The Insights

Foreignpolicy.com reports that Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world, and so does Wikipedia .1 No doubt this indicates a trend. But how is this growth achieved? Foreign Policy attributes Islamic growth to its presence in the world’s fastest-growing countries and the influx of Muslim immigrants into Europe, “The worlds [sic] largest Muslim populations are in fast-growing countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Egypt, and Iran. Islam also happens to be the fastest-growing religion in Europe, where an influx of Muslim immigrants from North Africa, Turkey, and South Asia has sent shock waves into a mostly Christian and secular population whose birthrates have stagnated.” 1 I lived in Bahrain (Arabian Peninsula) for a good number of years. But I do not recollect anyone evangelizing me into Islam. Even when I walked into the office of “Discover Islam” in the Island, I was greeted politely and courteously, but not one word was uttered to convert me. Al

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (John 17:15-16) Being peculiar. That's not something most of us work to achieve, is it? But, you know, we should. God has called us to be peculiar—to stand out from the rest of the world as living proof of His power and His love (1 Peter 2:9). He doesn't, for example, want us to share the ailments of the world. He doesn't want us to share their sickness and poverty and failure. He's never wanted that for His people. He gave us a physical illustration of that during the time the nation of Israel was held captive in Egypt. Pharaoh had refused to set the Israelites free, so God had allowed a thick darkness to cover the whole land. The darkness was so dreadful throughout Egypt that no one moved for three days. "But," says Exodus 10:23, "all the children of Israel had light in their

 Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’  “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matt.22:13-14) Please read Matthew 22. If you are like me, you would agree that the king’s sentence is rather harsh, right? When I read this, I wrestled with it. What has he done to deserve being cast into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth? And then it occurred to me that being called is a function of favour but being chosen is a function of being worthy. Many are called but few are chosen. I pray that you will be part of the chosen and that you will be worthy in Jesus Name. It is not enough to be called. Are you worthy? When you are worthy, the things of God will prosper in your hands. When you are worthy, you are able to lay hold of your destiny. When you are worthy, you are the pride and joy of your Father. Elisha was worthy. He served Elijah and he got t

But God's grace is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:10) Have you ever wondered what it will be like when your body dies and you go on to heaven? Well, according to the Word, when that time comes, this flesh and blood tent you live in will die, but you won't feel a thing. You'll just take off the cloak of your flesh, lay it down and go to a better place. Believers who have died and come back say that they have no sensation of loss—no sting. Their minds stay intact, and they even have arms and legs, but they are spirit and not flesh. One man said he couldn't even tell he wasn't in his body until he tried to grasp something. His hand would just go right through the material object. He was spirit and not flesh. According to the Apostle Paul, to be absent from the body is to be present with God (2 Corinthians 5:1). So, when

With emphasis] “Listen to this wise advice; follow it closely, for it will do you good, and you can pass it on to others…” Proverbs 22:17–19 [TLB] When God wants to take you into a new experience with Him, what do you do? I would say the only response is to follow Him. And this is the beauty of relationship; the more you spend time with God, the more He reveals Himself to you. Has God not been beautiful beyond description even before you and I were formed? But as you spend time with Him, as you experience Him and tarry in His Presence, these things become real to you. Then you become better equipped to pick out His voice even amidst a crowd. Let me illustrate with this example and I hope it births in you a hunger to know Him more. At first, it used to be when I pray and prepare for a service that God talks to me about the service in my closet. Right there, I write down what God has said and so when I am ministering, I just read out what God had told me and then God does what onl

“But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God” John 1:12 [RSV] God is more interested in your character than in your comfort. God is more interested in who you are becoming than in what you are acquiring.  And God gives us a checklist in His Word. James 3:14-17 [NIV, with emphasis] “If you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition... such ‘wisdom’ is of the devil... The wisdom that comes from God is pure, peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, impartial and sincere.” Be more like Christ. The additional test parameter to determine if God is speaking is: Is it consistent with my experience of God? Is what you are hearing consistent with your experience of God? John 10:3 “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know hi