Prepare and Compete Like an Athlete!
on November 20th, 2023
Prepare and Compete Like an Athlete!And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.— 2 Timothy 2:5After telling Timothy to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, Paul then switches to a new illustration so he can make another important point. The purpose of the discussion is still the same: Paul is explaining to Timothy how he should face the d...  Read More
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Fight Like a Soldier!
on November 19th, 2023
Fight Like a Soldier!Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. — 2 Timothy 2:3In Second Timothy, Timothy was facing a horrible predicament. Thousands of his brothers and sisters in the Lord were being slain by a man on the Roman throne named Nero. Of course, Satan was behind this vicious persecution of believers. Infuriated that Jesus had been raised from the dead, the dev...  Read More
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Those Who Minister Out of Their Abundance
on November 18th, 2023
Those Who Minister Out of Their AbundanceAnd certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.— Luke 8:2,3When our ministry purchased a large facility in the city of Moscow, we had one year to pay off the...  Read More
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The Fields Are White Unto Harvest
on November 17th, 2023
The Fields Are White Unto HarvestSay not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.— John 4:35Once Denise and I and our team traveled by bus to conduct massive evangelistic campaigns in eight of the largest cities in the nation of Ukraine. Because we had been on television for man...  Read More
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Exercise Thyself Unto Godliness
on November 16th, 2023
Exercise Thyself Unto Godliness...Exercise thyself rather unto godliness. — 1 Timothy 4:7At the time I am writing this book, our apartment in Moscow frequently looks like an athletic club. Our three sons and their friends regularly fill our living room to do pushups, sit-ups, and weightlifting to develop their muscles and attain the form they desire. As a result of their hard work, commitment, and...  Read More
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Be Careful of What You Dump On Those Who Are Listening to You!
on November 15th, 2023
Be Careful of What You Dump On Those Who Are Listening to You!Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.— Hebrews 12:15My Grandfather Miller lived on a large parcel of land that was located just outside Tulsa. Right in the middle of his land was a small lake that the local people called “Dead Man’s La...  Read More
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Nothing Shall Separate You From the Love of God
on November 14th, 2023
Nothing Shall Separate You From the Love of GodFor I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.— Romans 8:38,39When the apostle Paul wrote the above verses, he had been facing grueli...  Read More
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Present Your Bodies a Living Sacrifice
on November 13th, 2023
Present Your Bodies a Living SacrificeI beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.— Romans 12:1When Mary’s days of purification were finished after the miraculous birth of Jesus, Luke 2:22 tells us that Mary and Joseph brought their son to Jerusalem to dedicate Him to the Lord....  Read More
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A Great and Effectual Door
on November 12th, 2023
A Great and Effectual DoorFor a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.— 1 Corinthians 16:9Just after the collapse of the Soviet Union, through a series of very remarkable events, I found myself sitting in the central office for the national television station of a large country that had once been a part of the former Soviet Republic. A contract was laid on the ...  Read More
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Withdraw From Every Disorderly Brother
on November 11th, 2023
Withdraw From Every Disorderly BrotherNow we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.— 2 Thessalonians 3:6Many years ago Denise and I worked with a young man who was very skilled in music and who had a stage presence that was simply electrifying. However,...  Read More
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A Prayer That God Cannot Answer
on November 10th, 2023
A Prayer That God Cannot AnswerFor this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness....— 2 Corinthians 12:8,9Perhaps you’ve heard yourself praying this prayer in a moment of exasperation when dealing with people: “God, I can’t deal with all these people anymore! Please remove all t...  Read More
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What Was Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh?
on November 9th, 2023
What Was Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh?And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.— 2 Corinthians 12:7In Second Corinthians 12:7, the apostle Paul writes that he had been given a “thorn in the flesh” because of “the abundance of the revelatio...  Read More
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Grace, Mercy, and Peace
on November 8th, 2023
Grace, Mercy, and PeaceUnto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace....— 1 Timothy 1:2If you’ve ever felt like problems were mounting and growing all around you and you didn’t have enough strength to make it another step, then I have some very good news for you! Today you’re going to discover that God extends a very special measure of mercy to people who feel like they are being ...  Read More
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Partners in the Gospel Of Jesus Christ
on November 7th, 2023
Partners in the Gospel Of Jesus ChristAlways in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.— Philippians 1:4,5When I think of all the people who have financially supported our ministry throughout these many years that we’ve been serving in the former Soviet Union, it fills my heart with gratitude to God for putting such ...  Read More
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Confront, Forgive, and Forget
on November 6th, 2023
Confront, Forgive, and Forget...If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. — Luke 17:3It is difficult for most people to confront someone else regarding an offense, but sometimes confrontation is necessary. Ignoring confrontation is often what causes bad feelings to turn inward and fester into something much worse. Those ugly feelings can sit in the pit of a p...  Read More
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Never Go to Bed Angry!
on November 5th, 2023
Never Go to Bed Angry!...Let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.— Ephesians 4:26,27Have you ever gone to bed sizzling with anger about what someone did or didn’t do or about what someone said or didn’t say? If you think about it, you’ll realize that this last phrase pretty well summarizes the primary reasons people get offended, insulted, irritated, or upset. Isn’...  Read More
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The Peaceable Fruit of Righteousness
on November 3rd, 2023
The Peaceable Fruit of RighteousnessNow no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.— Hebrews 12:11As you grow in your walk with God, you will discover that one of the strongest forces you’ll have to face and overcome is your own flesh! Your flesh will try to oppose y...  Read More
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The First Requirement of a Leader
on November 2nd, 2023
The First Requirement of a LeaderThis is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.— 1 Timothy 3:1One time many years ago, Denise and I were driving down the street, discussing our concern for certain church members who reflected no desire for excellence in the way they lived. As we discussed our desire to see the people in our church display a greater desire f...  Read More
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If You Want To Be a Leader
on November 1st, 2023
If You Want To Be a LeaderThis is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.— 1 Timothy 3:1When Denise and I were young in the ministry, we had a young man on our staff who was gifted in music and communication. This man had previously worked in the field of business, where he had done well until he was accused of taking funds from the cash register. A question...  Read More
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Don’t Disqualify Yourself!
on October 31st, 2023
Don’t Disqualify Yourself!But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.— 1 Corinthians 9:27Recent years have been painful for the worldwide Christian community as they have witnessed famous Christian leaders fall into sin time and again. Not so long ago, I sat in a hotel room and watched with a broken ...  Read More
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Is It Time for You To Make An Attitude Adjustment?
on October 30th, 2023
Is It Time for You To Make An Attitude Adjustment?In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.— 2 Corinthians 11:27I remember an employee we once had in our ministry who got distressed because she was transferred to an area of the ministry that didn’t have air control to suit her taste. Those in charge tried to adjust the thermos...  Read More
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A Leader Must Show Himself To Be a Team Player
on October 29th, 2023
A Leader Must Show Himself To Be a Team PlayerIn weariness and painfulness, in watchings often.... — 2 Corinthians 11:27The phrase we are going to look at today is absolutely amazing to me. It reveals that the apostle Paul did not have a “movie star” mentality, thinking that he was too high and mighty to do a menial task. Even though he was a great apostle and was mightily anointed, he was also a ...  Read More
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A Hard Worker Who Experienced God’s Sustaining Power!
on October 28th, 2023
A Hard Worker Who Experienced God’s Sustaining Power!In weariness and painfulness.... — 2 Corinthians 11:27It takes hard work to get anything done in this world. If you want to do something significant, you must do significant work.Those who do the minimum — who continually think of how to contribute as little as possible in any given situation — always remain minimal in their impact on the world ...  Read More
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Dealing With False Brethren
on October 27th, 2023
Dealing With False BrethrenIn journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren.— 2 Corinthians 11:26Throughout the years I have lived and worked in the former Soviet Union, I’ve had numerous encounters with false brethren....  Read More
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