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...
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...
The rainbow was never meant to be a sign supporting and affirming sexual perversion. The rainbow was a sign from God that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood. The symbol and its meaning have been hijacked and used to affirm evil. A rainbow is not...
Reading through the account of Cain and Abel's offering to the Lord reveals the terrible and destructive power of an offense that is allowed to fester. "When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. When it was time for the harvest, Cain...
In the Law Enforcement community, there is something called EOW - End of Watch. It's when a cop signs off for the last time over their radio. It's also used to describe an officer who has died in the line of duty. Watching is the primary job of a police officer....
Over many years, I've told people to pursue Jesus if they want to know the truth about life. Reading yet another book or pursuing an advanced degree cannot produce the truth. Truth is only found in Jesus. He provides everything we need because He is the way, the...