When you come to the end of any season that's been hard, tough or heartbreaking, it's usually as difficult to conclude as it has been to live. The end of such a time often becomes the start of a soul's long night of restlessness, reliving the struggle and re-experiencing its pain.

But into such days, moments or seasons of the soul, Jesus' closing words from the cross speak a principle of discipleship laden with wisdom: "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit" (Luke 23:46, NKJV).

There is something sublime about Jesus' final words from the cross. Though sometimes overlooked, their message points the way to wisely conclude any bad day, any trying experience: Place it into the hands of God and leave it there.

There are dozens of life issues that call us to follow Jesus' pathway in living through tough times, issues that are seldom as quick to pass as we would wish and that always call us to the cross to hear the Savior's words again, "Into Your hands I commit."

Committing ourselves into His hands may be the key for some of us to enter a new day--or new year--with newfound expectancy, notwithstanding the "bad" behind us.

For Jesus, the end of it all finally was revealed in a resurrection. For you and me--where "surrender" is truly made--there's full reason to expect precisely the same. read more

4:18PM EDT 8/4/2010

Often people with problems are made to feel sub-Christian. We view them as an inconvenience because they require more time than we want to give.

Talking with them about anything other than the weather might get us entangled in their struggles, so we pass a few pleasantries and quickly find our seats. We rush out after the sermon, more concerned with the football game on television than the person next to us in the pew whose life is shattered.

How can we say, "I love God" when our interaction with the needy is governed by such self-serving, don't-disrupt-my-routine snobbery?

Have we deceived ourselves about the love of God? "Dear friends," pleads John, "since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:11, NIV).

So, how does one actually love another? Ask yourself: "Am I the sort of Christian with whom someone would feel comfortable sharing? Or am I intimidating?

"Does my demeanor say, 'Yes, I want to help; Yes, I care?' Or do I communicate, 'Stay away; you're a disgrace?'"

Then ask God to make you a minister of His compassion and acceptance. Allow Him to use your life to heal the brokenhearted. read more

10:00AM EDT 6/24/2010

Sometimes, in order to trust God, we must be reminded who He is, what He's capable of doing, what He's done in the past, and what He's currently doing on our behalf.

One of the greatest problems in our generation is the diminishment of our perspective of God—we have lost the biblical perspective of His majestic greatness. We read of His greatness in Genesis, His majesty in Exodus and His miraculous power in the Acts of the Apostles, but we fail to see Him the "same yesterday, today and forever" (Heb. 13:8, NKJV).

To understand the sovereignty of God is to acknowledge that nothing began with us—and it probably won't end with us. We are simply a part of the successive, progressive work of God, and by His greatness we occupy a moment of time in a generation.

We live in Him. We move in Him. We breathe in Him. And we do His will as long as He gives us life.

When our mission is complete, and our time is over, He raises up another generation and continues to do what He has been doing from the foundation of the world. Nothing stops God in His eternal purpose.

Nations rise and fall and are reborn under the banner of a new hope. A church grows and is celebrated, then dies a terrible death because of a split or moral failure in the leadership. But these things don't stop the work of the kingdom of God.

The eternal purpose of God is greater than a nation, a church or a generation. But sometimes it is hard to see God's greatness because our image blocks the Son. The key is not in making God larger, but in making ourselves smaller in our own eyes.

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2:29PM EDT 6/25/2010

If God has shaken an area in your life, don't try to rebuild it yourself. Allow Him to restore only those things He wants to establish in your life. Remember, God shakes us so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain.

His shaking will expose any hidden idols in our lives. An idol is what we give our strength to or draw our strength from.

If you are receiving your affirmation, love, self-worth, joy, strength and acceptance from anywhere or anyone but God, He will shake it. He does this so you will get your life from Him. He knows everything else will eventually disappoint you.

After a shaking we see our condition in relation to God's truth. However, it is not the truth you know but the truth you live that sets you free. To become responsible we must be obedient.

We would not grant as much liberty to a disobedient or rebellious child as we would grant to an obedient and responsible child. A disobedient child would use his liberty to rebel. He would confuse rebellion with freedom.

Rebellion will bring bondage. Only through obedience can we find true liberty.

As the Holy Spirit ministers truth to your heart, receive it and walk in freedom. Let God's truth become alive in you. read more

2:17PM EDT 6/14/2010

Here are practical steps to appropriating the healing Christ won for you.

Many Christians today believe in the doctrine of healing by faith in God. But some wonder: How can a person who fully believes in this doctrine actually receive the blessing and appropriate healing?

I suggest seven steps. read more

8:00PM EDT 9/30/2002

Whether it's things, people or our dreams, loss comes to us in many ways. Life is never quite the way we imagine it to be.

But loss is not going from having to not having; it's going from one thing to a new thing.

Paul understood that he had to lose everything to gain Christ (see Phil. 3:7-8). He could no longer trust in people, things or his own ideals but had to put his trust in God. His willingness to lose himself transformed him from Saul to Paul.

Jesus transformed death (loss) into new life. This is the model He gave us--embrace loss. Don't try to avoid or deny it.

Ever since the fall we have been trying to get back to the Garden of Eden. We long for that perfect place of rest, peace and intimate connection with God and each other.

Thankfully, Jesus came to show us how to find that connection. He tells us we must lose our lives to find them (see Matt. 16:25).

This is radical thinking. The challenge is not to fear loss but to embrace it so you can find the new thing. That way you will not be dependent on people, things or your ideals to meet the needs of your soul.

We must be dependent on God and nothing else. Our every hope lies in Him. read more

3:18PM EDT 6/14/2010

If we want to follow in Jesus' footsteps, we must learn to look at reality as he does--through the lens of the divine imagination.

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Jesus had a power of overcoming trouble, a power of triumphing over the "prince of this world," which was unique in the history of mankind. All will agree to this, even the skeptics and agnostics and those of alien faiths. And He promised that He would leave us this power: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father" (John 14:12, NKJV).

Up to now His professed followers have failed, as a whole, to experience the power He said He was going to leave with us. The question that is left unanswered is, What is this power, and where shall we find it? read more

8:00PM EDT 5/31/2001