Blog
I can relate to Peter in so many ways. There were two times when Jesus asked Peter to follow Him. The first call was simply, “Follow me.” The second call came after Peter had utterly failed Jesus by denying Him (see John 21:19). The first call brought Peter into...
Over the last few decades, there has been an increased focus on defining ministry/leadership gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially the gift of prophet and apostle. These gifts are meant to be used in all walks of life, in every sphere, not just at ministerial meetings...
Some of the most intense truths in Scripture are the final words of Jesus to His disciples after the Last Supper. His words were spoken in recognition of a world that rejects the truth and persecutes those who follow Him. We want to get along with all people, but a...
Some of the impossible-sounding things God asks us to do in His name require the release of God’s grace and favor before the fruit of our obedience can be seen and experienced. To accomplish our Kingdom assignment, we must understand that what we are doing in the...
The greatest transformations Jan and I have seen and experienced in almost 50 years of ministry are those that occurred when we blessed our enemies. Those blessings were not just a one-time expression. Some went on for years, while we continued to bless our enemies...
Last night, I was awakened by the shrill howling of a pack of coyotes after making a kill. They were just across the street from our home and loud enough to wake me while I was deep in sleep. I was in that state between sleep and wakefulness called hypnagogia, where a...
There is much transpiring on the world stage. We are living in a time of great transition and reset in the nations. Iran’s population is revolting against its Islamic leaders, Venezuela had its dictator recently removed, the nations within the European Union are...
Jan and I are at a stage in life where we have seen God’s goodness revealed in our past, now in our present, and for what will happen with us in our future. As we think about what the Lord has done for us and what He has brought us through, it has been emotional at...
Not all revivals occur in happy, peaceful circumstances. Some revivals happen after we experience difficult situations, even life-altering interruptions to what we thought would happen. Paul was being transported by ship under armed guard to Rome, where his...
Historic wells of revival are being reactivated, and new wells are being dug for the first time. Our progress will be revealed by the discovery of these new wells. Both old and new wells bear witness to what God has done in the past and to the promise of what He plans...
From time to time, we need a reminder about how we speak about our leaders. It happened to Paul after his arrest when he declared he was a Roman citizen. An angry mob surrounded Paul and shouted that he was not fit to live. Paul was brought before the high...
I got a year older today. January 1 marks my 76th year. On my 65th birthday, I joked with Jan and said that we had now become old. She shot back and said, “We aren’t old yet!” On my 70th birthday, I asked the same question and received the same response. Last...
I used to hike, doing what is called “bush-wacking.” I hiked for miles across trail-less terrain using a topographical map whose imagery revealed the various elevations of a mountain range and the locations of deep, dead-end canyons. Following that map saved me a lot...
Our faith is a connection with the hope of God found only in Christ. That connection remains secure over time, even when our disappointments and failures make us think it has been severed. This is especially true for the prodigal sons and daughters in our lives...
In the week leading up to the New Year, voices within the Church are prophesying what will happen in 2026. Some of these words are from God. Others are declaring what they hoped would happen and call it prophecy. Paul was speaking to Jews who needed to be convinced...