Blog
A Lamp Into Our Souls Jan and I met at Multnomah School of the Bible. I rented a cheap, dank, dark, little basement room of an old house off campus. It had a dirt floor, no bathroom, and a tiny wood stove (but no firewood) for heat. I shared the basement space with...
When I was a young pastor in training, I was part of a church called Faith Center in Eugene, Oregon. This wonderful church took a step of faith with me and let me try my hand at counseling people. I was so green, and yet there I was—in an office, sitting across a...
Politicized, protected, unchallenged evil has become more visible in our western culture. A lack of accountability gives the perpetrators license to continue hurting others because they know their actions will go unpunished. Just the opposite, they have often been...
Recently, I listened to an interview with a man discussing his gold investments with a gold expert. He asked, “Do you think the gold I have could contain any of the gold that was used to build God’s Temple?” The gold expert said, “Yes”, even if it was only a molecule...
There are times when the presence of God’s Spirit is so profound that what we had planned to do for the Lord cannot be accomplished. It’s sad to imagine attending a church or conference where the Spirit has not been allowed to interrupt our plans and ask us to wait in...
Someone once said, “He who spares the wolf sacrifices the sheep.” My pastor, Roy Hicks, Jr., who pastored Faith Center in Eugene, Oregon, told a group of us young pastors-to-be, “You don’t try to convert wolves -you shoot them.” Roy wasn’t talking about actually...
Jan just completed Volume 5 of her 5-book series of Blessings from the Prophet Isaiah. This completed work has been an 8-year journey for Jan. She studied Isaiah's prophecies in depth and then created from those prophecies her five books of blessings. I call this...
Some of you do not have a prominent place in God’s Kingdom by human standards or measurement. You did not stand behind a pulpit or get asked to speak somewhere. You never wrote a book, published a blog, or sat for an interview to tap your wisdom. Instead, you have...
We know the depth of the Lord's sacrifice that He paid for our redemption. His sacrifice cost Him everything. Nothing we offer can equal His sacrifice, but we have been called to live a sacrificial life. Our sacrifice for the sake of expressing God's love and our...
Many will ask the Lord, “Why am I going through this?” Certain events in life are very painful and disruptive. Some wish they could understand the purpose behind the pain and disruptions they are experiencing. In David’s song of praise, he sang a song honoring God,...
Creative miracles take place when something is created out of nothing. These kinds of miracles have been rare in our day, but are an essential part of our faith. Creative miracles remind us of God’s mighty power. I chuckle at people who clone something or create a new...
Not all threats or accusations directed at us need to be challenged or silenced. It's not easy to remain silent when unfounded things are being said about us, and our accusers don't give up. Some of these situations are tests from the Lord to see how we will respond....
I've noticed what happens when an unrighteous conspiracy is formed. Absalom, one of King David's sons, is an example of those who form and foment such conspiracies. He wanted to replace his father and become the king. As a result of his dishonor, he began to conspire...
Today, how we choose to live and what we believe will impact future generations that follow us in our lineage of faith. No one lives on an island of faith. Our faith, or the lack thereof, will impact future generations long after we are gone because we are connected....
Most of us are familiar with the story of David standing on a rooftop looking down at Bathsheba while she was bathing and being filled with lust. There are other elements of the story that we need to consider. Bathsheba was the wife of a man named Uriah. As David...