Author: Dwight Clough

I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. — Revelation 2:17The movie, The Bourne Identity, opens with a man with gunshot wounds floating on the Mediterranean Sea. The crew of a fishing boat picks him up and nurses him back to health. He regains his strength, but has lost his memory. There are many things he can remember, like how to speak several languages. But he cannot remember who he is.His only possession was a bank account number corresponding to a safety deposit box in a…

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed Him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, and she had spent all she had on doctors, but no one could heal her. She came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped."Who touched Me?" Jesus asked.When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against You."But Jesus said, "Someone touched Me; I know that power has gone out from Me."Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came…

… give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. — 1 Thessalonians 5:18Why would God ask us to do such a difficult thing? Some time ago I shared the story of an mountain climber who fell into a crevasse during a blizzard and was given up as dead. Trapped, with no way to climb up and out, he started to climb down. When he got to the bottom of the crevasse, he discovered, to his complete surprise, a light. There was an opening in the ice. There was a light at the end…

Brothers, pray for us. — 1 Thessalonians 5:25One of the outcomes of encountering God in prayer is love. We love because He first loved us. Another is wisdom. Another is transformation. One day I was praying for a ministry that was experiencing some problems. As I went to pray, I felt God speak to me and say, "Don’t pray for ministries. Pray for people." That was an important lesson for me. Ministries are temporary. People are eternal.Be encouraged!Dwight What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries? Victims of violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace, wholeness, the…

Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. — Acts 20:32You will have, from time to time, those in your life who depend on you to provide what they need – physically, financially, emotionally, spiritually. While that may be okay and appropriate for a season, the time will come when you need to transfer their dependence to God, whether they are ready for it or not.When Jesus walked this earth, He healed many people. But He also left many…

… teach us to pray … — Luke 11:1Real prayer requires two things:1. The real God2. The real youIf we really knew God – if we went to heaven and saw Him and experienced Him in all His glory, nothing would ever frighten us again. No one could threaten or do anything to us that would ever scare us, no matter how mean or cruel they might be. I say that because connecting with the real God is more than just connecting with the theologically correct God (although that, too, is important). We seek after the God who is there.Pretense…

“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.” — Psalm 51:3Sometimes it seems that God’s eyesight has gone bad. Doesn’t He see what a rotten sinner I am? Why would He want to hang around me?In this passage, David has fallen from great heights to horrible depths. Others have gone lower, but they started lower. Few in history have fallen the distance David fell. It took him by surprise, as sin often does. He had no idea what was in his heart, until he was trapped by the inescapable reality of what he had done.For most…

“Have you considered my servant Job?” — Job 1:8The LORD initiates a dialogue with Satan, and He brings up the topic of Job’s righteousness. What can we learn from that?First of all, consider this: God doesn’t lose. He went into this exchange fully knowing that He would win Satan’s challenge. God was very willing to put one of us (i.e., Job) on display, fully knowing that He (God) would emerge triumphant and would bring us along with Him.Satan would like us to believe that Job was righteous because he was well paid to be righteous. But God took this opportunity…

When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. — Mark 10:14 Behavior is a barometer. Transformation is the thermostat.By this I mean that our behavior reveals what is in our hearts. Transformation changes what is in our hearts. For me, one of the things that grieves me most is the mistreatment of children. I have mourned my own mistakes and failings with my own children; many times I have cried out to God over this.…

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. — Isaiah 41:10 What we fear controls us. On one side of the fear line we are willing and obedient, ready to serve God and do whatever He commands. On the other side, we say, "God, I cannot do that. It’s too scary."Some time ago, a missionary told this story. A group of militant anti-Christians shouting angry accusations surrounded and broke into a Christian compound. When…