Blog
We all deny the Lord in different ways. The worst kind of denial comes when we are overconfident in our faith, relying more on our strength than on the Spirit. This is what happened to Peter when he denied the Lord three times. The setting for Peter’s denial is...
We don’t like to consider the fact that the world hates us because we believe in Jesus, but it does. Jesus said the world would hate the message of His salvation and those who carry it. This sounds very strident to our tenderized ears, but it’s true. When Jesus told...
One of my favorite holiday treats comes from the leftover pieces of pie dough that Jan forms into little rolls filled with brown sugar and cinnamon. They are an anticipated joy that appears each year at this time when Jan makes the crusts for her holiday pies. She has...
I saw someone running their personal race of faith. They were not jogging at a cautious speed. It was an all-out run. As they ran forward, line after line of closed doors stood before them, but the closed doors did not slow them down or break their cadence of...
This morning while arranging some books and correspondence, I came across my daughter’s 50-Year Letter. It is a letter I asked her and her then-fiancé to write in preparation for their wedding last month. The letter would define what they hoped their marriage would...
You can tell hell is at work when people choose to believe a bad report about longtime friends and then reject their influence from within a circle of fellowship. Those who believed the bad report may put on a happy face, but underneath the smiles, the dismissal has...
The prayer of one person can change the course of a family's history or the destiny of a nation. God does not rule by consensus. He is sovereign above all things, even our determined, yet short-sighted understanding of His ways. A single prayer uttered at a strategic...
You have been processing a transition taking place in your thinking. The phrase, “I no longer have a heart for it,” is not a negative confession, but a definition of your unfolding reality. Your transition is a work of God. Scripture tells us the Lord will give us the...
Tonight, I did a bit of dinner prep for tomorrow. I prepared chicken and coated it in kale pesto and garlic. Then cut a bed of scallions and thin-sliced potatoes. The ingredients are resting overnight, blending their goodness in olive oil. When I finished the dinner...
The body of Christ is not designed to walk and talk in lockstep over every issue in society and all aspects of theology. Our oneness is in the person of Jesus Christ, not our limited interpretation of Him or the events of culture. Paul said we are all unique and have...
We will miss what God wants to say and do through us in this season if we interpret the lockdown and social isolation as an inactive time. This is one of the most spiritually active times I have experienced in the last 40 years. God is resetting the priorities of...
One thing that will emerge from this time of social isolation and cultural shutdown will be a clarification between the Gospel of Salvation and the Gospel of the Kingdom. Those who follow the Gospel of the Salvation believe that Jesus came to Earth solely to lead...
As a native Californian having lived in Oregon now for more years than I spent in the state growing up, I have watched California’s life and politics with interest. Yesterday, Kamala Harris was selected as Joe Biden’s running mate. Again, my focus was directed to...
You have wondered if there was a purpose for your life in this time of unusual cultural transition. Yes, there is a purpose. The Lord has allowed you to become frustrated with an angry and contentious expression of faith. The constant social discord has wearied you. A...
I listened to an interview with a scientist describing the concept of Singularity. Singularity is a moment in history when seemingly disconnected events happen at the same time with such rapidity, they seem to the human mind as a single event. It would be like all the...