Bill McLeod passed away into God's present on July 28 2012 at the age of 93.
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1. Entire dependence upon the merits and mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only ground of any claim of blessing. "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do..." (John 14:13,14).

2. Separation from all known sin. "If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." (Psalm 66:18).... full story

We all desire to become mature Christians and to be used by God. And we all have difficulties in our life as well. What we must see is that maturity often comes only through difficulty—it does not occur in a vacuum or a totally sterile and completely peaceful and happy environment in which we always get what we want. No. Christian maturity— Christ likeness—happens only as we live like Him in this fallen world. Through difficulties, God works maturity into our lives, producing good in us, to the praise of the Father! full story

Suppose for a moment that you were allowed to enter heaven without holiness. What would you do? What possible enjoyment could you feel there? To which of all the saints would you join yourself and by whose side would you sit? Their pleasures are not your pleasures, their tastes are not your tastes, their character not your character. How could you possibly be happy, if you had not been holy on earth? full story

The biblical practice of restorative church discipline no longer exists in many modern churches in our culture. Numerous congregations have abandoned the exercise that is so crucial to the integrity of the local church. 
While their defense for neglecting the practice seems logical to those who seek to follow God’s directives, their arguments are fruitless in the face of biblical truth. full story

Do not make the mistake of assuming that Samson was some kind of flash-in-the-pan.  Twice we read that he judged Israel for a period of twenty years.  He was also a very humble man and humility is very rare among men.  Especially is this so among those who are outstanding in some field of human endeavor.  Had Samson lived today he would have been known around the world. full story

Strangely enough, these two words are rarely found in our New Testaments of today, yet in our thinking, and sometimes our singing, they are very prominent. Further, while they appear to be the same thing, they are not, they are really vastly different. There are a total of 21 times in the four Gospels that the Lord Jesus calls for people to “follow Him.”  Seven of these, are when He called the 12 disciples to join Him in His earthly ministry. The remaining 14 times, He calls believers to follow Him.

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I love that 11^th chapter of the Book of John.  The Bible says that Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.  A few verses later it says Lazarus died.  When a Christian dies, does that mean that God doesn’t love him?  Is suffering or an early death an improper reflection on the love of God?  The answer is NO, because it says explicitly that God loved Lazarus, and then it goes on to say that Lazarus, the one whom Jesus loved, died.  Sometimes God’s choicest servants die young, but it is never a reflection on God’s love, because as Paul says, “Who shall separate us fro the love of Christ?  Paul is saying you cannot judge God by what is happening. full story

A pastor had been diagnosed with a rare cancer.  The congregation went to great lengths to pray. After a time he fell into a coma and died.  There was a woman in that congregation who later said, “As far as I’m concerned I’m never going to ask God for anything again.  Why should I bother?  I don’t want to be hurt again.”  Have you ever felt that as a Christian?  Christians have prayed for all sorts of things that haven’t happened.  Sometimes in the quietness of our own soul, though we would admit to no one else, we secretly give up on God because we don’t want to be hurt again. full story

Fatherhood has fallen on hard times as Satan has undermined the nurturing influence of many fathers. In an attempt to destroy families, the devil has targeted the head of the home. The outcome of his assault has been defeated dads, bitter children, and fragmented families. full story

A king was so unhappy that he dispatched one of his men to find a happy man. “When you find the happy man,” the king ordered, “purchase his shirt and bring it back to me that I might wear it and also be happy.” For years, the king’s man traveled and searched, but he couldn’t find a happy man. Finally, when he was walking in the poorer section of one of the most impoverished counties, he heard a man singing at the top of his lungs. Following the sound, he found a man plowing a field.  full story

Matt.18: 2-4 tells us, “And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, youwill never enter the kingdom of heaven.”  In order to keep hope alive we need child-like characteristics.  We will look at three Child-like Characteristics: full story

For many years I lived without any real awareness of the impact of my thoughts upon the condition of the soul.  Not realizing that my thoughts were actually the food for my soul, the substance from which it evolves its strength and health and beauty, or upon which it may become weak and unhealthy and deformed. full story

If Christians we but read or listen to the news through God’s perspective they will have plenty to pray about.  Those of us who serve Him in Ottawa are made aware daily of the impact of prayer from across the land: when an MP honours his marriage vows; someone shares with the Prime Minister or when regulations are rewritten to reflect justice that is consistent with His righteousness.  These things happen because believers pray.  Nowhere in Scripture or history do we find these things happening except that Christians were praying.  If we don’t ‘pray without ceasing,’ what then? full story

Alienation from God creates tremendous psychological consequences.  The deep yearning to be loved, the sense of insecurity, the longing to escape loneliness, the tendency to be overcome by fear, the ease with which worry overtakes us, are but a few symptoms of our separation from God.  The mathematician-philosopher, Pascal, said that we have a God-shaped vacuum in our hearts.  St. Augustine said that we are restless until we find our rest in God. full story

Craving the things of the old life will have dire consequences.  Here the rabble and Israelites start whining and craving for the ‘good’ things of the old life.  They cry out, “Oh, for some meat!”  As they remember the ‘free’ food of the old life in Egypt, they totally forget how much it really cost them!  They seem to forget that the ‘free’ food was not free at all!  They forget the oppressive bondage and cruel slavery they had been under.  They forget that they paid dearly for the things they crave in human suffering and mundane toil!  In their craving, they reject God’s gracious gift of manna and spurn his kind provision.  Now, they are sick and tired of “the bread from heaven” and they just want some meat! full story

Intercession is love on its knees for others! An intercessor brings the burdens and needs of others to the Throne of Grace and presents them to God. Some have defined intercession as the very climax of prayer, prayer at its highest pinnacle. full story

A life of loneliness is not an easy life.  In fact, solitary confinement is considered a severe punishment even in penal institutions.  We were not created to be alone; we were created for fellowship.  We are told that babies though nourished and well cared for in every way, will still die if they are isolated and unloved.  Our need for relationships is as essential as our need for food.  Even Adam in the garden, though a perfect human being was lonely and unfulfilled.  He needed companionship, a family, and ultimately a community.  full story

Many Christians, whose lives otherwise would be fruitful, are marked by bitterness.  Harboured in their hearts, the blight of bitterness pervades and permeates the entire life, so that every virtue is vitiated by this vice.  While the Scriptures are insistent that this matter of bitterness be dealt with, many believers are content to “put up with” the condition, firmly, though falsely, believing that it is something that cannot be remedied or cured. full story

Over the years I have been employed by several different employers and I have employed people myself at various times.  An employer expects certain things of an employee.  Consider what Jesus meant when he said, “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'”  Luke 17:10  I have never heard of an employee being called an unprofitable servant when that employee had completed the assigned task or tasks.  I can’t imagine that happening in Jesus’ time either … unless our Lord was speaking of a different mandate? full story

One man gave an apt description of his spiritual dilemma before he and his family experienced the power of revival. “We were just walking the fence,” he commented.  “On one side people were dead and buried.  On the other side, some of us were just dead but not yet buried!”  Pitifully, for many believers the Christian life is nothing but a transition from one side of the fence to other!  full story

Every genuine revival constitutes a return of the people of God. Thus, any preaching that is not God-centered — that does not life up and exalt the God of the Bible above all else, calling all to return to Him — will prove to be a distinct hindrance to revival. May God deliver each of us from this hindrance.

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I was in a supermarket with my wife and noticed a rack filled with magazines and papers near the check-out.  One paper had a picture of a girl with her tongue sticking out.  The caption read, “Girl With a Nine Inch Tongue”.  My immediate reaction was, “What a lie!”  Then I thought for a moment and decided that it might not be so exaggerated after all.  In my life time I have known some people with very long tongues.

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During WW 2, in an Hungarian concentration camp, Jewish prisoners were forced to work producing fuel for the Nazi war machines.  One day the prisoners were given a strange task.  They were commanded to move a pile of sand from one end of the compound to the other. Day after day they hauled the mountain of sand back and forth across the compound. After several weeks of meaningless drudgery, one old man began sobbing uncontrollably.  Another screamed until his captors beat him into silence.  A young man threw himself against an electric fence.  There was a blinding flash followed by a smell of smoldering flesh. full story

My father used to tell this story at wedding receptions where he was asked to be MC.  A man wanted to send a telegram to a couple who were being married to encourage them.  He chose the re-assuring verse of Scripture above, and to save money, the man sent the reference only, believing that it would be read at the reception.  The telegraph operator was unfamiliar with the Bible and didn't understand the significance of 1 John, so he wrote John 4:18.  At the reception, this is what was read: “You have well said "I have no husband, for you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband!” full story

That God is the true Author of a genuine revival all believers will admit. Many Bible verses could be appealed to in this connection but perhaps a few will be helpful and suffice. The many revivals in the Book of acts are very evidently the work of the Spirit of God.  In Acts 3:19   Peter tells us that times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Refreshing shall come from the presence of the lord.  Any Christian who has witnessed a true revival will be a witness of things that can only be explained on the basis of the intervention of God into the affairs of men; God must do it or it will not be done, and to this we will all agree. full story

When you think about the world in which you live it can be so depressing.  It seems as if everything is in confusion and resources are running out.  Nations seem to be in turmoil, everywhere.  Yet we know from the teaching of the Bible that this was not what God intended when He created this world and made people to inhabit it.  What has gone wrong?  What must we do to see a better world and a better life for all nations? full story

My purpose in teaching at the ReFresh Retreat is to give an answer to the question, “How can I, as a pastor, allow Christ to build His church and still maintain responsible leadership?”  I don’t want to miss anything He has and I don’t want to get in His way.  I want to be diligent and responsible but I don’t want to micro-manage.  The potential of “ Matthew 16:18” being alive and well in our local churches is only limited by the sovereignty of God himself.  Jesus, our head, wants to pour His life into our local assemblies and I don’t want to hinder His life flow – I want to release it – all the time – in every function of the living organism that I shepherd.  Through the last 45 years of my public ministry the church has been introduced to scores of ideas in “how to do church.” full story

Yet the only hope for Canada and the United States must be found in the church.  The Body of Christ still wields awesome power.  If we are brought to our knees, God may begin to give us spiritual victories that could stem abortion, infanticide and drug abuse.  We must once again become an enemy of the world rather than one of its friends. full story

How do we measure ourselves to see where we are in relation to where we should be?  When I have been in the bush hunting, it’s a sobering thing to realize that directions can be easily lost and we become disorientated.  I have been thankful for a compass to find true north.  When I was in flight training, it was stressed to us that a pilot never trusts his own judgement for orientation, even when flying VFR (visual flight rules), you must trust the compass.  Once when fishing on a beautiful lake in northern Saskatchewan, I became completely turned around as to direction.  The landscape looked like I was somewhere else, the motion of the waves was pushing me in a certain direction, against my will, whether I wanted to go with them or not, or was even aware of my drifting.  Oh for a guide!  full story

A few years back someone in our congregation asked me if there was MORE? To that I answered “Absolutely.” Just because we are sometimes blind to God’s power and glory doesn’t mean He is stingy; holding back out of spite. As a local assembly, we are learning that meeting God’s Biblical conditions is key to experiencing more. full story

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Christian leaders have widely lamented the spiritual decline of the United States in the last several decades, so clearly evidenced by the erosion of morality and the rise of secularism in our culture. As things have grown darker and darker, many have come to believe that only a great revival and spiritual awakening can reverse the tide and bring renewed life and spiritual power to America. full story

There’s a passage of Scripture that has been rattling around my brain for a few years. It is Amos 8:11 “‘The day is surely coming’ says the Lord, ‘when I will send a famine on this land – not a famine for bread nor a thirst for water, but a famine for hearing the words of the Lord.’” A famine for hearing the words of the Lord! Bible sales have dwarfed the sales of every book ever written. How can there possibly be a famine for hearing the words of the Lord? full story

A number of years ago while driving in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, I observed an outdoor sign at an auto repair garage that I will never forget.  It said, “Poor is the church that values programs more than people”  It intrigued me that such a sign would be in front of an auto repair garage.  Could there be a proprietor who had a keen sense of what the church should be and wanted to express it?  Or, could it be the comment of a business man who went to church and did not find a caring congregation? full story

The Apostle Paul made it very clear, ‘The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power!’ There is no way we can be a powerful church if we are not a praying church! The ‘might of God’ is the absolute dire need of the North American Church. So, I have begun telling the Congregation, “I promise to resign, if we as a local church cannot establish a significant prayer foundation.” I did not make this promise as a ‘manipulation tactic’ but rather out of a deep sense of conviction that prayer is not the only thing we do but it is the chief thing we do! full story

The power for effective spiritual harvest and growth of the Church is spiritual power. Without spiritual power, the Church is anaemic in vitality and impotent in mission. Without spiritual power the individual Christian experiences spiritual poverty in personal growth and public witness. The dearth of experience and demonstration of spiritual power in the body life of a local church and its evangelization is often a direct result of not taking the Holy Spirit more seriously. full story

What is God saying to the church? He is saying that we need to consider how to spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Today the reality of this need exists and it must be addressed by the body of Christ. Let us take a moment and examine the content and meaning of this verse and consider how to spur one another on toward love and good deeds. full story

Revival has its critics. I’ve been criticized for being analytical, but it would be unwise not to assess value systems, theology or the life purpose that we hold to! Would it not be foolish to stick our heads in the sand and not review history, assess the present, and make some plans for the future? I have always appreciated those who are, like sons of Issachar, “Men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” (1 Chronicles 12:32) full story

The basis of this article developed out of a conversation with Charles Audette.  When we met for the first time, he asked me, after quoting the above verse, "Why do I not weep for my sin?" That thought provoking question garnered my devotion that day. From this, a deeper understanding of the Holy One, Jesus Christ, and what true contrition was, had sprouted. full story

One of the most overlooked essentials in many Christian’s lives is the worship of Jesus Christ. A man cannot and will not give God the glory that is rightfully His unless he is a worshipper of Jesus Christ. If asked, “What is the most important thing God values in the life of a believer?” Some  might answer by saying, “Faith.” That is true, for without faith it is impossible to please God. Others might answer by saying, “Loving God” is the great essential. Truly, an individual cannot possess the greatest Christian grace without seeing and knowing the Love of God.  For 1 John 4:19 says, “We love, because he first loved us.” For it is in the process of seeing God is love and God’s love for us that we can ever possess the grace of love. full story

“Go into all the world…” when the Lord gave those commanding words to his disciples, who knows what thoughts flooded their minds. This was not a new command, for they had been sent out before and came back to Jesus with a glorious report. Little did they know that the physical presence of Jesus would soon be gone from them, and that their ministries would not only change the world, but their lives as well. The command to “Go” was intended to stir action with a direction for a Divine purpose. full story

I have been appalled by what I have observed regarding discipleship in the Church during my 30 plus years of itinerant ministry across the continent. Three different times, discipleship has swept through the Church as a fad. Sadly, discipleship is held as a core value of Christian ministry only by a tiny segment of the Church. What has resulted is an anaemic Church that is increasingly irrelevant to the majority in our society. full story

Have you known one day when you sensed you walked in a right relationship with God and enjoyed His presence? If so, it suggests that it is possible. What took place that day causing you to experience it?  Does is not stem from having cultivated some disciplines into your life, such as Bible reading, meditation, prayer, sharing your faith, ministering to others, asking God for a fresh infilling of His Spirit, etc.? By the way, have you ever known a person you believe is walking with God in reality? If so, it is a sign you can be the second one, because God is no respecter of persons. full story

The Word of God is amazing and each time that I experience the Lord speaking to me through His Word, I am reminded of my Heavenly Father’s desire to be personally involved in my life. Recently, I had one of those times of intimate fellowship with the Lord as I read Isaiah 58:11, “And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, waters fail not.” KJV full story

Once in the middle of a blizzard that lasted for several days, and blocked all roads, I was cutting firewood with my chainsaw.  In the wind, a speck of wood lodged in my eye, and believe me, it felt like a log!  I rubbed my eye, went in the house in front of a mirror, pulled my eye open till I looked like a bulldog, fished with a cue-tip, but to no avail.  It hurt!  I laid down on the floor and got my wife to search with a light.  Finally, with enough tears, the wood floated up and she removed the sliver from my eye. full story

Jesus is the creator, the Master of all creation and in this text He speaks to rebuke His creation.  His command brings immediate obedience from the wind and waves.  The disciples had awakened Him with the question “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”  (vs 38)  Things had become too much for His disciples, the boat was ready to sink.  Often in our lives also, we are overwhelmed by circumstances and cannot take another thing.  It is in such circumstances that our attention turns to our desperate need.  Our concern is for self-preservation and we cry out to our Lord, “Don’t you care?” full story

If you were presented with the challenge, as Peter and John were, of finding a lame man begging at the gate of the temple in Acts 3, would you be free to respond as they did, saying “Look at us”?  (Acts 3:4) This account took place at the gate of the temple.  A world begs at our doorstep – closest to our religious activities and places of worship.  Our society is filled with those who bow down to the shrine of materialism and humanism, replacing the Holy God in their lives.  The world is going to hell at our doorstep.

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For hundreds of years historians and scholars have carefully studied and evaluated the factors that have caused the decline and death of great empires.  Their careful conclusions are readily available to those who really want to know them.  Scholars like Edward Gibbon, who wrote the classic The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, and Arnold Toynbee who wrote A Study of History, have set forth in great clarity and detail that twenty-one of the last great empires on earth all showed the same common signs of decline just before they dissolved and disappeared from world history.  This simply cannot be refuted by any honest person! full story

When Joseph and Mary lost sight of Jesus they lost fellowship with him.  How do these two truths relate to revival?  Many Christians have lost sight of Jesus.  Many say they are Christians, but have no fellowship with Him.  We are made in the image of God in that He is eternal. full story

God’s forgiveness and mine have three major goals.  When God forgives me, or when I forgive someone else, there are three things that I should seek to accomplish:

1. Reconciliation – whether it’s God forgiving me or it’s me forgiving my brother.
2. Satisfaction – the score must be even, the debt must be paid.  Justice must be done. 
3. Inner peace – within the heart that comes from learning how to forgive

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It was the 7^th century BC it has been many, many years since God significantly moved among his chosen people.  Some of the Jews in Judah were beginning to wonder whether they were part of God’s chosen people.  Judah was a southern kingdom of the divided nation Israel and Jerusalem was its capital.  The nation was on a spiritual downer.  The temple was literally covered in dust.  Corporate worship of the living God had all but died.  The Book of The Law, God’s Word was literally lost.  The religious leaders were corrupt and they contributed confusion onto the scene altogether.  There was ample evidence of widespread moral decay and destruction.  However the King determined the spiritual condition of the land.  Pastor Sipley said the spirituality of leadership shapes the state of the nation, and the church, and the community around.  full story

God requires His people to persevere boldly in their prayers, and not give up.  This principle of effective praying was a major part of our Lord’s teaching on prayer.  Indeed, Luke tells us that Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Jesus starts with the parable with: “Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him” Luke 11:5-6. The needy neighbour’s friend responds: “Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything”  That sounds final!  But Jesus adds these words... full story

On my farm and in my seed processing plant, I have often had a fire inspector show up unannounced.  He has the authority to snoop in my electrical panel, chimney, furnace, etc.  I have had mixed feelings.  Part of me is thankful that someone is making sure that my family and I are safe, but there are times when I haven’t quite got around to finishing a project or fixing something that I intended to, and he usually insists that I do so.  I may be intending to do it eventually, but I didn’t want him here right now  He makes demands on my time and my financial resources.  He can impose a penalty on me as well! full story

Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.' Luke 15:25-31
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Faith overcomes the world, by outbidding sights. Faith outbids the world, and so makes the soul victorious. The world set honors, pleasures, etc., before Moses—but his faith outbid the world. Faith presents the recompense of reward, it brings down all the glory, pleasures, and treasures of heaven, of the eternal world, and sets them before the soul; and so it overtops and overcomes the world by outbidding it.

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I see people who have a lot of expectation as to what’s going to happen as a result of revival.  I see these categories of people mentioned in this passage.  First of all I see a category of people who say, “I have no need.”  That’s what made the Lord so sick when He looked at this church because he saw that category.  Some people think “That’s Jesus.  If I have no need then I’m in the good graces of Jesus.”  That’s a subtle substitute for Jesus.  Because we have money in the bank, we have health, etc. we have no need.  I see people mistakingly thinking that because they have no need and that they are rich and increased with goods that they have Jesus full story

Many Christians believe that we need the techniques of psychiatry to help those who can no longer cope with their emotional handicaps.  Without entering the current debate regarding the extent (if any) to which psychiatry and Christianity can be harmonized, let me say that it is indeed doubtful whether we can integrate a secular approach with a biblical one.  I’ve found that the message of the Bible is almost always diluted when we seek help from secular sources.  Even the argument that we can profit from the analysis of psychiatry and apply a biblical solution, in my opinion, fails. full story

I don’t think it is possible for us to come to grips with this tremendous subject of the unction of God’s Spirit upon my life as a believer until I recognize how this anointing of God’s Spirit manifested itself upon the life of the Lord Jesus.  One might say, “Surely God does not want me to compare my life with the life and the ministry of the Lord Jesus?”  Remember at the end of the Gospel of Luke when Jesus turned to His disciples and said “I want you to tarry until you have received this enduement from my Father.”  This can also be translated “I want you to sit down until you have received this anointing of my Spirit upon your relationship with God.”  Surely then God wants us to be conformed to the life of His Son. full story

In revival, God’s Word is seen to be truly divine.  It is seen as the Sword of the Spirit par excellence.  It has no rival in its ability to prove and pierce the hearts of men and women.  In times of awakening, that Word is most highly prized as being the Word of God. Accordingly in revival, God’s Word is seen to be truly dynamic.  Hearts that have resisted the sermons and speeches of pastors and evangelists are suddenly broken by the hammer of the Spirit.  A phrase or a sentence from the Scriptures has broken down all resistance and brought the repentant heart to the feet of God for forgiveness and freedom.

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As we pray for revival let us be specific in our praying.  It is not enough to pray for world wide revival.  What about praying for a new revival in our own heart and church?  Let us give ourselves to a more diligent study of the word of God and put away everything that is questionable in our hearts and pray the prayer of faith concerning revival and the salvation of the lost.

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For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek, your Heavenly Father knows you have need of these things.  Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.  Matt 6:33 How much of today will be spent seeking to meet the daily needs that we have?  Maybe the question we need to ask is, how will we seek to meet those needs.  In our society, we have gotten away from growing and sewing and hunting as the earliest civilizations did, and we exchange our labour in one field for money to buy our physical needs.  Our role as “provider” can easily get tangled up with the role of Jehovah Jireh (My Provider).  One of the challenges of the Christian life is to keep the balance between obedience to scripture's admonitions to “provide for his own household, (the failure of which is to deny the faith and be worse than an unbeliever)” 1 Tim 5:8

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Discontent! Was there ever a time when there was so much restlessness in the world as there is today? We very much doubt it. Despite our boasted progress, the vast increase of wealth, the time and money expended daily in pleasure, discontent is everywhere. No class is exempt. Everything is in a state of flux, and almost everybody is dissatisfied. Contentment! Is such a thing realizable, or is it nothing more than a beautiful ideal, a mere dream of the poet? Is it attainable on earth or is it restricted to the inhabitants of heaven? If practicable here and now, may it be retained, or are a few brief moments or hours of contentment the most that we may expect in this life? full story

Because life and death and heaven and hell are either gained or lost every time the preacher stands in the pulpit, the preacher should preach like a dying man to dying men every time he stands in the pulpit. There is no excuse of being too tired, too lazy, too melancholy, too “anything.” He will view the pulpit as too eternally significant to let a preaching engagement go by that he has not opened matters of eternal importance with vigor, passion and conviction. full story

The pulpit is that sanctuary where a truly called minister of the Gospel exercises his God-given giftedness to the aim of glorifying Christ. In the act of the preaching, this “glorifying of Christ” is the essence of his worship, though at the same time his Gospel preaching ministers to needful people. It is here that the preacher’s feet bring the good news of the Gospel of peace, and while he is doing this he acts as God’s divinely appointed herald, reflecting the image of Christ as the living Word in the message he brings. The preacher ought to be exceedingly gripped with a sense that he is delivering Christ to the people through his preaching. If he is enthralled with a sense of this, then he is immediately conscious of the nearness of God. full story

Nehemiah 8:4, “And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose…” What do you see when you stand in the empty church and look down the center aisle at the pulpit you preach from? Is it a sublime place? It is a comfortable place where you enjoy being? It is a place where fuzzy feelings come over you when as you orate various concepts which have been worked through for an hour or two during the week? Is it a place where the people’s needs are met through your psychologized advice to them? What is the pulpit all about? What should the pulpit be about? What does the Bible say about the pulpit?

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”We believe, and therefore we speak.” This has ever been the assured language of Christ’s faithful ministers. We have experienced the salvation of the Gospel ourselves, and therefore we preach it to others. We are, through grace, holy and happy ourselves, and therefore we wish to see all others holy and happy. We are saved ourselves, and therefore earnestly do we desire to see all around us saved—the whole world brought back to God and His glorious kingdom—by the power of the Cross. full story

It is altogether different when God comes within our sight. It is one thing to hear God, and another thing to see God. Job had heard God with his ears, but when Job saw God with his eyes, then he was silent. You couldn't get another word from him. Before Job saw God, he could argue as well as they could; but the moment Job saw God he was silent. When God said, "Gird up thy loins like a man," from that time Job put no more questions to Him. Job had got a lesson. No man can come into God's kingdom till he knows he is vile, till he sees Him. Man must come down to that. That is God's alphabet. full story

We have been working on this project for over a year now, so you can imagine our excitement to finally share this with you. One year ago in November, the team here at CRF started to post short quotes from historic preachers on our Facebook page. Eventually, God grew this project into us posting full articles, sermons, and other media almost daily. God blessed this small work, and we started to realize that online social platforms was a great means to share what God has burdened us with. Eventually we wanted to take it to the next level - a new website. full story

In all these we learn much of God; David's God; the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; our own God. For it is His character that is thus unfolded to us. He is the God of all grace; in Him there is help, and with Him is plenteous redemption. It is He who is above; it is He who sends from above; it is He who reaches down; it is He who rescues us– and that out of many waters. full story

Labour to know God, and to be affected with his attributes, and always to live as in his sight. You can no further know what sin is than you know what God is, whom you sin against; for the formal malignity of sin is relative, as it is against the will and attributes of God. They that fear God will fear sinning; they that in their hearts are bold irreverently with God, will, in heart and life, be bold with sin. Nothing in world will tell us so plainly and powerfully of the evil of sin, as the knowledge of the greatness, wisdom goodness, holiness, authority, justice, truth, &c. of God. The sense of his presence, therefore, will revive our sense of sin’s malignity. full story

What is faith? In the simplest manner in which I am able to express it, I answer: Faith is the assurance that the thing which God has said in His Word is true, and that God will act according to what He has said in His Word. This assurance, this reliance on God's Word, this confidence is faith. full story

Man builds; God hallows. This cooperation between man and God pervades all life. Man performs the outward and mechanical; God the inward and spiritual. Paul plants, Apollos waters; but God gives the increase. We elaborate our sermons and addresses, building them up with careful, eager thought; but God must work in and through them for his own glory in the salvation and upbuilding of souls. We must be careful to do our part with reverence and godly fear, remembering that God must work in realms we cannot touch, and to issues we cannot reach, before our poor exertions can avail. full story

I see a people hungering after what they have lost. An idol always means this. An idol created by fingers of men and appointed to the place of god, is forevermore a revelation of the sense of need, the sense of lack. It is ane evidence that the deepest thing in the human heart is its cry after God. This is not to defend idolatry, not to defent the action of these people in the deification of the brazen serpent, but to say that when people lose their consciousness of God they do not lose their sense of need for God. full story

I judge that my prayer is more than the devil himself; if it were otherwise, Luther would have fared differently long before this. Yet men will not see and acknowledge the great wonders or miracles God works in my behalf. If I should neglect prayer but a single day, I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith. -- Martin Luther full story

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteausiess with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Cor. 6:14-18) This passage gives utterance to a Divine exhortation for those belonging to Christ to hold aloof from all intimate associations with the ungodly. It expressly forbids them entering into alliances with the unconverted. It definitely prohibits the children of God walking arm-in-arm with worldlings. It is an admonition applying to every phase and department of our lives—religious, domestic, social, commercial. And never, perhaps, was there a time when it more needed pressing on Christians than now. full story

For years I have made a practice of writing many of my earnest prayers to God in a little book--a book now well worn. I still turn often to the petitions I recorded in that book. I remind God often of what my prayers have been. One prayer in the book... and God knows it well by this time, for I pray it often... goes like this: 

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Communion with Christ is a certain cure for every ill. Whether it be the wormwood of woe, or the cloying surfeit of earthly delight, close fellowship with the Lord Jesus will take bitterness from the one, and satiety from the other. Live near to Jesus, Christian, and it is matter of secondary importance whether thou livest on the mountain of honour or in the valley of humiliation. Living near to Jesus, thou art covered with the wings of God, and underneath thee are the everlasting arms. Let nothing keep thee from that hallowed intercourse, which is the choice privilege of a soul wedded to THE WELL-BELOVED. full story

“On a hill not far away, stands an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame.” That’s not only a line from an old hymn, it’s a line from a presentation I often make at churches where we minister.  You see, I placed a large cross on a hill on my ranch. It’s impact was when I first recognized, like so many Christians, my inherited sinfulness, guilt and shame, but someone showed me the Gospel. “God demonstrated His own love toward us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” and we are now justified through his blood and saved (by faith) from the wrath of God through him." (Ro 5:8-9) 

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I believe that every church and congregation wishes to experience growth: growth in membership, growth in church structures, growth in finances, growth in missionary and outreach programmes, as well as enjoying spiritual growth. Special projects, several methods, techniques and the transformation of communities, and the emphasis being put on these, are well known. I believe each of these incentives may contribute positively, but it seems that the implementation of these projects hasn’t brought about a major breakthrough and lasting positive change in society. full story

The truth is that obedience isn't the very best way; it's the only way to show that we believe!  The call to obey is a call to action.  How often do we look for a feeling before we act?  We don't need to wait for an emotional prompting before we do what God has commanded us to do. full story

Zeal is a contagious, but not popular, element. Our fathers took their tea piping hot; we take ours iced. Iced Christianity is more popular and tasteful than iced tea. We can endure in our churches enough warmth to take the chill off, but more than this is offensive. We have added many good elements to our preaching, but these cannot make up for the loss of fervor. The average mind can only be moved to action by a flame. Some men may pull through to heaven on a cold collar, but they are the exception.

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Your attitude is your best friend or your worst enemy. Your attitude toward others will affect their attitude toward you, and the way you relate to others will affect how they relate to you. The way you present yourself will impact the way others interact with you.
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Prayer.  What is it?  Is it necessary in a Christian's life?  Firstly, prayer is communication with the Almighty God who is able to do the needed thing Ephesians 3:20.  It is the breath of the Spirit within us Romans 8:26, 27.  The only way we can talk with our Heavenly Father is through His Son, our great High Priest Hebrews 4:14-16.  What a tremendous privilege!  If we do not pray, we break down God's method of communication with Him.  He is our total Resource. full story

The unconverted do not like to hear much about the Holy Ghost. The world cannot receive him because it seeth him not, neither knows him. Unconverted ministers do not often like to preach about the Holy Spirit. Unconverted hearers do not often like to hear about the Holy Spirit. How very foolish to many must such a command as this appear to be! If it had been said, 'Grieve not a father or mother', you could have understood it, but when it says, 'Grieve not the Holy Spirit', you do not know its meaning. full story

Swimming in a salt-saturated ocean I always get extremely thirsty.  Perhaps you can relate to that dry and desperate feeling that overcomes a person who accidently gulps a mouthful of the Atlantic.  :You return to shore rubbing your eyes, coughing and weary of wandering through the waves.  In just a few short minutes, the need for something cold and wet becomes indescribable. All those bizarre Pepsi commercials make sense. full story

“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!” (Psalm 103:1) “Bitter irony. Those words come to my mind when I think of this hymn. Loosely based on Psalm 103 and Psalm 150, the song is a wonderful reminder to praise God for the tremendous blessings He gives us. So where’s the irony?

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I put before you now a simple question. Look through the pages of this paper and you will soon see why I ask it. "Are you asleep about your soul?" There are many who have the name of Christians, but not the character which should go with the name. God is not King of their hearts. They mind earthly things.

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Word games have always been a source of recreation for me.  Scrabble, Boggle, Probe, crossword puzzles, etc. challenge me, and therefore I find that a dictionary is handy to have around for it is important to know the meaning of a word if I am going to use it in any of these games. However, knowing the meaning of words is not important only for word games but to add knowledge and understanding to many of the things we do in life.

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Oh how we need to burn with the oil of God's anointing in our lives.  The life we're called to live is absolutely dependent upon being perfectly in union and completely filled with the precious Holy Spirit. When Moses saw that burning bush on Mt. Horeb he turned for a closer look for a strange fact that the bush was on fire, but it was not being consumed.

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Sometimes it is asked what we mean by brokenness. Brokenness is not easy to define but can be clearly seen in the reactions of Jesus, especially as He approached the cross and in His crucifixion. I think it can be applied personally in this way: full story

As I take a good look at the average evangelical church today, it seems to me that we have come to the place where we are willing to settle for second best. Each time there is to be an election of board or committee members, the hassle begins trying to find to see who can be talked into being a candidate.

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Will another great revival come? It is never too late for God. If we will fulfill God's covenantal promises fulfilled. So the question is not so much, "Will revival come?" but rather "Will we meet God in prayer for revival?" Is it God's time? Just as it is always God's time to save, it is always God's time to give revival. Just as surely as "now is the day of salvation", so surely now is the day of revival, for now is the day of grace.

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If I am honestly trying to live the Christian life, daily confessing my sins, trying to be a witness and a worker for God, and yet have to admit that I am not experiencing the abundant life, do not have the "peace that passes all understanding", and the "joy of the Lord" is not my way of life, if indeed, in spite of all my trying, I am much of the time frustrated in my Christian experience, then I seriously need to ask God to show me wherein I am a rebel. full story

Death and life are in the power of the tongue! Why? Because the tongue uses words, and words are "a primary Channel of Power in the universe." Proverbs 21:6. No wonder Jesus said that, "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account in the day of judgment.” Matthew 12:36 The word "idle" here means lazy or careless, a word without effort. full story

Galatians 6:22 – 23 "…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance …" If we are to have any faith in this life, it will have to be produced in us by the Holy Spirit of God, not by self-effort. This truth must be emphasized in the church if we are to grow Spiritually and be effective witnesses for Christ.

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How is the Church to be lifted up to the abundant life in Christ, which will fit her for the work that God is putting before her? Nothing will help but a revival, nothing less than a tremendous spiritual revival. Great tides of spiritual energy must be put into motion if this work is to be accomplished. Now there may be great differences in what we understand by revival. full story

Thy Word is lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105. I installed additional driving lights on my motorcycle. Driving the back roads in southern Saskatchewan at night requires all the illumination one can get. 

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We will never have a greater possession than the Word of God, the Bible. The Psalmist stated, "I will …. Praise they name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name."  Psalm 138:2. full story

This is a most remarkable statement, which came from the lips of our Saviour as well as from the lips of Stephen, who was redeemed and Spirit filled. May our prayer be that we would experience the same and do the same.  full story

Some of the greatest enemies of true Christianity are found within "Christendom". There are many who call themselves Christians but are enemies of the true Gospel and would resist revival if it were to come. 
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The Apostle Paul said in Romans 13:12 "the night is Far Spent, the day is at hand…" when you consider that he said this more than 2000 years ago it makes us see the extreme brevity of what the Bible calls "man's" day. full story

The great eternal triune God, maker of the universe, is everywhere present. Wherever we go in His will, He is already there waiting for us. full story

Many people like to talk about the American dream. It suggests that there is a way of finding a life of freedom, peace, security, prosperity and ultimately happiness. full story

Some who read this may be Christians but are not really living a Spirit-filled life as they should. This is nothing new for Paul said in Galatians 5:25, "If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit." full story

Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is the hinge upon which every sermon is to be measured, and every preacher deemed worthy of the name Bible Preacher. full story

Contact lens wearers, like me, know what it means to sometimes have blurry or cloudy vision. Cleansing or lubricating solution put on the lens is the key to rectifying the problem! full story

Revival is the sovereign invasion of God in the affairs of humanity that changes the course of human history. It is needed today in every part of this world. full story

The Old Testament promised individual revival many times. Proverbs 1:23: "Turn you at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you; I will make known my words unto you." full story

All too often the sins of the nation become the sins of the church. While seeking to win the world, many have accepted the ways of the world into their churches. Doctrinal compromise has led to tolerance, easy beliefs and lowered standards. full story

I once travelled from London to Amsterdam. The overnight bus arrived at the central train station in Amsterdam at about 06h00 in the morning from where I had to catch a train to the airport. full story

In the first chapter of Ephesians and again in chapter 3, Paul prays a magnificent prayer. I call it a "high priestly prayer". It is in the same spirit as Jesus' prayer in John 17. Paul prayed for the church, the body of Christ, for you and me. full story

Many people experience condemnation early in life. It can be thought of "I'm not good enough to be a Christian," or "I've done too many bad things." Sometimes after a serious failure or offence, people feel written off for good. Left too long without a truth encounter, these lying thoughts drive some to suicide. full story

The question is often asked, "Is revival needed in congregations where the Scriptures are believed, the Word of God taught, and the Gospel proclaimed?" full story

God led the children of Israel out of Egypt by the glory cloud. Soon they were at Marah (which means "bitterness"). No, it wasn't Moses' inability to follow directions that had brought them to this place. full story

Power is one of the greatest gods of this world. All too often even we who belong to the church of the Living God make the devastating mistake of seeking, striving and struggling to get power. full story

Scripture shares much about the positive relevance of personal testimonies. Paul begins this section with a very personal comment, "For ye have heard of my conversation (life style) in time past" Galatians 1:13 (a). The strength of personal testimony is unequivocal in the battles against oppressive forces. full story

My most vivid and meaningful memories of visiting my grandparents as a young boy are those of being able to join my grandfather in the vestry before walking into the church on Sundays. He always gave me some sweets during the service. full story

I believe that most people who are believing God for revival are quite clear on the "blessings" that revival produces. We all get excited at the prospect of a fresh revelation of God's glory, the pouring out of God's Holy Spirit, the renewed health of the Body of Christ and a greater effectiveness in the evangelization of unsaved peoples. full story

The most crucial issue of the twenty-first century has been captioned as "the battle for the minds." The mind with its abilities – to perceive, to rationalize , to project, to integrate, to analyze, to remember, to fantasize – is both a marvel and a mystery because it's patterns of operation are to do with a person's responses to live situations. full story

Jesus was both 100 percent God and 100 percent man. As a human, He grew in four ways: First, He matured in wisdom, which is intellectual growth. Second, He grew physically. Third, He grew in favor with God, which is spiritual development. full story

If you're going to deal with somebody following a service he might have 2 options. First, he might be someone who's never been saved. They need to dump all that past sin at the Cross and understand God's absolute complete forgiveness. full story

The good news is that when we confess our sin and when we take ourselves to the Cross voluntarily it creates in us an atmosphere in which God's Holy Spirit can work. full story

Many Christians are trapped, sitting behind walls of animosity and deep-seated anger because of the hurts endured from friends, relatives and members of the wider Christian community. full story

Some years ago the Lord impressed upon my heart to write these words "Are you willing to pay the price for revival?" I still feel weak that the Lord chose to break my heart. full story

My greatest desire is really to know the ways of God. Find in Exodus – the whole golden calf story. The Lord says to Moses "Get down from this mountain." Moses and God were having a great time. full story

There is only one person in all the universe who can live the Christian life. That is Jesus Christ Himself. He wants to live it through the born again Christian. full story

The Word of God presents The Lord Jesus Christ to us in all His majesty and splendor in many places.  Yet in this text we see He is revealed to us in three ways. full story

Dr. Harry Ironside was approached by a young man on one occasion who came to confess a fault. He told the preacher that he felt he was loving his wife too much. "In fact, I've put her on such a high plane, I fear it's sinful," lamented the young husband. full story

The Scriptures declare that there are times when God doesn't even hear our prayer. There are items when we go through what is sometimes called "The dark night of the soul." Psalm 66:18 teaches us that power in prayer is connected to purity in heart. full story

Mathematics demands that a student master elementary concepts before learning how to solve more complex problems. The whole educational process is built on the idea that we must pass the test before moving on to new information. full story

Our dear Saviour entered the world amidst heavenly proclamations of "peace on earth, good will toward men." He left His peace to His followers as a precious Gift which the Holy Spirit makes real in our experience, the "peace of God, which passeth all understanding" keeping our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. full story

Many people today say they want to make a statement with their lives. To do this they use a variety of techniques - hair styles, tattoos, tee-shirt logos, bumper stickers, clothing styles, pennants, flags, and many others. God wants our lives to carry a message too. full story

I am often asked "When will revival come?" What a great question that is! As we consider the history of Canadian Revival Fellowship we know that God has revealed some things to us. full story

You will waste your marriage if you do not believe it is ordained by God to conform you to the image of His Son. Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, ... full story

It goes without saying, that of the handful of people that are listed in Hebrews 11, there is none as controversial as that of Samson. Most messages that I've heard on him leave the impression that this man was a failure, a failure that just happened to straighten out in the very end. full story

During my college days while walking across campus, I heard someone remark, "I'll give them a piece of MY mind!" At first, the declaration made no real impact on me, since it seems to be such a common part of nearly everybody's vocabulary. But as I gave the incident further thought, the stigma of those words gripped me as never before. full story

Prayer is not to change God but to change me so that He can, in the light of His eternal interests do what He always wanted to do but could not because I was standing in His way. In Psalm 37:7 it says, "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him." full story

I have never met a person in my life-time who has welcomed tribulation. Humanly speaking this seems entirely impossible. But because we live in a fallen world, we live but a short time before we meet trouble or trouble meets us. full story