Blog
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...
Years ago, in a formative season of ministry, Jan and I were wronged by another pastor. We were betrayed. I remember the night we got the phone call telling us what this person was doing and saying about us publicly. We were hundreds of miles away. We felt helpless....
When we feel the need to constantly monitor and correct the response of others to volatile social issues, we have yielded our authority to a spirit of control. This is especially dangerous for a leader who has authority over the lives of people under their care....
Years ago, I had an insightful conversation with a friend. He shared a story that helped me create a decision-making process in my life. A troubling situation was taking place that required him to make a difficult choice. He said the decision he was asked to...
A couple of days ago, I needed to get away and detox my soul. I did not know where I was going when I first started to drive. I finally ended up at a local lake. I parked my truck and walked down to the water's edge. The water was low. Our region is experiencing the...
When I was a young pastor, I had a private conversation with a mentor of mine who was a noted apostolic leader. He had a large church with far-reaching influence. In the youth of my ministry, I placed this man on a deserved pedestal of honor. When he passed away, the...
Following a feeling of frustration is like the Chinese symbol for a crisis. It offers both danger and opportunity. As I look over Church history, I see believers who followed their unsettled frustrations under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and encountered unique...
When a spirit that exercises control over the minds of individuals or nations is threatened, one of the first tactics it will deploy is confusion. In a state of confusion, agents working on behalf of the controlling spirit will begin to protect its interests at all...
In recent months, discussions have taken place about when the rights of a believer-citizen should be exercised, or not. There are valid points on both sides of the conversation and worth hearing. One camp says a believer should never demand their rights and just take...
This morning, the Lord gave me two different words to share with those to whom they might apply. The first paragraph has to do with seeking direction from the Lord. The second is about coming change within existing relationships. DIRECTION: You have come this far by...
Every “yes” we say to God in obedience to His voice is significant. Each yes is part of a much larger spiritual process that will lead us to a place of ultimate victory. Even the smallest of yeses releases a tremendous impact. If we live a life of ongoing yeses, when...
The prophet Joel spoke of the culmination of time and quoted the Lord, who said, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.” The “all people” wording leaves no one out. It will affect believers, non-believers, and those in between. It was an all-inclusive...
The title of Jerry Cook's book, "A Few Things I've Learned Since I Knew It All," seems to express what many of us are experiencing as we discover the shallowness of our opinions in this heated time of social unrest. The title of Jerry's book has become an anthem over...
When a friendship is healed and restored after an experience of misunderstanding and separation, it forms the deepest kind of friendship. If something takes place that separates good friends, and they come back together through mutual humility and forgiveness, a...