Blog
Recently, I wrote something that I was led to delete. My most trusted advisor, my wife Jan, helped me come to that decision. Her comment, “What you wrote doesn’t fully represent the love of God”, is what caused me to delete the article. When Jan first brought this to...
When God calls us to obedience, He offers both the blessings of our obedience and the consequences of our disobedience. The determining factor is our willingness to obey His voice. Moses detailed for Israel the blessings that would visit the nation if they remained...
I know Anna married the right man when he added 16 ribeye steaks to the Thanksgiving meal, along with the turkey I cooked. Wasn't a vegan in the group. Thanks, Jared.
The greatest blessings in my life have all come suddenly and unexpected. They were never planned or programmed. They just appeared – suddenly. We can reduce our life of faith down to a human level of understanding that produces solutions from the exercise of human...
This morning, I had the honor to preach at Empowered Life Church in Medford, Oregon pastored by Ivan and Erica Roman. Ivan was out of town ministering and asked me to speak in his absence. As worship began, Erica quoted Ruth Heflin by saying, ““Praise until the...
God has heavenly assets and resources assigned to your life that you cannot see. They are in place to protect you and watch over your life. To the casual observer, you look vulnerable, exposed and out in the open. With God that is never your reality. The recent...
Some of the dialogue taking place on social media and news outlets the day after the Inauguration reminds me of the Chinese language symbol that can mean both danger and opportunity depending on how it is used. We are in one of those moments of definition, not in the...
Father God, bless our new President. May you give him the ability to reach beyond division and fear to embrace the broad spectrum of our diversity expressed in every color, creed, and religion and pull us together in a renewed state of the Union. Release in him the...
God has wrapped you tightly in His presence. You are secure, not in jeopardy. The things coming at you at this moment cannot breech His love or His purpose for your life. When both of our children were born the hospital staff wrapped them tightly in a baby blanket....
There are times when you hear something that impacts you deeply and leaves a lasting impression. As a young pastor-in-training, I remember one such phrase. Early in his ministry, my pastor, Roy Hicks Jr., was confronted by a group of people in his church who felt his...
Yesterday, I was driving between appointments when I passed one of those electronic signs with moving script that ticked off a message as the words moved across the screen. The sign read out the words, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season – Merry Christmas!”...
The frustration you are feeling could actually be a work of God’s Spirit. Before you rebuke its presence, let me try to explain. Last week, I had personal interaction with three people who represent three of the 7 Mountains of culture. Each of these people has a...
I saw the image of a person running. They had been running so fast in the pursuit of their life ambition that they left behind something of great value. As the person continued to run forward they heard a strangely familiar sound behind them. The sound caught their...
We create our best music and write our best books in the middle of the most painful seasons of life. David wrote passionate Psalms in his most devastating moments of personal struggle. Something takes place in us during those times that exposes the fake salesman...
A few months ago, I wrote about seeing an image of the blue helmets of United Nations peacekeeping forces walking the streets of Jerusalem. At that time the image seemed far-fetched. Now it does not seem out of the realm of possibility if the UN becomes the enforcing...