Blog
Isaiah prophesied this word: “We are surrounded by the walls of God’s salvation” (Isaiah 26:1). The essence of that ancient word to Judah applies to us today, thousands of years after it was spoken and after Jesus rose from the dead to ensure our salvation. We see and...
I attended a very conservative Bible college that changed for the better over the years. I can still remember buying a laminated Scripture reference note sheet that had one section titled, “Problem Scriptures.” These problematic Scriptures were ones the author felt...
A desire of mine each day is to see world events through the lens of Heaven. I need to see the bigger picture behind the social divisions and wars. I need to see what God sees and what He is doing. To see Heaven’s perspective, I read Isaiah’s astonishing prophecy that...
I had a very vivid dream. In the dream, Jan and I were meeting with a prominent public figure. As the meeting progressed, it was made known to me that this person was living in sexual bondage. His sin was not known to those who looked up to him, followed him, and...
For years, Jan and I have explored how to live from a place of rest. And every new season, transition, or challenge carries with it another cycle of training and a deeper commitment to learn how to enter God’s rest. We developed a short phrase to keep us on track:...
A couple of years ago, a friend of mine sent me a shofar from Israel made from a three-foot-long curling ram’s horn. I used to shy away from that instrument because I associated it with ancient Israel. Now, when I hear its sound and after learning a bit about how to...
Have friends or even family ever deserted you because of difficulties you faced while standing for the truth? They’ve been ashamed or embarrassed to be associated with you. And it cost you. If you have, you can allow Paul’s healing words to come alive in you and be a...
Paul wrote to Timothy, a young leader overseeing multiple churches in Asia Minor, instructing that in every place of worship, men and women should pray with hands lifted to God, with a pure heart, free from frustration, anger, and controversy (see 1 Timothy 2:8-9)....
Paul’s story is my story. I, too, was captured by incredible grace. My primary purpose is to be filled with God’s love. My prayer is that Jesus can use me as a pattern for others who would believe in Him for eternal life. Paul begins his letter to Timothy and...
We have seen three attempts on the life of President Trump, fueled by deranged thinking. It is not surprising that some mentally unstable person would be willing to attempt an assassination, believing the President is so evil that he deserves death. They see their...
One summer in our college years, Jan and I worked as lifeguards at different locations. We were trained how to approach a drowning person so they would not take us down with them. We were of no use to anyone if we didn’t personally train, practice, and prepare. Jan...
A persecuted faith does not fade away. It grows stronger. The persecuted Church demonstrates that reality under oppressive regimes like Nigeria and Iran, among others. Under the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights, we carry the heritage of a godly justice...
This morning, as Jan and I prayed for our nation and for the nations of the world, the Lord spoke. He said we need to pray for His intervention, not the short-sighted conclusions we think need to happen. Those short-sighted conclusions apply at personal, social,...
I remember the day I led my Dad to the Lord. I was awakened in the early hours of the morning with a strong sense of urgency to get to his hospital bed. At eighty-one years of age, Dad was still sharp of mind and healthy. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, within...
As I look out at our small orchard of fig, cherry, apple, nectarine, and peach trees in our front yard, I can see the first buds of fruit forming. Each tree has a different process of maturation and fruit bearing. The first appearance of a coming harvest is now taking...