A man was hiking deep in the woods with his dog. While wandering off the trail, the dog bolted into a thicket of thorns chasing a rabbit. When the dog finally emerged, he was covered in deep, bleeding cuts. The man sighed in disappointment, carrying his foolish dog back to the cabin to bandage his wounds.

The next day, the man went hiking again. As he rounded a bend, he walked straight into the path of a mother bear and her cubs. The bear roared and charged. But before she could reach him, the dog threw himself at the bear, fighting fiercely. Panicked, the man ran back to his cabin and bolted the door.

Hours later, the dog scratched at the cabin door. The man let him in, dropping to his knees. The dog was covered in gaping wounds and bite marks, having lost a great deal of blood. As the man bandaged his dog again, tears streamed down his face.

He realized he was looking at the very same dog, bleeding from the very same places. Yet yesterday’s wounds had filled him with disappointment, while today’s wounds filled him with absolute reverence.

When you can understand the difference between these two types of wounds, click here.

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Original: Imagine that you are on a camping trip, hiking in the woods with your dog. While you are far away from your cabin, your dog runs off and gets caught in a bush of thorns. He manages to get out, but gets many deep cuts in doing so. You become very disappointed in him, and you reluctantly take him back to the cabin to bandage up his wounds.

The next day, you decide to go out hiking again, but as you go off the trail you walk right into the path of a bear and her cubs. The bear charges after you, defending her cubs. But before she can reach you, your dog attacks her, and they start fighting fiercely. Panicked, you run back to your cabin and bolt the door, thankful to be alive.

An hour later your dog shows up at the cabin door, and you let him in. As he is coming in, you notice gaping wounds and bite marks all over his body, and you see that he has lost a lot of blood. As you're bandaging up his wounds, you start to cry, because you realize that these wounds are different than before. The wounds from yesterday were dishonorable, but his new wounds were honorable. The wounds from yesterday showed foolishness, but these showed loyalty. The wounds from yesterday were ugly, but these new wounds were somehow beautiful.

(Reader, when you can understand the difference between these two types of wounds, click here.)

Question: If two men jump off a cliff at the same time, and both have different opinions on gravity, which one will live? Neither! Because a man's opinions on physical laws do not change them. Likewise, a man's religious opinions on spiritual laws do not change them. God's laws are just as sure and trustworthy as physical laws, independent of opinions.

Question: Another two men jump off the same cliff. One man puts his faith in a parachute, and the other man puts his faith in an umbrella. Which man will survive? The man who trusts in the parachute — because it does not matter that both men had faith; it only matters what they put their faith in. If you have all the faith in the world in something that is false, your faith is worthless.

There were three prisoners of war being held for questioning. They all possessed the same secret information. The first prisoner was tortured for one hour, until he gave up his secrets. It took the guards two hours of torment until the second prisoner talked. But the third prisoner lasted three hours before he died, and never gave away any secrets. Now I ask you, which prisoner was the most faithful?

The one who can withstand the hardest trial is the most faithful. And who else can be trusted with the power of God than Christ crucified?

In a garden there are a variety of flowers, some more beautiful than others. A gardener does not remove one flower because it is less beautiful than another. But when one flower pretends to be another, we call that a weed — a counterfeit — and it is removed. Though this weed might be taller and more colorful than some of the other flowers, it is still cut down.

(Christians are the flowers, maturity is their beauty, and weeds are those who walk in an authority they have not been given.)

A man set out to build his house. He found a plot of ground to build on and purchased it. In researching building materials he found a store that guaranteed their material for 75 years — the longest guarantee on the market. He was very impressed and bought enough to build his house. He finished the foundation, the first floor, the second floor, and started working on the third floor. But while building the third floor he found another store that guaranteed their material forever. Now what do you think this man should do?

A boy inherited a vast fortune, but the funds were held in trust by a corrupt banker. Wanting to keep the wealth for himself, the banker devised a plan to keep the boy distracted.

Every weekend, the banker sent the boy free tickets to the local carnival, along with a small allowance of pocket change. The boy would spend hours playing games and riding rides, coming home thrilled with his arms full of cheap stuffed animals, plastic rings, and novelty prizes.

This went on for decades. The banker kept sending tickets to amusement parks, cruises, and festivals, and the boy kept going. The boy eventually grew into an old man, his house overflowing with faded carnival prizes and cheap souvenirs, having spent his entire life distracted from the billions sitting untouched in his name.

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Original: There once was a boy who inherited a large sum of money. The money was in the control of a certain banker who cared nothing about the boy, but just wanted to control his fortune. The banker said to himself, "If the boy realizes how rich he is, he might claim it and spend it." So as the years went by, the banker would often send the boy tickets to the Vanity Fair, where there were rides, games, prizes, challenges, fun, and merchandise. And the banker would give him plenty of spending cash. The boy would come back from the fair with shirts, caps, stuffed animals, jewelry, and all kinds of worthless junk. This happened year after year, and the banker sent him to many different fairs, carnivals, events, cruises, and excursions. The boy became a man and spent his time filling his life with the worthless riches of vanity, never to claim his true inheritance.

(You are the boy, the cash is the bait, the banker is the prince of this world, vanity is the trap, and your inheritance is the true riches of ☁️ heaven.)

In a strict kingdom, the penalty for theft was execution. When a man was caught stealing from his neighbor, the judge condemned him without hesitation. However, there was a rare Mercy Law: if a condemned man could find someone willing to sacrifice an eye in his place, he would go free.

Desperate, the prisoner begged his friends for help. Only one friend loved him enough to agree. The friend stood before the judge and offered his eye. The process was agonizing—leaving him permanently disfigured, unable to work his profession, and ridiculed by his peers. But when the prisoner was released, they celebrated together, and the thief thanked him a thousand times.

A few months later, the one-eyed friend was pulling weeds in his garden, struggling to adapt to his new life. A messenger arrived bearing a letter from the former prisoner.

It read: "Thank you again for your incredible sacrifice. You are the best friend a man could ever have. Unfortunately, I was caught stealing again! So... how's that other eye doing?"

How do you think he responded?

"It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them." (2 Peter 2:21)

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Original: Long ago, there was a kingdom that had very little tolerance for thieves. In fact, if anyone got caught stealing, he would be put to death in a miserable fashion. There was a man who was caught stealing from his neighbor in this kingdom. He begged and pleaded for mercy from the judge, but the judge could do nothing but condemn him. However, there was a Mercy Law on the books for anyone condemned to death. The law stated that if a condemned person could find a friend who would sacrifice one of their eyes, it would allow the condemned man to be freed. But the law was seldom used because of such a high cost.

The prisoner sent letters to all of his friends, pleading for his life. As it happened, he did have one friend who loved him very much — even enough to sacrifice one of his eyes. That friend came to the judge and offered his eye. It was a very painful process; disfiguring his face, losing his job, and being ridiculed by his peers. But it was worth it to save the prisoner's life. When the prisoner was released, he thanked his friend a thousand times and they celebrated together.

After a few months, the friend was at home working in his garden, having been unable to return to his previous profession. A man came to the door with a letter from his friend, the former prisoner. The letter read: "Again I want to thank you so much for your sacrifice — you are the best friend a man can have. Ever since we were young you were helping me. Unfortunately, I was caught stealing again! How's that other eye doing?"

How do you think he responded?

2 Peter 2:21 — It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.

The Kingdom of God is like a lawn mower, whereby all the grass that is tall and raised up is cut down, but all the grass that is low and bowed down is unharmed and allowed to flourish.

What happens when a car going 100 mph hits a solid brick wall?... The car changes its "opinion." The judgments of God are like that solid brick wall — they can change your opinion. But it is better to change course before the wall comes.

A man comes to you and says, "It's a mile to my house, can you spare $1 for the bus?" So you agree. Another man comes to you and says, "It's a mile to my house, can you spare $50 for a ride?" But you say, "No, that's not worth it. If you needed $50 for a medical operation I might consider it. Your burden is not worth that sacrifice!"

The greater someone's burden is, the more you would be willing to sacrifice in order to help. So I ask you, what was your burden that Christ would suffer and die for you?

A miner struck a massive vein of 🪙 gold deep beneath his town. Knowing that news of the strike would bring a swarm of greedy prospectors, he sat down to devise a plan.

"It's easy to fool a fool," he muttered to himself. "But how do I keep the wise men of the town from finding my gold?"

Weeks later, he returned from a long trip with a wagon full of iron pyrite—fool's 🪙 gold. In the dead of night, he seeded thousands of pieces all over the town, tossing them into rivers, creeks, and shallow gullies. The next morning, he ran down Main Street waving a large chunk in the air, screaming, "I'VE FOUND 🪙 GOLD! I'VE FOUND 🪙 GOLD!"

The town erupted into a frenzy. Within hours, dozens of people were out with picks and shovels. Over the next few days, hundreds of glittering pieces were discovered, and euphoria swept through the streets. But when the townsfolk brought their findings to the jeweler, he shook his head.

"It's all fake," the jeweler announced. "Fool's gold."

The town's excitement instantly collapsed into gloom and embarrassment. The wise men of the town, who had been cautious enough not to join the rush, had a hearty laugh at the fools' expense.

Quietly, the miner began buying up all the discarded picks, shovels, and mining equipment for pennies. And over the years, whenever a real piece of gold did occasionally surface, the wise men would scoff, dismissing it as just another fake.

By using the counterfeit to discredit the authentic, the miner was able to harvest the true gold in perfect peace—having successfully fooled both the fools and the wise men.

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Original: There once was a man who was digging for 🪙 gold, and he discovered a large streak of 🪙 gold deep under his town. But he said to himself, "If word gets out about this, everyone else will grab it." So he tried to devise a plan. "It's easy to fool a fool," he said, "I've done that many times. But there are many wise people in this town — how will I keep them from finding this 🪙 gold?"

After a while, he thought of an ingenious plan. He went across the state and purchased a large load of iron pyrite (fool's 🪙 gold). Then he planted thousands of pieces all over his town — in rivers, creeks, gullies, and everywhere one could imagine. Then he took the largest piece and ran down the main street screaming, "I'VE FOUND 🪙 GOLD! I'VE FOUND 🪙 GOLD!" This caused quite a commotion in his little town, and soon dozens of people were out with picks and shovels. In a few days, hundreds of pieces were found, and there was great euphoria covering the town. But when people started taking their pieces to the town jeweler, he gave them terrible news: "All fakes." The people were heartbroken; their euphoria turned into gloom.

But the wise people of the town, who were cautious and not so quick to rush in, got a good laugh out of it. Then the man who devised the plan slowly started to buy up all the fake pieces, all the picks, shovels, and other mining equipment. Every once in a while a real piece of 🪙 gold would surface, but people would take it to him instead of the town jeweler. And the wise people of the town would scoff whenever a rumor came up about real 🪙 gold. So he continued to mine the 🪙 gold in peace, fooling both the fools and the wise men.

There was once a wise farmer who owned a great farm. The farm was so large that it supplied food for an entire town. He owned vast numbers of livestock, a large tract of land, and much heavy agricultural machinery. But for all his success in raising crops, he could not raise his own children well. They were always against each other, bickering and arguing. They would never work together or cooperate on anything.

So he devised a plan to change this. He retired and gave his sons the farm. To one he left the entire farmland — all the pastures and crop fields. To the other son he left all the livestock: cattle, pigs, chickens, sheep, and goats. And to the last son he left all the equipment: tractors, barns, combines, silos, and tools. Each of these gifts was given under the condition that they could not be sold.

At first they tried to work independently from each other, but soon realized that their gift was worthless without the others. So eventually they learned to work as a team, not as individuals.

Our Heavenly Father has done the same with us, purposely leaving each of us with gaps, so as to require unity in His body for us to do anything of significance.

A man was resting in a large meadow, eating his lunch, listening to the wind blow and the birds sing. As he was lying down, he looked over and saw an ant hill next to him. So he said, "I'll feed the ants some bread crumbs from my lunch." But as he looked closer at the ant hill, he realized that it was actually a mound of dirt a few yards away. So he said, "I'll go eat my lunch on the mound, where I can overlook this meadow." But when he got up and started walking toward the mound, he realized it was a hill about a half mile away. So he said, "I might as well go hiking and finish my lunch on top of the hill." But after walking for a while he noticed that the hill was actually a mountain several miles in the distance. And so he asked himself, "Am I getting closer, or farther away?"

This is a question many Christians ask about their walk with the Lord. The closer we get to God, the bigger He gets, and the more insignificant we seem. We become more humble walking toward the Lord. But in walking toward the 👿 devil, we become more prideful and arrogant.

In the middle of a great battle, two soldiers spotted each other across a field. It was dark and hard to see, so neither one knew whether the other was a friend or foe. As it happened, one soldier was fully armed but starving because he hadn't eaten for three days. The other soldier had plenty of food but no ammunition. They watched each other, but never got close enough to communicate. When daylight finally came, they saw that they had been in the same army all along. But it was too late — the enemy army took the field. They were captured, both being totally unprepared for battle.

If you don't recognize your army, you won't receive their help. And those who do not recognize other parts of the body of Christ will not benefit from it. There are some victories that the Church will not see until all the parts of the Body are in place, united — until all the streams flow into one river.

A boy grew up in a magnificent home with parents who drove the finest cars and enjoyed every luxury. Yet, whenever he asked them for a small allowance, they refused, offering only unsolicited advice instead.

On his thirteenth birthday, he asked for a little cash to buy some music. His parents shook their heads.

"Why don't you learn to play our grand piano?" they told him. "It makes more beautiful music than anything you could buy."

Frustrated, the boy stormed out.

When he started dating, he asked for a few dollars to take his girlfriend to a movie. Again, they refused.

"Why not show your girlfriend our collection of classic films? They are much better than anything at the theater."

Throwing his hands up, the boy got a minimum-wage job just to scrape by.

Later, when he needed money for college textbooks, they dismissed him casually:

"Why don't you read the Bible we gave you? It’s full of all the wisdom you’ll ever need."

With that, he vowed never to ask them for anything again. He moved out, and their relationship withered. He didn't return until many years later, after both parents had passed away.

Walking through the empty house, he was determined to finally claim the inheritance they had withheld. As he searched, he made a startling discovery: his parents hadn't kept their money in a bank. They had hidden bundles of cash in strange places all over the estate—in closets, in the garage, and inside old coats. Every time he found another stash, he screamed curses at their memory, furious that they had hoarded it all.

But his anger quickly turned to uncontrollable weeping. He fell to his knees, wishing he could talk to them just one more time to beg for their forgiveness.

He had just found the last three bundles of cash: one hidden inside the grand piano, one tucked inside a classic film case, and the largest bundle of all pressed between the pages of his Bible.

When many of us stand before the Lord, we will be weeping for the exact same reason—we just didn't listen.

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Original: There once was a boy who lived in a wealthy family. The family lived in one of the finest homes, drove only the best cars, and had all the luxuries of life. But they were very selfish. As the boy grew up, whenever he asked his parents for money they would refuse, and instead give him some useless piece of advice. Their continual selfishness would frequently upset him, which would only be made worse by their never-ending advice. Every once in a while he would find some money, but it was very rare.

On the boy's 13th birthday, he asked his parents if he could buy some CDs. But his parents told him, "Why don't you learn to play our grand piano? It makes more beautiful music than any CDs you might buy." This statement caused him to run out of the house in frustration.

When the boy started dating, he asked his parents for money to take his girlfriend out to a movie. But they refused and said, "Why not show your girlfriend our full collection of classical movies? They are much better than what you'll see at any movie theater." Throwing his hands up in the air, he decided to get a job. It only paid minimum wage, but he managed to struggle by with a little bit of cash.

When he was going to school, he asked his parents for book money, but even for that they were too cheap. They casually told him, "Why don't you read the Bible we got you? It's full of all the wisdom you'll ever need."

With this, he decided never to ask his parents for anything again. Their relationship grew colder and colder, and they seldom talked with each other. After a few years the boy moved out, and never came back to the house until both parents had passed away.

Upon his return to the house, he was determined to get his inheritance that had been refused him all these years. While searching the house, he found out that his parents had been hiding their money from him. Instead of sharing it, they were stashing it away in places all around the house. He found cash in the closets, in the library, in the garage, and many other strange places. And every time he found a bundle of cash, he would scream curses.

But soon his anger turned to weeping. He began to cry sorrowfully. He wished in his heart he could just talk with his parents one more time, and ask their forgiveness. Why? Because of the last three bundles of cash he found — one hidden in the grand piano, one hidden in the classical movie collection, and one hidden between the pages of his Bible.

When many of us stand before the Lord, we will be weeping for the same reason — we just didn't listen.

A great king decided to hold a feast. He told his servants to prepare everything — to spare no expense in creating the greatest feast of all time. He demanded that they use only the best foods, the finest wines, and the most priceless golden plates and chalices. Then the King invited the whole town to the banquet, from peasants to nobles, and told them that he had brought out only the best of everything. But some of the people said, "There's nothing wrong with my cooking and my plates — why can't I bring them to this feast and make it even better?" So they did just that.

On the day of the feast, the King dressed all his guests in fine linen, and they were all seated at the table. The servants poured the wine for everyone and the King began to make a toast. But as he was making the toast, something caught his eye, and he began to walk around the table. As he walked he shouted, "Why are there wooden forks at my table? Didn't I order my golden utensils? Why is there a cooked rabbit on my table? Didn't I order only my best meats for this feast? Is that goat's milk? I ordered only the finest wines. Who has disgraced my table?"

When God's children have pride in their hearts, this is what it looks like to the Lord. It dishonors His table. The guests brought their own food because they didn't think very highly of their King, and they assumed that what they could bring to the table could compare to what He had.

When we were kids, we played a game called Hot Potato. It was a game where a group of kids would pass around a ball. Whoever had the ball would instantly throw it to someone else. When "Hot Potato" was called, the unfortunate person holding the ball loses. So anyone holding the ball would quickly pass it to someone else.

We continue to play this game today as adults, just with a different ball. Now the ball is accusation, shame, and guilt. When someone accuses us of something, we instantly try to pass the ball to someone else. No one wants to hold the ball. But a mature Christian must be able to hold the ball in truth and swallow any shame. He does not try to pass it on.

The Bible teaches us that the 👿 devil is the master of accusation and lies. He also gives us excuses when we need them. When we are following his will and get caught, he will give us brilliant ways to justify our actions, which keep us away from accountability. But as a maturing Christian, you must learn to handle these lies and excuses like you're playing tennis with the 👿 devil.

When he serves you a ball that says "everybody else is doing it," you hit back saying "You have been set free from sin — Romans 6:22."

When he smashes a ball at you saying "You'll never accomplish anything," you smash back with "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me — Philippians 4:13."

And when he slices a shot saying "This person really hurt you — why don't you get him back for what he did," you put it away with: "Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good — Romans 12:21."

One day a man was walking in the desert when he came across a magic genie lamp. Full of excitement, he picked it up and rubbed it. And just as he imagined, a genie came out and granted him three wishes. After pondering what to wish for, he finally said, "I wish for a new set of clothes — get me out of these rags." And he was instantly dressed in a magnificent set of clothes. "And I wish to drink some of the finest wines in the world." He was instantly given ten bottles of the world's greatest wines. "Now I wish you would take me home, so that I no longer need to walk in this desert." And he appeared in front of his house.

With great joy, he ran into the house to tell of all his great fortune. But when he opened the door he noticed that his house was still just the same old shack it had always been. The kids were still sick in bed, and the cupboards were still bare of food. Having realized this, he threw down the bottles of wine, tore off his clothes, and wept bitterly.

The Lord also grants us the desires of our heart. But if all we are praying for is earthly wealth and temporal gain, then we will be likened unto this foolish man.

How do you know if you're experiencing spiritual growth? You should have a Caveman's Testimony.

The Kingdom of God is like a caveman visiting a modern city. Everything is different and new for him. When he goes back home he tries to explain everything to his people. He tells them, "You do not walk around, you ride around. You do not build a fire to cook your food, you turn a switch. Hot water is available when you turn a knob. You do not gather around the fire to listen to stories, you just turn on a TV. You do not need to walk to everyone's hut, you call them on a phone. You do not plant your crops, you just pick them up at a supermarket." And it goes on for hours.

How much more should a believer talk about his new life in Christ! Jesus changes everything! If you cannot tell of all the things that have changed — like the caveman — then you haven't fully experienced a rebirth. If your understanding of God is just, "God loves everybody and we should too," I tell you that non-followers understand that much. When Jesus comes into you and you surrender to Him, every aspect of your life will reflect it. You can always mature further.

There was a father who had an ambitious son. One day the son said, "Father, I would like to build a car." Now the son was very young, just learning to ride a bike, but the father said, "OK, we will build a car together. And when we are finished, we will ride anywhere you want. I will purchase the parts, purchase the tools, find the instructions, and do the labor. And you, son, will hand me the tools when I need them." The son agreed, and so the father went out purchasing all the parts, all the tools, finding all the manuals, and setting up everything in the garage.

When he was done, he called his son: "Son, everything is ready to build the car, and now I need you to hand me the tools when I ask." But the son said, "Father, I can't build a car — it's too much work. I can never do all that. But when you're finished, call me and we'll go riding." But the father said, "If you won't do your 1% of the work, I won't do my 99%." And the car was never completed.

And so it is with our relationship with our Heavenly Father. For He changes the heart and mind of man. With 30, 40, 60 years of sinful nature, ungodly thoughts, and unrighteous acts, a man can never make himself right with God. But the Lord can change all that, and change you from the inside. But if you won't do your 1%, then don't expect Him to do the 99%. If you won't study His word, don't expect His word to change you. If you won't obey His Spirit, don't expect His Spirit to direct you. If you won't humble yourself, don't expect Him to exalt you. And if you won't repent, don't expect Him to forgive you. Do your 1%, and the rest will be given unto you. For our Father is the Multiplier.

A father once purchased some gifts for his daughter and son. For his daughter he bought a doll, and for his son he bought a toy tank. The daughter loved the doll and played with it, nurtured it, and talked with it. And the son played war with the tank.

What would happen if the father didn't give his daughter a doll, but gave her a living baby to care for? And what if the father didn't buy a toy tank for his son, but sent his son (who was 5 years old) off to real war? The children could never handle the complexity or responsibility. A daughter could never understand or handle all the needs of a child, and she would fail. And the boy could never understand or handle fighting a war, and he would also fail. But by giving them toys, a father can prepare them for future roles they might have. They can start off learning basic concepts, and grow from there.

This shows us why we are here on earth. We can't fully understand the concepts of God, or what our life will be like in ☁️ heaven. But on earth we can learn basic concepts of God: don't steal, don't lie, love one another, respect authority — all of which will prepare us for our real life in ☁️ heaven.

There were once two people wandering in the desert — one a rich nobleman, the other a beggar. They were out of provisions and desperately needed to find shelter. Soon they came upon a great kingdom with many people and great riches. When they got to the gate, the gatekeeper shouted, "All are welcome here. Who are you?"

The nobleman replied, "I am a nobleman by birth. I carry with me many great riches, an understanding of the sciences, and I have many powerful connections. Let me dwell in your land." Then the beggar yelled, "I am none of these — just a beggar who needs a home."

The gatekeeper shouted, "All are welcome who swear allegiance to the King." So the beggar swore allegiance, but the nobleman said, "I already have a king and will not bow my knee to any other."

So I ask you, who did the gatekeeper let in?

Those who give to the Lord's charity and take credit for it will be likened to a servant bringing 💎 treasure to a king. When the servant lays the 💎 treasure at the king's feet, the king is very pleased. Yet the king notices that his coat is bulging. So he commands the guards to search him, only to find that he has stolen some of the 💎 treasure for himself. And the king will shout, "Get this thief out of my court along with this worthless junk — it is an offense to me."

Those who complain about others but do not pray for them will be likened to people who are cleaning their house. They vacuum, dust, and search diligently to collect all the trash in their house. When they are finished, they put all the trash into bags. But in the end they do not throw it away — they just walk over to the fence and throw it on their neighbor's yard. Foolish man, throw away your trash; do not leave it for others.

When a person is in sin or offending the Lord, do not sit and accuse him before the Lord — lift him up to the Lord and pray for him, that he may be pulled away from his sin. Otherwise you leave it for someone else to clean up.

What is the difference between a sheepdog and a wolf? Both have sharp teeth; both can attack and are aggressive. What is the difference between them? One divides the flock while the other protects it.

When a fellow believer has a questionable doctrine, do you bring him back in or cast him out? Follow the sheepdog, not the wolf — work to unite the flock, not divide it. For in the end there will be one Shepherd and one fold, and anyone working against this is not advancing the will of God.

When a man is attracted to a woman, he will go to great lengths for her. He will constantly call her, buy her expensive presents, take her out to movies, compliment her, hold her, and share secrets with her. There are no limits to what a man will do when pursuing a woman. Shouldn't your pursuit of the Lord be just as great, if not more?

Your relationship with the Lord should be filled with worship, praying, trusting, serving, studying, and loving the Lord. If not, your relationship will grow cold, just as if you started ignoring your wife. What kind of marriage could a man have if he only kissed his wife once a week? The same thing happens when we worship and pray only on Sundays.

Your relationship with the Lord has to be your highest priority. Can you imagine what would happen if you took your wife to a gathering of people and then started flirting with every other woman there? She would be very upset and jealous. And so is the Lord when we treat Him like a side project or a hobby, and give others the same attention that we give Him.

[The Cheap Roses]

No one would ever take their wife to a florist and ask the clerk, "What is the cheapest rose you've got?" — then give it to your wife and say "I love you." But this is what we do when we give the Lord less than our best. Pursue the Lord like a soul mate, and your relationship will prosper.

A flock of sheep were wandering in the dark. Since it was nighttime, they could not see where they were going. After a while they started to get farther and farther apart. But when the sun finally came up and they could see, they all raised their heads and looked to see where the shepherd was. Some noticed they were close to the shepherd, and others noticed they were far off.

The ones that were close to the shepherd said, "Oh, there he is," and they started to walk toward him. But what do you think the sheep that were far off did when they finally saw the shepherd? Did they start walking? No — I tell you they started running.

When the sheep that were walking saw this, they said, "Why are you running? What's the big deal? He's right here." The running sheep said, "No. We've seen the distance. We've been to the other fields. We've seen the wolf."

In the same way, we all react differently when we come into the Light of Jesus. Some of us start walking toward the Lord, and some of us start running. How fast are you going?

The Holy Spirit is like a rider on a horse. When the rider wants the horse to go, he will say, "Go." But if the horse does not listen, the rider will say it again, but louder. If the horse still does not listen, the rider will tap his hand on the horse's neck. If the horse does not go, the rider will then give him a little kick. But if the horse still does not listen, the rider will need to use the whip.

This is also how our Holy Spirit talks with us. His voice is very quiet and gentle, and we often miss it. But when we ignore Him, He speaks louder and louder. And if we keep ignoring Him, He will need to speak in ways we can't ignore.

One day a business owner hired a private detective. He told him, "Someone has broken into my house, stolen my wife's jewelry, broken into my safe, and taken off with my car. Do anything you can — just find out who it is." And he gave the detective two months to solve the case.

After a month of searching, the detective came to the businessman and said, "I have narrowed down the suspects to three of your neighbors." The businessman replied, "Find out who it is — use any of my resources that you need. Also, my company is in need of a detective to track down a much larger thief. We will also need you for that investigation. But for now, just find this little thief."

The detective went back to work. A month later he approached the business owner and said, "I have narrowed down my investigation to one of your neighbors. Come, let us have him arrested." But the business owner replied, "You are wrong! I broke into my own house, stole my wife's jewelry, broke into my safe, and took my own car. For what I really wanted was someone to find the big thief at my company. But if you can't find the little thief, how can you ever find the big thief?"

In the same way, God has His people on the earth, and they speak for Him. But if you can't recognize them, then you can't recognize God.

One day a father took his son to the beach to teach him how to swim. After a while, the son wandered off. When the day was getting late, the father went to find the boy. The boy had been spending his time making a large sandcastle. "Son, it is time for us to go home," he said. But the boy just kept on building. "Son, it is a great castle, but we have to go back to our house," he said. But the boy became upset and said, "Father, you don't know how important this is — let me finish." So the son continued building it bigger and bigger, until, on his foot, he felt the first wave of the oncoming tide.

And so it is with us. We tie ourselves down to the things of this world and have no concern for the things of our heavenly home. And only when it is too late do we realize that soon the tide will come in, making all our little earthly projects worthless.

One day a father purchased a video game for his son. His son loved the gift, thanked his father, and took it upstairs. In no time the son got very good at playing it.

A few days later, the father asked his son to mow the lawn before dinner. But when the father came home, the lawn was still not mowed. So the father called upstairs for his son, "Son, I thought you would mow the lawn today? Now come down for dinner." It was another 20 minutes before he came down. "What took you so long?" the father asked. "I was playing that video game you gave me. I'm getting really good at it." "Son, weren't you going to help your mother with cleaning today?" "Yeah, I'm sorry, I was a little busy today," he said.

This went on for a few more weeks, until finally the father got a letter from his son's teacher explaining a drop in his son's school performance. This was the last straw, and the father decided to take action. So what do you think the father did?

He took away the video game from his son. And the son was devastated and cried all night. To the son, losing the video game was a catastrophe. But in the father's perspective it was a wake-up call. His son's focus was on play and not school, and he needed a little discipline to change his focus.

Sin is like a debilitating disease, like leprosy. By obeying rules and laws you can cover up the effects of this disease and hide them. And living a good life is like taking medication to help the symptoms. But these never cure the disease. In order to cure it you must be born again — you must not be of flesh and blood, but of water and spirit. Then you will be given power over the disease, and the ability to prevent it from seizing you.

When thinking of sin, don't think of it as a trap just lying around for someone to fall into. Traps are dumb and cannot adjust themselves. Someone can see a trap and simply avoid it. No — sin is living and active. It is not like a dumb trap, but like a prowling lion. It does not sit around and wait for you; it actively pursues you. When you avoid it, it gets upset. When it captures you, it rejoices. If you escape it one time, it will try a different approach. It is intelligent and purposeful. It is a spirit, and it wants to have you.

Entering the Kingdom of God is like entering the military. New recruits are not given great power or authority. First they must prove they are trustworthy. No general would put a low-ranking recruit in charge of a warship or an aircraft carrier. A general would only put someone in that position after they have been tested and have experience. Only then are they given greater responsibility.

[A Child in the Army]

But what happens when you take children onto a military base? Do they want to see the marching band? No. Do they want to learn about discipline? No. Do they want to learn about respect for authority or leadership skills? No. No. No. They just want to see the guns, the tanks, and the weapons.

And so it is with us — we don't want to know about righteousness, or submission to authority, or humility. But we are very intrigued by the power of God and all His miracles.

So why are you in the army?

Some people are like a cup that stands on the beach, contemplating the existence of the ocean. The cup says, "Does the ocean exist? Where does it end? When did it begin?" Though the cup sees the evidence of the ocean all around, it never fully believes in the ocean, saying, "I will not believe in the existence of the ocean until I can fit it inside of me."

One day a father sent his son to the third grade. The father had all the confidence in his son because his son was intelligent for his age. But when the son came home from school, he was in a rage. He threw down his math book right in front of his father and screamed, "Math! I'll never understand it!" And he ran up to his room crying.

The father was very shocked and picked up the math book and opened it. (1×1=1, 2×2=4, 2×1=2.) The father was puzzled because the book was very easy, and his child should have been able to handle it. So he went upstairs to his son's room: "Son, why have you given up on math? You can handle this." But the son said, "It is too hard and complex — I can't do it." So the father, looking at the math book, said, "What is so hard about this?" And the son said, "Derivatives, integrals, multi-variable equations — I can't handle all that and I never will." The father was very puzzled and asked, "Where did you hear about derivatives, integrals, and such?" And the son replied, "I talked with some ninth-graders."

Becoming a Christian is like going to school — you start in the first grade and progress. When the Holy Spirit comes into you, He does not expect perfection overnight, but He will teach you what you need to know one concept at a time. As with a child going to school, first they learn the basics, then they get more advanced. No teacher would give a ninth-grade test to a third-grader. And neither will the Holy Spirit demand of you anything that you cannot handle. When someone becomes a Christian, the Lord doesn't expect them to abandon every single sin in their life and become a saint overnight.

What is the difference between being saved and being surrendered? It is the same as with a sheep and a horse. When you are saved, it is like a sheep that goes from being lost to being found — from wandering outside the gate to being protected inside the gate. You have freedom to roam around in the sheep pen, as long as you stay inside the gate.

But being surrendered is like that of a horse — a found sheep will still wander inside the gate, but a horse has a rider on his back and will be constantly driven from one place to another, always serving his master. Strive to be the horse, not the sheep.

There once was a farmer who owned a small plot of land. One day, ten of his townsmen gave him a map. It revealed buried 💎 treasure somewhere on his land — a great 💎 treasure of 🪙 gold, silver, rubies, and emeralds. And they swore by the map's authenticity. He went instantly to grab his shovel and started to dig. While doing this, a friend came and said, "You cannot trust these ten men, and you don't know for sure about this buried 💎 treasure." But the farmer said, "I will keep digging, for worthy is the prize."

After hours of digging, his neighbor came by and told him, "Look, you dig in vain — there are many holes in your yard, and behold you find no 💎 treasure." But the farmer said, "I will keep digging, for worthy is the prize."

After a few days of digging, his brother came by and said, "Why do you dig here? Others believe the 💎 treasure to be buried on a different farm — you're digging in the wrong area." But the farmer said, "I will keep digging, for worthy is the prize."

Soon the farmer found the 💎 treasure, and so vast were the riches that he built the greatest mansion in all the land and hired many of his townsmen as servants.

In a few years, ten different townsmen came to his mansion. They told him about great 💎 treasure in ☁️ heaven and riches beyond his imagination. And they left him with a book of their scriptures so that he might receive this great 💎 treasure. The rich farmer called upon his wisest counselors for advice. One said, "You cannot trust these men, for you don't know the truth of their book, and neither do they." The next counselor said, "Many have studied these scriptures and are no better off." And his last counselor said, "Behold, other townsmen talk of other scriptures — why should you blindly trust these?"

The rich farmer agreed, set down the book, and it was never opened again.

Now I ask you, why didn't the farmer search these scriptures? Though many reasons were given, he simply did not consider the 💎 treasure worthy.

Now when the farmer dies and goes before his Maker, he will say, "Lord, why didn't you show yourself to me when I was living?" And the Lord will say, "You never searched."

Why does the Lord allow suffering? If He is a loving God, how could He allow this to go on? Hear this parable.

Imagine a third-grade child who goes to school. During class hours the teacher maintains order in the classroom. There is no fighting, swearing, harassing, or other disorders. But during recess the child goes out on the playground for fun. And while he is there, he would often get pushed around by a bully. Tell me, why does the school allow him to get bullied?

They don't. In the classroom the teacher is in control, but on the playground the kids make up their own rules with little supervision, and they have to face the consequences. We on earth are on our own playground, and we face the consequences for our actions. If we were in ☁️ heaven and were suffering, then we could point to God and ask why. But on our playground, we are the reason for our own suffering.

A certain father had two children. On the day before school started, he sent them to the store, each with $10. Upon their return, the father asked them what they bought. When the first son showed his father what he purchased, the father saw pencils, pens, paper, a calculator, and a dictionary. But when the father looked at the other son's bag, it had pencils, pens, candy, and a baseball cap. So I ask you, the next time the father needs something from the store, which son will he send? The first. And your Heavenly Father will act likewise.

Once there were two horses that belonged to a farmer. One was a strong, wild horse, always galloping around in the pasture. No horse could outrun him, no man could break him. The other horse was just average in strength. He was broken in by the master many years ago and was now tied up in the barn.

Now I ask you, when the farmer wants to go into town, which horse will he take? I tell you, he will NOT take the wild horse. Though stronger and faster, the wild horse is of no use until he is broken in.

In the same way, until we are broken in by the Spirit and made humble, we are like a wild horse trampling in the pasture — running faster and faster, yet getting nowhere; not tested and not trustworthy. In the same way, knowledge and prestige can work against you if they interfere with the relationship you have with the Lord, or if they make you arrogant or self-righteous.

Every prayer must come from the heart. If a prayer goes through your mouth but you do not feel its meaning deep inside, then it is as meaningless as when your ATM machine says "Thank you, come again."

Imagine your son running home from his first day of third grade. He runs into the house all excited to talk with you. You can't wait to hear what happened. You wonder if he made any new friends, if his teachers are nice, what subjects he's studying, or maybe if he even has some homework. He drops his coat on the floor and runs to you. So you give him a big hug, carry him to the living room, and sit him on your knee. Bubbling over with enthusiasm, you say, "Son, I want you to tell me everything that happened today." He looks up at you and smiles, then he pulls out a tape recorder from his pocket. He holds it up to your face and hits play: "I was good in school today. I obeyed the teacher. I will do my chores. Please give me my allowance and a new bike." Then he stops the tape recorder, puts it in his pocket, and runs upstairs.

Your smile turns into a sigh, as you realize it was the same boring taped message you heard throughout first and second grade.

Nobody talks with the father like this — but this is how many of us talk with our Heavenly Father.

When a third-grade child draws a picture in school and runs home to show his father, does the father say, "Son, what is this? This is no Picasso. I can buy pictures better than this at the gas station. Get some skill, will ya?"

In the same way, our Heavenly Father doesn't expect perfection from us. But He does expect a sincere effort.

There was a child who had a rich father. The boy had a dream of owning his own new Mercedes Benz. He kept asking his dad, but his dad said, "Wait until you're 16."

On the eve of his son's birthday, the father started making room in the garage for the new car he was going to buy. Moving boxes and crates, the father came across his son's old bicycle. He found that the bicycle had two flat tires, a missing seat, a broken chain, and a lot of rust. Puzzled, he asked the son for an explanation. The son gave many explanations of why the bicycle was in this condition. But when he was finished, the father rebuked his son saying, "If I cannot trust you with the little things I give you, why should I trust you with the big things? Therefore I will not buy a new car for your birthday."

And so will it be with entering the Kingdom of God. For great is the power and responsibility given there. And those who have not been responsible with little things in this life will not be trusted with much in the next.

A father tells his two sons to gather firewood. One goes out to work, and the other decides not to obey. Soon it begins to rain, so the first son is forced to come inside before he could even cut down one tree. Now, I ask you, though no firewood was collected, which one will the father rebuke?

One day a king's sons were kidnapped by a rebel group and locked inside a cave. The cave was dimly lit by a few candles, and there were many caverns in which they could get lost, so they stayed near the front of the cave. They tried desperately to break through the front of the cave but it was no use — it was secure.

After a little while they felt the wind blow, which told them that one of the caverns led to the outside. So they talked among themselves and asked, "Which cavern, which path will lead to the outside?"

The first son said, "There is no way out — none of the caverns lead to the outside," but he was foolish and had just never bothered to feel the breeze. And they were no closer to their escape.

The second son said, "Well, I believe there is some way out, but I'm not going to try any of these paths," because he refused to try any of them. And they were no closer to their escape.

The third son said, "I know this cave, and I know the only way out — we should take the leftmost path."

So they asked the fourth son, "OK, which one of your brothers do you agree with?" And he said, "I agree with each one of them — they are all right." But he was foolish, just trying to appease everybody and always be in agreement.

So the third son went off by himself and was the only one able to escape.

In the same way that these four brothers responded to the question "Which way is out?", people respond likewise to the question: "Is there a God?"

Why do we worship? Why is it important?

Imagine a shepherd with his flock of sheep. As the sheep are grazing, they are moving forward, each one in his own direction. Each sheep doesn't look to the left or to the right — he just walks forward. After a time, the flock is very scattered. But soon the shepherd begins to sing a beautiful song. And as he sings, all the sheep lift their heads and look for the shepherd. When they find him, they face his direction. And now when they walk, they are walking toward him instead of away. Worship faces us in the right direction.

What is the difference between group prayer and individual prayer?

Imagine individual prayer as a soldier who runs into the enemy camp and starts attacking. He can be very effective. But now imagine a group of 50 soldiers attacking the enemy camp — they can do far more as a group than any individual can by himself.