Blog
There is a deep spiritual darkness that the natural mind cannot see or define. Isaiah the prophet wrote, “Darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples” (Isaiah 60: 2). There are two different words for darkness used in this verse. The first use is a...
If you believe all prophecy is to be encouraging and without ever issuing a warning, this message will challenge your current understanding. That misconception is part of the problem with our understanding of New Covenant prophecy. There are times when prophetic words...
The release of our calling can begin with a single act of obedience that requires courage to speak when others remain silent. It happened to Elijah. He did not remain silent but spoke what the Lord told him to say, even at his peril. We are living in a similar time...
This morning, I awoke to a strange, yet familiar feeling. Forty-three years ago as a young rookie cop in training, I experienced my first car stop. I was riding with a training officer and relied on his wisdom to survive. Car stops present a vulnerable situation...
The image I was seeing in the Spirit was depressing. I felt for the person I was watching. I saw them walking through a difficult season of life with heavy feet. Their feet were so heavy they could barely shuffle along the floor sliding one foot in front of the other....
An archaeologist will tell you to never unearth a treasure from its original context without first seeking professional assistance. The context in which an article is found gives it history, meaning, and cultural value. An archaeologist has the skill and training...
Young men, a life of faith is not meant to be complicated. It is meant to be a simple, authentic and wearable way of life. Young men, a good life is all about intimacy. ...
This morning I did something I do each morning before I sit down to write. I stand by a window in our living room and look up into the night sky and pray for the day. I asked God to release His presence through my family and through me. I prayed, “Lord let...
Creating an apostolic community will challenge our existing thinking and current structures of ministry. The mission of the Church is big and requires big thinkers. An apostolic leader will disrupt comfort levels. They gather around mission instead of preferences....
Yesterday, I did what I do each morning, I write. After I finish writing, I take the time required to make sure what was written was the best I could produce. I also use a grammar program called Grammarly that was introduced to me by a professional writer. After...
We live on a street without sidewalks. It looks like a country road from the 1950’s. Oak trees arch over the street forming a leaf-filled arbor. A few doors down from us, a woman owns a small cottage along a creek. In her front yard is a single gate between two posts....
I cannot think of a more poignant and tender goodbye in all of Scripture than Paul’s farewell address to the Ephesians elders in Acts 20. Paul knew his days were numbered. He was trying to get to Jerusalem as quickly as possible. Paul asked the Ephesians to meet him...
I remember when I wrote my first book, Prayers from the Throne of God. I was a nervous first-time author. I felt the Lord nudge me to ask Jack Hayford to write the foreword. Each time I had been with Pastor Jack over the previous thirty years, he was gracious and...
Certain sounds pull on the deep emotions of my soul. The sound of a violin solo, water moving across smooth stones in a mountain stream or a loon calling out as it swims across a lake through a wisp of early morning fog. There are two levels where we process these...
I was sitting in the early morning light with my dog, Abby, reading the hard copy proof for my new book. I love this time of year when the mornings are cool yet warm enough for shorts and bare feet on the grass. As I continued to read, a bird flew past me and through...