Threats to Take You Out
I’m not sure who said, “The more things change the more they stay the same.” But that couldn’t be more true when it comes to the enemy’s strategy to take you out. The setting in 2 Kings 18 is the…
Non-Repeating Pattern
That’s sounds like a contradiction of terms. If it is non-repeating, then how can a pattern be discerned? Let me show you. In Genesis 17:6, when over a million Israelites, at the beginning of the exodus, had no water to…
A Cracked Screen On Your Phone
I don't know how many perfectionists are out there but, if it is a disease, I am afflicted. I can have my car detailed, have the paint polished to a clay-bar finish, and the interior spotless, but my eye will…
Lessons From An Old Juniper
A friend and I mounted a couple of 20-year-old BMW motorcycles on vacation last week, and headed out of Phoenix, through Wickenburg, to Prescott. About 20 miles out of Prescott, at about 6,000 ft in elevation, we pulled off the…
Half the Story
Generationally, I sit in a curious place. I look back to my father’s generation and remember how they wrestled with matters of holiness. They took the subject seriously and for the most part wanted to please the Lord, but often…
I’ve Had Enough
A few weeks ago I stood on the ruins of Beersheba, in Israel, from which point you have an unobstructed view south, deep into the Sinai desert. I imagined a discouraged Elijah standing right there, after running with his servant…
Monkey and Gourds
Even though our church was experiencing many of the elements of historical revival during my teen years, my father would make time every week for the two of us to play golf. Golf can be a little different when played…
Everything Going Great, Until…
Everything was going great, until... The anointing of Solomon to succeed his father on Israel’s throne was a miracle of grace to begin with. The expected and correct choice would have been David’s eldest surviving son, Adonijah. That’s what Adonijah…
Speak to Them… But Don’t Be Surprised If No One Listens
I am afraid that the instant gratification of social media posts is reducing too many preachers of our day to a servile relationship with an invisible audience of likes and “hearts.” It is increasingly obvious that many of the prominent…
Invaluable Leadership Principles from John the Baptist
I don’t know that there are many leadership books or seminars that would draw a crowd with John the Baptist’s view of leadership in the Kingdom of God. Yet Jesus said of him, “among those born of women there has…