With everything that’s happening in our world right now, it sometimes challenges our level of courage to live through it all without fear. But, that is exactly what Jesus said that we should do. In fact, He says it very clearly right in the middle of the scriptures that tell of these frightful events.
“When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened.” (Luke 21:9)
And just a few verses later, He repeats the admonition to be careful not to fear.
“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.” (Luke 21:34) READ MORE →
Now I know that we should all walk by faith in these Last Days, and we should all know how to answer our fears with scriptures in the Bible. There’s a lot of teaching on this topic, but I want to speak to the human side of this before I tell you how to be strong in the ways of spiritual warfare.
In our humanity, we all need comfort and reassurance that God is not cold or indifferent to us when the Times of Trouble come. I think most of us know that, but it helps to recall that fact as the writer of Hebrews did in Chapter 11, the great ‘faith’ chapter. Go read this chapter again for your own encouragement.
Sometimes, it is good to recall all the times of your life when God has done amazing things for you. Recall the moment you were born again and how the love of God flooded your heart and soul. There is no greater miracle than that! One old-time spiritual song says, “makes me love everybody!” Now there’s a message in that for sure! But, be sure to recall all the other times you have felt God’s presence and remember His tenderness and His loving care. READ MORE →
This is a wonderful time to be alive – a time like none other when the signs of Jesus’ Second Coming are all around us and are screaming from the news headlines every day. These are great days we are living in… but an even Greater Day is coming.
We are definitely privileged to be living in these last days and we know that because we are, there’s a mission and a purpose that is only unto this generation. While the generations before us were charged with going unto all the world to spread the Gospel, our charge is not only spreading the Gospel but standing strong without wavering in the face of vicious attacks by an angry devil (because he knows his time is short). READ MORE →
Whether it’s just a casual “how are you?” or a heartfelt, “sit down and tell me what’s going on in your life,” or a caring comment on Facebook… friends can bring you great joy and comfort. I’ve never needed friends more than now as I go through this health crisis – and I have old and new friends that have been so comforting and supportive.
Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves you all the time, and a brother helps in time of trouble.” That goes for sisters, too!
When I think of our new friends like Rabbi Cahn or John Shorey, or perhaps YOU, I am overwhelmed with gratefulness to God for enriching our lives with such wonderful people! READ MORE →
Do you believe in destiny? I do. I have often marveled at the fact that God chose you and me to live in this specific time in the history of the world. We could have been born in any century or any millennium, but He chose this amazing time; what we now know is the last of the last days before He returns, for you and me to be alive. It is not happenstance. It is not coincidence. We are here right now because we are destined to be.
How do I know that? Because the God I serve is the Alpha and the Omega – the God who knows the beginning and the end. He knew Adam and Abraham and Moses and David. He knew Eve and Deborah and Ruth and Esther. Each had a time and a purpose for their lives, and so do you and I. He knew you would read this very blog, and He came via Lori today to tell you that you are born with a purpose and a destiny unto Him! READ MORE →
It is never pleasant to relive the past when I share my testimony. But I do it because God uses it to comfort others. A hurting woman knows I understand her pain and suffering when she hears that I have been down the same road. And when she receives healing from God, she will extend that same comfort to yet others so that the circle of wounded healers widens.
I’ll never forget the first time I shared a short testimony before a group of women at Phoenix First in the fall of 1990. I had panicked at the thought of standing before the pastors’ wives and the matriarchs of the church and telling them even the briefest highlights of my sordid past. I had been a Christian for only about eighteen months, and I still carried a dump truck size load of shame about my past sins, even though I knew God had forgiven me and completely changed my life—in fact, he had called me into full-time ministry. READ MORE →
It’s been a rough road, this journey I’ve been on with treatment for Hepatitis C. There were days that I lay at home in bed, unable to get up and do the simplest things of life. There was just no strength at all for anything.
During this time of treatment, I often took solace in worshipping God with music. While I enjoy many different genres of Christian music, I found the old hymns to be particularly comforting. There is something about a spiritual song that bypasses our humanity and goes directly through to the spirit. This kind of music pulls from the deepest parts of us to connect to the God we love and worship. READ MORE →
On one of our recent shows with Dr. William Forstchen, the author of “One Second After,” we talked at length about preparing for emergencies and how some find it a matter of life or death while others devalue it in the most mocking ways they can. We can’t reach everyone with the message of emergency preparation, but we try our best to warn them and then if it’s received or not is up to them.
But you’d like to think that your own family would receive the wisdom of preparing, and some do while others continually brush it off. In fact, some family members (usually the younger ones) are way too busy with living life to pay attention to the real threats we face in our world. But it’s sooo gratifying when one of them “gets it.” READ MORE →
This week I am continuing to share the ministry of Kathy Troccoli because it is so needed in today’s culture – inside the church and outside. Life and it’s circumstances can be harsh at times, and we all need to know that there is hope… that God loves us through all the pain. On one show recently, we talked about how you are defined by the people who love you. For some out there, this is definitely a blessing, but for others, it can seem like a curse… until you are born again and realize that the God of the Universe loves you unconditionally!
Let’s hear from Kathy. READ MORE →
Kathy Troccoli ministers out of her pain and brokenness – which the Lord has healed and set her in a place where she can feel the pain of others and speak to their pain. Compassion is not something you can generate, or work up, and true compassion comes from familiarity. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 53 that Christ was familiar with all of our suffering – everything that we could know as suffering – He knew. That’s why His compassion is so strong for His people. He knows their frailties and their weaknesses. But He said He would be strong in our weakness (2 Corinthians 13:4) and He does not lie!
Kathy’s book, “Am I Not Still God?” is written out of her pain. She says, “there are times in our lives that we feel like we’re on the mountaintop, I call them glimpses of Eden, because we were meant to be in the garden and we’re not in the garden. But when you’re on the mountaintop, and I have been, you have to expect to not be there for long. And I love the Lord so much for not lying to us. He’s so faithful and true. He said, you’re going to go through it in this life, you’re going to go through it but I will be with you. I want to say… if you’re on the mountaintop, enjoy it, but most of life goes through those deep, deep places. READ MORE →
