Blog
Over the last several decades, Jan and I have done quite a bit of traveling. We have traveled to 50 nations in total. Most of our travel was for ministry assignments. During that level of travel, we learned something important about preparing to travel. We packed two...
The photos of our wedding day have faded over time, but not the love God has given to us. It increases with each passing day. Today, we celebrate 52 years as husband and wife. We didn’t get here by being perfect by any measure. We got this far by the spirit of...
When we read the Old Testament, we need to read it with an understanding of the completed work of Jesus. All the ancient Scriptures point to Jesus. These books have been given to us to appreciate the depths of Jesus' sacrifice. Without that understanding, our faith...
Some of you are walking along a lonesome road of truth. Don’t become discouraged and give up. A great reward is waiting for you. https://www.facebook.com/1442665059/videos/1537077510280182
It can sound extreme to say an entire system of disbelief can collapse in a day, but it's not extreme. The Lord can collapse these systems quickly and in ways that are beyond human imagination. Our best efforts cannot bring about a complete collapse of anything. We...
I was talking with someone who had an important decision to make. They had gathered several options from trusted advisors. They asked me, “What should I do?" I said, “Follow the scarlet thread.” After taking a moment to digest what I said, I explained what I meant. I...
This morning, I was reading the last chapters of John where the crucifixion of Jesus was described. The Lord had been arrested like a common criminal after Pilate yielded to the demands of an angry religious mob and nailed Jesus to a Cross. Jesus was mocked, beaten,...
We all deny the Lord in different ways. The worst kind of denial comes when we are overconfident in our faith, relying more on our strength than on the Spirit. This is what happened to Peter when he denied the Lord three times. The setting for Peter’s denial is...
We don’t like to consider the fact that the world hates us because we believe in Jesus, but it does. Jesus said the world would hate the message of His salvation and those who carry it. This sounds very strident to our tenderized ears, but it’s true. When Jesus told...
One of my favorite holiday treats comes from the leftover pieces of pie dough that Jan forms into little rolls filled with brown sugar and cinnamon. They are an anticipated joy that appears each year at this time when Jan makes the crusts for her holiday pies. She has...
Years ago, in a formative season of ministry, Jan and I were wronged by another pastor. We were betrayed. I remember the night we got the phone call telling us what this person was doing and saying about us publicly. We were hundreds of miles away. We felt helpless....
We become evidence of God's transforming power when we believe in Jesus and His teaching. That alignment marks us and will take our faith into dangerous territory because hell does not want us to become a living advertisement of Jesus’ power. Hell will do anything to...
Jesus wasn’t just a kind humanitarian. He was God in the flesh. Declaring that truth offends an unwilling hearer and those who have a compromised understanding of Jesus. We have nothing to offer if our message does not include both an understanding and a demonstration...
Jesus was on a mission that was not popular, even among His earliest disciples. His mission and the timing of its revelation were based on the Father's will, not on people's needs or expectations. The Father confirmed Jesus who through signs, wonders, and miracles...
Demanding to have the last word in a disagreement is not evidence of God’s wisdom. It only proves we still have work to do in our hearts before we can experience and release the wisdom of God. “If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable...