Blog
Just before taking Communion together this morning, Jan and I were praying in the Spirit. I saw an image. President Trump was standing alone in a hallway. An attacker came from behind him with a raised weapon aimed at the president's head in an attempt to deliver a...
Almost 50 years ago, in my first few months of pastoring, I was sitting around a table with five other young and inexperienced pastors. We were in a small meeting room at Montana State University in Billings, Montana. Seated with us was Jerry Cook, pastor of East Hill...
In my normal morning routine, I am awake before the first light of the morning appears in the sky. In those pre-dawn mornings, I can hear birds begin to sing as they anticipate the coming dawn. Recently, I’ve been listening to instrumental worship music to...
As a result, Peter was now free to enter the home of Cornelius, a Roman officer, and be used by the Lord to lead Cornelius and his family to the Lord. The vision of the blanket was given to Peter as permission to step over Jewish customs of not entering the home of a...
The Lord is in the process of stripping away the blinding scales from the eyes of His Church. These scales have prevented us from seeing what God sees. One of the most dramatic salvations occurred with Paul, who was known at the time as Saul. “Saul was...
The more advanced our thinking about theology becomes, the simpler our assumptions must become to understand God’s heart. A complicated faith does not work. Over the years, I have reduced my theology to two simple truths – Jesus is the only way to God, and those...
It’s important to think supernaturally. That kind of thinking prepares us to do what God asks of us now and in the future. It also defeats feelings of despair when life is moving and changing so fast that we want to give up in the face of an unimagined acceleration....
It’s never about our power or godliness that miracles occur. It is because of the power and authority of Jesus’ name that miracles happen. One day, when Peter and John went to the Temple, a man crippled from birth begged them for money. Peter said, “I don’t have...
Each Christmas, my father and Jan’s father received a single gift. It was an orange. Nothing more. Just an orange. In the Depression, some kids received no gifts on Christmas. Life was hard in those days. There were no toys or special vacations like we have...
There are two words that indicate the depth and specificity of Jesus’ love in a simple yet profound way. Those words were “including Peter.” Those words were spoken by the angel who waited in the empty tomb after Jesus rose from the dead. Those words were spoken to...
There are two spirits that work together against the Spirit of God – a religious spirit and a political spirit. In unison, they can do evil things. It was true in Jesus' time, and it’s true today. After the arrest of Jesus, a spirit of religion and politics began to...
At the time of Jesus’ arrest, a violent confrontation occurred. Leading up to the arrest, the disciples vowed to follow Jesus no matter what happened. When the Lord pointed out Peter’s denial, Peter spoke out and boldly declared, “No! Even if I have to die with you, I...
This year, I wanted to give Jan a unique Christmas gift - a gift of a song that expressed my love and appreciation for her. I wrote out the words for the song and had a professional team at Prayer Song put it to music. As I watched Jan listen to the song the first...
The old wooden recipe box belonged to my mother. It has mitered corners and was constructed long ago without nails or glue. My mother would have been 106 years old today. Her mother was born in 1896, 129 years ago. In the box are recipes from my mother and my...
A few years ago, Jan and I learned an important principle. Wherever we go to minister, we arrive carrying Jesus’ blessing. That understanding is not just for the times we are asked to speak somewhere. It applies to all aspects of our lives. We came to this...