Fire in My Bones
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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 …
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Solar Eclipse Is Proof of a Loving Creator
I’m not a doomsday guy. I know some Christians who viewed this week’s solar eclipse as a sign of the end times, but I wasn’t worried about it, for two reasons: 1) there are two solar eclipses every three years somewhere on the planet; and 2) Jesus said He isn’t coming back until we finish …
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The IHOP Scandal Has Exposed a Deep Need for Repentance
When I first heard about the sexual scandal involving Mike Bickle and the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Missouri, in December, my initial reaction was defensive. I didn’t want to believe the charges. But I cringed on Dec. 12, 2023, when Bickle released his own confession. And my heart sank when details surfaced …
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The Agony Jesus Felt on the Cross Was Real
When the movie “The Passion of the Christ” was released 20 years ago, Hollywood insiders mocked it because it offered an extremely bloody depiction of Jesus’ torture and death. Regardless of what you think of director Mel Gibson, he did a masterful job of capturing the brutality of a first-century Roman execution. I know some …
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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 …
