Blog
A couple of years ago, a friend of mine sent me a shofar from Israel made from a three-foot-long curling ram’s horn. I used to shy away from that instrument because I associated it with ancient Israel. Now, when I hear its sound and after learning a bit about how to...
Have friends or even family ever deserted you because of difficulties you faced while standing for the truth? They’ve been ashamed or embarrassed to be associated with you. And it cost you. If you have, you can allow Paul’s healing words to come alive in you and be a...
Paul wrote to Timothy, a young leader overseeing multiple churches in Asia Minor, instructing that in every place of worship, men and women should pray with hands lifted to God, with a pure heart, free from frustration, anger, and controversy (see 1 Timothy 2:8-9)....
The word “longitudinal” refers to something that takes place over time. The wisdom of God has a longitudinal element. It’s a template the Lord asks us to lay over our lives to help us navigate life. It shows us how to live in a world where mixed opinions abound,...
If we choose to follow the Lord, we need to understand what will happen in our lives as we do so. God’s way forward will lead us directly into the path of spiritual conflict, not around it. He does this because the way of the Lord will leave behind a testimony that...
In prayer, I saw an image that could have a variety of applications. It was a pen held above a ballot yet to be cast, or a declaration needing formal agreement, or a marker indicating an agreement with a new course to be taken. When the person marked their choice, a...
There’s a lot of social noise being made in our world. Each voice in the noisy crowd demands that we follow its agenda. When the increasing noise of a fearful crowd reaches a fever pitch, the Lord is asking us to pay special attention to His voice. The noise indicates...
In the nation of Iran, citizens are revolting against the ungodly government that has been controlling their lives. The leaders of the government of Iran have locked down the Internet to reduce exposure of their evil. The situation has arrived at a turning point....
If we are called to lead anything - a family, a small group, or even a denomination or movement- if those leaders cannot speak the truth about any issue, they need to ask for help and allow God to hear their fearfulness. Downstream, a leader's unresolved fear will...
We are approaching a critical time in our nation. Unless God moves in us, all our efforts to bring about needed change will not be enough. We need God to move in us in ways our generation has not yet seen or experienced. He will begin this move by revealing a deeper...
Joy is the greatest weapon against the failure of our emotions. It’s a choice we must make if we want to live a life of faith. The phrase “The joy of the Lord is our strength" came during a particular time in history. After Nehemiah led the people in rebuilding the...
There is a remarkable story in Scripture that shows how people of faith can work together to accomplish great things, even when the devil seeks to divide us. Nehemiah assigned each family to work on a section of the broken walls in Jerusalem. As rebuilding...
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...