OUT OF THE BOX

“But if all prophesy (speak by revelation), and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.” 1 Corinthians 14: 24-25 The verse quoted above indicates that the Lord moved among the early Christians in a very supernatural way in giving revelation, discernment, and insight to His servants as they reached out to people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I would like to share with you three examples of this happening in my own life. A fellow on a plane A few years ago the Lord gave me a word for a fellow who was sitting across the aisle from me on an airplane. Awkwardly I turned to the young man and said, “I am a Christian, and sometimes the Lord shows me things about people so I know how to pray for them. The Lord has shown me that there are issues between you and your father that need healing.”...

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A girl from our church in Raleigh NC was taking a philosophy of religion class taught by a professor from Duke University. Nancy came to me one evening and shared how she had been brought to tears when some of the other students mocked her for sharing her faith during a class discussion. Nancy was a committed Christian and loved the Lord. She was shocked at the unbelief and skepticism of the professor and the students,and soon came to discuss it with me and fellow believers at church. Now she was asking me to visit the class. The professor had told the students to invite their pastors to come sit in on the discussions. My first thought was, “This professor wants to pull out all his weapons of complex, intellectual, theological, and philosophical thought, all his esoteric terms, and make me or any other pastor who shows up look like an idiot in front of the class.” But I knew this was a great opportunity and so agreed to go. The next week one of the men from the church went with me to t...

After you read this, scroll down and watch the accompanying video. I have received so many responses from people telling me they wept as they watched the Derek Redmond video below. Why does it have this effect on so many of us? First of all, the anguish and disappointment in the young man's face is heart-wrenching. Also, the determination of his loving father to help him finish the race is deeply moving. But I think it touches us so deeply because subsconsciously we identify with this young man. Most of us don't see ourselves finishing the race so strong and proud as those who sped across the finish line up front, but rather we see ourselves stumbling, broken, limping, and often crippled, and finishing the race because our Father in heaven in His great love and mercy towards us has come to pick us up and help us along to the finish line, holding us in His arms. These Bible verses seem very appropriate here. "If I say, 'My foot slips,' Your mercy, O Lord, will hold ...

Over the years I have occasionally drawn cartoons for church newsletters. Below are a few from the past. Many of the characters are actually caricatures of real people whom some of you may recognize. You have to know the people to fully appreciate the humor.

John 15: 19. “A little longer, and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me...” Rev. 1: 10-17. “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice as of a trumpet…And I turned to see the voice that spoke to me…and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength…” 1 Cor. 15: 3-8. “…He rose again on the third day…and was seen…by Cephas…by the twelve…by over five hundred brethren at once…and after that He was seen by me also….” To see or not to see? The natural man comprehends God in the same way as a blind and deaf man would view a brilliant sunrise or listen to beautiful music. He would be oblivious to the wonders around him no matter how brilliant the sight or how loud the sound. The revelation of God works on the same principle. The person who has a heart after God will see or hear Him in the smallest sign, while the one who has rejected God in his heart will see nothing or explain it away, no matter how powerful the Presence or how obvious th...