Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.” –Genesis 12:1

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance.  And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”  –Hebrews 11:8

Books written. Sermons preached.  Lessons taught.  But still the question is asked, “How can I know the will of God for my life?”  With all the instruction that we have within God’s Word, the Scriptures, can it really be that difficult to know God’s will?  In Abraham’s day God spoke audibly, in our day He speaks through His Word, the Bible.  God spoke – Abraham obeyed.  Abraham’s environment was that of polytheistic worship, the worship of many gods.  His father was of that frame of belief.  But God had a purposeful plan for his life and He began by calling him out unto Himself. [Read more…]

Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily. Isaiah 28:16

In ancient building practices, the cornerstone was the principal stone placed at the corner of the edifice. The cornerstone was usually one of the largest, the most solid, and the most carefully constructed of any in the edifice. Numerous times in Scripture Jesus describes Himself as the Cornerstone that His church would be built upon, a body consisting of both Jewish and Gentile believers. [Read more…]

In the complete writings of “Murray On Prayer,” published by Whitaker House, we read this about the author. Andrew Murray (1828-1917) lived and ministered as both a pastor and author from the towns and villages of South Africa. His earliest writings were written to provide nurture and guidance for Christians of all ages and were actually an extension of his pastoral work. He wrote to give daily practical help to many of the people in his congregation who lived out in the farming communities and could only come into town for church services on rare occasions. Most of Murray’s writings revolved around prayer and he adopted the practice of placing many of his more devotional books into thirty-one separate readings to correspond with the days of the month.

Would you believe that, finally, at the age of 78, Murray resigned from the pastorate and devoted the last eleven years of his life to his manuscripts, writing profusely, moving from one book to the next with an intensity of purpose and a zeal that few men of God have ever equaled? He often said of himself, rather humorously, that he was like a hen about to hatch an egg; he was restless and unhappy until he got the burden of the message off his mind! It was during these later years of his life that these manuscripts were compiled into books that have been influential in the lives of believers the world over for more than eighty years!

The Scriptures have always encouraged me during tough times (I Peter 5:10; Psalm 34:19; Isaiah 24:15; 61:10) but also the writings of great men of God. Years ago I came across an article on how Andrew Murray, going through a very painful experience in his life, worked through trials. It has been a real blessing to me and I trust it will be an encouragement to you also. Maybe you should clip and place it in the flyleaf of your Bible.

“First, He brought me here, it is by His will I am in this strait place: in that fact I will rest. Next, He will keep me here in His love, and give me grace to behave as His child. Then, He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me the lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He means to bestow. Last, in His good time He can bring me out again–how and when He knows. Let me say I am here….by God’s appointment, in His keeping, under His training, for His time!”

Psalm 139:1-24

The closing of another year in the journey of life should always cause us to pause, reflect, inspect and envision, particularly in light of God’s invisible hand working behind the scenes of our story. Everyone has a story in life. King David had a story and Psalm 139 tells us much about his attentive gaze into his own heart recognizing that God was omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent in all areas of his life. As we watch another year conclude, let’s marvel with David as he acknowledges the amazing attributes of God unfolding before him, both in the UP times and the DOWN times. And how he responds in such humility and submission. David’s God is our God. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. [Read more…]

“Now the Word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time….” Jonah 3:1

“After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples….Jesus said to Simon Peter…follow me!” John 21:1, 15, 19

Many times in my walk with the Lord, I am thankful for His forgiveness, and trusting me again and again to be His servant in the path He has laid out for me to follow. He came again to Jonah after his running away from an important assignment; He came again to Peter after denying Him three times just as predicted; and he came again and again to others of His children who, for one reason or another, felt that their way was better than God’s way. In Jonah chapter 1, it is said of Jonah three times that he went down from the presence of the Lord. It is never good to go “down” when God is up!

My siblings and I were reared in an unchurched home. I placed my faith in Christ as a teenager and in my senior year of high school yielded my life fully to Him and chose to go to a small Bible College rather than a nearby University to learn more about God and what He was doing in my life. Thankfully, through God’s amazing grace, I have enjoyed a walk with the Master for many years but for my younger brother, it was a different story. Let me tell you about it. [Read more…]