Category Archives: Spiritual Development

Practical teachings from the Bible for every day living.

Posted on

Why You Should Never Doubt The Faithfulness of Your Heavenly Father Towards You

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Forty-Five

by

Why You Should Never Doubt The Faithfulness of Your Heavenly Father Towards You

The faithfulness of God to His kids is one of the more comforting Bible truths. Most of us have lived long enough to be disappointed with people from time to time. But the Lord remains faithful. Even when you cannot see Him, the Christian believer knows that God is ever so near and close by! Picture a little girl flying a kite on the beach. Her kite is so high in the air that it looks like a speck in the white, cotton clouds. Someone happens by and asks, “What are you doing?” “I’m flying a kite,” the little girl answers. “I don’t see anything. How do you know it’s still there?” “Because, silly,” the girl replies, “I can feel the kite tugging on my hand.” Similarly, when we have faith in God, we feel the tug of His presence even though we cannot see Him.1 In this week’s podcast, we take a look at the faithfulness of God as we close out our series on the book of First Thessalonians. Why You Should Never Doubt The Faithfulness of Your Heavenly Father Towards You — that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe to PlayerFM

Why is the Gold Fingered Man in the Book of James Important?

The God of Peace will sanctify your spirit, soul, and body.
Posted on

How to Understand the Three Dimensions of Man: Spirit, Soul, and Body

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Forty-Four

by

How to Understand the Three Dimensions of Man: Spirit, Soul, and Body

The Bible informs us that there are three dimensions of man: spirit, soul, and body. We also know that the Holy Spirit of God indwells all believers. So what is the communication like between God who is a spirit and man? It’s somewhat like the communication that occurs with radios, TV, or WiFi. There must be a link between the receiver and the transmitter. When we listen to a broadcast, there are many sound waves all around us, but the only way for us to become aware of them is to have an appropriate receiver able to catch them and make them audible. We would never know that anyone was talking to us from a distance if we expected our heads to pick up the sound waves. There is only one way in which man can know God, and that is through man’s own spirit. God is a Spirit and can be known only by a spirit. We must not expect to feel Him with our fingers or see Him with our physical eyes. It cannot be done. Yet that which can be perceived only by the spirit of man is just as real as that which can be perceived by his physical senses.1 That’s why we are talking about How to Understand the Three Dimensions of Man: Spirit, Soul, and Body – all on this week’s Light on Life.

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe in PlayerFM

Conscience and the Inward Witness: A Look at the Spirit Led Life

[Tweet “Give place to prophecies because that’s one way He moves when the Church come together.”]

Posted on

How to Work and Flow with the Holy Spirit in the Vocal Gifts

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Forty-Three

by

How to Work and Flow with the Holy Spirit in the Vocal Gifts

The working of the Holy Spirit in our midst is something to be treasured. His working is what we are going to be talking about today. Now, I say ‘His working in our midst’ because you will see so much of His movings in a group setting. One gentleman said it this way. “The Holy Spirit is the source of community and the Spirit’s work is more related to the building of the community than to the edification of the isolated individual.”1 Group life is a marvelous life full of wonder because the Spirit gets involved. How does He move? Well, He moves in a lot of ways. One particular way we want to look at is via prophecy, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. And that’s why in this podcast, we will take a look at How to Work and Flow with the Holy Spirit in the Vocal Gifts, all on this week’s Light on Life.

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe in PlayerFM

Reasons to Study Spiritual Manifestations

[Tweet “Give place to prophecies because that’s one way He moves when the Church come together.”]

Posted on

Why Possessing Patience Is A Powerful Step to A Faith Filled Life

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Thirty-Nine

by

Why Possessing Patience Is A Powerful Step to A Faith Filled Life

In this week’s episode, we take a look at the valuable traits of patience and long-suffering. I mean it’s more valuable than gold because being exercised in this discipline can put gold in your pocket. In the days of instant coffee and fast-food service, we have come to expect short waiting periods. We struggle with patience daily; we get tied up in knots. Why? Because God is not on our schedule. We want to hurry up and wait while He wants us to be patient, to wait on Him. Abraham waited twenty-five years for the son God promised him. The promise came but he messed up along the way because he thought he’d help God out. Patience or the lack thereof played a part in all of this. William Carey, the father of a modern missions movement, had to be patient before the first Hindu convert was baptized in India. Did he wait for a few months? Was he patient for a year or two? The Lord gave him the grace to wait seven years until he could see the fruit of his labor. What if he didn’t wait? What if he quit in year six? The next time you have to wait for a slow traffic light to change, put on the garment of patience … and use the time to pray think, or plan. Make use of the time, patiently so; enjoy the wait!1 Enjoy the wait! — Now there’s a novel thought. Don’t get frustrated by the wait — enjoy it. Why Possessing Patience Is A Powerful Step to A Faith-Filled Life. That’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe in PlayerFM

#S2-002: Secrets to Hearing God: Are You Waiting? [Podcast]

[Tweet “The next time you have to wait on life, use the time to pray think, or plan. Make use of the time and enjoy the wait!]

Posted on

Four Ongoing and Continuous Responsibilities for Every Jesus Follower

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Thirty-Eight

by

Four Ongoing and Continuous Responsibilities for Every Jesus Follower

As Jesus’ followers, we all are in charge of certain responsibilities when it comes to our brothers and sisters in Christ. That’s the ‘we’ part of being in the Body of Christ. The ‘we’ part of the Jesus life means the emphasis is us — not I. The Jesus life is a group life. It’s a life invested in others. So, we have a responsibility. Now, you know there will always be those who try to side-step their responsibilities. They blame other factors, other people, for their actions or their current lot in life. Here are just a few minor examples. In 1980, a Boston court acquitted Michael Tindall of flying illegal drugs into the United States. Tindall’s attorneys argued that he was a victim of “action addict syndrome,” an emotional disorder that makes a person crave dangerous, thrilling situations. Tindall was not a drug dealer, merely a thrill seeker. No responsibility. An Oregon man who tried to kill his ex-wife was acquitted on the grounds that he suffered from “depression-suicide syndrome,” whose victims deliberately commit poorly planned crimes with the unconscious goal of being caught or killed. He didn’t really want to shoot his wife; he wanted the police to shoot him. He didn’t own his actions. Then there’s the famous “Twinkie syndrome.” Attorneys for Dan White, who murdered San Francisco mayor George Moscone, blamed the crime on emotional stress linked to White’s junk food binges. White was acquitted of murder and convicted on a lesser charge of manslaughter. Nowadays, nobody’s at fault for anything. We are a nation of victims.1 Well, this kind of thing won’t work living the Jesus Life because that life is a life of ownership. Four Ongoing and Continuous Responsibilities for Every Jesus Follower: that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe in PlayerFM

#S2-026: Why Keeping the Law Won’t Get You to Heaven [Podcast]

[Tweet “Our responsibilities include admonishing the idle, encouraging the fainthearted, helping the weak, and being patient with all.”]

Posted on

How to Avoid the Wrath of God and Be Caught Up With Jesus

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Thirty-Six

by

How to Avoid the Wrath of God and Be Caught Up With Jesus

As we roll into chapter five of 1 Thessalonians, we have ten more verses that relate to the Rapture, the Wrath of God, and End Times. Charles Finis Dake wrote quite a bit about these areas. He was a prolific student of God’s Word having put in 100,000 hours of study which averages roughly to eight hours a day. He said this about End Time events. “Having been born in 1902, I have now had time to witness the coming and going of quite a few prophetic students who, one by one, have made boisterous claims regarding the exact time of the rapture, exactly who the Antichrist was, and exactly what “the mark of the beast” would be. I have lived through strong announcements that various dictators were the Antichrist—Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, and others. One preacher was so convinced that Mussolini was the Antichrist that he wrote a book about it. But before the book could become a best-seller, Mussolini died. “My God,” the preacher said. “They’ve killed my Antichrist and I’ve just printed 5,000 copies of my book!” With all of this, and more, going on in the prophetic field during my lifetime, I think that my reasons for writing The Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ are obvious, and I trust understandable.1 We’re talking End Times, specifically the Day of the Lord. What is that? And, How to Avoid the Wrath of God and Be Caught Up with Jesus. That’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe in PlayerFM

#027: Dreams: One Way God Communicates Today [Podcast]

[Tweet “The Law of Sowing and Reaping will be in effect on the Day of the Lord. What people have sown will bring forth a harvest.“]

Posted on

How Does the Rapture of the Church Play Out On The Great Stage

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Thirty-Five

by

How Does the Rapture of the Church Play Out On The Great Stage

Are you looking for Jesus to return in the glorious event mentioned in First Thessalonians four known as the Rapture of the Church? Famous Bible Expositor G. Campbell Morgan, said, “I never begin my work in the morning without thinking that perhaps He may interrupt my work and begin His own. I am not looking for death. I am looking for Him.”1 Are you looking for Him? The early believers were not looking for something to happen, they were looking for Someone to come. Looking for the train to arrive is one thing, but looking for someone we love to come on that train is another matter.2 I was particularly moved by this story told by Joseph Stowell president of Moody Bible Institute. He said, “One day, while visiting a home for mentally handicapped children operated by a Christian friend, Joseph noticed the tiny handprints of children covering the window. Stowell remarked about them to his friend. “Oh, those,” he replied. “The children here love Jesus, and they are so eager for Him to return that they lean against the windows as they look up to the sky.”3 Little children are looking for Jesus to return. What about all of you big children? That’s why we are focusing on the matter of How Does the Rapture of the Church Play Out On The Great Stage. All on this week’s Light On Life.

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe in PlayerFM

#S5-001: Escaping the Carnage of the Great Tribulation [Podcast]

[Tweet “The Word of God identifies for us the exact moment when the wrath of God starts.“]

Posted on

Why The Rapture and Jesus Second Coming Are Not the Same Event

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Thirty-Four

by

Why The Rapture and Jesus Second Coming Are Not the Same Event

The Rapture is our focus as we motor along through chapter four of First Thessalonians. On the subject of the Rapture, the humorous story is told of an old farmer who brought his family to the big city for the very first time. They had never seen buildings so tall or sights so impressive. The farmer dropped his wife off at a department store and took his son with him to the bank—the tallest of all the buildings. As they walked into the lobby, they saw something else they had never seen before. Two steel doors opened. A rather large and elderly woman walked in, and the big doors closed behind her. The dial over the door swept to the right and then back to the left. The doors opened and a beautiful young lady came walking out. The farmer was amazed. He turned to his son and said, “You wait right here. I’m going to get your mother and run her through that thing.”1 At the Rapture, Jesus’ followers will be transformed — they will be changed — not like what happened in this funny story but changed nonetheless. We will be transformed. We will have resurrection bodies. Why The Rapture and Jesus’ Second Coming Are Not the Same Event. That’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe in PlayerFM

#S4-043: Prophetic End-Times: What You Need to Know [Podcast]

[Tweet “Here’s another difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming — the armies of heaven coming with Jesus.“]

Posted on

Why Modeling the Jesus Life Is Such a Powerful Witness

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Twenty-One

by

Why Modeling the Jesus Life Is Such a Powerful Witness

Modeling is a term that has been kicked around in leadership and development circles. What is modeling? One writer said that it is the influence our decisions and lifestyles have upon those around us. Whether we realize it or not, we’re always modeling something. Unlike fashion modeling—in which appearance is paramount—modeling the Christian life requires honesty and authenticity. To model a relationship with Jesus is to be a living, breathing, tangible example to those we disciple. Consider how Jesus did this. He spent three and one-half years literally living with His disciples. This was not a new concept. This was the teaching method of Rabbis. But, consider that in today’s busy world, it’s easier to schedule a meeting than to live life with others. There’s certainly nothing wrong, of course, with having a consistent meeting time. But if we only have time to pass on knowledge in an “academic” way—divorced from everyday life—then perhaps we’re too busy. The vital nature of being in the company of others cannot be overstated. We need one another which is why, in today’s podcast, our focus is Why Modeling the Jesus Life Is Such a Powerful Witness — all on this week’s Light on Life.

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe in PlayerFM

Why You Should Consider Jesus as Your Rabbi

[Tweet “Paul modeled Jesus for the believers at Thessaloniki. Who models the Jesus life for you? “]

Posted on

Why It’s Vital that Jesus Followers Pray for One Another

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Nineteen

by

Why It’s Vital that Jesus Followers Pray for One Another

In today’s podcast, we are going to talk about the high value of praying for one another. We need to home in on this and give it the due place in our lives. You know we pay a lot of lip service to the notion of praying for one another. The words ‘pray for me’ or ‘I’m praying for you brother’ are part of our Christian-ese vocabulary. For people in the church world, it’s the thing to say. I mean you wouldn’t dare say that you weren’t going to pray for someone, would you? But when those words leave your lips, do you actually execute and lift your voice to God? That intercession is a great and necessary part of Christian devotion is very evident from Scripture. The first Jesus followers showed their love by mutually praying for one another. Paul, whether he’s writing a letter to a church [a group of people] or addressing an individual shows that his intercession for them is perpetual. It was this holy intercession that raised Christians to such a high level of love and development. When this same spirit of intercession is yielded to by Jesus followers, when Christianity has the same power over the hearts of people that it then had, this holy friendship will again be in fashion, and Christians will be again the wonder of the world.1 Why It’s Vital to Pray for One Another, that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe in PlayerFM

Why God Wants You to Have Spiritual Revelation Flowing In Your Life

[Tweet “No one should be left behind in prayer. We should always thank God for each believer’s unique gifts.”]

Posted on

How to Start a Power-Packed Effective Church: Lessons from Thessaloniki

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Eighteen

by

How to Start a Power-Packed Effective Church: Lessons from Thessaloniki

How does one pioneer a power-packed effective church? That’s the question today. We are going to take a look at how the call of God and the zeal of the Lord upon the Apostle Paul turned into a power-packed Church in one of the ten most influential cities in the Roman Empire, the city of Thessaloniki. Now, one thing is certain from the following illustration — this is not how Paul did it. You know, about 350 years ago a shipload of travelers landed on the northeast coast of America. In the first year, this group of pioneers established a town site. The next year they elected a town government. In the third year, the town government planned to build a road five miles westward into the wilderness. In the fourth year, the people tried to impeach their town government because they thought it was a waste of public funds to build a road five miles westward into a wilderness. Who needed to go there anyway? Is that wild or what? Here were people who had the vision to travel three thousand miles across an ocean and overcome great hardships to get there. But, once they got there, in just a few years they were not able to see even five miles out of town. They had lost their pioneering vision1 F.B. Myer said, that the church that refuses to be a missionary church will become a missing church. the Apostle Paul didn’t get saved to sit — He got saved to be sent. The result of his obedience to go? The powerful church at Thessaloniki. How to Start a Power-Packed Effective Church: Lessons from Thessaloniki, that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe in PlayerFM

Posted on

How the Breath of God Inspired the Writing of First Thessalonians

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Seventeen

by

How the Breath of God Inspired the Writing of First Thessalonians

So, we have finished the book of Ephesians and now we are switching to Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, the first letter that is, Paul wrote 2 letters to this church. In upcoming podcasts, we are going to be talking about this letter. We will do some Bible background on the book and focus on just how the gospel came to Thessaloniki in the first place. We will look at the subject of integrity from Paul’s point of view. I mean what should integrity look like in a Jesus follower? How should we conduct ourselves in these areas? Then, we’re going to jump in and talk about persecution and how we should get a handle on this if we are confronted with it. And then, of course, Paul talks about the Second Coming of Jesus. But first, let’s talk about the historical background of the book and “How the Breath of God Inspired the Writing of First Thessalonians” That’s our focus today on this week’s Light on Life.

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe in PlayerFM

#S4-045: Why You Should Believe in the Rapture [Podcast]

[Tweet “Think about those times when the Spirit of God hovered over you and God’s Presence was so marvelously real to you.”]