Blog
The Church has always been tempted to become more like the nations where we live than to remain a distinctly different kind of people. From the beginning to the end of our lives, we will be tested to determine the quality of our faith and who we will worship. Life is...
Of late, with all that is happening in the world and in the lives of people we love, Jan and I are spending more time praying together in the Spirit. This is not abandoning a prayer list. It is taking our prayers beyond the list to a place only the Spirit knows. The...
When we listen to reports of wars and rumors of war, or when we hear people speak things motivated by doom and gloom, we must take account of God’s promises so that what we say and report is not motivated by fear, but by our faith in God. Joshua and Caleb are notable...
After Jesus was born, two prophets confirmed His assignment. One prophet was named Simeon, and the other was Anna. Both were advanced in age. Regarding Simeon, it was written that, “The Holy Spirit was on him” (Luke 2: 25). As Simeon waited for the Lord’s...
We have been called to follow the presence of God, not our emotions or any human prediction of success. This calling will look and sound strange to those not in an intimate relationship with the Lord. It will reveal the life of someone who has remained faithful to the...
Before each duty shift, when I worked as a patrol officer, I was required to dress according to department regulations. We called it “gearing up.” My uniform, my badge, and each piece of duty equipment, like my weapon, ammunition, handcuffs, and baton, had to meet...
There is a vast difference between hoping for something good to happen and placing our hope in the Lord. The Lord will faithfully lead us through the negativity and doubt that will come when we focus on resolving the circumstances that are creating our fear, rather...
After the COVID-19 vaccines were administered globally, it has now become evident that the vaccines pose significant risks in some people. Notable physicians and scientists sounded the initial alarm, and the pharmaceutical/industrial complex rejected their warnings....
Jan and I were having a phone conversation with a husband-and-wife pastoral team. They are good and sound leaders. In our conversation, we talked about how to lead a church through a tumultuous season. As the conversation progressed, the Lord spoke about continuing...
From time to time, the Lord will lead me to worship Him with songs about the power of His blood. This attention to the blood is both an act of warfare and preparation. It's always a reminder that the Lord is doing something new and redemptive. I was once invited to...
Over the last 50 years, I've had what I would call multiple Pentecost experiences. In these experiences, I received a fresh anointing of the oil of God’s Spirit, equipping me to engage a new season. My task was to maintain that anointing by daily seeking God and His...
Many Christians obsess over the quality of other believers' faith. This obsession is the root cause of many of our divisions. If all participants can establish that Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life, all these divisions will work themselves out if we all...
From time to time, we need to be reminded of the presence and purpose of God’s angels, whose assignment is to help us navigate the perils of this life. For some, the presence of angelic activity sounds strange, even cultic. They may dismiss the present-day activity of...
Our greatest spiritual asset is intimacy with God. Without that intimacy, we will attempt to fill the void with things like experience, education, or a religious position as replacements for intimacy with the Lord. None of those replacements creates intimacy with God....
Every leader in God’s Kingdom needs to lead from a high place where they can see what is happening to the people they are called to lead. They also need personal help when their personal strength can no longer support their calling. No leader can function properly...