One of the defining moments in my life occurred at a restaurant table nearly thirty years ago. Across the table was a man who had been one of my childhood heroes. Years earlier, he had preached in our church and signed my Bible.

So, when he called me to tell me he would be in the area and would like to take me to lunch, I was thrilled. I could hardly wait to tell him what God was doing in our ministry and to ask him questions. I pictured a mentoring-type of conversation, and I was humbled that he wanted to make himself available to me.

To my great disappointment, he didn’t bring up spiritual topics at all. In fact, within a few minutes, I learned that he was out of the ministry and had actually taken me to lunch because he wanted to sell me life insurance! In those moments, I quietly resolved in my own heart to finish my life doing what God called me to do from the beginning.

I love the imagery the Apostle Paul gave as he told Timothy that he would soon be departing. With an unbroken record of faithful ministry behind him, he wrote, “I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand” (2 Timothy 4:6). As you read that, you can picture a ship preparing to pull out of the harbor—the time of departure has come.

That time will come for all of us. And when it comes for me, I want to have spent my life in such a way that I don’t have regrets. Like the apostle, I want to be able to say, “I am now ready.”

Of course, none of us know when our ship will leave the harbor. How can we live every day in such a way that we are ever-ready for that moment? (more…)

An old Yiddish proverb says, “God gave burdens, also shoulders.” But have you ever felt that your shoulders were too weak to bear your burdens? This is one reason God has made the church a family—that we might bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). Often, God gives us the privilege of helping to lift the burdens of others. Sometimes, God uses our shoulders to lift someone else’s burden.

While it is easy to see only our own needs, there are always people around us who are hurting. Sometimes we see their needs, and sometimes the needs are so personal we never even know about them. But whether a person’s need is known or unknown, everyone has burdens. And God gives a church the privilege of ministering to each other.

What can we do to lift the load of another person? Here are six simple ways: (more…)

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. But too many sailors want to quit when the sea becomes choppy!

Those in ministry regularly experience heaving seas. From personal trials, to ministry needs, to the hostility of our secular culture, ministry has a host of challenges. Pastors and other Christian leaders must learn to stay the course through difficult seasons.

In this podcast, originally given as a lesson at a pastors’ retreat, we look at how we can remain relevant and retain joyful vitality in troublesome times. (more…)

Recent news has reported increased pressure on Israel. From within and without, she is being pushed to accept a Palestinian State with her own borders drawn at indefensible lines. If we look at this situation through the lens of Bible prophecy, it’s not difficult to imagine that this pressure may force Israel into the false peace treaty needed for the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38–39.

On September 10, Ethan Bronner of the New York Times in the article, “Beyond Cairo, Israel Sensing a Wider Siege” wrote:

With its Cairo embassy ransacked, its ambassador to Turkey expelled and the Palestinians seeking statehood recognition at the United Nations, Israel found itself on Saturday increasingly isolated and grappling with a radically transformed Middle East where it believes its options are limited and poor.

The prophecy in Ezekiel 38–39 tells of nations launching an attack against Israel, possibly just after the peace of the first half of the Tribulation has ended (Daniel 9:27). The prophecy assumes two conditions: Israel would be in her land (already fulfilled), and there would be an assumed peace (possibly coming soon). As I wrote in my book Understanding the Times:

In contrast to the necessarily tense, ever-ready, and thoroughly prepared posture of Israel today, she will be caught off guard by this battle.

But doesn’t the recent news increase the tension Israel faces with her neighbors? Perhaps, but nations which have been more tolerant of Israel in the last several decades are becoming increasingly radically Islamic. Eli Shaked, a former Israeli ambassador to Cairo was quoted in the Times article, “Egypt is not going toward democracy but toward Islamicization. It is the same in Turkey and in Gaza. It is just like what happened in Iran in 1979.” (more…)

I don’t know if angels ever yawn, but if they do, I would imagine they do it during most of our moments of greatest excitement—when our favorite team scores a touchdown, when we drive a hole-in-one, when our hunting bullet successfully finds its mark in big game, or even when our wives make our favorite desserts.

It’s not that angels are calloused. It’s just that they have something so much greater to rejoice in: “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:10).

I’m thankful for the many pleasures the Lord gives us (which sometimes include sports, hunting, or food). But I want to find my greatest joy in what initiates the cheers of Heaven—the salvation of a lost soul. And I want to focus my energy in leading that soul to Christ! (more…)