Articles
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Righteousness
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16). This scripture almost killed Kenneth Hagin. He laid in bed at the age of sixteen hoping to find answers in the Bible concerning his fatal illnesses. He was first encouraged when he read several passages about the power of prayer, and so naturally…
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Renew the Mind
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. —Is. 55:8 Thoughts precede actions. Every deed came forth from a thought. People often say, “I don’t know what got into me to do that.” They did that because a thought got into them. The thought may have been…
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Releasing Your Angels to Work for You
Mark Buntain was a missionary in India. He built an orphanage, church and needed hospital in Calcutta. But tragedy struck the region. Torrents of rain came down, forcing the government to evacuate much of the city. Mark reluctantly boarded the evacuation plane. Questions whirled through his mind, “Will this flood wipe out all of his…
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Radical Grace–And the missing Sacraments
The prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, visited one of his sick, elderly members. She lived in a one room shack, made mostly of card board. As Spurgeon walked into the room, the frigid air kept the old woman in bed covered with a blanket up to her neck. She was ill because of malnutrition. …
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Quit Tolerating the Jezebel spirit
Is there someone in your life influencing you in a bad way? Have you tried to break free from their negative influence, but can’t? It may be that there is a Jezebel spirit controlling your life. Jesus mentioned this Jezebel spirit to the church in Thyatira: “You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself…
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Protection Under God’s Authority
I remember as a child how safe I felt when there was a storm raging and yet I was at home protected under a sturdy roof. This is the picture that David gives us in Psalm 91:1 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”…
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Protecting the Family
The foundation of society is the family. Before there were businesses or governments there was marriage, and couples having children. God established the family before he established commerce and governmental laws. In the book of Genesis is told the story of the first man and woman. It’s common knowledge that the human race started…
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Prosperity, God’s Way
Yes! You can prosper in all things! You can have a wonderful marriage, fine children, peace of mind, good health, a worthwhile career and, on top of all this, you can have plenty of money to enjoy life and still maintain an intimate relationship with God. Does this sound too good to be true? Well,…
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Preaching Determines the Level of Faith
As important as the Scriptures are, the actual determining factor to people’s faith is what they hear in their pulpit at church. Actually, this is what Paul meant when he wrote, Faith cometh by hearing the Word of God(Rom 10:17). He was actually referring to the word that was preached not the Word that was written, for he writes, How, then,…
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Praying to the Father in Jesus Name
“In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. Though I have been speaking figuratively, a…
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Positive Confession of God’s Word
Words are like seeds. When we speak, those words are planted into our lives. Later we reap the harvest from our lips. At the same time we have learned that not everything we say comes to pass. The reason is simple: Because of the Fall our words have lost the original power they had. When…
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Positive Confession
God’s Word says you are healed by the stripes of Jesus and that He will supply all your needs, yet you are still experiencing the painful symptoms in your body and the unpaid bills keep mounting. You know that you must continue to walk by faith, but you think to yourself, “I need to talk…
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Pope Francis is wrong on the Death Penalty
Pope Francis has called for a “dialogue”, and this opinion piece is my side of the dialogue. I can court the favor of some by singing kumbaya with the Pope, but that would not lead to real dialogue. Instead, I offer my respectful analysis of the speeches he gave before Congress and the United Nations.…
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Plans that Succeed
Many sincere Christians have bought a dangerous lie: “To live by the Spirit is to forsake planning.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Proverbs 16:1-3 says, To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are…
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Paul’s Thorn
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. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said…
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Overlooking Insults
This scripture has taken on special relevance for me lately. I have had to endure vicious attacks against my character. Because of my work at spear-heading an ordinance that ended public funding of health benefits for unmarried and homosexual partners of city employees I have been unfairly criticized. A prominent lawyer on television called me…
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Origin of Demons
Many people assume that fallen angels are the same as demons. I don’t believe this is true for several reasons. First, fallen angels are much more powerful than demons. We’re told by Jesus to cast out demons. Yet, Jude cautions us in our confrontations with fallen angels. He says, In the very same way, these…
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Open Letter To District Attorney and Local Pastors in El Paso
When I was in Malta preaching the Gospel, my wife, Sonia, told me the shocking news: The District Attorney was investigating me, and looking for a way to indict me and throw me into prison. I think Mayor Cook wanted the DA to intimidate the churches so they would back off from the recall. I was shocked…
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No Excuses
It’s human nature to make excuses. Consider Moses. He was uniquely qualified to lead Israel out of Egyptian slavery. After all, he grew up as the adopted son of Pharaoh. He understood the politics and government of Egypt. He knew the temperament of Pharaoh. Who else better to lead Israel to freedom than Moses?…
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Nike Man
For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.—I John 5:4-5 The key word in this book of the Bible is overcome. It is not only used…
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My Encounter with a Heresy Hunter
After picking up the phone with my usual cheerful greeting, a voice responded, “Hello, this is Pastor X.” My heart dropped. It’s him! It’s the heresy-hunter who’s been publicly criticizing some of God’s choice servants. Now I was his next target! I shouldn’t have been startled when he called. After all, a month before, God…
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Modern Family
The Brady Bunch was the first TV family to deal with the concept of blended families. If you are part of a blended family, I am sure you are thinking, “My family looks nothing like the Brady Bunch, but more like The Adam’s Family.” Let’s face it: the modern family looks very different than the traditional family…
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Make Your Dreams Come True
Paul had the Olympics in mind when he wrote 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” We should run to win, not simply finish. Olympic hopeful, Kwan, wanted badly to win the…
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Left-Handed Warriors
Are you ready to go to a higher level? I believe God has a word for you. “Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred chosen men who were left-handed, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss” (Judg 20:16). What is so significant about these left-handed warriors?…
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Joy of the Lord
One of the most popular passages in the Bible is Nehemiah 8:10: “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Why is joy important? Because the “joy of the Lord is your strength!” Joy produces strength. And strength is needed to fight. You are called to “fight the good fight of…
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Immunity from the Devil
We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.— I John 5:18 You can live in a place with God where you have immunity from the devil. The evil one cannot harm him. Immunity legally exempts a…
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How to Make the Most of Your Life
The world is divided into two classes: the “haves” and the “have nots.” We may decry this reality, but we can’t change it. We can only work with it, because this reality is the result of God’s unchanging decree. God, through Jesus Christ, has declared that “whoever has will be given more, and he will…
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How to Hear God’s Voice
The reason Christ speaks to you is so that you “follow him.“ I have had God speak to me many times. He told me to go into the ministry, and I followed His command. He gave me a vision of a dark-haired woman and said to me, “This is your wife.” Later, I met…
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How to Get Your Prayers Answered
You should pray to get results. Unfortunately, many people pray, but they don’t receive specific answers to their prayers. I’m going to show you how to pray to get answers. Once you know how to get answers to your prayers, you’ll never be in need. You’ll never have to stay sick, stay broke, or stay…
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How to Cast Out Demons
…when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, “What do you…
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How to Be Led by the Spirit V
Peace is a spiritual fruit. As we saw in the previous lesson, peace is the voice of the Holy Spirit. When He speaks to you, peace comes. Peace becomes the guiding force of your life. You make decisions based on the peace you have. If you don’t have peace to go a certain direction, then…
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How to Be Led by the Spirit IV
There is a great scripture that has meant a lot me when it comes to hearing from God, especially when it comes to recognizing the voice of the Holy Spirit. It’s 1 Kings 19:11-12: The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to…
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How to Be Led by the Spirit III
Through the years people have tried many ways to find God’s will. Under the Old Covenant, the people tried a Urim and a Thummim (see Numbers 27:21), which was a device used, perhaps, like lots, to determine God’s response to a question answerable by “yes” or “no.” It reminds me of the Crazy Eight Ball. Do…
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How to Be Led by the Spirit II
The soul and the spirit are not the same. This is why Hebrews 4:12 says, For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. The Word of God can divide soul…
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How to Be Led by the Spirit
One of the greatest benefits of our redemption is the privilege of being led by the Spirit of God. Children of God can be expected to be led by the Spirit of God. One of the greatest needs is to have the wisdom of God to make the right decisions. This comes through being led…
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How Should Christians Vote?
This article is very different from the ones I normally write; however it is the duty of ministers to teach on our moral duty to vote the Christian way. So with this I share my thoughts about voting and why I am voting a certain way. Let me be very clear: I will not be…
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Homosexuality: Its Cause and Cure
The woman on the phone pleaded with me to do her brother’s funeral, “Pastor Brown, even though my brother Juan* did not live in El Paso, he loved your ministry. He listened to your tapes, read your books, and absolutely loved the way you preached the Word. He knew his funeral was going to be…
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Healing in the Atonement III
We now direct our attention to the New Testament. First let us look at the famous passage about the crucifixion of Christ. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:…
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Healing in the Atonement II
We are given many examples of healing being related to the atonement. First let us look at the Old Testament. The first major type of the atonement in the Old Testament is the original Passover. God instructed Israel to take the blood of the lambs and paint it on the doorframes of the houses. God…
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Healing in the Atonement
There are three views of divine healing: first, that it past away; second, that it is a special grace; and third, that healing is in the atonement. The following is a short summary of the three views. How you view healing will determine the level of faith you have regarding divine healing. I believe it…
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Growing Spiritually
The Bible equates spiritual growth with natural growth. Just like a person is born a baby, so we are born again a spiritual baby. For you have been born again (1 Pet 1:23). Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation (1 Pet 2:2). No one is born a full grown…
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Go to the Church for the Truth
Oprah Winfrey asked Bishop TD Jakes his views on homosexuality and same-sex marriage. The Bishop wisely answered, “I’m not called to give my opinion. I’m called as a pastor to give the scriptural position on it.” His answer explains, in a nutshell, the role of the church: It is to speak the truth where…
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God Can Heal You
Sounds like an incredible statement to make, but it’s true. And if you’ll read this article, you will be on your way to living in divine health. The key to receive your healing from God is to have FAITH! Jesus often said to those he healed, “Your faith has healed you.” I remember discussing divine…
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God’s Timing
The person deeply in tuned to the Lord knows God’s timing. He understands that often the secret to success is in doing the right thing at the right time. Timing can be everything. An inventor may come out with a product that grabs the market, while another equally talented inventor can produce a product that is…
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God’s Cure for the Transgender
Marcus was a few days from getting his sex change operation. He grew up in a loving Christian family, though without a father. From the time he could feel sexual attraction, he felt it for boys. As he grew older, he went into the homosexual lifestyle, even though he knew that the Word of…
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Get Rid of Your Obstacles
Does the good life sound easy? Well, it’s not! There are obstacles to the good life. The Bible says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous” (Psalm 34:19a, KJV). This is part of the truth. The other side to this scripture is, “But the Lord delivers him out of them all” (v. 19b). Many get…
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Fear in the Last Days
Shocked and stunned describes what I felt about the catastrophe in New York. The image of the World Trade twin towers collapsing are forever etched on my mind. I will never forget it, and neither will you. Jesus anticipated events such as these. He said, “When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be…
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Fasting: The Secret to Greater Power
The Guillens were a bright, young, cheerful couple–cheerful despite the fact that their daughter was born with a large lump on the side of her neck. The child was beautiful, but the massive growth drew attention away from her pretty features. Along with our church, they prayed diligently for her healing. Yet their prayers, including…
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Falling Forward
There was a pastor I know who became a great success in the ministry. He had won hundreds of souls, built a large congregation, and showed promise of doing even more. He was a great teacher and was personable, people liked him, his conduct was becoming of a minister, yet, like so many ministers in…
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Faith Works by Love
“For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love” (Amplified Bible, Galatians 5:6). God has made numerous promises regarding the power of faith. Faith can move mountains. Faith can heal diseases. Faith can receive answers to prayers. Nothing is impossible with…
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Dreams: God’s Neglected Means of Communication
God loves to communicate to His people. He uses various means including dreams. As Elihu said: For God does speak—now one way, now another—though man may not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds, (Job 33:14-15) What I find…
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Do you believe in hell?
The History Channel interviewed Tom Brown about the subject of hell. The two hour documentary was aired on December 27, 2004. We thought you would like to know the questions they asked him and Tom’s answers. Click here to watch Tom’s part in the the documentary. HC: Talk about original sin and its importance to…
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Don’t Let Others Control You
Do not allow other people to control you. Paul wrote, “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you from obeying the truth?” (Galatians 5:7). There could be no greater bondage than being under someone’s dominate control. People should respect authority—wife for husband, employee for boss, parents for children—yet even those in authority…
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Did Jesus die on Good Friday?
It’s not necessary to know the exact day Jesus died in order to be saved; you just need to believe that He died for your sins. Knowing the day of His death is interesting, but not essential. There have been a few people who have doubted the veracity of the Bible because they misunderstand the…
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Dealing with Transitions
Transitions are inevitable. To be successful and flourish you must embrace and work with the transition God brings into your life. Transition involves change. The change might be moving to a different city, joining a new church, getting a new job, being newly married, receiving a promotion, starting a new business, going into the mission…
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Dating Versus Courting
Joshua Harris wrote a book with a provocative title, “I’ve kissed dating goodbye.” You need to kiss dating goodbye. I believe that dating is the world’s way to find a spouse. Many might be wondering, If I don’t date, how am I going to find a spouse? You should find a spouse through courting. Courtship is…
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Dare to be a Disciple
“I dare you!” You’ve heard that before. Usually people say that to you when they want to challenge you to do something adventurous, like ride a roller coaster or ski dive. Well, I dare you to take the riskiest, and yet, most rewarding adventure that you can ever experience—and that is to be a disciple…
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Conformity
Once at the end, I stepped outside to walk to the usual place that my mom picks me up. I decided to go with a new route this one time and pass through the massive crowds of teenagers underneath our skywalk. I couldn’t believe my eyes at first, yet as I looked again, I saw…
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Choose Health and Blessings
In Deuteronomy 30:19 the Lord speaks: “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life.“ Choose life! He did not say, “Since I don’t like you, I think I’m going to give you death and curses. But you, good…
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Chart Your Course by the Words of Your Mouth
Job 22:28 says in the Amplified version, “You shall also decide and DECREE a thing, and it shall be established for you, and the light [of God’s favor] shall shine upon your ways.” God says, “Decide and decree a thing and you’ll get it.” We must do more than “decide”; we must “decree.” A decree…
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Car Crash
Prov 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” If anyone knows a lot on how material things let you down, it is definitely me. I have lost my computer with thousands of songs…
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Can Christians Lose Their Salvation?
This is the most important question Christians can ask, because their eternal soul may depend on it! The greatest deception which has been devised by Satan that has been accepted by a large number of Christians is the false doctrine of “once saved, always saved.” This doctrinal theory assumes once a person is saved that…
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Boldness in Prayer
One of the greatest qualities necessary to get your prayers answered is “boldness.” Hebrews 4:16 affirms this: “Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help (us) in time of need” (Heb 4:16, ASV). Even Abraham was quite bold in talking with…
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Be the One
Imagine if we all actually acted like Jesus? Imagine if we were nice and showed compassion to everyone? What could happen? We shouldn’t wait for others to do things; we should rise up and do whatever it is that needs to be done. I came upon this conclusion once as I was walking out of a meeting…
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Believe You Receive
Faith is required to receive any benefit in this life. Hope is necessary to receive benefits in the life to come, yet when it comes to distinguishing the difference between faith and hope, few understand it. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (HEB 11:1, KJV). Often people…
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Authority of the Believer
The devil is defeated as far as the believer is concerned. Jesus has already won the battle, and He simply calls upon us to occupy until He comes. Jesus said, “Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13, KJV). The word “occupy” is a military term. You have heard of an occupational force, haven’t you? This is…
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Atheism is a Lie
The Apostle’s Creed begins by saying, “I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” Everything about Christianity begins with belief in God. Without this foundational belief, no other beliefs are possible, especially pertaining to God sending His Son. Without God, there is no Son of God. This is why…
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Ancient Priestly Blessing
Did you know that God gave a prayer of blessing to you so you can pray it over your life and others? He made it easy by giving you the exact words to say. If you will say it and understand what you say, then God will bring supernatural blessings in your life. You will…
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America in Prophecy
What will happen to America according to Bible prophecy? Will it remain a world power or recede from world dominance? Will it be destroyed or continue to prosper? Your belief about this subject will affect the way you live and plan your life. If you think that America will be destroyed, then you are likely…
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Alan Chambers Goes Back to Egypt
The headlines in the liberal media are gleefully trumpeting the demise of Exodus International, the leading icon of the ex-”gay” movement. “From ‘pray away the gay’ to acceptance,” chortles the LA Times. But this is not really a story about an organization, but only its leader Alan Chambers and his unfortunate capitulation to the world.…
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A Crucified Life Leads to a Resurrected Life
There was good reason for the popularity of this message. It was hilarious, yet the message was poignant: despite the difficulties of life, just like Christ who experienced the awful suffering on Good Friday, we can expect God to turn things around just as He did in the resurrection; hence It’s Friday but Sunday is…