[Originally published June 30, 2026] Nicky Cruz (6 December 1938-present) was born in the mountains of Las Piedras, south of San Juan, Puerto Rico, to poor parents who practiced witchcraft. One of eighteen children, he grew up watching seances, satanic rituals of sorcery and voodoo, and horrible atrocities every night. His mother called him "Son of Satan" and his parents abused him physically and ...  Read More

[originally published June 30, 2026] "The law of the instrument" maxim states that a hammer’s great temptation is to treat everything as a nail. Anger has become in our culture a metaphorical hammer in search of the proverbial nail! Perhaps the reason wrath is so prominent is because we view our challenges in such a way that the negative emotion seems to be the best route to a solution. Therefore,...  Read More

“If a spring has not been opened in a soul, a spring of living water from God’s own Son, no waters can flow and there is no life in you.” G.V. Wigram (1805-1879), wrote the English theologian and an early leader among the Plymouth Brethren. He echoes what Christ had taught: Living water must spring from within the well of one’s own heart or a person will die of spiritual thirst. Let’s examine anew...  Read More

A Bible commentator catches my eye when he writes, “Affliction either drives one into the arms of God or severs one from God” (NAC). This perspective often proves to be true, but thankfully Peter opens our eyes today to a useful aspect to affliction that we may have failed to consider. He shows us clearly how we sometimes interfere with God’s good work in us when we are experiencing bad things in ...  Read More

Words are cheap, or so the expression goes, so Christians will choose to show their genuine faith by staying committed to Christ. This introduction encapsulates the point of our focal passage today. The recipients of the Hebrews letter had been tempted to pull away from Christ, so the writer encourages them to remain steadfastly committed to the Lord. The writer uses the symbol of a veil beyond wh...  Read More

God does not lose those souls He has saved (1 Peter 1:4, “kept in heaven”). There can be no more powerful statement than the one with which this devotional begins. It was written because the first readers of Hebrews needed to remain steadfast in their commitment to Christ. Since then, this chapter has created libraries full of commentary based upon a flawed interpretation of verse 6 and the phrase...  Read More

Some of the most memorable testimonies I have ever heard come from people whose lives have been radically transformed by God. From addictions to newfound freedom in Christ, they have been reborn! Their journeys toward healing led them to reach out to God and invite Him into every thing they thought or did each day. This required them to slow their lives down and think about each decision and subse...  Read More

“Suffering is unbearable if you aren’t certain that God is for you and with you” (Keller, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering). Paul’s testimony here provides us with a clear example of the cause-effect nature of his ministry. His primary call to share the Good News led directly to the suffering he experienced. There is a key element to his testimony that we must not overlook, or we will m...  Read More

“Call America to Pray Again,” may be the spiritual campaign theme we all need to adopt in this tumultuous era! Of course, it is a deliberate play on words regarding the recent campaign slogan used by the current presidential administration. Everyone who truly knows me will know that this rubric is neither an endorsement of, nor a swipe at, this current administration. I write it because prayer for...  Read More

What’s in a name? Names meant much in the Scriptures, and a person was expected to live up to the name given to him. Rehoboam’s name meant, “one who enlarges the people,” but today we will learn the irony of his name. Instead of enlarging, he actually divided the people, due to his lack of wisdom. Wisdom is a key element to God's creation and to a flourishing life (cf. Proverbs 1). His folly becam...  Read More

“Everything is meaningless” reads like the mantra of some postmodern philosopher, but these are the words of Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes. This phrase forms the theme of the book, but the meaning in the words is a mystery (1:2). He writes literally that all is a “vapor” or “breath,” and we might say, “here today and gone tomorrow.” Poof! Well, this is a mighty depressing way to begin the mo...  Read More

Long-range planning requires the right foundation, or the result will fail. This bold claim rests entirely upon a biblical worldview seen through Solomon’s lens of faith in God. Our focal verse encapsulates this life principle and provides us with an excellent guide to ensuring success in our own lives and ministries. Let’s look more carefully at our focal passage for today. The main theme of this...  Read More