Blog
In these many years of following Jesus, one thing never ceases to touch the core of my soul and fill me with real joy: when brothers and sisters fully reconcile. Without it, we are much like Cain against Abel—competing, dividing, and even destroying someone. To love...
It would surprise us how often we experience angelic assistance. In the New Living Translation, angels are mentioned 133 times in the Old Testament and 193 times in the New Testament—and that is only what was recorded. I was rereading the account in Genesis when...
“Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.” That simple statement from the writer of Hebrews (11:4) carries a weight as enduring as the centuries since it was written. Acts of faith reverberate into eternity. God is pleased when we...
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,...
Just before taking Communion together this morning, Jan and I were praying in the Spirit. I saw an image. President Trump was standing alone in a hallway. An attacker came from behind him with a raised weapon aimed at the president's head in an attempt to deliver a...
Almost 50 years ago, in my first few months of pastoring, I was sitting around a table with five other young and inexperienced pastors. We were in a small meeting room at Montana State University in Billings, Montana. Seated with us was Jerry Cook, pastor of East Hill...
In my normal morning routine, I am awake before the first light of the morning appears in the sky. In those pre-dawn mornings, I can hear birds begin to sing as they anticipate the coming dawn. Recently, I’ve been listening to instrumental worship music to...
There is more to a verse than just its opening line. Surrounding passages of Scripture give us a broader view of what the verse is addressing. Take the first part of Psalm 46:10, for example: “Be still and know that I am God.” The surrounding context...
In the small coastal town of Brookings, Oregon, not far from where Jan and I live, is a unique and impactful story of forgiveness from both sides of World War II. From a website called The Historian’s Den, I read the following: In September 1942, a lone Japanese...
When our kids were in grade school, we pastored a wonderful church on the Oregon Coast for several years. Coastal towns can be great places to live, and our family still looks back on those years with great warmth and affection. Shortly after we arrived in Newport, we...
I have thought a lot about “finishing well” in this life. In the ‘80’s, a study was made of leaders across the board who finished well, both in the present day and in the Scriptures. Only 35 percent finished well. The definition of finishing well was determined by: 1)...