Christian Searchlight

  What Does It Mean “Kicking Against The Goads?” (Acts 26:14)  "Kicking against the goads" was a Greek proverb familiar to the Jews. God used this analogy in describing the waywardness and stubbornness of Saul, a notoriously zealous Pharisee before he became a follower of Jesus. For countless generations most Jews worked as farmers. Oxen were used to work and plow the soil. The goads (pricks) were necessary tools used by them to steer the animal in the direction they needed to be going. A goad was usually a long, wooden shaft with a pointed, sharp, metal spike at one end. The farmer working the oxen would position the goads in such a way as to exert influence and control over them. If the oxen were stubborn and refused the commands directed by the farmer, the goads would be used to jab or prick them. If the ox resisted their master by kicking at the goads, the prick would be driven even deeper into the flesh of the rebellious animal causing greater pain. The more the ox...

  * WHEN GOD "STOPS" SPEAKING There are times in the life of every Christian, when even though you are walking by faith and there is no known sin in your life, God seems far away. Have you ever been in a place where you felt God had abandoned you? Have you ever gone to the Scriptures and walked away feeling discouraged, unhelped, and terribly alone? Have you ever read the Bible and it’s just words on a page with little or no meaning or impact for you? Have you ever prayed fervently and continuously and it feels as if your prayers are not going any higher than the ceiling in your bedroom; all you hear is silence – a silence so deafening it drowns out every thought but the one that says God isn’t listening? Have you ever wondered why God is so silent? Certainly, it isn’t because God has nothing to say and certainly it isn’t because we’ve attained such a high spiritual level that we don’t need any further instruction. So why the silent treatment? The fact is, God often seems to ...

OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART– EPHESIANS 1:17-19   If there is any prayer that every believer ought to pray every day, it is that, Lord open my eyes. There are the physical eyes with which we navigate our ways and see all things in our surrounding. This act enables us not to stumble or fall. It gives us direction as we move on daily basis. Where this is impaired, life becomes miserable. As there are physical eyes, so there are spiritual eyes.   God wants us to open our spiritual eyes to the awesome and incredible things that are now ours in Jesus Christ. Often our view of God and our experience with Him is much, much smaller than it should be. Jesus wants us to expand our knowledge of God. He wants us to realize that God who hung the stars, created the galaxies, and keeps the earth in its proper orbit has a destiny for us that is so fantastic we cannot conceive of it in our wildest imagination.   It takes God, by His Spirit and His Word and in fact, by revelation ...

  SIGNS YOU ARE READY FOR A Godly MARRIAGE Marriage is a lifelong commitment that requires emotional, financial, mental, and spiritual maturity. Here are some key indicators that you might be ready to take that step: 1. Age & Maturity As a lady, you are at least 21, and as a man, at least 25,ages where maturity typically begins to solidify. 2. Financial Stability You have a stable job or business that can support you, your spouse, and a future child. 3. Independent Living You can pay your own bills and, as a man, have your own apartment without relying on others. 4. Responsibility & Care You can take care of yourself and another person without feeling overwhelmed. 5. Love for Family You love children and look forward to having your own. 6. Domestic Skills You handle house chores and cooking naturally, without needing reminders. 7. Emotional Independence You’re comfortable living far from your parents and making major life decisions independently. 8. Self-Control & Integ...