04/08/2014 — Nearly 30 years ago, God challenged me to see what would happen in our small congregation if, instead of each person giving a tithe of his or her income, he or she would give the whole thing – an entire week’s income. Our faith was stretched in ways I never thought I’d see!

Many years later, I shared what has become known as the revelation of Resurrection Seed to pastors who are part of our World Harvest Ministerial Alliance. The reports each year from those who have received the revelation have been tremendous, and I am expecting much the same from many of those same pastors as Easter approaches.

Believers are commanded to tithe – to give the first 10 percent of one’s income to the local church – and to give offerings above the tithe. But the Bible also has instructions about how, where and when to give to Him. Read More

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04/01/2014 — I'm convinced that the reason the Holy Ghost has taken over our worship services at World Harvest Church so often this year is because He knows He can. That's not to say that He can't do whatever He wants, or that He doesn't work different ways in different houses of worship, or that He isn't present in our preparations for worship. But lately it's unusual if our worship service resembles the outline our team prepares beforehand.

We have been focused on transformation this year – which for a non-Christian means salvation, and for the Christian means sanctification, what John Wesley called "moving on toward perfection." Last Sunday, the Holy Ghost transformed us with a reminder that God the Father is a jealous God. He won't tolerate our worship for anything or anyone else, including situations of our own making. Read More

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03/24/2014 — I've experienced some profound losses in my life – certainly you have too. I miss my pastor and mentor, Dr. Lester Sumrall, on a daily basis. And in the past 10 years I have also lost my only sibling, Debbie, and my father, James. There are other losses I could tell you about, but I think I've made my point: to live is to endure loss and therefore to mourn loss.

Everyone mourns and grieves loss in a different way. But the Bible is clear that mourning is to be a temporary condition. We can either mourn or position ourselves for God's blessings. Read More

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03/04/2014 — There is a church-retreat song I learned more than a decade ago that I’m reminded of whenever God shows me how much He loves me. It sounds like a lullaby (and it works as one, too), with lyrics that often bring a tear to my eye:

You are loved/You are beautiful/You’re a gift of God, His own creation/You’re a gift to all mankind – His gift of love to us/You are loved/God danced the day you were born.

That song represents an essential view of God’s love – the doting Daddy who just wants to hang with His kids. But there’s another side of God’s love that, owing much to our culture’s degradation of Calvary’s cross, the Church has neglected for too long – a furious, sacrificial love far beyond mankind’s ability to comprehend. It’s a perspective the Church needs to reclaim. Read More

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02/25/2014 — As we’ve been talking about transformation in our individual lives at World Harvest Church, something interesting and amazing is happening – we’re becoming transformed as a body! Our altar calls have been especially fruitful, with dramatic stories of men, women and entire families coming to faith in Christ, either for the first time or as a rededication to a godly lifestyle. I think that’s a great reason to continue to talk about transformation.

Recently I have been exploring the connection between transformation and dreams. I believe God places dreams in our heart that, when fulfilled, serve to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ and make our witness irresistible to those in our circles of influence.

I don’t know what your dream is. But I do know this: the dream that God has placed in your heart is an eternal dream, carrying eternal consequences. And that’s why the adversary of your soul will do anything he can to get you to give up on that dream. And if you don’t know what fulfillment of your dream requires, he’ll succeed.Read More

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