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Daniel 10 is one of my favorite Scriptures concerning spiritual warfare. It doesn’t spend time building a theology on the topic, but the description of the unfolding events gives us practical insight into how prayer and fasting works. Daniel needed a spiritual breakthrough. He needed to know the interpretation of the prophecies concerning the future of God’s people. He was the kind of man to whom spiritual matters mattered most! He decided that getting God’s Read more…

Where to look…who to trust…what to believe…why care? These are understandable questions anyone could ask right now in this political and cultural climate. One moment we think we can trust and believe in someone or something, and before we know it, we’re disappointed. It’s quite possible this dilemma is being felt by everyone in our country, but who knows if this might not be exactly where our country needs to be feeling right now. Don’t Read more…

I think sometimes we’re more inclined to believe that God is present where there are tears and not so present where there is laughter. I’ve actually been verbally “chastened” by someone because I said something in a service that made the people laugh. Ideas like this come from religious mindsets, and honestly, I don’t always know where those religious mindsets came from! Psalm 126:2 reminds us that there should be times in our lives when Read more…

Recently Chris Cuomo on CNN declared, “If you believe in one another and if you do the right thing for yourself and your community, things will get better in this country. You don’t need help from above. It’s within us.” Interesting, Mr. Cuomo, how’s that all working out for us right now? Let’s juxtapose that with what Abraham Lincoln wrote in his proclamation on August 12, 1861 to the nation when the fabric of America Read more…

I was struck recently as I was reading Jeremiah 25:30-38. It speaks of a coming day when God will shout against the nations, and there will be a “clamor” that spreads from nation to nation to the ends of the earth. It will come from a distant place, one of the “remotest parts of the earth.” Of course, this reminded me of the coronavirus that came out of a region very unfamiliar to most of Read more…

I believe the Lord has provided ministers for His Church. They are called to give themselves to the Word and to prayer so that they can equip the believers who are on the front lines and ministering on behalf of Jesus. Not everyone stands in front of the congregation or teaches a group, but everyone IS a minister, and everyone who daily obeys the Lord is walking in a holy calling. Anyone who loves people Read more…

I’m not trying to build a case that churches should disregard our local public health authorities who are trying to reduce the spread of COVID-19. I respect and appreciate their efforts. That being said, am I the only one scratching his head when liquor stores and marijuana dispensaries are listed with essential services while churches are not considered essential? Wasn’t it just a few years ago that you could get arrested for possession of marijuana…but Read more…

“Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!” (Proverbs 15:23) Now’s a good time time to look at Jesus’ “fitting reply” to us “at the right time.” For believers under God’s protection, sometimes it’s difficult to sail through peaceful waters while everyone else is reeling in the fear of a bad report or projections of gloom. Right now we’re in one of those seasons with the Read more…

Obviously, our trip was beautiful and relaxing, but it was also very rewarding. The people of Fiji were kind and godly. Never have we been in a culture where there was such a common love for God. Pam and I had heard and read of the great things that God had done in Fiji, but it was a completely different thing to actually witness His grace upon a people. It’s hard to believe that just Read more…

Mile markers on the side of the road are a reminder of how far we’ve come and how far we have to go. Our mindset when seeing a marker can depend on how anxious we are to get away from where we came from to how anxious we are to get to our destination. Each new year alerts us to reevaluate where we’re going and how are we going to get there. I believe the Read more…