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With all your heart

In  Galatians 6:4–5,  Paul gives us a very important principle: “Pay careful attention to your own work… For we are each responsible for our own conduct.” There is something very powerful in those words:  “pay careful attention to your own work.” Many people approach their work with the attitude,  “As long as I get by, that's enough.”  We may give our employer the minimum required. We do what we have to do, but we don't necessarily do our best. Sadly, sometimes we can carry the same attitude into the work of the Lord. We may say,  “Nobody is paying me.”   “Nobody appreciates what I do.”   “Others are not doing their part, so why should I?” But Paul gives us a different standard.  Pay careful attention to your own work. The Christian should not be known for doing the minimum. We should be people who can be trusted to do our work  well, faithfully and wholeheartedly. Paul says in another place: “Whatever you do, work at it ...

Do whatever He tells you

“Do whatever He tells you” — John 2:5 Mary gave the servants some of the best advice anyone could ever give:  “Do whatever He tells you.” Notice that Mary did not explain what Jesus was going to do. She did not give them a reason. She simply told them to  obey Him . Why could Mary say that with such confidence? Because  Mary knew Jesus . She had experienced His birth. She had pondered the things God had spoken concerning Him. She had watched Him grow. She knew that He was not an ordinary person. Mary's confidence in Jesus was not based merely on what she had heard about Him.  It was based on what she knew of Him. And that is an important principle for us: Know the Master, and obedience becomes easier. The servants were told:  “Fill the jars with water.” Think about that instruction. They had run out of wine. The wedding was in trouble. And Jesus tells them to fill six stone jars with water. To them, it probably made no sense. Water cannot solve a wine problem. I...

Prayer and blessing for Angel and Dinesh

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This evening, we had the joy of attending a prayer gathering held in preparation for the wedding of  Angel and Dinesh , who will be getting married in early September. The gathering was attended by about 40 close friends and family members—people who are especially connected to Angel and whom she wanted around her to pray for her and Dinesh before their big day. It was wonderful to see many dear friends whom I had not met for some time. The evening was simple, meaningful, and filled with joy, laughter, prayer, and good fellowship. I had the privilege of sharing from  John 2—the wedding at Cana . It is interesting that Jesus chose a wedding celebration as the setting for His first recorded miracle. It reminds us that Jesus is not only interested in the spiritual moments of our lives; He wants to be part of our celebrations, our relationships, our homes, and our marriages. I shared four simple but important principles: 1. Invite Jesus into your celebrations. John 2:2 — “Jesus al...

What is true anointing?

Recently, I had the privilege of being in two very different places, in two very different settings, and yet both left a deep impression on me. The first was a church in the United States. It was a wonderful church, but the worship was very different from what I have often experienced in Pentecostal and charismatic settings. They sang traditional hymns and songs. There was no shouting or screaming. There were no tongues or prophetic utterances. There was very little outward expression. People were not necessarily lifting their hands or displaying intense emotion. And yet, as I got to know the people, I discovered something that deeply challenged me. Almost every family in that church was involved in missions. Some had sent missionaries from their own families. Others were faithfully supporting missionaries around the world. Their commitment to the Great Commission was not simply something they talked about from the pulpit. It was woven into the way they lived. Then I had another experi...

Thanking God for the time in Cairo

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Just landed in Doha from Cairo and now waiting for my connection to Singapore in about an hour. As I sit here reflecting on the past few days, my heart is filled with gratitude to the Lord for an unforgettable time at the DWAM Conference in Cairo. This was my fourth visit to Cairo, but somehow this visit felt especially meaningful.  I am truly grateful to Dr Ehab and his team for the fine organisation of the conference and for inviting me.  Dr. Ehab and his family are truly remarkable. Despite their many achievements in the secular world, they have demonstrated such humility, grace, and passion for the Kingdom of God. They have served others in the same spirit as their Master - a virtue that is increasingly rare in today's  world.  Their two children are equally remarkable, especially Andrew. What an exceptional young man, with such great potential and a promising future ahead of him. It was also a joy to reconnect with friends from the medical profession, some whom ...