence do you and I see of hatred toward Him today?

Is there an underlying hatred of Christ when His name is
invoked in profanity, rather than the name of Buddha or Allah or
Mohammed? At the very least, profanity reveals that deep within the
human spirit there is no neutrality toward Him.

Several years ago on The View, a television talk show that
involves a round-table-type conversation among several women, Joy Behar
remarked that she had successfully lost weight on her diet. She then
exclaimed “Praise Jesus!” When the show was aired on the West Coast,
the name Jesus was bleeped out! The same network that peppers its
programs with God’s name used in profanity found it offensive when His
Son’s name was used in sincerity!

The second reason we may be persecuted as Christians is
our mandated separation from the world, which causes the world to
resent us as non-conformists: “‘I have chosen you out of the world.
That is why the world hates you’” (v. 19).

When was the last time you refused to join in gossip? Or
refused to lie for your friend? Or refused to go along to a movie
filled with profanity and adultery?

Did such refusals cause you to be honored and loved and respected? If not, then you’re getting the picture.

Third, we may encounter persecution because of the
world’s rejection of the truth that Jesus is God’s only Son and the
exclusive way to God: “‘They will treat you this way because of My
name, for they do not know the One who sent Me’” (v. 21).

In an article in the December 2001 issue of the Christian
newsmagazine World, Gene Edward Veith warned, “The enemy, we are told,
is not Islam but intolerance. It is that narrow-minded, restrictive
view of religion that is to blame for the terrorist attacks and the
Taliban oppression. People who think ‘theirs is the only true religion’
are the real enemy, a charge, of course, that sticks not just to the
Taliban but to orthodox Christians.”

Fourth, persecution may be directed toward us because of
the world’s conviction of sin, which the truth reveals: “‘If I had not
come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however,
they have no excuse for their sin’” (v. 22).

Recently I found myself in a situation similar to one
I’ve been in many times. The driver of a cab I was riding in was lively
and talkative, and his conversation was peppered with bad language.
When he was getting my bag out of the trunk, one of the people who had
come to greet me told him that I am Billy Graham’s daughter and a
Christian speaker. His immediate reaction was, “If I had known, I would
have cleaned up my language.”

I had not said a word to him about his language. But
sometimes just our presence reveals the darkness of sin in the lives of
others, and those who are convicted of their own sin by our separation
from it resent us.

The fifth and last reason Jesus gave for persecution of
His followers is the demonstration of God’s power in individual lives:
“‘If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be
guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have
hated both Me and my Father’” (v. 24).

If you and I are not being persecuted, could it be that
no one has seen any real change or evidence of God’s power in our
lives? Have we so watered down and compromised our witness that the
world around us doesn’t see any reason to persecute us?

What miracle that demonstrates God’s power can someone
else see in your life? Is it when God set you free from alcoholism?
When He reconciled you with your spouse—or your in-laws? When you
experienced peace in the midst of turmoil, or hope in the midst of
grief?

Courage to Speak Up
After delivering the chilling discourse that warned them
of the persecution to come, Jesus revealed to His disciples the source
of the courage that would be theirs as they sought to speak up in a
world of hatred. The source was none other than the Holy Spirit of
God—the same Spirit who indwelt Jesus.

What comfort the disciples must have felt as Jesus
promised, “‘When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the
Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, He will
testify about Me’” (John 15:26). The source of power that filled Jesus,
enabling Him to face His accusers and His execution with dignified
compassion and courageous strength, is the same source of power that
enabled the disciples to live and die for Jesus.

And it’s the same source of power available to you and me
today! When we have the Spirit of the living God within us, we have no
less courage, no less power, than did those 11 men around the table in
the upper room!

When have you spoken up for Jesus? When have you told someone about Jesus who doesn’t know Him?

Are you recoiling in fear, protesting, “Anne, I could
never do that! I’m afraid my neighbors would never speak to me again.
I’m afraid my friends will laugh at me or be derisive about something
that’s precious to me. I’m afraid to speak up for Jesus because I may
lose my popularity or promotion or position or prestige or possessions.”

Jesus understands your fears. That’s why He has sent you
and me the Holy Spirit. When we open our mouths, the Holy Spirit not
only gives us words, He clothes the words with power to make a
difference in the hearer. And it’s the Holy Spirit who will fill you
with such deep conviction, passion and zeal for the truth that you will
be compelled to speak up!

One evening, my brother Franklin and I
were invited to appear together on Larry King Live, a once-popular talk show
on CNN. Mr. King asked Franklin how it was that we were so bold in our
faith. Was it hereditary?

I felt I had to say why I was bold—when my personality is
basically shy. The reason is that I am convinced what I say is the
truth!

And I wonder—maybe you and I don’t need more courage;
maybe we just need stronger convictions! Because when you feel deeply
about something, you are compelled to open your mouth and speak up.
Jesus stated this clearly to His disciples when He said, “‘You also
must testify, for you have been with Me from the beginning’” (v. 27).

Fewer than 60 days after that evening meal in the upper
room, two of these same disciples—Peter and John—were arrested by the
authorities in Jerusalem for speaking out about Jesus. Facing the same
religious court that had condemned Jesus to death, Peter—the same Peter
who had been so terrified of the opinions of others during the trials
of Jesus that he had denied His Lord three times—Peter, filled with the
Holy Spirit, boldly proclaimed Jesus Christ as the One “‘whom you
crucified but whom God raised from the dead … Salvation is found in no
one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which
we must be saved’” (Acts 4:10-12).

The authorities could hardly believe their ears! “When
they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were
unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that
these men had been with Jesus” (v. 13).

After a brief consultation among themselves, the
religious rulers forbade John and Peter to speak in Jesus’ name. The
disciples’ reply was a classic defense that rang as true in their
politically correct, pluralistic, multicultural society as it does in
ours: “‘We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard’” (v.
20).

They were compelled to speak up—they couldn’t help
it—because they had been with Jesus! They had been with Him when the
blind received sight, the ears of the deaf were opened, the lepers were
cleansed, the lame walked, the tormented were set free, the dead were
raised to life!

How could they ever be silent again?

Our youngest daughter, Rachel-Ruth, recently gave birth
to our first grandchild—a little girl named Ruth Bell Wright. She is
softly pink with big blue-gray eyes, a halo of golden brown hair,
perfect little ears, long fingers and—I could go on and on.

My husband and I are totally enthralled with this little
girl. She fills our hearts! We can’t help talking about her to anyone
who will listen.

I’m not afraid to talk about her. I don’t plan in advance
how I will talk about her. I don’t worry about offending someone with
my talk about her. I don’t go to classes to learn how to talk about
her. I don’t read books on how to talk about her.

Little Ruth Bell fills my heart! And what fills my heart comes out on my lips!

Why do we make speaking up for Jesus so complicated? If
He fills our hearts, He is going to come out on our lips! Like Peter
and John, we will not be able to help “speaking about what we have seen
and heard” of Him!

Today, in our God-blessed nation of America, no one is
crucified or thrown to the lions or burned at the stake because he or
she believes in Jesus as the only way to God. Yet the average church
member seems to be so lacking in deep convictions concerning who Jesus
is that he or she cowers under a raised eyebrow, a whispered innuendo
or a politically incorrect label.

Are you convinced that Jesus is the only Way to God, the
only Truth about how to get to heaven, the only Life that is eternal
and abundant? Are you convinced that no one will ever be accepted by
God the Father, except they come to Him through Jesus Christ?

If these statements, which paraphrase Jesus’ own claims,
are your convictions, then do you have the courage to state them
publicly—today—to your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers? Many
church members in our pluralistic, tolerant society not only lack the
courage to stand up for the truth that faith in Jesus Christ alone is
the only way to God; they actually reproach others who do stand up!

In the light of such spiritual anemia, my heart’s cry is,
Please, Jesus, give me more of Your courage in my convictions. I want
the courage to stand out and speak up about my convictions in the way
Christians have exhibited in every century since the cross and
resurrection.

In response to my heart’s cry, Jesus has whispered in my
heart, “I will give you more courage, Anne, when you stand out and
speak up for Me!”

Anne Graham Lotz is the author of My Heart’s Cry (W Publishing Group, 2002), from which this article is adapted. Used by permission.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. —Matthew 6:19-20

All who are saved are going to heaven, but not all who go to heaven will receive a reward. This may be new theology to you, but you need to understand that. You may have thought, Well, if I am saved, I am saved, and I am not going to worry about anything else. When you stand before the judgment seat of Christ, even though you are not going to go to hell, you will see then why Paul stressed it again and again.

When workers get their paycheck they decide whether to spend it all now or put some in the bank. So when you are tempted to take recognition, you can put it on deposit or you can just spend it. There is a chance to get your spiritual recognition pay now, for instance, by getting even with that person by snapping back, by reminding people that what they did was wrong. Although you are right, and you “win” and receive your pay, that is it. You withdrew what could have been on deposit in heaven. Only it is low pay. You really lost.

What is the high pay? I do not really know. Paul uses three words, as far as I know, to describe it: reward, praise, crown. Peter also uses the expression: “you will receive a rich welcome” into the kingdom when you die (2 Pet. 1:11). But this assumes a certain conduct (2 Pet. 1:5-8). Not all will receive this welcome.

What is a high pay? What is the reward? What is the crown? As I have said, I do not know for sure what that is, but I am sure it is worth waiting for. And I am sure I am not alone. Many of you will want to hear from the lips of Jesus Himself: “Well done.” I call that high pay!

Excerpted from When God Says “Well Done!” (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1993).

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. —Psalm 51:4

When I consider the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ knows all about my sin but promises to keep what He has forgiven a carefully guarded secret, it increases my gratitude to Him. God does not blackmail us. And when a person is guilty of blackmailing someone else, it gets God’s attention. He won’t stand for it. To hold another person in perpetual fear by threatening, “I’ll tell on you,” will quickly bring down the wrath of God. When I ponder the sins for which I have been forgiven, it is enough to shut my mouth for the rest of my life.

Making a lifelong commitment to total forgiveness means that you keep on doing it—for as long as you live. It isn’t enough to forgive today and then return to the offense tomorrow. I heard of a person whose wife said, “I thought you forgave me.” He replied, “That was yesterday.” Total forgiveness is a lifelong commitment, and you may need to practice it every single day of your life until you die. No one said it would be easy.

I have seen some people cave in and return to the offense after they extended their forgiveness to someone. But it is not total forgiveness unless it lasts—no matter how great the temptation is to turn back.

If you are prepared to make a covenant to forgive—and to forgive totally—you must realize you will have to renew that covenant tomorrow. And it may be even harder to do tomorrow than it is today. It could even be harder next week—or next year. But this is a lifetime commitment.

Excerpted from Higher Ground (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1995).

…his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. —1 Corinthians 3:13-14

Not just apostles, not just ministers, not just deacons, but the totality of the body of Christ shall be judged: every person shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. Every man, every woman, every function, every gift, every talent, all we ever did will be projected on God’s gigantic screen. Even that time you got hurt and kept quiet about it. Those years you paid your tithes and it hurt, but you kept quiet about it; those moments when you dignified the trial but kept quiet about it; that person you totally forgave, but you kept quiet about it; or the one you stayed up all night and helped but kept quiet about it. Each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

When will this happen? And what does each will be rewarded mean? This refers to the future, and perhaps this disappoints you. We all want to be paid now! Yet every man will receive. We may wish it had said, “Every man receives his own reward” in the present tense. That way I am guaranteed recognition now; that way I am guaranteed dividends now. But must we get our pay today?

Do you only get involved in a particular activity of the church if you think it is working? Do you do something because immediately you get results? God can, and often does, bless obedience now, but our motive may betray that we cannot wait for the judgment seat of Christ. How much better that you continually remember that you will yet stand before God and give an account of the things you did throughout life. It will be worth it all to hear two words from Jesus: “Well done.” What I did in life that was swallowed up and unnoticed will be found out and blazed in headlines and discovered then.

Excerpted from When God Says “Well Done!” (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1993).

In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me. Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. —Psalm 120:1-2, KJV

Are you in distress at the moment because someone has falsely accused you? Whatever the cause, perhaps you have never realized that God has permitted the distress, and, because you lack this perspective, you fear that you will break under the strain. But God is saying, “I am behind all that is going on right now; I am the Architect of the distress. And do you know why? It is the only way I could get your attention.”

One form of distress that God uses to get our attention is caused by the deceit of others. This was the origin of the psalmist’s distress, because he had been criticized unfairly. (See verse 2.)

Maybe part of the reason you are in distress is that you have been criticized, and it hurts. Criticism is painful. In fact, sometimes the criticism that we don’t want to hear is the hardest to take because it is true. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Prov. 27:6, KJV).

But the psalmist was the victim of a deceitful tongue. The psalmist had either been lied to or lied about. What is a lie? A lie is an untrue statement with the intent to deceive. If you have been lied about, eventually the truth will come out. I guarantee it.

It can be very painful, however, during that time of postponement. Maybe that’s where you are. Perhaps you have lost your job because someone lied about you; perhaps you have lost a friendship because something was said that wasn’t true; perhaps you have lost influence because somebody lied about you, and there is not a thing you can do to defend yourself.

Remember who is on your side: God. God is truth; it is impossible for him to lie (Heb. 6:18). The day is coming when God will clear not only His own name, but your name, too.

Excerpted from Higher Ground (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1995).