Living Hope
Scientists tell us that we can live between 46-73 days without food and a little over a week without water. But the reality is that we cannot live a minute without hope. One of the warmest images of the Christmas…
Is it the Showroom or the Car?
Last month Rita and I had the privilege of spending a few days in Hong Kong with a couple of hundred pastors from Mainland China. I was invited to teach eight sessions on my book, The Presence, and to preach…
Beware the Trojan Horse
Rita and I don't have many week nights at home to watch TV. So when we do, and there's no football or basketball game to watch, we will go on OnDemand and check out old episodes of TV series. Our…
No Small Thing
As a kid, growing up in South Africa in the early '60's, I remember hearing about everything being bigger and better in America... especially in Texas! Then I crossed the Atlantic Ocean on board a freighter, the SS Louise Lykes,…
Decisions: Common Sense or God
By the time Jacob leaves his mother and father's home as a young adult, he has no personal relationship with God, which is sad in itself. Jacob's lack of personal relationship with God is reflected in his response to Isaac's…
Beginning With the End in Mind
So, I saw some things this morning in Genesis 22, that I knew were there... but never in the level of detail as I saw this morning. It's the story of Abraham taking Isaac up Mt. Moriah to sacrifice him…
Making America Great Again?
Rita and I attend a Nazarene church pastored by a good friend, Tharon Daniels, when we are visiting in Arizona. Tharon's sermon this morning was so compelling, from Jeremiah 29, that I am compelled to share the highlights with you…
“No Kidding”
The whole story surrounding Sodom and Gomorrah intrigues me. There are so many levels of story going on, and all seem to have application to our lives today. First, there is Abraham's concern that God was preparing judgment on the…
The Enemy of God’s Will
This story blows my mind every time I read it. Most of the people of God have already been taken captive and are in exile in Babylon... God’s judgment for insisting on worshiping idols. There is only a rag-tag remnant…
Don’t Put God in a Box
The truth is, for all our protestations about being free, we all feel more comfortable in a box. You know where the walls are... in a box. You don't have to guess about your boundaries. You know where the floor…