Does He know me …? “He calls his own … by name …” (John 10:3). When I have sadly misunderstood Him? (see John 20:11-18). It is possible to know all about doctrine and still not know Jesus. A person’s soul is in grave danger when the knowledge of doctrine surpasses Jesus, avoiding intimate touch with Him. Why was Mary weeping? Doctrine meant no more to her than the grass under her feet. In fact, ..

The discipline of the Lord “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him” (Hebrews 12:5). It is very easy to grieve the Spirit of God; we do it by despising the discipline of the Lord, or by becoming discouraged when He rebukes us. If our experience of being set apart from sin and being made holy through the process of sanctification is still ..

The evidence of the new birth “You must be born again” (John 3:7). The answer to Nicodemus’ question, “How can a man be born when he is old?” is; Only when he is willing to die to everything in his life, including his rights, his virtues, and his religion, and becomes willing to receive into himself a new life that exhibits itself in our conscious repentance and through our unconscious holiness...

“Do not quench the Spirit” “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19). The voice of the Spirit of God is as gentle as a summer breeze-so gentle that unless you are living in complete fellowship and oneness with God, you will never hear it. The sense of warning and restraint that the Spirit gives comes to us in the most amazingly gentle ways. And if you are not sensitive enough to detect H..

The theology of resting in God “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 8:26). When we are afraid, the least we can do is pray to God. But our Lord has a right to expect that those who name His name have an underlying confidence in Him. God expects His children to be so confident in Him that in any crisis they are the ones who are reliable. Yet our trust is only in God up to a cert..

Prayer in the Father’s hearing “Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me’” (John 11:41). When the Son of God prays, He is mindful and consciously aware of only His Father. God always hears the prayer of His Son, and if the Son of God has been formed in me (see Galatians 4:19) the Father will always hear my prayers. But I must see to it that the Son of God is..

The place of ministry “He said to them, ‘This kind [of unclean spirit] can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting’” (Mark 9:29) His disciples asked Him privately, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’” (9:28). Answer lies in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. “This kind can come out by nothing but” concentrating on Him, and then doubling and redoubling that concentration on Him. We can rem..

The nature of reconciliation “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Sin is a fundamental relationship-it is not wrong doing, but wrong being-it is deliberate and determined independence from God. The Christian faith bases everything on the extreme, self-confident nature of sin. Other faiths deal with sins-the Bib..

The place of exaltation “…Jesus took … them up on a high mountain apart by themselves …” (Mark 9:2). We have all experienced times of exaltation on the mountain, when we have seen things from God’s perspective and have wanted to stay there. But God will never allow us to stay there. The true test of our spiritual life is in exhibiting the power to descend from the mountain. If we have only the p..

Seek if you have not found. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss …” (James 4:3). If you ask for things from life instead of from God, “you ask amiss”; that is, you ask out of your desire for self-fulfillment. The more you fulfill yourself the less you will seek God. “… seek, and you will find …” Get to work-narrow your focus and interest to this one thing. Have you ever sought God ..