Blog
I was hiking a trail on the hills above our home when I came across a rare flower in full bloom. The flower was from the lily family of plants called the Gentner’s Fritillaria. This little lily only grows in a microclimate found in Southern Oregon. God was very...
We are familiar with the stunning miracle of the healing of a blind man at the Pool of Bethesda and the Pharisees' negative reaction. The healing of the blind man took place on the Sabbath—a day no one was allowed to “work.” They called his parents in for questioning....
In every generation, something is revealed that seems to scorch the reputation of God’s people. Betrayals, lust, and greed are nothing new to Him, but they still surprise us. We are often unaware of our heart’s true condition. These exposures of sin remind me of what...
There are times when nature will announce what God is about to do. On July 29, 2025, a large earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 took place in Kamchatka, Russia. Kamchatka lies at the eastern edge of Russia and borders Alaska. That immense earthquake set in motion what...
As believers, we have lived for years with great freedom of expression. That freedom was not challenged in a way that caused any measure of harm. At most, it was only criticized in conversations and debates. With the death of Charlie Kirk, we received an intense and...
There are some relationships where it becomes necessary to create distance in the relationship, no longer listening to someone's comments, and allowing their misunderstanding to affect us. Creating that distance will open the door for the Spirit to begin to work on...
There are times when we can doubt a miraculous intervention has taken place and try to explain it away as just a circumstance. God is faithful to do what is needed to confirm His word if we do not dismiss the elements that will lead us to the place of His...
After believing in the saving power of Jesus Christ, other forms of belief will follow. Those additional forms of belief will change how we form our worldview and express our faith. I recently reviewed some of the additional expressions of my faith. I believe in the...
A great sense of dread is filling the hearts of many people in our nation, even believers who should know better. We must capture that dread and make it submit to the will of God, or we will be led astray and become a tool of the enemy. Camps are being formed that...
Last week, I had three unique encounters with different people. The first happened as I was walking through our small town, and a vehicle pulled alongside. A young man rolled down his window and asked, "Are you Garris Elkins?" I said, "Yes, I am." The young man told...
Your trust will be tested in the coming days. Some of those you thought would remain faithful will not. You don't need to pray for protection from your betrayers. Pray for your heart's attitude when you experience the pain of betrayal. This time of testing will...
When we slowly eliminate the truth of God's word from our lives and accept human opinion as truth, we will experience a form of self-induced torture that resembles something called lingchi. Lingchi is a form of Chinese torture, meaning "death by a thousand cuts." The...
Every nation has its problems. Scripture is filled with examples of Israel’s failures, just as it is with the United States. These failures are the result of those we have chosen to lead our respective nations. The difference is that the United States is not mentioned...
We are living in a season of history similar to what happened at the Tower of Babel. The Lord is confusing the language of some groups who are using their language to justify the evil and deception they have inflicted on others through their social, political, and...
After a gruesome assassination yesterday of Charlie Kirk, the assassination revealed something that time and human energies cannot erase. Yesterday, we saw a raw and public display of evil that is still living among us. That evil will do anything it takes to silence...