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There is a blessing associated with having discernment. The Psalmist prayed: “O Lord, listen to my cry: give me the discerning mind that you promised. Listen to my prayer; rescue me as you promised” (Psalm 119:169-170). The Spirit-Filled Life Bible says: “Let my cry...
I have been talking with friends who are in a major transition. The fact is, while we have been going through our own personal transitions, the whole world also entered a major transition. It adds a weightiness to what we are personally processing, and sometimes we...
Why does God allow evil? And doesn’t that make Him complicit to some degree? The better question: Why did God allow His beloved family free will, and why do we allow evil? Why have atrocities been committed down through history by every tribe and nation? Even the...
I am writing about people who were betrayed by their political and religious leaders. Internal dissension, civil war, and deterioration had opened a door to self-destruction. To devour one’s brother or sister is to devour oneself. There had been two hundred years of...
Two events today took place in America that are prophetically significant. One event is the celebration of our nation's 250th anniversary—a Jubilee year. The second thing that happened was when Kelsey Pfendler completely surprised herself by breaking the record for...
Isaiah’s word of encouragement and strong warning from the Lord is for us today. He prophesied to King Ahaz of Judah that the imminent invasion of the Northern Kingdom and Syria into Judah would not succeed. Ahaz needed to guard his heart from discouragement and...
Restoration begins with a revelation of God's holiness. Like Isaiah, we need to see more than our sinfulness and the sin of our nation. We need to see God’s brilliant presence, greatness, and authority. The fallen nation of Israel and her rebellion is so devastating...
On my summer breaks as a young boy, I used to help out in my dad’s construction business. Dad built houses, and he also owned a house-moving company. I was always working each summer. Dad would assign a project to me and then go elsewhere on the job site. When he...
The book of Isaiah is like reading what is happening in our nation and our world at this time in history. The prophet Isaiah has visions from God concerning Judah and Jerusalem. These strong words are for us as well. Isaiah began by saying, “Listen, O heavens! Pay...
Going about my day last Thursday, I noticed I felt unsteady on my feet and had trouble with my balance. I thought I was just having an off day, but by early evening, I knew something was amiss. Jan and I decided I needed to go to an immediate care facility. They told...
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...
On occasion, God will perform a miracle so astounding that natural science cannot accurately explain what really happens. A miracle like this happened during one of Israel’s battles. “On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to...
Just one degree off course while sailing across an expansive ocean will take us to destinations that will be off course by as much as 500 miles. That miscalculation means we could set sail from Hawaii, intending to land in San Francisco and land at Coos Bay, Oregon,...