Blog
Gaza is where Samson’s final moment of life occurred. After Delilah tricked Samson into telling her the secret of his unusual strength, he became weak. He was put in forced labor to work grinding grain. During this time, his hair began to grow back as well as his...
While God is free to judge His people in any way and at any time He pleases, the majority of what appears to be God’s judgment is simply the consequence of our actions. The sad consequence of our sins and their accompanying misery grieves the Lord. In the book of...
There are some spiritual disciplines we are being offered that need a closer examination than just a cursory look. Take, for example, Eastern meditation. Some are trying to mix Eastern meditation with Christianity inviting people to seek a mind empty of all thought....
This morning, as I listened to a powerful moment of worship on my Pandora account, the worship leader shifted to a spontaneous song and then led the people deeper into an unscripted song of the Spirit. This song was in heavenly tongues that sounded like many waters...
Your way forward resembles a stormy path filled with wind, rain and uncertainty. The promise you are holding is like a single candle flickering in a protected place. You have hesitated to leave the comfort of this protected enclosure because you think the...
Conspiracy theories surface from time-to-time in our culture. These conspiracy theories need enemies in order create their narrative. They require the seeds of fear and doubt to be planted in the garden of our mind. A conspiracy theory has the power to convince...
I remember the first time I heard someone address the futility of a culture war when my pastor Roy Hicks, Jr. said, “You can put a Christian in every position from the local dog catcher to the White House and you will still only have a world system.” I went away from...
God promised to never leave or forsake His people. He never promised any nation would stand throughout time. Understanding God’s use or lack of use of the word “never” will bring clarity, peace and a renewed perspective to your life and calling. A...
God wants to lighten the load of your theology. Some of you are carrying too much non-essential theological baggage. This load of excess baggage will inhibit you from moving forward at the speed and flexibility required to navigate this current season of...
About thirty years ago, I was a young pastor sitting in a long and spirited business meeting during our yearly denominational convention. A topic on the agenda was getting some heated response from the floor of the convention body. My pastor, Roy Hicks,...
We all have the tendency to try and distance ourselves from the places of our greatest weakness. Somewhere in our journey of faith we discover a hidden gem of truth - our weak places are where God promises to do His most powerful work. Jesus revealed this gem of truth...
(The following is Chapter 45 from my book, The Leadership Rock. Today, I felt a nudge that a pastor, someone in business or anyone leading something somewhere needed this encouragement.) Twenty years ago, I sat in a large convention center with several thousand...
Where I live in southern Oregon we have something called the Bear Creek Greenway. The Greenway is a nature corridor that follows Bear Creek as it winds its way through the beautiful Rogue Valley. Part of the Greenway is a paved bike path that travels 20 miles...
Forty years ago, I was a young police officer trained as a Hostage Negotiator. The new and developing science of hostage negotiation was beginning to find a place in many large metropolitan police agencies across the nation. As negotiators, we were sent...
As a young pastor, I once heard an older pastor say, "If something is public, deal with it publicly. If it is private, deal with it privately." That seasoned and wise leader was helping younger pastors learn how to deal with disruptions that can take place in a...