Blog
At the time of Jesus’ arrest, a violent confrontation occurred. Leading up to the arrest, the disciples vowed to follow Jesus no matter what happened. When the Lord pointed out Peter’s denial, Peter spoke out and boldly declared, “No! Even if I have to die with you, I...
This year, I wanted to give Jan a unique Christmas gift - a gift of a song that expressed my love and appreciation for her. I wrote out the words for the song and had a professional team at Prayer Song put it to music. As I watched Jan listen to the song the first...
The old wooden recipe box belonged to my mother. It has mitered corners and was constructed long ago without nails or glue. My mother would have been 106 years old today. Her mother was born in 1896, 129 years ago. In the box are recipes from my mother and my...
Two years ago, the walnut tree that shaded our backyard from the summer heat had to be cut down. The tree had become diseased. This year some of the walnuts that fell from that tree began to sprout and grow new walnut trees. They are all over our backyard spreading...
While some in the Church are defining the future as a time of progressive peace, the reality is, that we are engaged in a spiritual battle. Not being prepared for war will have us walk into the future unprepared to engage in what is taking place. We will live in that...
As I read through Revelation, I am reminded of God’s justice. Only by knowing that God is the final arbiter of injustice can we be a peace and park our emotions in the safe confines of our trust in God. Scripture is clear how God feels about injustice, “Our God does...
Over the years, I have taught the book of Revelation several times – verse by verse. Each time I taught the book, I had to adjust my understanding. It wasn’t that Scripture had changed. I began to see a simple understanding of what the Lord was saying. Whether one...
Jan and I are in our 50th year of marriage. The Lord has been merciful to us because, like any marriage, we’ve had moments of failure, doubt, and unbelief. In the middle of all of that, Jan and I are a living example of what the Lord can do with two failing people....
We are all going to die, so why waste the impending certainty of that event? Death and its inevitability will be ignored by people who fail to grasp the lessons it can provide. As I read Scripture certain verses will get my attention. A particular verse will capture...
I saw a photo that was taken in the 1800s of a family standing in front of their sod house on the prairie. They were working hard trying to make ends meet, but joy and peace were on their faces indicating they had discovered something that wealth, prestige, and...
It is important to know the source from which we speak, either by the Spirit of Truth or from the world's viewpoint. Some in the Church have leaned dangerously close to the latter and are diminishing the message about the distinctiveness of Jesus Christ. John defined...
I was in a conversation with the leader of a Christian community who said some of those under his care had become “fuzzy around the edges” concerning certain issues of faith. That fuzziness had diminished the clarity of the truth allowing undisciplined...
I am seeing an increase in the differences of opinion on non-essential issues within the Church. It is causing greater levels of division. I am beginning to think these differences of opinion are part of God’s plan because He gave each of us free will to choose a...
As I read through Song of Songs this morning, I came across a verse that sounded different from the beautiful love song that Solomon described between a man and woman in the covenant of marriage. The verse describes angelic hosts who are skilled in spiritual conflict,...
Each season of life has a specific assignment. To discover that assignment is to become empowered in ways we might not realize in the beginning when questions about that assignment are first asked. I remember my pastor telling a group of us young and yet-to-be...