Everyone today is chafing under the increased costs of fuel for their cars (and air travel). Many are jumping to the conclusion that this is all due to “manipulation” by the energy barons and profiteers, etc. Strangely, the current focus on oil can cause us to miss the more salient issues that we all are victims of. There are far more serious concerns facing us than simply our miles per gallon!

Continuing our study on worship, we said worship is important because it releases blessings in two directions: we come into the Lord’s presence by loving and adoring Him; He, then, makes Himself known by communicating His Love back to us through revelation, insight and love. Worship, in other words, is a two-way communication.

Over the last several months, we have been exploring the war that is continually fought between God’s Spirit in our hearts and the sin and self that reside in our soul and body (the “flesh”).

Over the last two months, we have been exploring the practical application of how we “put off” the flesh and “put on” Christ. The Scripture that explains this cleansing process is Ephesians 4:22-24, 31, which instructs us to “put off the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

You may ask: “Doesn’t Jesus suffer when we mistrust Him? Doesn’t the Lord grieve when we waver and question His Word and His faithfulness?” Yes, yes, He absolutely does. But those who have failed in faith can still keep their eyes on Jesus.

Last month we celebrated our Lord’s death and resurrection, but we need to make sure we never distance our Easter from Passover. They are intrinsically connected and yet calendar-wise they are often separated-this year, Passover is celebrated a month later than Easter. As Christians it is imperative that we understand how these two events are intertwined and how Christ is the fulfillment of the Seder.

We are so excited by the response we have received from our new book, The Kingdom, Power and Glory, that we are planning to film a DVD series of the same.  If you live in the Coeur D' Alene,  area or are going to be in this area on any of the dates listed (click here for dates), we would love to have you join us. If not, we would really appreciate your prayers for the seminar.

The essence of true faith is found in this single verse. God had just promised Abraham he would have a son, one who would become the seed of many nations. Remarkably, Abraham didn’t flinch at this promise, even though he was well past the age of siring children. Instead, when Abraham received this word from the Lord, we’re told he “considered not his own body now dead (nor)...the deadness of Sarah’s womb.”

We hope you take a look at our new book The Kingdom, Power and Glory: The Overcomer’s Handbook because we are so excited at the reception it is getting. This book lays out God’s whole plan of salvation: Why He called us; where we are going; and how we are to get there.

A dear, dear friend of mine wrote me these thoughts recently and it’s my prayer for you: “May this New Year be the best ever for you as your relationship with our precious Lord flourishes. May you have a glimpse of His tapestry and design for your life: may you see the pure gold threads of His eternal truth; the rich reds of His glorious Love; the luminous greens of His discernment and insight; the quiet violet of unwavering faith; and the wondrous deep blue of friendship with Him.”

May each of you have a very Happy and Blessed New Year. May your fellowship with the Lord grow even more intimate; your relationship with others more real and may you become even more sensitive to the Spirit’s leading in your life.

This month we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ! What does this event mean to you? Gifts, shopping, food and family; or, worship, praise and thanksgiving for all that He has done for you personally?

Why is Jesus Christ so special? Why do billions of people celebrate his birth? Why do we believe that Jesus was the Messiah? What if he was just a man? Does it really make a difference? If you have ever asked yourself these same questions, be assured that the Bible does have the answers.

Learning how to make “faith choices” to follow God’s leading, regardless of how we feel, what we think or what the circumstances are, is the key to our entire Christian walk.

Each year as we approach the holiday season, our preparations for Christmas include revisiting the events surrounding the birth of Our Lord. Bethlehem,1 the shepherds, and the angels are all familiar to us. But not much is generally known about the mysterious “Magi” who came to worship the infant Jesus.

For the last several months, we have been viewing a series of charts on Solomon’s Temple as a model or blueprint of the architecture of man. I would really recommend that you review those previous articles, if you haven’t already seen them, because this issue will build upon them.

Later this month, hordes of costumed children will be hitting the streets in search of candy and other treats. Yet, Halloween is not just “trick or treat” and “fun and games.” Halloween practices can open the door to the occult and can introduce forces into people’s lives that they are not equipped to combat.

Last month we continued our series on Reflecting His Image by showing a series of charts on Solomon’s Temple as a model or floor plan of the architecture of man. Our motive was to visibly show what a “spiritual” Christian looks like when walking by the Spirit; and, what a “carnal” believer looks like when he chooses to follow the flesh. In review:

Are you dissatisfied with the present course of your life? Do you feel a drawing away from your present commitments and a yearning for a greater relevance in your life? Is it possible that God may be calling you into a new phase of your life?

If our purpose as Christians is to reflect Christ, how does this visibly play out?

Next month, our Jewish friends will celebrate the Fall Feasts of Israel, which take place during the first 15 days of Tishri on the Jewish calendar. This year, they all occur in the month of September.

What is your purpose as a Christian?

For many months now, we have been talking about “reflecting God’s image,” which is the purpose of our lives as Christians. In order to accomplish this purpose, God has given us His indwelling Spirit so that we can be transformed into His likeness and we can glorify Him.

II Corinthians 3:18 tells us that “we will all be changed into the same image from glory to glory, even by the Spirit of God.”

We have just returned from one of the most encouraging trips we’ve ever taken. We spent several weeks touring Australia and New Zealand and we were overwhelmed by the response!

Continuing our series on the importance of “reflecting Christ’s image” and not our own, as Christians we must realize there are two spiritual forces or entities struggling against each other inside of us. One is called the old self, the flesh or the old man (which is the old Adamic nature); and the other is called the new self, the spirit or the new man (which is God’s Life in us).

Continuing our series on “reflecting Christ’s image,” the whole point of our being “born again” (John 3:3) is so that we might, through the sanctification process, once again regain the image of God. Our purpose as Christians is to glorify and reflect the Lord, not ourselves.

Most reasonably informed Christians are well aware that many of the traditions that surround the Christmas holidays have pagan origins and very little correlation with the actual events as recorded in the Bible. However, most of us are surprised when we discover that some of what we have been taught about “Easter” is not only in error, but deliberately so!

As we continue our exploration of what it means to glorify God—reflecting His Image and not our own—let’s investigate what exactly an image is. The dictionary says that an image is an exact likeness of something. It’s a visible representation or reproduction of the form of a person.

We invite you to undertake a lifelong adventure, exploring the Word of God among an international fellowship without borders-neither intellectual nor geographic.