The Master of the Unlikely | Jonah 2:1–2, 9–10

“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. He said, ‘I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and Lord, you heard me. . . . But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. F…

Navigating Life’s Storms | Jonah 1:14

“Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. ‘O Lord,’ they pleaded, ‘don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.’”(Jonah 1:14 NLT)   The possibility of a spiritual revival in Nineveh was…

Outside Your Comfort Zone | Jonah 1:1–2

“The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: ‘Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.’” (Jonah 1:1–2 NLT)   Throughout this month, we’ll be addressing the need for revival in our nation. To help frame our d…

It Only Takes a Spark | Acts 1:8

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NLT)   Years ago, I was staying at a friend’s cabin in Virginia. He informed me th…

A Source of Hope | Romans 15:13

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13 NLT)   Hope is a precious commodity in today’s world. Our 24-hour news cycle feeds us story a…

Original Condition | Psalm 80:19

“Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!” (Psalm 80:19 NKJV)   Before we get too deep in our discussion of revival in our country, we should probably define the term. What is revival exactly? Too often believers mystify the word without understanding its …

An Urgent Wake-Up Call | Romans 13:11–12

“This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right…

One Way | 1 Timothy 2:5–6

“There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.” (1 Timothy 2:5–6 NLT)   One of the costs of following Christ is not being able to join in the feel-good consensus that claims, “All paths lead to God.” B…

Not Home Yet | Hebrews 13:14

“For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.” (Hebrews 13:14 NLT)   I heard a story about an old missionary couple who had been serving in Africa for years and were returning home to retire. Their health was broken down, and they had no pension. As it t…

Attacking Giants | 1 Samuel 17:26

“David asked the soldiers standing nearby, ‘What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?’” (1 Samuel 17:26 NLT)   David may have thought to himself, “This is a joke.…