God’s presence

Winter from Two Perspectives

“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, will never cease.” – Genesis 8:22 After the holidays, many of us are disappointed. We pack up the Christmas decorations, our hearts heavy with the knowledge that the festivities and celebrations are done. January, on the other hand, is brimming with potential and the promise of new beginnings. This is why I think winter is only a matter of perspective. I relocated to Oklahoma from California when I was a teenager, as I’ve already mentioned. It was a difficult adjustment for me, especially since it was my first time dealing with the brutal and piercing cold of winter. Then there was a snow day, and I got to skip school. I had never experienced a snow day before, and I recall thinking to myself at the time, “well, maybe this isn’t so

January 15, 2022 5 Comments

How Will You Handle the Fire?

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?” – Luke 14:28 I love that Jesus encourages us to consider possible outcomes before we make decisions. He told His disciples to count the cost prior to following Him, and I think it’s safe to say that He wants us to be people who are proactive in dealing with the problems and complexities of life. Along these lines, I heard an anecdotal story once that said if there’s a fire burning in a building and there are ten people in it, one person will flee, one will stay calm and take action, and the other eight will freeze. Unfortunately, I think the latter is what many of us do when we’re assailed by unanticipated challenges. We seldom feel equipped for what comes

October 1, 2021 No Comments

What Begets Miracles?

“The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant.” – Matthew 21:14,15 We learned yesterday about the atrocities that were being committed by the money changers, and how — since Jesus hates injustice — He swiftly drove them out of the temple courts. However, an interesting and oft-overlooked part of this story is that no sooner did He turn over the tables and clean up the mess than He began healing everyone in sight. Though we typically read about Him doing one miracle at a time, on that day, a wave of the Holy Spirit’s power washed over Him, and He restored everyone who came into His presence. This caused

September 10, 2021 No Comments

To Roar or Shine?

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” – John 8:12 There’s an old story in Aesop’s Fables in which the north wind and the sun both want to see who can get a man to take his jacket off faster. The north wind goes first, and he begins howling, roaring, and sending violent gusts that he is certain will blow the coat right off of his subject. However, much to his chagrin, the gales only cause him to pull his garment closer. Reveling in the wind’s defeat, the sun steps up and says, “Watch this!” Then, he turns up the heat and shines so brightly that his unsuspecting victim begins to sweat — and sure enough, off the jacket comes. Though this is an ancient story,

August 11, 2021 No Comments

The Vitality in Vision

“In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.” – Ezekiel 1:1 Yesterday, we talked about Ezekiel and how he was captured by the Babylonians when he was just 25 years old. After spending five years in a strange city wondering if the Lord had forgotten him, he finally got a glimpse of what His Creator was up to. As he sat by the banks of the Kebar River with his fellow exiles from Jerusalem — probably feeling sad since this was the time he was supposed to come into his own as a priest — he saw something greater than he could ever have fathomed. In fact, with no warning, the heavens opened up before him and he beheld a vision of glory. While at first

July 18, 2021 No Comments

Bringing Down Giants

“David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head.’” – 1 Samuel 17:45,46 The story of David and Goliath is a famous tale about a brawny, well-trained, and intimidating Philistine warrior who was defeated by a young Jewish shepherd named David. What many people don’t realize, however, is that Goliath is actually an archetype for the devil. Beyond being just a fighter, he was crazy and mean, and he went out each morning to hurl insults at the Israelite soldiers. He seemed to have strength beyond the natural, and he stood at six cubits tall, was equipped with six pieces of

July 9, 2021 No Comments

His Eye is On You

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” – Psalm 139:7-10 Yesterday, I shared one of my most memorable Rancho Capistrano stories, and today, I’m reminded of another one. On a different Friday, when I was at the ranch praying and communing with Jesus, Pastor Russ Jacobson needed to reach me. However, as is often the case when I’m seeking solitude, my phone was off. Since he couldn’t text me or call me, he used a feature that Apple offers called “Find My Friends,” which enabled him to see my

July 7, 2021 No Comments

Live Wisely

“Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.” – Daniel 5:5,6 Yesterday, we talked about the phrase “his days are numbered,” and we discussed how, though it’s often used to infer that someone risks cutting their own life short, it’s a source of comfort to know that God alone holds the fullness of our future. Interestingly, like many other famous cliches, this one originates on the pages of Scripture. When the super-powerful and uber-wealthy Babylonian King Belshazzar, who was the son of Nebuchadnezzar, held a lavish and revelrous feast, he instructed his servants to bring out the silver goblets that were stolen from the temple in Israel. As

May 31, 2021 No Comments

Simply Praise

“My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.” – Psalm 71:8 As we conclude our discussion about the power of words, I want to offer one final piece of advice — when you don’t know what to say, simply praise. We can never go wrong with worshiping God, and when it’s the last thing our emotions say to do, that’s when it’s most important to do it. Even if things around us spiral out of control, healing comes as we turn our full attention to the One who is in control. He is the Beginning and the End, and because He never shifts or changes, He is always worthy of praise. He is powerful, majestic, and incomprehensibly glorious, yet He is full of love and compassion. So much does He adore us that He reconciled us to Himself while we were hopelessly lost in a

April 1, 2021 1 Comment

Words Contain Faith

“Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.” – Luke 1:11-13 One of my favorite Biblical examples of the power of words is found in the story of a New Testament character named Zechariah. Married to Elizabeth, he was a priest, and by the time we’re introduced to him in Luke chapter 1, he’s an old man. Though he and his wife were very much in love, they were unable to have kids, and this was a source of heartbreak for both of them. Resigned to being childless, Zechariah faithfully continued his priestly duties, and one

March 29, 2021 1 Comment

Winter from Two Perspectives

How Will You Handle the Fire?

What Begets Miracles?

To Roar or Shine?

The Vitality in Vision

Bringing Down Giants

His Eye is On You

Live Wisely

Simply Praise

Words Contain Faith

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