Charisma Magazine

Our pluralistic culture offers a variety of "ways" to heaven. Many of the so-called truths overlook the need for Jesus-or a savior of any kind. God's Word, however, reveals Jesus as the only way to salvation. He is:

• God's Son sent to earth by a loving Father (see John 3:16)
• God's plan to save that which was lost (see Matt. 18:11)
• God incarnate, conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin (see Luke 2)
• The second person of the Trinity, endorsed at baptism by the Father: "And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased'" (Matt. 3:17, NKJV).
• God's perfect sacrificial lamb to redeem humankind: "‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!'" (Rev. 5:12). "‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!'" (John 1:29).
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The late Corrie ten Boom experienced extreme suffering in her days as a Nazi concentration camp prisoner during World War II. In her book Corrie ten Boom's Prison Letters, she wrote that she "often felt lonely and afraid." Suffering became a way of life.

To seek relief from fear, loneliness and suffering, ten Boom turned to the assurance of God's Word found in Psalm 91:4: "He shall cover thee with His feathers" (KJV). She prayed this verse every night. Then, closing her eyes, she would picture herself under the actual feathers of God's protection. Peaceful sleep would follow.

John 1:4-9 (NLT) says: "The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. "God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world."

In 2 Corinthians 4:5-7, Paul explains his ministry as follows: "You see, we don't go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,' has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

We are creatures of desire. We move and decide on the basis of desire. Desire is our inescapable motivation.

Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 6:24, "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate the one and love the other; you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money" (NLT).

For anyone who truly knows God, the question of whether He heals is absurd. Circumstantial evidence, however, suggests that He does not always heal in the same way or timing. Perhaps a more relevant question might be: When and why does God not heal?

It would be presumptuous to expect to answer that question fully. However, Scripture clearly indicates at least some conditions in which God does not, even will not, heal.

Few things mean as much to parents’ hearts as raising their kids to love God. But in this day and age, how is that accomplished? When the Israelites first entered Canaan, the pressures of a pagan world threatened constantly to lure them and their children into sin. God’s words to them for parenting and life apply just as much to us today as ever.

This question betrays a misunderstanding that could prove critical to spiritual maturity. The Holy Spirit is a person, so the real question is: "Should I be filled with the person of the Holy Spirit?" To answer that question, you first need to know who He is.

Jesus defined the person of the Holy Spirit and His work. There is no greater source of information regarding the Spirit than the Master's own words.

The crises of man are not new. There is nothing "more secular" about the world today than there has ever been, in any age or society. The world's hostility toward God has not changed since the days of Adam.

Living out your faith in a secular world does not depend on the approval or disapproval, acceptance or persecution, or health or disease of the world. The issue at stake centers not on the depth of the world's depravity but on the depth of your personal desire for God.