Blog
In the small coastal town of Brookings, Oregon, not far from where Jan and I live, is a unique and impactful story of forgiveness from both sides of World War II. From a website called The Historian’s Den, I read the following: In September 1942, a lone Japanese...
When our kids were in grade school, we pastored a wonderful church on the Oregon Coast for several years. Coastal towns can be great places to live, and our family still looks back on those years with great warmth and affection. Shortly after we arrived in Newport, we...
I have thought a lot about “finishing well” in this life. In the ‘80’s, a study was made of leaders across the board who finished well, both in the present day and in the Scriptures. Only 35 percent finished well. The definition of finishing well was determined by: 1)...
Wisdom, the biblical kind, keeps us spiritually safe because we live our lives in line with God's truth. This wisdom is what Solomon wrote about in the book of Proverbs. God's wisdom serves a purpose. "Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help...
What gives us hope to endure the struggles of this life is that someday those struggles will come to an end, and a new, unimagined life will appear. I cannot imagine trying to live through the struggles of this life without that hope. Each day, I thank God for the...
God's word describes Jesus as the opposite of what some are being taught about Him. His true and full nature is an offense to their image of God. As time, as we know it, comes to its conclusion, the Lord will reveal the fullness of His nature for all the world to see....
As I was reading through Revelation, I came upon similar language to what the Lord spoke on the Cross when He said, “It is finished.” “Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture, he said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar of sour wine was sitting...
For the last few decades, theories and assumptions about the book of Revelation and the timing of its events have been taught to the Church. It has been a pick-and-choose exercise, leaving out some of what is described in John's writing, assigning it to the past or as...
I hear, both in the corporate world and within leadership circles in the Church, the phrase, "Taking someone to the next level." Entire courses of instruction and counseling are developed to take someone to whatever "the next level" means. That next level is defined...
Years ago, I flew to Colorado Springs and traveled to a retreat and conference center called Glen Eyrie Castle. I was speaking to a group regarding overseas missions. Glen Eyrie is not just a castle. Multiple buildings make up the sprawling estate. Glen Eyrie is owned...
I am reading through Revelation again for the umpteenth time in my life. I don't know how many times I have read the book, but each time I do, I gain a new perspective of the Lord. With each word of instruction Jesus gave to John about the seven churches, the Lord...
Evil in our world produces its own kind of progeny. It creates offspring sourced in ancient deceptions. This was revealed in Genesis 6 when the angels that had rebelled against the Lord in Heaven came to Earth and procreated with humans to produce what were called the...
My wife, Jan, inherited the DNA of her father. He was a missionary who built churches and seminaries in Central America. Jan is a very feminine woman – a woman who caught my eye and captured my heart over 50 years ago. There are some Christmases when Jan would prefer...
Yesterday, I was preaching in Portland, Oregon – a city that has been in the national news of late. Early in the morning, my sermon was ready, so I spent time in prayer about the service. It was during that time of prayer that the Lord gave me a prophetic word to...
It’s interesting how far our personal history extends into the past, and how far into the future it will be revealed. Yesterday, Jan and I were driving on I-5 in Oregon when we stopped at a rest stop north of Woodburn, Oregon. When I got out of our truck, I parked in...