Spiritual Gifts
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Jonathan Edwards’ Wife Knew What It Really Takes to Help Spark a Great Awakening
Read Time: 1 Minute 51 Seconds Sarah Pierpont Edwards sat in the Congregational Church in Northampton, Massachusetts, which was pastored by her husband, Jonathan Edwards. Women were supposed to remain silent in the Puritan/Congregational churches, but a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit was occurring (the Great Awakening) and she could hardly contain herself at
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Michael Brown: If You Are Over 60, You Could Be Part of the Joshua Generation
Read Time: 4 Minutes 1 Second If you’ve been in church circles over the years, you may have heard people refer to “The Joshua Generation,” meaning young people who are full of spiritual fire and zeal, ready to make an impact for the Lord. But if we want to be biblically accurate, while the people
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Why the Baptism with the Holy Spirit Stands the Test of Time
Read Time: 2 Minutes 55 Seconds God loves to give His children gifts! He loves you so much that He gave you His precious Holy Spirit who fills you at the moment of salvation. But also, Jesus will baptize you with His Holy Spirit to empower you to tell others about Him. At the beginning
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Joseph Mattera: 7 Traits of the Sown Life
Paul said he was a “drink offering.” This meant that he offered his very life, spirit, soul, and body, to the Lord and to His church as a “living sacrifice” (Num. 15:4-10; 2 Tim. 4:6; Rom. 12:1-2). He also said he not only “spent” but “was spent” for the gospel (2 Cor. 12:15). When you
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How the Bible Turns a Political Career Into a ‘Full-Time Ministry’
I knew the “pastor” of my church was a shepherd, but I sure missed the verses where God specifically stated that governmental rulers were also ministers. Since I used to believe in a sacred/secular split, there was no way a politician could be a minister in God’s eyes. If I wanted to go into full-time
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5 Reasons You Can’t Afford to Wait Any Longer to Jump into the River
All around you is the rumble of revival and reformation. An earthquake of American freedom. It beckons you! But you are waiting. Every atom of your being screams for you to jump into the river that is healing America. All the cells of your body are vibrating with anticipation. But you hesitate. You are hoping
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3 Scriptural Ways to Battle Fear and Worry
Fear and worry are an ever-present part of our lives. No matter what religion (if any) you believe in, everyone struggles, on some level with fear and worry. Whether it is generalized worries about life and the future, or a full-blown mental health crisis, fear and worry is a pervasive part of everyday life. It
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How Esther’s Life Can Help You Defeat the Giant of Self
D.L. Moody, the famous evangelist from Chicago, once quipped, “I have more trouble with D.L. Moody than with any other man I have ever met!” Through all of the struggles we have in life, perhaps our biggest struggle is the one with ourselves; that is, with our fallen human nature. The New Testament calls it
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Kingdom Economics: The Need for a Second Pentecost
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the much awaited August employment report. Before the report’s release, some analysts were arguing that the report would be the most important release for months if not years. After its release, analysts were gleaning the report to find any hints of information that could change the Fed’s aggressive
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How You Can Operate in the Power Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Before the ascension of Jesus, He told the apostles in Acts 1:8 (NLT), “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” Jesus promises a gift that would give them comfort, power, strength and encouragement. That gift is the Holy Spirit, and that promise is also for us today. The miracle working,
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Why True Messengers of God Often Pay a Very High Price
A messenger, by definition, is “one who bears a message” (see Merriam-Webster Dictionary). A messenger is also knowns as a forerunner or a herald. A forerunner is “one who goes before.” A herald is “an official messenger bringing news” or “a person or thing viewed as a sign that something is about to happen” (see
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Experiencing the Weight of God’s Glory
John promised that Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire! (Luke 3:16). Jesus continues to pour out the Holy Spirit upon His people all over the world. This includes the fire that comes with the Spirit. When I was recently in Cuba doing crusades and ministry in the Las Tunas District, the
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Why Some Pentecostals Doubt Receiving the Holy Spirit
Is speaking in tongues the end of the journey with Christ, or is it the beginning? Is it the goal in life or the means to the goal? Misconceptions about the hallmark doctrine of the Pentecostal Movement have made well-meaning Pentecostals and charismatics doubt their tongue-speaking experience and give Satan the credit. The irony is
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How You Can Be the Answer to Someone Else’s Prayers and Dreams
The short New Testament epistle of James, our Lord’s half-brother, is filled with wisdom and practical insights for Christian living. Please join me in this brief overview that can guide us and equip us for living in these last days. The English name James appears to be a Latin derivative of the Hebrew Jacob, who
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8 Reasons for You to Speak in Tongues
If a person were to ask, “Why speak in tongues?” couldn’t we also ask, “Why pray?” The Word of God shows a definite value in praying with an unknown tongue. Jesus tells us that “it is necessary always to pray” (Luke 18:1, MEV). Later, in speaking of prayer, Paul mentions two types of praying. There
