“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” Acts 20:28, KJV. Here’s a good word for pastors … and for all the rest of us, “Take care of yourself!” The Apostle Paul spoke these … Read more>>>
The following article appeared in the January-February issue of Ministry Today magazine. By Tom Shanklin As the pastor of the same church for 50 years—nearly his entire ministerial career—Virgil Amundson has seen God do “great and mighty things.” In fact, his church began to grow numerically and spiritually just about the time he was ready to throw in the towel, … Read more>>>
By Tom Shanklin Sometimes just getting out of your environment can open your eyes in powerful ways. It’s not that you receive a new revelation, it’s just that the things that you know become much clearer. The missions trip that Susan and I took to England last month opened our eyes and brought a profound change in us—a deeper work of the … Read more>>>
By Tom Shanklin “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the … Read more>>>
You can have a part in helping your church to grow in numbers, to grow in strength, and to grow in impact in your community. God’s heart is all about reaching lost, hurting, lonely people with the Good News of His Son. There’s no better way to accomplish that than through the local church. But in order for your local … Read more>>>
By Tom Shanklin When a 21-year-old man walked into a church in Charleston, South Carolina and killed nine innocent people, his plan was a to start a race war. But many of the people in the church, rather than reacting with hatred and vindictiveness, responded with forgiveness and prayers for this deluded young man. They chose to make peace instead … Read more>>>
By Susan Shanklin Every Tuesday, well, almost every Tuesday, I attend a meeting of about 40 women and one guy weight-loss group. Some of us have lost weight and try to keep it off and the other half are trying very hard to lose it. We gather in the basement of a church. When you walk in, a lady will … Read more>>>
By Tom Shanklin “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his … Read more>>>
By Tom Shanklin Let me ask you a question. Does your city or your area need God? Do the people around you need to see and feel a manifestation of His glory in their midst? Do they need to experience the presence of the Lord in a real and tangible way? Well, I have news for you. You and your … Read more>>>
By Tom Shanklin “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he … Read more>>>
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” John 14:12, KJV. This is one of the most astounding verses in the entire Bible, and it is just as true as John 3:16, Genesis 1:1 … Read more>>>
By Tom Shanklin “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.” Isaiah 60:1, 2, KJV. We certainly are living in a time of … Read more>>>
By Tom Shanklin Last month our nation was shocked by a shooting rampage in Connecticut which left 28 people dead, including 20 young children. Many have blamed God for the incident, as though He is responsible for men’s dastardly deeds and foolish ways. “Where was God?” they ask. But the thing that they fail to realize is that not only is … Read more>>>
By Tom Shanklin The Word of God says, “”For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.” Ephesians 5:31, KJV. God has ordained a strong one-flesh union between a man and a woman. Marriage is God’s idea. His plan is one man, one woman, … Read more>>>
Billy Graham, the elder statesman of Christianity, answers the question, “Should I change churches?” His answer is, “Pray about it,” but he also points out that you will never find the perfect church. Read more here.
Read more>>>By Tom Shanklin I was a local church pastor for 22 years, and as you would expect during that time I was passionate about God’s plan for the local church. But now that I have been in a traveling ministry focusing on evangelism for the past seven years, I see more than ever that God’s vehicle for reaching the world … Read more>>>
By Tom Shanklin “And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, … Read more>>>
By Tom Shanklin “Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they … Read more>>>
Often, we look to a huge mega-church in one of the metropolitan areas to find the “formula” for growth and success. But God is not limited to such places. In fact, there are great treasures of truth to be found in other places—remote, obscure, rural places—where the great God of the universe is just as apt to do “great and … Read more>>>
By Tom Shanklin With the holiday season upon us once again I have been thinking a lot about relationships. In fact, on Thanksgiving Day, I woke up with that word on my heart—relationships, and during our Thanksgiving meal I shared a word of encouragement with my family concerning relationships. If you think about it, all the blessings that we receive … Read more>>>
