Blog
Sin makes us weary. It’s a weariness that comes from trying to carry the unrepented oppression of sin. That oppression makes our life feel like we are trapped in a small room with no windows and no air conditioning in the heat of summer. We begin to suffocate. Back in...
What we can fail to realize about the exercise of a spiritual gift is its ability to shake up our life and the lives of others in ways we did not anticipate. Their use will bring light into dark places and challenge demonic strongholds – not just within the Church,...
Last night, Jan and I watched the movie Nefarious. It’s about a man on death row awaiting execution. He was demon-possessed. The movie was remarkable and, in some scenes, a biblically accurate dialogue between the demon-possessed man and a psychiatrist who began his...
This morning I was reading through the Book of Habakkuk. Like all of the prophets there is a context and an audience for what is written, and yet, as I was reading, some independent verses seemed to stand out and speak to me. I began to import some of these verses...
Recently, I prayed a simple prayer, “Lord, show me what the year 2010 will bring.” As soon as those words were uttered, I saw an image. I saw someone standing inside a castle-like stone building looking out through a large circular window. This person was looking...
As I approach my 60th year I am beginning to feel mortal. I am sensing the final curtain is probably a few decades down the road and this new realization changes things. There is something about “60” that makes me ponder such realities. I have started to read John...
Recently, Leslie Keegel spoke in our church. Leslie is the President of the 1,500 Foursquare Churches in Sri Lanka, a nation just off the coast of India. He carries an apostolic anointing along with a strong gift of revelation and miraculous healing. Throughout the...
Recently, a friend of mine sent this communique to thousands of church leaders around the world: “In 1998, Hurricane Mitch wrecked havoc across Central America, especially in Honduras. The casualties were steep: 5,600 people perished, 12,300 were injured and 8,600...
God never leaves His people without a believing remnant. We have all read about the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness for forty long years. I have personally processed this as a time when unbelief had to die off so a new generation, based in faith, could...
A few years ago a trivia game emerged called “Kevin Bacon and the Six Degrees of Separation.” The theory goes that in this game any actor could be linked through their acting roles to Kevin Bacon, a fellow actor, within six relationships. While this trivia game is fun...
Recently, I have been talking to believers about establishing their “pivot point”. A pivot point is that place where you put one of your feet conceptually and say, “This is my bottom line – I can't give this up." There is not a lot that should occupy that spot. The...
(This is part five in a five-part article about the “H.O.P.² E.” acronym taken from the book, “They Told Me Their Stories,” where the environment of faith was described that attracted God's healing power to that great revival. This article deals with the final letter...
My dear friend in Central Oregon, Jim Stephens, writes some profound things on his daily devotional. A few months ago Jim wrote that he was not going to use the word “awesome” anymore, except to describe God. Jim's commitment on personal vocabulary is such a wise word...
(This is part four of a five-part article about the “H.O.P.² E.” acronym taken from the book, “They Told Me Their Stories,” where the environment of faith was described that attracted God's healing power to the Azusa Street revival. This article deals with the fourth...
“The one who trusts in the Lord will never be put to shame.“ Romans 9:33 When I was 12 years old I entered Junior High School. As a boy in the 6th grade I was warned by my classmates that the big kids in Junior High liked to pick on the incoming 7th graders. The...