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The Radical Paradox of the Son of Man

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” – Daniel 7:13,14 Did you know that Jesus never referred to Himself as Christ? His disciples called Him that and so did other people, but the Lord, when He walked on earth, primarily referred to Himself as one thing — the Son of Man. Many people believe that the reason Jesus called Himself the Son of Man is because He was referencing His humanity and His ability to relate to people. However, I believe this is

April 29, 2022 No Comments

Utterly Pure and Persecuted

“Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he refused. ‘With me in charge,’ he told her, ‘my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care…One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.” – Genesis 39:7-9,11,12 Yesterday, we looked at the beginning of the story of Joseph. He was a young and naive dreamer who was sold into slavery by his brothers in their jealousy. After being sold, Joseph’s saga progressed, and he ended up in the household of a wealthy Egyptian named

April 15, 2022 1 Comment

Great Faith is a Great Responsibility

“The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” – Luke 12:47,48 As we have been learning about dying to our flesh, we now know that we have to crucify our need for adoration, for glory, for safety, and for satisfaction. Why? Because there’s only One who can satisfy, One who can keep us safe, and One deserving of glory and adoration — His Name is Jesus. When you crucify your selfishness for His Name’s sake, you don’t become a weakling or a doormat, you become a rock! Now,

March 21, 2022 2 Comments

Guarding Against Bad Yeast

“‘Be careful,’ Jesus warned them. ‘Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.’” – Mark 8:15 There’s a Biblical principle that Jesus speaks about using the analogy of yeast, which is an agent that causes bread to rise. Interestingly, it only takes a small amount of this substance to spread through an entire batch of dough. In life, this speaks to the power of one person or spirit to affect an entire group, whether for better or worse. I think about the Old Testament figure of Jezebel, who was married to King Ahab, known to be Israel’s most evil ruler. Queen Jezebel was from Sidon, and when she moved to her new home, she brought with her the worship of two prominent idols – Baal and Asherah. Even worse, she began to train the Isrealites to worship these pagan gods, which represented child sacrifice, greed, and

February 26, 2022 1 Comment

Live Life With Open Hands

“The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.” – Deuteronomy 28:12 Here are some encouraging thoughts to dwell on as you start your day: God is all sufficient; He’s all joyous, all powerful, and all loving. In fact, there is no more joyful being in the world than the Lord. Even better, He is thinking about you, He knows you by name, and He knows how many hairs are on your head! Wow! I know my kids and I love them immensely, but I guarantee you I don’t know how many hairs are on their heads. Nevertheless, Jesus takes the time to notice these things. He’s near, not far, and He has all the time, energy, and power that

February 10, 2022 No Comments

Don’t Live for the Recognition

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:10 Today, I want to share the kinship that comes with living for applause with you. Many of you who have been called to ministry and/or leadership are aware of the pressure that comes with power and position. It feels nice to be seen, and it’s simple to start validating and measuring your influence based on the reactions of those you serve. The issue is that by doing so, you relinquish your position of leadership and become a follower. You give others control and follow their lead when you try too hard to make them pleased. When I was 22 or 23 years old, a guy named Richard Watts, who was

January 27, 2022 No Comments

A Blessing in the Desert

“Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.” – 1 Samuel 24:14,15 We discussed King David’s wilderness experience between the time he was called and the fulfillment of his anointing yesterday. Today, I want to share with you another significant life lesson gained by this young leader as he observed a great man collapse during the winter season. King Saul used to be a perfect model of a leader. He was Israel’s and Judah’s first king, and he witnessed the Hebrew nation grow from a tribe to a state. Yet, from a clever, noble, and fearless ruler, he deteriorated into a jealous, spiteful, and insane commander who spent years following a shepherd

January 20, 2022 No Comments

Money is the Ruler

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” – 1 Timothy 6:10 Money reigns supreme in this world’s kingdom. We dwell in the Kingdom of God, but we also have a parallel existence on earth, which means we require financial resources to survive. Whether you’re affluent, poor, or somewhere in the center, you probably think about and discuss money daily! This is why the Bible devotes so much attention to the subject of money. Money is the substance of pleasure and power in the world because it pays our bills and feeds us. Money, whether you like it or not, is a tremendous force that can destroy families, partnerships, and dreams. For fear of not having enough, many of us stay in dead-end jobs, allowing the things that God

December 10, 2021 No Comments

Spiritual Dexterity

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” – Matthew 5:43-45 There are a few practical things you can do in your daily life and in the Kingdom of God to become more robust and strengthen your anti-fragility. First, you must take some hits. If you’ve been playing it safe for a while, you should put yourself in a position to be stretched, even if it hurts. Taking a few punches in the name of growth can and should become part of your daily rhythm and habit. However, don’t forget to rest throughout these developing seasons; you need at

December 7, 2021 No Comments

The Anti-Fragility of Jesus

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” – Galatians 3:26,27 After discussing how love is anti-fragile, I want to continue our conversation focusing on God’s anti-fragility, more specifically Jesus and the early church. Jesus Christ exemplifies what it means to be resilient. More people followed Him when others cursed Him and lied about Him. More people talked about Him when they said He was sent by demons. They grew jealous as He grew in popularity, and eventually crucified Him; but little did they realize, that was the worst thing they could have done! Why? Because new life spilled into the universe as a result of His death and resurrection! Everything shifted at that point, and time was snapped in half like a twig. Because the veil was broken in half, history

December 6, 2021 No Comments

The Radical Paradox of the Son of Man

Utterly Pure and Persecuted

Great Faith is a Great Responsibility

Guarding Against Bad Yeast

Live Life With Open Hands

Don’t Live for the Recognition

A Blessing in the Desert

Money is the Ruler

Spiritual Dexterity

The Anti-Fragility of Jesus

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