Blog
The Church has always been tempted to become more like the nations where we live than to remain a distinctly different kind of people. From the beginning to the end of our lives, we will be tested to determine the quality of our faith and who we will worship. Life is...
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...
I used to hike, doing what is called “bush-wacking.” I hiked for miles across trail-less terrain using a topographical map whose imagery revealed the various elevations of a mountain range and the locations of deep, dead-end canyons. Following that map saved me a lot...
Our faith is a connection with the hope of God found only in Christ. That connection remains secure over time, even when our disappointments and failures make us think it has been severed. This is especially true for the prodigal sons and daughters in our lives...
In the week leading up to the New Year, voices within the Church are prophesying what will happen in 2026. Some of these words are from God. Others are declaring what they hoped would happen and call it prophecy. Paul was speaking to Jews who needed to be convinced...
As a result, Peter was now free to enter the home of Cornelius, a Roman officer, and be used by the Lord to lead Cornelius and his family to the Lord. The vision of the blanket was given to Peter as permission to step over Jewish customs of not entering the home of a...
The Lord is in the process of stripping away the blinding scales from the eyes of His Church. These scales have prevented us from seeing what God sees. One of the most dramatic salvations occurred with Paul, who was known at the time as Saul. “Saul was...
The more advanced our thinking about theology becomes, the simpler our assumptions must become to understand God’s heart. A complicated faith does not work. Over the years, I have reduced my theology to two simple truths – Jesus is the only way to God, and those...
It’s important to think supernaturally. That kind of thinking prepares us to do what God asks of us now and in the future. It also defeats feelings of despair when life is moving and changing so fast that we want to give up in the face of an unimagined acceleration....
It’s never about our power or godliness that miracles occur. It is because of the power and authority of Jesus’ name that miracles happen. One day, when Peter and John went to the Temple, a man crippled from birth begged them for money. Peter said, “I don’t have...
Each Christmas, my father and Jan’s father received a single gift. It was an orange. Nothing more. Just an orange. In the Depression, some kids received no gifts on Christmas. Life was hard in those days. There were no toys or special vacations like we have...
There are two words that indicate the depth and specificity of Jesus’ love in a simple yet profound way. Those words were “including Peter.” Those words were spoken by the angel who waited in the empty tomb after Jesus rose from the dead. Those words were spoken to...
There are two spirits that work together against the Spirit of God – a religious spirit and a political spirit. In unison, they can do evil things. It was true in Jesus' time, and it’s true today. After the arrest of Jesus, a spirit of religion and politics began to...
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...