Surrender

Perfection Is Not Required

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” – 2 Corinthians 4:7 One of the most liberating truths I ever learned is that you don’t have to be perfect for God to use you. As Christians, I think many of us have the mindset that in order to do big things in the Kingdom of God, we must have it all together and have worked through all of our issues. However, this mentality is damaging and untrue, and it serves only to keep us stuck! If everyone waited until they were healed to step out in faith, nothing would ever happen (and the devil would love it). In fact, the most wondrous thing about living life in Jesus is that when we surrender, He does the moving. As we make ourselves available to be, as Henri

July 14, 2021 No Comments

The Two Great Temptations

“‘You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” – Genesis 3:4,5 We can learn a lot about how the devil works in our lives by examining the story of Creation. In fact, when the serpent approached Eve in the Garden of Eden, he used two specific tactics that he still employs today, and I think it behooves us to look at them in greater detail. First of all, he attacked the woman by planting doubts in her mind about the Word of the Lord. He slithered up to her and said, “Did God really say…?,” and unfortunately, he’s been doing this ever since. He knows that human flesh is weak, and he’s aware that it doesn’t take a lot to get us to

July 4, 2021 No Comments

Unexpected Turns

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5,6 The day Hannah and I got married was truly unforgettable. Not only did our wedding take place at the beautiful Crystal Cathedral, but both sides of our family were there to celebrate with us. Although at the time we both had different career aspirations, something profoundly spiritual happened to us that day, and it was then that we felt there may be a call to ministry in our future. However, after we tied the knot, we moved to Tulsa, and I finished business school. In those days, I was considering a career in real estate or finance, but becoming a pastor was something that had never been on my radar. Though it was a natural conclusion considering that

June 27, 2021 No Comments

Turning Back Isn’t God’s Best

“By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah — from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities — and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” – Genesis 19:23-26 Has God ever guided you someplace, but then you looked back and second-guessed your course? If so, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, this is what happened to Lot’s wife in the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and her choice cost her her life. Having listened patiently to the painful cries of injustice rising to Him from these cities that embraced perversion and shamelessly killed women and children, God finally had enough. He went so far as to

June 26, 2021 1 Comment

A Visit From God

“The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.” – Genesis 18:1,2 Yesterday, we discussed creating a hospitable place for Jesus in our hearts and lives. Interestingly, in Genesis 18, there’s an account of Abraham doing this very thing, only he had the honor of welcoming the Lord in the flesh. Taking the form of three men, most likely God and two angels, they appeared to him outside his tent in the heat of the day. Once he realized who they were, he ran to them quickly and bowed down low. Although ancient Middle Eastern culture was known to be hospitable, his

June 22, 2021 No Comments

A Vision-Driven Church

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” – 1 Corinthians 9:24,25 Yesterday, we talked about how stifling it is to meet the demands of a religion that requires us to give something up without understanding why. This is the reason it’s so important to let Jesus be our vision. If I’m a runner, there are certain foods I’m not going to eat since I want to move faster. My motivation for speed gives me the will to abstain, because winning the race is more important than satisfying my appetite. The same is true spiritually. I love

June 11, 2021 No Comments

Ticking Clocks

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” – Psalm 27:13,14 Have you ever stopped to think about what the planet would be like without clocks? Void of the tick, tick, tick and gong, gong, gong, how different would our lives be? Years ago, Hannah and I were traveling with Chad and Hillary Blake doing ministry work in Europe, and we ended our trip with a couple days of rest and recreation in Prague. Probably one of the most beautiful cities on earth, it happens to be the home of the world’s oldest operating astronomical clock. Dating from the Medieval Age and commissioned in 1410, this magnificent timepiece features a show called “The Walk of the Apostles,” in which Apostles and various figures move across

June 8, 2021 No Comments

Your Days Are Numbered

“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” – Psalm 139:13 When I was a young child, my parents divorced. I knew they both cared about me a lot, and they figured out an arrangement that enabled me to get to know both of them really well as I grew up. For the first four years after they separated, I lived primarily with my dad, and for the second four, I lived with my mom. When I lived with my dad during the week, my mom would drive every Friday from the San Fernando Valley to San Juan Capistrano (in the southernmost part of Orange County) to pick me up and take me to her house for the weekend. To get from one end of town to the other, we would sit in two

May 30, 2021 1 Comment

Give Up Credit, Even if It’s Due

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” – Colossians 3:23 Harry Truman once said, “It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.” And though this statement wasn’t made specifically in the context of ministry, it pretty much encapsulates how Jesus led. Rather than managing His reputation, our Lord spent all of His time pouring into others. In fact, the bulk of His energy was invested in a motley crew of twelve disciples who came from all walks of life and were as diverse as they could be. Though there were large crowds of people who followed Him, He didn’t seem to care about having their adoration. On the contrary, He preferred sitting down with His closest friends and working through the issues of faith with them. He welcomed their honest inquiries, and

May 8, 2021 1 Comment

Called vs. Driven

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” – Jeremiah 1:5 Among the greatest gifts we inherit when we become part of the family of God is that He gives us a purpose. The very One who set the stars in the sky and the planets in space has ordained a calling for us, and if we seek Him, He faithfully leads us to it. As for me, I’m called to be a pastor and to expand the Kingdom of Christ through Hour of Power and Shepherd’s Grove. However, I’m not the proprietor of my position — I’m only a steward of what the Lord has entrusted to me. First and foremost, it belongs to Him, and so does everything else that I enjoy. Knowing this, I’m free to embrace my

May 3, 2021 1 Comment

Perfection Is Not Required

The Two Great Temptations

Unexpected Turns

Turning Back Isn’t God’s Best

A Visit From God

A Vision-Driven Church

Ticking Clocks

Your Days Are Numbered

Called vs. Driven

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