Blog
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...
Large reservoirs in the western United States, like Hoover and Grand Coulee, have occasionally experienced what is called a “dead pool.” A dead pool means that there has not been enough rain to fill these reservoirs and activate the power generators inside the...
When a police officer responds to a “hot” call, emotions are high as the officer makes their way to the crime scene. This emotional response multiplies when other officers also respond to the same incident. It was always a problem when one of the responding officers,...
All of us are living in a time of transition, both in the Church and within culture. This time of transition is not our destination. Knowing that reality will prepare us for what is coming. https://www.facebook.com/1442665059/videos/1102804481011705
We have entered the Christmas season, and we all celebrate family traditions. The Elkins home has family traditions as well. There is nothing wrong with our traditions if they are not linked to our salvation. That linkage is dangerous. Those religious traditions are...
When Jesus returned to Nazareth, His hometown, He was not accepted. The residents had known Jesus and his family. When Jesus spoke, the people of Nazareth were amazed and asked, “Where did He get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles” (Mark...
As Jesus preached about the seed of God’s truth wanting to enter the hearts of people, He mentioned the shallow soil of a half-hearted commitment to the Lord, “Since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are...
Each generation needs to be introduced to the power of Jesus Christ or we will settle for a lesser version of the Lord without seeing a demonstration of His power. Accepting that limited version of the Lord will make us suspicious of anyone or any teaching that...
Societies do not naturally evolve into goodness. They devolve into greater depths of depravity apart from the renewing presence of God’s Spirit. No established social order can prevent a devolving into greater expressions of darkness apart from a regenerating work of...
One of our cats killed a rat and brought it into our home. We saw the dead rat sometime after the cat made her deposit on our dining room floor. This wasn’t a little mouse. It was a rat, a long slimy tail included. Jan called me with the sound of urgency in her voice,...
When a person that God has called abandons the integrity of their calling, the Lord can still use them to accomplish His will, even after their life takes a negative turn. In colloquial terms, Samson was a “mess.” He squandered his life which began with the miracle of...
The building where I proposed to Jan has been demolished. In the process, I learned something when memorable places no longer exist. https://www.facebook.com/1442665059/videos/1109261307467904
The Lord will faithfully forgive our sins if we confess them to Him. It is very different when we try to conceal our sins and pardon those who were complicit in their execution. In that case, mercy will not come to the perpetrator and those who followed their sin...
My pastor of many years ago was called to a meeting of disgruntled parishioners. He was young at the time. His church was growing under his apostolic leadership and teaching. This challenged some people within the congregation who wanted to remain in control and not...