Fire in My Bones
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Beware of Fraudulent ‘Facebook Prophets’
Prophecy is a powerful and much-needed spiritual gift. The apostle Paul told us that prophecy provides edification, exhortation and comfort. In First Corinthians 14:1, he also told believers to desire this gift above all others. Prophecy strengthens us, confirms God’s plans, reminds us of His love and care, warns us of dangers and propels us
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Reagan and Trump: How God Protected 2 Presidents From Assassination
On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan walked out of the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., after speaking to a labor union group. The president had only been in office for 70 days. He stopped to greet a crowd when suddenly a 25-year-old man named John Hinckley Jr. fired six shots with a short-barreled .22-caliber
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How Can Young Leaders Emerge if Old Leaders Stay in Power?
President Joe Biden is facing the biggest challenge of his 54 years in government. After his disastrous debate performance on June 27, some members of his own party went into panic mode. They realized that the 81-year-old politician may not have the physical stamina or the mental acuity to lead the United States for four
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I Was So Tired of Praying I Almost Gave Up
I’ve been praying for a specific financial need related to my overseas ministry for several years. Missionary work is a challenge because 1) I’m certainly not a professional fundraiser, and 2) most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about needs in developing countries. Eventually I hit a spiritual wall. I was discouraged. I
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How Do We Process the Robert Morris Scandal?
Gateway Church in Dallas is the ninth-largest church in the United States, with more than 25,000 members. But the church has been reeling since June 18, when Pastor Robert Morris, 62, resigned after he admitted to sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl during his early years as a youth evangelist. Some of Gateway’s elders have now
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When Church Leaders Fail, How Do We Respond?
It was sad enough when leaders of the International House of Prayer cut ties with founder Mike Bickle last December because of a sexual scandal involving Bickle and at least two women. Then on June 9 of this year, veteran pastor Tony Evans of 10,000-member Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, stepped down from
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It’s Time for All Fathers to Step Up Their Game
Last week I stood in front of 50 inmates inside a prison in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, and shared a message about the prodigal son from Luke’s Gospel. The men ranged in age from early 20s to late 70s. When I talked about how much the generous father loved his prodigal son—in spite of his disappointing
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If You’re Called to Ministry, There’s a Price to Pay
I served the Lord as a journalist for many years before God called me into the ministry. And I ran from that call for a while, mostly because of my fears. It didn’t help when I examined the lives of the ministers I knew. It was obvious they paid a high price. Ministry isn’t glamorous,
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The ‘Butcher of Tehran’ Is Dead—and Iran’s Church Keeps Growing
The president of Iran is dead. Ebrahim Raisi, also known by millions of Iranians as “the butcher of Tehran” because of his record of brutality, was killed in a helicopter crash on May 19 in eastern Iran. The next day in New York, members of the United Nations Security Council stood for a moment of
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Paul Spoke in Tongues—So Why Are We Afraid of This Gift?
Two years ago when I was preaching at a church in Florida, a boy named Roczen was filled with the Holy Spirit during a revival service. He was only about 5 years old. But a week later he felt such boldness that he asked his pastor if he could pray for the entire church. When
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In the Debate About Immigrants, Don’t Forget Compassion
My friend Dawit (not his real name) is a 33-year-old immigrant from the troubled nation of Eritrea. When he was a teenager, he and his 11 siblings walked more than eight hours to the Sudanese border to escape the communist country. Eventually, in 2010, Dawit and his family arrived in the United States to seek
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God Didn’t Shut Off the Power of Pentecost
I was raised a Southern Baptist, and then at age 18 I had a Pentecostal experience while I was still a Baptist. People jokingly refer to me now as a “Bapticostal” because they consider this to be a strange combination of doctrines. That’s because many Baptists are cessationists. They believe the gifts of the Holy
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Before You Ask God for a Word, Be Willing to Say Yes
God loves to speak to us. Psalm 85:8 (NASB) says: “I will hear what God the Lord will say; for He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones.” At the right time, the Lord offers a fresh word for us that can bring strength, guidance, confirmation or correction. There have been countless
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Mandisa Is With Jesus Now, Singing the Highest Praise
If you are in crisis, please call 988 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You are not alone. On the surface, contemporary Christian singer Mandisa was the epitome of success. She became a musical star after her appearance on “American Idol” in 2006, and she won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Album in 2014. But those who read her
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Americans Are Cheering for Terrorists? The World Is Upside Down
On Sunday morning of this week Iran launched more than 300 rockets and drones to destroy Israel. But Israeli forces intercepted 99% of the weapons—and an ominous silence fell on the region as Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu weighed his options about when and how to retaliate. In times past, the United States would have offered
