Author: walter bright

Do not let your good intensions grow stale

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But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also. I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:7-9 ESV) The church in Corinth was a very dynamic yet dysfunctional church. They were experiencing the supernatural workings of God, and excelling in their ability to channel those supernatural workings of God to the benefit of the entire community. They had: 1. Faith to move mountains 2. Speech like the tongues of men and of angels, gifts of prophecy, 3. Knowledge to understand all mysteries 4. Earnestness to surrender their lives as martyrs for the kingdom At some time, they had made pledges to support the church in Jerusalem. Unfortunately, they …

Where are the modern day Watchmen?

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On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth. Isaiah 62:6-7 I hate to sound judgmental especially when it comes to prayer. After all, it is something we must to pursue privately. Yes! I agree that we are to stand in concerts of prayer or hold public prayer meeting  – the one held in the upper room and like the one, the apostles held when the place they stood shook after they got through praying. Unfortunately, we are not seeing that passionate pursuit both from those sitting in the pew and those standing in the pulpit. The statistics are quite heart-breaking. Prayer is not high up on our priority list.  Because of our lack of prayer, we are not seeing the hand of God in and around us. Here are a few things we miss out on: The …

15 Prayers for the Big C Church

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My teenage daughter was at youth camp last week. They had the young and dynamic preacher named Isaiah Saldivar as the speaker every evening. It was really good. At the end of the week when I arrived to pick her up, they were doing a Q&A session and a few people were sharing. A young man got up and began to share about how frustrating it is for him when it comes to denominational differences. He is from a Nazarene church, but is cool with coming to a camp at an Assembly of God Church. I applaud him for speaking his mind about the frustrations too many young people face when it comes to this subject.  His willingness to seek God with friends from other denominations is a good step toward creating a friendly attitude to denominational differences. Having said that, I think too many Christians are mistaking to think that denominational differences are of the devil. I believe that there are denominational differences today because people naturally choose to align themselves with groups that hold or espouse their …

7 Ways it Improve your Marriage right now

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Take ownership and personal responsibility for all your actions. The easiest thing to do when your relationship goes sour is to play the blame game. This only leads to more headache. The godly thing to do is just own up to your personal faults and everything will begin to fall in place. Pray, pray, pray! Jesus is able to make it work A lot of marriages fail because too much trust is placed on marriage counseling. As good as counseling is – (you should get it at all cost), you will need God to work in it. Also, marriages fail because we expect our counselor to fix our partner. God is the only one who can do stuff like that. The sooner you realize that neither you nor your counselor can fix your spouse, prayer will become your priority. Sometimes we just give up before truly seeking his help. Until we can all realize that he has the power to fix things, even the most difficult things, we may never experience divine breakthroughs in our …

Monday Night Meditation

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Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don’t look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home. Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. Unbutton my lips, dear God; I’ll let loose with your praise. (Psalm‬ ‭51‬:‭7-15‬ MSG)

Three Key Reasons Teams Succeed

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“That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the people offered themselves willingly, bless the Lord! (‭Judges‬ ‭5‬:‭2‬ ESV) 1. Team Leaders take the lead The first reason teams succeed is leaders take the lead. They are not passively waiting for permission to lead. They are enthusiastic and ready to lead. They are not unassuming lacking in zeal. They are looking for opportunities to do great things. 2. Team Members offer themselves willingly The second reason teams succeed is people willingly follow. Teams are not necessarily successful because of leaders. They succeed because people are willing to follow and get the job done. Unfortunately, people do not always follow even when the leaders take the lead. They are some times critical of leaders. They let jealousy and selfish ambition get in the way of success. That’s why this third key is vital to the overall success of the team 3. God Saves the Day We must never leave God out of the equation when it comes to achieving success as a team. Psalm 127:1 …

Pooped Shepherds

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Pastors, leaders, bloggers, pastor’s wives, missionaries, speakers, servants of God – as you sit back in the comfort of your home, browsing the internet for something to lift you – I pray that this little message, by Marc Cleary, will do just that. Here is the simple, yet powerful outline. Feed your soul with it and be encouraged. Be still and know that I am GOD Be still and know that I AM Be still and KNOW Be STILL BE

Refreshing Times of Reconciliation

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This short epistle (letter) written by Paul to Philemon has one of the most powerful messages on conflict resolution in the bible. This story is not only a powerful demonstration of the gospel to transform lives (“formerly he was useless” but “now he is indeed useful,” v. 11), but also a demonstration of the powerful impact the gospel can have on human relationships as well (receive him “no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother,” v. 16). Apparently during Paul’s three-year ministry in Ephesus, Philemon heard the gospel and was saved. He began serving the cause of Christ in the Colossian community, opening his home for a group of Christians to meet there regularly. At some point, Onesimus, one of Philemon’s slaves, fled to Rome, possibly having stolen money (or property) from Philemon and now a fugitive. Onesimus somehow came into contact with the apostle Paul and became a Christian. As he grew in Christ, he spent much time and effort helping Paul, who was severely constrained by his imprisonment. Paul thus wrote this letter as an appeal to Philemon to appreciate …

Friday Resource

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THE BOOK A FATHER’S INSIGHTS FOR MEN ON LIFE’S SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES We’re living through a profound crisis of masculinity, fostered by a media culture that idolizes youth and demonizes the strong male role. As a result, young men in their twenties and thirties aren’t encouraged to grow up, and their energy and talent are being squandered. The absence of fathers and male mentors leaves many young men spiraling emotionally, spiritually, and financially for years. Pastor Dave Bruskas Envisions A Better Future—One In Which Young Men Can Flourish And Take Their God-Given Seat At Life’s Table. Twenty years ago, Dave lost his infant son to a congenital heart defect. That devastating loss has fueled his desire to provide effective mentoring to young men ever since. Dear Son contains the insights Pastor Dave has given hundreds of young men and would have given his son if he had lived through life’s key milestones: first dates and first jobs weddings and births graduations, and much more You won’t want to miss the timeless wisdom from this sonless father …