Despite Hungary's democratic politics, charismatic believers are harassed and falsely accused of illegal behavior. read more

8:00PM EDT 9/30/2000

Christians working near the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy say the Holy Spirit is moving in special ways to soften a city known for spiritual resistance. read more

7:00PM EST 1/31/2002

Larry Lea says he has made mistakes, but he insists that his calling from God was never revoked. read more

7:00PM EST 1/31/2002

If we truly want to see the Holy Spirit transform our communities, here’s how we can prepare ourselves for His coming. Only God can transform a community, but there are several things we can do to prepare for His arrival. Here’s a short list of considerations. read more 12:39PM EDT 7/13/2012

The First Prayer in the First Congress – 1774

O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from Thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the kingdoms, empires and governments; look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our American States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee. To Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give. Take them, therefore, heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their cause and if they persist in their sanguinary purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle!

Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation, that the scene of blood may be speedily closed, that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst the people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world; and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior. Amen.

Rev. Jacob Duché
Rector of Christ Church of Philadelphia
Sept. 7, 1774, 9 a.m. read more

3:20PM EDT 10/1/2012

All of us care a great deal about our country. The intensity of opinions and feelings during the long political campaign showed the depth of that concern.

Now with the votes counted, it is important to remember that whether we are personally pleased with the outcome or not, God wants us to pray for those chosen to be our leaders—at the national, state, and local levels. The Bible urges us to do so with both respect and thanksgiving (see 1 Peter 2:17; 1 Tim. 2:1–3).

We must also remember that no election will ever solve America’s most basic problems. That is because the trouble, at its root, is in the human heart, and the only path to true restoration—for a person or for a nation—is through repentance. The Bible says, “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19–20, ESV).

Only the gospel, God’s Good News, has the power to change lives, heal hearts, and restore a nation.

I want that to happen in America, and I know you want that as well. I turned 94 on the day after the election. Although my age and health have limited me physically in recent years, I plan to spend the next 12 months, if God permits, doing all that I am able to do in helping to carry out a fresh vision God has given us—a vision to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to every possible place in America by the time of my 95th birthday. It’s called My Hope, and I pray that you will partner with us.

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In the days of the Prophet Jeremiah, God commanded His people to “seek the peace and prosperity” of the land where He had placed them and to “pray to the Lord for it” (Jer. 29:7, NIV). I ask you to join me in committing the next 52 weeks to faithful, even fervent, prayer for this land in which we live. You can start by making a list of people you know personally who need Jesus Christ and then begin praying regularly for them, individually by name.

Pray also for your neighborhood and your city, asking God to bring men, women, teens, and children—people from your own community—to Himself during the next 12 months. And pray along with me for the nation, asking God for mercy on America and for a great spiritual awakening.

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My son Franklin is spearheading this vision and outreach, working in partnership with thousands of churches across every state in the country (ask your pastor if your church plans to take part). Franklin will be sending you more details on how this will work through the coming months and how you can participate.

At the climax of My Hope one year from now, if God enables me, I want to call the entire nation torepentance and lasting hope in Jesus Christ. The message I give will be presented in a fresh format, different from preaching at a crusade, but the same gospel. I believe we will see God work in a mighty way.

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It is my passionate, heartfelt desire to see God change hearts and lives in every community in America, and I pray He will stir the same desire in you.

  read more

2:20PM EST 11/12/2012

 

God is the ultimate communicator. When He speaks, he makes sure that we can hear and understand Him.

When a child is small, whether we want to or not, we train them to hear our voice. We have certain tones of voices that indicate “I mean business.”

By the time a child is four or five years old, they will begin to have so much going on in their heads that sometimes they don’t hear us until we turn on that certain tone of voice.

In the busyness of the Christmas season, it might seem counterproductive to pause. Yet, it is in these moments that we can learn so much about listening. Take a few moments today to consider how you hear God’s voice. Do you only hear Him when He “turns on the voice”, or are you hearing even His whispers?

God speaks in many different ways. The Christmas narrative shows us that God spoke to people in ways that they would understand, and with just the right approach to help them understand and believe.

For Mary, God showed up as an angel, in person, with encouragements.

“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you…you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus…”

Joseph got an angel too, but every time an angel appeared to Joseph, it was in a dream.

God spoke to Zechariah through an angel, but his wife only heard God’s voice through circumstances—first her husband couldn’t speak, then she found out she was pregnant.

Yet, God used her to encourage Mary with a word of knowledge. “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!”

The shepherds heard from a host of angels, but the Wise Men heard from God through a change in nature—there was a star in the East.

There are two people in the narrative that we should take some time to consider: Simon and Anna.

Luke 2 tells us that Simon was moved by the Spirit. It wasn’t even his day to work, but he went into the temple courts. He was there when Mary and Joseph brought in the child Jesus. Simon had spent so much time in God’s presence that he knew His voice.

Then we have Anna. Anna made it her habit to be in the Temple courts. Because it was her habit to fast and pray and be in the Temple, she was there when Jesus showed up.

In the season where we celebrate God’s big acts, let’s take a few moments to consider—are we making it our habit to be in God’s presence? Are we listening for His voice so we will hear Him when He speaks?

Whether you are in a space to really listen, or in a space that you need God to turn up the volume, the Bible shows us that God is the ultimate communicator. He speaks so that His audience will hear and understand Him. read more

2:46PM EST 12/10/2012

Download a free track from Martin Smith's first solo album called God’s Great Dance Floor, Step 01.

Download the track “Catch Every Teardrop" here: http://emailunlock.com/martinsmithtv/catch-every-teardrop-free . read more

4:54PM EDT 6/17/2013