HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

I was hiking a trail on the hills above our home when I came across a rare flower in full bloom. The flower was from the lily family of plants called the Gentner’s Fritillaria. This little lily only grows in a microclimate found in Southern Oregon. God was very...

SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS

We are familiar with the stunning miracle of the healing of a blind man at the Pool of Bethesda and the Pharisees’ negative reaction. The healing of the blind man took place on the Sabbath—a day no one was allowed to “work.” They called his parents in for...
BURN PILES

BURN PILES

In every generation, something is revealed that seems to scorch the reputation of God’s people. Betrayals, lust, and greed are nothing new to Him, but they still surprise us. We are often unaware of our heart’s true condition. These exposures of sin remind me of what...

WHEN WE DON’T UNDERSTAND

We don’t fully understand what God says or does when we don’t have the full picture. Anything beyond what we have personally experienced is naturally questioned and doubted when our human reasoning kicks in. Our natural mind cannot believe or accept it. In fact, our...

MERCY OVER JUDGMENT

On a brief trip, I bumped into someone on a city street I had not seen in many years. For a short time, she had attended one of the churches Jan and I pastored. From her appearance, it seemed the intervening years had been challenging.   Immediately after our...