In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o'er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.

In this insightful book, John Tisdale shares principles that separate the practice of true faith from humanistic, religious imitations. He helps uncover how God's purposes are designed to help us turn to Him in faith in our times of need and lack. When we combine faith and brokenness, we position ourselves to experience life in God and bring Him the glory He created us to give Him.

Whether they realize it or not, what many Christians practice is more a form of humanism than it is true faith in Christ. Their faith in Jesus didn’t carry much beyond their initial point of salvation. What they practice on a day-to-day basis doesn’t involve much faith at all. They live as if they’ve been abandoned by their Lord and left to carry out His commands entirely on their own. As a result, their lives are typified by emptiness, guilt and boredom.

The call was from a pastor I'd known for years. I had always appreciated his heart. Every Sunday during communion he would pray and gently lay his hands on each person's head. Now, however, his voice was troubled. He asked if we could meet at his church and I agreed. As we sat in his office he confessed, "I started smoking. No one knows, not even my wife. I only smoke when I'm by myself in the car." "Well, I've heard worse things," I answered, relieved that he wasn't confessing a real sin."

"But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray, so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols'' (Rev 2:20). You may challenge my using the above quote and addressing it to American churches. You may argue that not one of the pastors you know has anyone who openly instructs people to commit acts of immorality. I understand your sense of alarm. I agree that you probably know of no one who brazenly preaches that sexual lust and idolatry are not sins. When we speak of Jezebel, we are identifying the source in our society of obsessive sensuality, unbridled witchcraft and hatred for male authority.

There is no greater opportunity to become Christlike than in the midst of pain and injustice. When Satan is raging with evil, God is planning to turn it to good. If we maintain our integrity in battle; if we let love rise to its purest expression, we will touch the heart of God. Such is the path to God's power. I have set my heart to eliminate many of the vulnerabilities to, and effects of, church splits and other ungodly divisions. At the same time, I realize that we can do almost everything right as pastors and churches and still suffer divisions. For some of us, this may actually be part of God's greater plan for our lives--that we should endure rejection, conflict and slander as part of the process of truly becoming Christlike.

Jesus warned of our days. Speaking of the unfolding difficulties in the world, He warned, "See to it that you not be terrified" (Lk 21:3). Indeed, He also said that one prevailing affliction that shall plague humanity would be "men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of . . . things which are coming on the earth" (Lk 21:26 NKJ). Today, heart failure is the number one killer of men in the western world. In America, nearly one million people will die this year from some form of heart disease. Approximately every 30 seconds another heart fails and a person dies. There may be many contributors to heart failure, but a main source is the inability to handle stress.

How do you handle criticism? How does one protect himself from the "scourge of the tongue" (Job 5:21)? Where is the stronghold from accusation? If you are going to be successful in the Lord's work, you must find God's hiding place from one of the most painful weapons in Satan's arsenal: the critical tongue. The fact is, for better or for worse, people are going to talk about you. You cannot do the will of God without causing changes, and changes will always cause some to stumble. In fact, Jesus said we were to beware when all men speak well of us. He said we cannot serve two masters; if we are to truly please Him, we cannot be distracted by trying to please everyone else.

It is incredible, but many Christians actually believe that the only unity there will be in the last days is in the apostate church. The very spirit they think they are avoiding, the antichrist, is what has divided them from the rest of the church! (see I John 2:18-19) It is simply unscriptural and a sin for the believing, citywide church of Jesus Christ not to maintain the unity of the Spirit! One need not be a biblical scholar to recognize the Jews had to be uncompromisingly united in their worship of God. All Israel was required to come to Jerusalem three times a year to worship during the feasts. If their worship was compromised to where they began to serve the pagan gods of the region, they were quickly defeated in their battles.

In the last days, God's word promises that the "mountain of the house of the Lord will be established" (Isaah 2:2). Our sincere conviction is that if this dwelling place of God truly emerges in our cities, it will transform entire regions and great revival will emerge. However, I would make it clear from the beginning, if our goal is anything other than becoming a home for Jesus, this truth will simply become another "wind of doctrine"; we will again be blown off course. Without the abiding fullness of Christ in the church, we will have no more impact in the world than a political party, whose strength rests in numbers and not God.

Last week, as we discussed church splits, we marveled that heaven itself endured a time of strife where Lucifer challenged the leadership of God. The Scriptures reveal that a full third of the angels succumbed to the persuasion of Lucifer's spell. We do not know what lie the devil was able to weave, but that angels could, on the one hand, know God in His unlimited capabilities, yet believe a strategy could emerge that could defeat Him is a testimony to the unfathomable cunning of Lucifer's wiles.

There will be a time when each of us will stand before Jesus Christ and He will open a door called "reality-past." There, we shall gaze into the days of our earthly existence. Jesus will not only commend our lives in a general way, but He will point to specific things we did. Rejoicing together with us, He will say, "Well done!" Perhaps there was a special act of kindness that turned a bitter person back toward God; or you overcame your fears and led a person to Christ whom God then used to win thousands.

Last week we sent you the resolution presented to the House of Representatives by Congressman Tom DeLay, (R, TX). This initiative called for a national day of repentance and reconciliation across America, starting with the government. The stated goal was to "permit Members and Senators to come together voluntarily in private fellowship within the House Chamber to seek repentance and reconciliation for our nation. What we seek is an open climate of communal prayer and repentance."

Terrorists have openly, defiantly proclaimed no city in America will be safe from their attacks. Our own government has warned that these attacks, whether through biological, chemical or nuclear warfare, are a "clear and present danger." We need God's mercy. The following message is an excerpt from the House of the Lord. In this article is an important revelation concerning the effect of extending mercy and it's consequential effect in releasing God's protection over a city.

In the beginning, the earth was formless and void, but that did not deter the Almighty. He looked into the fathomless depth of its darkness and concluded, "All it needs is light!" Likewise, in the beginning of our spiritual lives, we also are "formless and void" and God, just as confidently, is still saying, "All they need is a little light!" Remember: it's the Lord's responsibility to create and our responsibility to submit to His creating.

To know Christ is to know His heart toward His church. Consider: On the night before Jesus died, the most somber night in His life, our Master presented His most lofty request to His Father. He prayed His disciples would be "perfected in unity" (Jn 17:23). Yet, the only unity the disciples knew that night was a common fear and a collective abandonment of Christ. Jesus told these soon-to-be leaders of the Jerusalem church that they would be known for their untiring agape love. But that night Christ's three closest friends could not remain awake with him even one hour while He agonized alone in prayer.

The spirit of Jezebel will target, and then seek to divide, the relationship between a pastor and the church intercessors. The antidote? Let the senior leader appreciate, communicate and support his intercessors and esteem their contribution, and let the intercessors set their prayer focus to first seek the spiritual fulfillment of the senior pastor's vision. Pastors are under siege. At every conference where I speak, various pastors approach and tell of terrible experiences with Jezebel-like battles in their churches. But I don't have to travel to be informed, for not a week passes where I do not hear from pastors from many places via phone, letters or emails; each desperate for specific prayer concerning the conflict in their churches. The war is over one thing: satan seeks to neutralize spiritual authority, and no enemy of hell does this more efficiently than the spirit of Jezebel.

There are times when life, like a river, is over your head and you feel like you are drowning. Yet, the water from these very rivers wash away your filth. What the water does not remove, the fire purifies.

There will be no "knights in shining armor" in God's kingdom; our armor will have many dings and dents. No, no perfect Hollywood heroes will ride to save the day; just wearied saints to look to God and, in weakness, find Christ's strength. This, indeed, is the essence of God's kingdom: divine greatness manifest in common people.

Too many Christians become bitter and angry in the conflict. If we descend into hatefulness, we have already lost the battle ... We must cooperate with God in turning what was meant for evil into a greater good within us. This is why we bless those who would curse us: It is not only for their sakes but to preserve our own soul from its natural response toward hatred.

Any time we open ourselves up to fear, we fall prey to his deceptions and intimidations. Yet, if we submit our hearts to God and stand in faith, we can resist those first fearful thoughts. As we yield to God we can master our reactions to fear and the enemy will soon flee.

God can never entrust His Kingdom to anyone who has not been broken of pride, for pride is the armor of darkness itself.

We can be assured that each step deeper into the Lord's Presence will reveal areas in our hearts which need to be cleansed. Do not be afraid. When the Spirit shows you areas of sin, it is not to condemn you, but to cleanse you.

Satan's arsenal consists of such things as fear, worry, doubt, and self-pity. Every one of these weapons robs us of peace and leaves us troubled inside. Do you want to discern where the enemy is coming against you? In the network of your relationships, wherever you do not have peace, you have war. Conversely, wherever you have victory, you have peace. When Satan hurls his darts against you, the more peace you have during adversity, the more truly you are walking in Christ's victory.

These are the lyrics for the Third Day song Ready.

These are the lyrics for the Third Day song Mountain Of God.

These are the lyrics for the Third Day song Tunnel.

These are the lyrics for the Third Day song Don't Say Goodbye.

In this article, John defines the 4 primary stages of our spiritual journey. He provides insights to help define in which stage you are currently in, the characteristics of each stage and what typically causes someone to get stuck in one of those stages. We all start out in stage 1 along our journey. Most people get stuck along their journey in one of the first 3 stages. Few make it all the way to stage 4. This article will help you discover how to get unstuck in whichever stage you find yourself and advance into the next stage of spiritual maturity. Click the title above to read this fascinating article.

This is a story of God's work of redemption in the life of an average man named John Tisdale. Here he shares his personal journey of searching and finding what he's been looking for his whole life. It is written in somewhat of a poetic style and uncovers the author's heart-felt cry to experience the touch and transforming power of God into his life.  It is obvious that it was written in the wake of a profound encounter with the Lord in which God reveals Himself and the result is a repentant heart to goes even lower in the awareness of God's glorious majesty.

God has placed deep longings in the heart of every human being. We all long for beauty, for greatness, for fascination, for intimacy. We all long to be enjoyed, to be whole-hearted, to make a lasting impact. Many of us have been taught to deny these longings. We've been told they are not of God. But the problem is not the longings -- they are given of God and cannot be denied. Problems only arise when we attempt to fulfill godly, legitimate longings in ungodly, wrong ways. Only God can fulfill the longings He has given to us. Only God can truly satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. When we realize our longings are godly and God wants to fulfill them, we find freedom and joy. We experience intimacy with God in ways we'd never thought possible.

This article explores some of the deep truths found in the Hollywood movie starring Eddie Murphy Coming to America. We go on a journey exploring how this son of a king reveals some profound things about the purpose for the human race. The author proposes that this film's storyline actually represents God's plan and purpose for the human race. It points out the parallel's between this film and what scripture reveals about our reason for being.

This article discusses the situation in which many find themselves. They have their desires, but they feel that their duties and responsibilities keep them from ever having those desires met. It is seen through the Hollywood film Sense and Sensibility. It explores some truths portrayed through this movie.

This article discusses the opinion that Christians are nothing more than a bunch of hypocrites. It delves into numerous dynamics that must be considered to understand the real issues. It begins by exploring the objection and insights from the author's personal encounters on the subject. It seeks to cut through the religious facades and get to the heart of the issue of faith and spirituality.

This article is designed to bring encouragement and conveys the preciousness of life and how we need to breathe in as much life as possible rather than waste a single moment. You may click the Email a friend link at the top of page to direct it to a friend. A link to a downloadable flash version is also listed at the bottom of the article.

This very short article brings encouragement that you have the ability to control your life by working in conjunction with God's efforts. The strength and courage needed to break free is within your reach. It is designed to get your thinking about the power of life and death that is in your hands.

This is a word about depression and how you have the ability to regain control of your emotions, thoughts and thereby your life. No matter what has happened to you in the past, those things do not define you, your worth, or your future. It offers some simply ideas to challenge the way you think and how those thoughts affect your life and future.

This is a prayer that seeks help dealing with addiction. It is broad enough in nature that it is well suited for anyone who is seeking deliverance from any form of addiction. It is a cry of desperation for God to break into your routine and bring needed change.

This prayer seeks peace in the midst of difficult times. The person who is struggling with challenging circumstances will find this prayer helpful in seeking a peace that transcends all difficulties. It is a cry for God to be real and show up in your circumstances and deliver you out of a situation in which you are in over your head. It is a confession that we need move than our own strength and provision to meet our needs.

To be always fortunate, and to pass through life with a soul that has never known sorrow, is to be ignorant of one half of nature.

When we hate our enemies, we are giving them power over us: power over our sleep, our appetites, our blood pressure, our health, and our happiness. Our enemies would dance with joy if only they knew how they were worrying us, lacerating us, and getting even with us! Our hate is not hurting them at all, but our hate is turning our own days and nights into a hellish turmoil.

This article explores how people are like diamonds. It lends us some valuable insights into the challenges and difficulties of life by making an assortment of comparisons between the process of diamonds forming and being processed and the circumstances we encountered regularly in life.

This article walks the reader through a process of discovering the power bitterness has in robbing us of freedom and life. When we are trapped under its influence, we have difficulty finding lasting freedom. This journey takes you through some basic concepts of forgiveness and then walks you through practical steps to takes to find freedom from bitterness. It should help you get some handles on how to take steps out from under the heavy burden of unforgiveness on the road to inner healing and wholeness.

Many Christians debate whether the devil is on the earth or in hell; can he dwell in Christians or only in the world? The fact is, the devil is in darkness. Wherever there is spiritual darkness, there the devil will be. Preparing for Spiritual Warfare. For most, the term spiritual warfare introduces a new but not necessarily welcomed dimension in their Christian experience. The thought of facing evil spirits in battle is an unsettling concept, especially since we came to Jesus as lost sheep, not warriors. Ultimately, some of us may never actually initiate spiritual warfare, but all of us must face the fact that the devil has initiated warfare against us. Therefore, it is essential to our basic well being that we discern the areas of our nature which are unguarded and open to satanic assault.

"'Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?' Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for He, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him" (John 6:70-71). To what was Jesus referring when He identified Judas Iscariot as "a devil?" Was He speaking figuratively or factually? Could a human being not only "have" a devil, but actually become one? Some believe that Judas had become so perfectly possessed by satan that he actually lost his humanity. Yet, consider: after this fallen apostle delivered Jesus up, he felt such remorse for betraying Christ that he committed suicide. Could a devil feel remorse for sin? I do not think so.

The sense of distance we often feel between Christ and ourselves is an illusion. As we enter the days prior to Christ's Second Coming, the Lord shall begin to remove that falsehood. Indeed, He promises, "In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you" (John 14:20). The Scriptures tell us that Christ is the vine, we are the branches; He is the head, we are His body; He is the Lord and we are His temple. From start to finish, the Bible declares the Lord not only has a dwelling in heaven, but that He also abides perpetually in redemptive union with His people. The ever-present focus of His activity is to guide us into oneness with Himself.

It was not a dream. It was simply a thought in the middle of the night, but it came into my mind with such clarity that it roused me from my sleep. It said, "He keeps two sets of books: one is exact and the other forgiving." I barely had time to wonder who it was that kept these mysterious two accounts when the parable of the wise, but wasteful, steward surfaced in my mind. The story, which comes from Luke, chapter 16, tells of a manager who was soon to be dismissed for squandering his employer's wealth.

The Value of Brokenness - Up until the moment Christ enters our lives, surrounding our souls there exists a hard outer shell, a "survival nature," which protects us against life's harshest offenses. The shell is necessary while we are in the world, but becomes an enemy to our new life in Christ, where the nature of Christ becomes our shelter. Thus, as the shell of a seed, a nut or an egg must be broke before its inner life comes forth, so it is with us: the "shell" of our outer nature must also break in order to free the Spirit of Christ to arise in our hearts.

Last week we discussed how Ham's sin of exposing the shame of his father, Noah, led to Noah's curse upon Ham's son, Canaan. Noah saw in Ham a character flaw that would be passed on to Ham's children. The specifics of this curse would be that, from generation to generation, Ham's descendants would become the "servants of servants." Why would they abide in this economic slavery? Simply because one who habitually disrespects, shames or exposes the weaknesses of those in authority over them simultaneously disables their ability to advance in life.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Cor 3:17). There are, perhaps, many evidences that tell us the living presence of the Lord is near, but the most prevailing sign of God's Spirit is seen in the transformation of those surrendered to Him. True Christian liberty does not mean we have freedom to do what we want; in God, it means we have freedom to do what He wants. We have freedom to change.

Last week we sent you the resolution presented to the House of Representatives by Congressman Tom DeLay, (R, TX). This initiative called for a national day of repentance and reconciliation across America, starting with the government. The stated goal was to "permit Members and Senators to come together voluntarily in private fellowship within the House Chamber to seek repentance and reconciliation for our nation. What we seek is an open climate of communal prayer and repentance."

Recently, a number of respected church leaders, frustrated with America's slow turn to repentance, have proclaimed that divine wrath is coming to our land. "If God does not destroy America," one influential pastor wrote, "He will have to repent to Sodom and Gomorrah." Certainly, there are many things morally wrong with America, but America is not Sodom or Gomorrah. Neither is it a re-emergence of the spirit of ancient Babylon. You will not find charged against this land the "blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth" (Rev 18:24). The spiritual influence of these archetypes is here, just as they are also manifested throughout the world, but America is much more than the sum of its sins and failures.

This article discusses what happens when freedom and oppression collide. It does so through the lens of the Hollywood film Braveheart. It is something with which we are all intimately familiar. How we choose to respond to oppression determines the amount of life we will experience in its aftermath. How will you respond to the forces that trap you in fear and oppression?

Jesus warned of our days. Speaking of the unfolding difficulties in the world, He warned, "See to it that you not be terrified" (Lk 21:3). Indeed, He also said that one prevailing affliction that shall plague humanity would be "men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of . . . things which are coming on the earth" (Lk 21:26 NKJ). Today, heart failure is the number one killer of men in the western world. In America, nearly one million people will die this year from some form of heart disease. Approximately every 30 seconds another heart fails and a person dies. There may be many contributors to heart failure, but a main source is the inability to handle stress.

This article discusses the opinion that Christians are nothing more than a bunch of hypocrites. It delves into numerous dynamics that must be considered to understand the real issues. It begins by exploring the objection and insights from the author's personal encounters on the subject. It seeks to cut through the religious facades and get to the heart of the issue of faith and spirituality.

There are times when life, like a river, is over your head and you feel like you are drowning. Yet, the water from these very rivers wash away your filth. What the water does not remove, the fire purifies.

As Christians, we spend too much time battling basic, elementary battles: "Am I truly saved?" "Am I really forgiven?" "Is there really a heaven?" God has so much more for us. He seeks to form in our thought-life the very mind of Christ. The Holy Spirit comes, not just to give us goose bumps and chills, but to restructure our attitudes and perceptions until we think with the thoughts of Jesus Himself.

This article explores how people are like diamonds. It lends us some valuable insights into the challenges and difficulties of life by making an assortment of comparisons between the process of diamonds forming and being processed and the circumstances we encountered regularly in life.

There will be no "knights in shining armor" in God's kingdom; our armor will have many dings and dents. No, no perfect Hollywood heroes will ride to save the day; just wearied saints to look to God and, in weakness, find Christ's strength. This, indeed, is the essence of God's kingdom: divine greatness manifest in common people.

We can be assured that each step deeper into the Lord's Presence will reveal areas in our hearts which need to be cleansed. Do not be afraid. When the Spirit shows you areas of sin, it is not to condemn you, but to cleanse you.

This article walks the reader through a process of discovering the power bitterness has in robbing us of freedom and life. When we are trapped under its influence, we have difficulty finding lasting freedom. This journey takes you through some basic concepts of forgiveness and then walks you through practical steps to takes to find freedom from bitterness. It should help you get some handles on how to take steps out from under the heavy burden of unforgiveness on the road to inner healing and wholeness.

More churches have been destroyed by the accuser of the brethren and its faultfinding than by either immorality or misuse of church funds. So prevalent is this influence in our society that, among many, faultfinding has been elevated to the status of a "ministry"! The Lord has promised, however, that in His house accusing one another will be replaced with prayer, and faultfinding with a love that covers a multitude of sins.

The Value of Brokenness - Up until the moment Christ enters our lives, surrounding our souls there exists a hard outer shell, a "survival nature," which protects us against life's harshest offenses. The shell is necessary while we are in the world, but becomes an enemy to our new life in Christ, where the nature of Christ becomes our shelter. Thus, as the shell of a seed, a nut or an egg must be broke before its inner life comes forth, so it is with us: the "shell" of our outer nature must also break in order to free the Spirit of Christ to arise in our hearts.

Terrorists have openly, defiantly proclaimed no city in America will be safe from their attacks. Our own government has warned that these attacks, whether through biological, chemical or nuclear warfare, are a "clear and present danger." We need God's mercy. The following message is an excerpt from the House of the Lord. In this article is an important revelation concerning the effect of extending mercy and it's consequential effect in releasing God's protection over a city.

This is an interesting perspective on the film Good Will Hunting. It considers what you will do when your hunger for life collides with your fears. We each have dreams and desires that call us out beyond our comfort zones. Yet, we each are challenged with fears that would rob us of ever moving beyond our safe little worlds. If you've seen the movie, you should check out this review from a spiritual context.

Christ's life unfolds, in part, as we learn to appreciate the gifts He has given us. How easy it is to blame others for our unhappiness, but we are only unhappy when something other than Christ has become our life. (For example) The husband or wife who has Christ as their life, comes to their spousal relationship already satisfied. They do not come continually looking to made happy by another person's attention; they bring Christ's life to their spouse.

A wound is less likely to scar if it is properly carressed.

This article is designed for someone who is struggling with difficult circumstances and is losing hope. It is a simple message and yet a much needed one in challenging times. In addition to text, it includes stunning graphics to set the tone for the message.

In this passage, Jesus declares that He can do nothing for the person that thinks they are perfectly fine and not in need of His help. He can only bring life to those who recognize that they need it and cannot find it apart from God. This passage flies in the face of much contemporary religious thought.

God's word assures us that the Redeemer we see in the gospels is the same Lord Who enters our lives when we are born again. The same things Jesus did in the first century, He promises to do again for us today. Indeed, Scripture confirms that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever" (Heb 13:8). If the person we call "Jesus" is not as wonderful or powerful as Jesus of the gospels, we are serving the wrong one.

A Word To Leaders: I am concerned about the leaders who have not dealt with their personal fears. I have a word for you: stop terrorizing the people under your influence. A number of ministries have submitted to the oppression caused by the terrorist attacks. As a result, they are speaking to their constituencies from a position of fear and trepidation. Leaders, please hear me: The people who are listening to you are already praying, fasting and repenting. Don't burden them with fear; empower them with vision and faith.

Any time we open ourselves up to fear, we fall prey to his deceptions and intimidations. Yet, if we submit our hearts to God and stand in faith, we can resist those first fearful thoughts. As we yield to God we can master our reactions to fear and the enemy will soon flee.

If we exalt money, status, or sex above the Word of God, we are living in idolatry. Every time we inwardly submit to the strongholds of fear, bitterness, and pride, we are bowing to the rulers of darkness. Each of these idols must be smashed, splintered, and obliterated from the landscape of our hearts.

In the last days, God's word promises that the "mountain of the house of the Lord will be established" (Isaah 2:2). Our sincere conviction is that if this dwelling place of God truly emerges in our cities, it will transform entire regions and great revival will emerge. However, I would make it clear from the beginning, if our goal is anything other than becoming a home for Jesus, this truth will simply become another "wind of doctrine"; we will again be blown off course. Without the abiding fullness of Christ in the church, we will have no more impact in the world than a political party, whose strength rests in numbers and not God.

Beloved, I say, let your fears go, lest they make you fainthearted. Stop inspiring fear in those around you and now take your stand in faith. God has been good and He will continue to manifest His goodness.... Let us approach these days expecting to see the goodness of the Lord manifest. Let us be strong and of good courage, for the Lord will fight for us if we stand in faith.

The virtue of any institution is not so much in its doctrines or organization; rather its virtue resides in the quality of person it produces. A New And Fresh Anointing - Some of you have been struggling, not knowing what God has for you. You have been through a season in which the Lord has revealed your need of Him in very dramatic ways. Jesus Himself has been near to you; however, His closeness was not merely in the way of external blessings, but in the way of His cross. Yet, you have delighted in this, for the way of the cross has increasingly become the way of your life.

Many are questioning whether or not the September 11th terrorist act against America was actually a manifestation of the wrath of God or the fury of Satan that struck our land. That we should even be confused seems strange, considering that the Lord and Satan stand at opposite moral extremes. However, Satan specializes in sowing confusion, and into confusion, deception comes. Indeed, the devil typically authors some heinous crime and then deceives people, causing them to blame God for the destruction and heartache.

This is a prayer that seeks help dealing with addiction. It is broad enough in nature that it is well suited for anyone who is seeking deliverance from any form of addiction. It is a cry of desperation for God to break into your routine and bring needed change.

One obstacle we must overcome is the illusion that we, because of our ability to "rightly divide the word," are more spiritual than those in other churches. This deception infects churches across the board. Consequently, we remain divided, kept in isolation by our own spiritual pride, never discerning that the enemy has the church down the street similarly thinking they are more spiritual than we.

These are the lyrics for the Third Day song Ready.

This is a prayer in which Steve Fish prays for a group of people. As he prays, he begins to get revelation of God's heart for them (and for all people). It will touch you and cause you to renew your thinking about your worth and value in the eyes of God. This is one of those prayers you need to listen to over and over again and return to often as this type of revelation is so needed and yet so rare.

These are the lyrics for the Third Day song Rise Up.

There is no greater opportunity to become Christlike than in the midst of pain and injustice. When Satan is raging with evil, God is planning to turn it to good. If we maintain our integrity in battle; if we let love rise to its purest expression, we will touch the heart of God. Such is the path to God's power. I have set my heart to eliminate many of the vulnerabilities to, and effects of, church splits and other ungodly divisions. At the same time, I realize that we can do almost everything right as pastors and churches and still suffer divisions. For some of us, this may actually be part of God's greater plan for our lives--that we should endure rejection, conflict and slander as part of the process of truly becoming Christlike.

The sense of distance we often feel between Christ and ourselves is an illusion. As we enter the days prior to Christ's Second Coming, the Lord shall begin to remove that falsehood. Indeed, He promises, "In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you" (John 14:20). The Scriptures tell us that Christ is the vine, we are the branches; He is the head, we are His body; He is the Lord and we are His temple. From start to finish, the Bible declares the Lord not only has a dwelling in heaven, but that He also abides perpetually in redemptive union with His people. The ever-present focus of His activity is to guide us into oneness with Himself.

God can never entrust His Kingdom to anyone who has not been broken of pride, for pride is the armor of darkness itself.

More churches have been destroyed by the accuser of the brethren and its faultfinding than by either immorality or misuse of church funds. So prevalent is this influence in our society that, among many, faultfinding has been elevated to the status of a "ministry"!

This article is designed to give you a high level overview of the dynamics at play in an addiction. It provides a foundation upon which other articles will build. It discusses some strategies to gaining victory over past addictive patterns that have robbed you of life. If you or someone you know struggles with addiction, this may be a good starting point for understanding some of the keys involved.

If you believe in Christ, and believe He is the only begotten of the Father, then be assured, Jesus will have all His prayers answered. A time is coming, and now is, when both Heaven and earth shall respond to Jesus' prayer, ``that they may all be one'' (John 17:21). Jesus: the Same Forever. On the night before He died, the most somber night in Jesus' life, the Lord brought His most lofty request to God. He prayed for oneness in His church. Christ's prayer is both visionary and practical considering that, this same evening, an argument arose among His disciples as to which of them was the greatest (Luke 22:24). In spite of their immaturity, selfish ambitions and envy, Jesus harbored no second thoughts or unbelief when He prayed that they may all be one.

The spirit of Jezebel will target, and then seek to divide, the relationship between a pastor and the church intercessors. The antidote? Let the senior leader appreciate, communicate and support his intercessors and esteem their contribution, and let the intercessors set their prayer focus to first seek the spiritual fulfillment of the senior pastor's vision. Pastors are under siege. At every conference where I speak, various pastors approach and tell of terrible experiences with Jezebel-like battles in their churches. But I don't have to travel to be informed, for not a week passes where I do not hear from pastors from many places via phone, letters or emails; each desperate for specific prayer concerning the conflict in their churches. The war is over one thing: satan seeks to neutralize spiritual authority, and no enemy of hell does this more efficiently than the spirit of Jezebel.

This very short article brings encouragement that you have the ability to control your life by working in conjunction with God's efforts. The strength and courage needed to break free is within your reach. It is designed to get your thinking about the power of life and death that is in your hands.

Among all in his era, Noah was the most godly. He alone was considered by the Almighty, blameless. In a time when terrible wrath was about to unfurl, Noah alone found favor with the Lord. Consider this man Noah and what he experienced: Aware that the end of his world was at hand, he faithfully preached repentance for over one hundred years, yet his words converted no one. His eyes beheld the terrible descent of the wrath of God; his ears heard the terrifying cries, the final cries, of an entire civilization. His mind experienced the horrifying destruction of every man, woman and child outside the ark.

God has placed deep longings in the heart of every human being. We all long for beauty, for greatness, for fascination, for intimacy. We all long to be enjoyed, to be whole-hearted, to make a lasting impact. Many of us have been taught to deny these longings. We've been told they are not of God. But the problem is not the longings -- they are given of God and cannot be denied. Problems only arise when we attempt to fulfill godly, legitimate longings in ungodly, wrong ways. Only God can fulfill the longings He has given to us. Only God can truly satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. When we realize our longings are godly and God wants to fulfill them, we find freedom and joy. We experience intimacy with God in ways we'd never thought possible.

To know Christ is to know His heart toward His church. Consider: On the night before Jesus died, the most somber night in His life, our Master presented His most lofty request to His Father. He prayed His disciples would be "perfected in unity" (Jn 17:23). Yet, the only unity the disciples knew that night was a common fear and a collective abandonment of Christ. Jesus told these soon-to-be leaders of the Jerusalem church that they would be known for their untiring agape love. But that night Christ's three closest friends could not remain awake with him even one hour while He agonized alone in prayer.

Satan's arsenal consists of such things as fear, worry, doubt, and self-pity. Every one of these weapons robs us of peace and leaves us troubled inside. Do you want to discern where the enemy is coming against you? In the network of your relationships, wherever you do not have peace, you have war. Conversely, wherever you have victory, you have peace. When Satan hurls his darts against you, the more peace you have during adversity, the more truly you are walking in Christ's victory.

To be always fortunate, and to pass through life with a soul that has never known sorrow, is to be ignorant of one half of nature.