victory

Crushing Evil

“But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.” – Judges 4:21 I love that the Old Testament is full of stories about good conquering evil. Through the lens of a Jew born before Christ, every victory the Israelites had pointed to the ultimate victory of the Messiah and to the heart of a God who wanted justice to prevail. That said, there’s a very interesting account in the book of Judges, and I’m especially fond of it because it involves the forces of darkness being taken down by a woman. In the tradition of Eve, whose offspring would eventually crush the serpent’s head, this story is yet more proof of the Lord’s power to triumph over wickedness. Having been oppressed by a

July 8, 2021 No Comments

Protection in God’s Presence

“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:3 Yesterday, we talked about how Satan is a defeated foe, and today, I want to share an experience I had a few years back that reminded me of this powerful truth. On Fridays, I often spend time in prayer, and one of my favorite places to go is Rancho Capistrano. It’s a large retreat center that used to be owned by the Crystal Cathedral and now is part of Saddleback Church. It’s open to the public, and it’s just a really peaceful, beautiful, and quiet place to invoke God’s presence. There’s one spot I like especially well, and it’s up at the top of a hill. It’s a bit of a hike, and you go past the church and wind up the mountain, and when you get to the

July 6, 2021 No Comments

The Devil is Defeated

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” – Genesis 3:15 I can’t imagine what God felt at the moment Adam and Eve rebelled against His perfect plan. He must have been crushed, and I’m certain that his anger burned against Satan. After all, the lineage of mankind — the glory of His Creation — was now tainted by sin, and He wanted to make sure that such an atrocity never happened again. To seal the deal, He cursed the devil and his forces of darkness forever. Though there would be an ongoing battle, or enmity, between humanity and demonic powers, He promised that one day, the father of lies would be crushed on the head and defeated. This means that now, while our adversary can still inflict surface wounds, he

July 5, 2021 1 Comment

You Are Not Your Mistakes

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” – Hebrews 12:1 Often, when we struggle with things like addiction or long-standing sin, we grow discouraged because we feel like we will never beat it. We make progress, but then we backslide, and the devil whispers in our ear that we’re just too broken and messed up to change. In fact, this is how he gains a foothold in our lives. When we listen to his constant fatalistic commentary, he convinces us to give up on ourselves, and that’s when we get in trouble. Once we’re running with the ball of self-defeat, we’re tempted to believe that our Heavenly Father feels as negatively about us as we do, and our view

July 2, 2021 No Comments

Don’t Fear the Devil

“I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” – Acts 26:17,18 Have you ever had one of those dreams where you were back in high school because you never graduated? I don’t know what it is about this proverbial nightmare, but it visits many of us at one time or another. Thankfully, as vivid as our mind might make it seem, when we wake up, we breathe a sigh of relief as we realize that we really did get our diploma. And as strange as the analogy sounds, I believe this scenario parallels a spiritual principle for those of us who’ve said yes to Jesus’ gift of salvation. While we have an enemy,

June 29, 2021 1 Comment

Habits Build a Holy Life

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” – 2 Timothy 1:7 I think many of us believe that some big event or triumph has to occur in our lives before we consider ourselves successful. We may think we have to be promoted to manager, start a booming business, write a book, or have a family before we’ve truly “arrived.” However, maintaining this view cheats us out of the victories that happen every day. More than one big moment, success is the sum of small efforts that are repeated time and again until they make us strong on the inside. In fact, we are only as effective as our habits, and that makes time our most precious commodity. Like I’ve said before, “Show me your calendar, and I’ll show you your future.” This is because, although each of us has

June 3, 2021 No Comments

The Overflow

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” – Psalm 23:5 Have you ever had a drink that’s so full to the top that you have to walk slowly to ensure that it doesn’t spill over? If so, then you understand the image that the Bible uses to describe the abundance that the Lord gives to us. Like that overflowing cup, God not only provides what we need to get by in life, but He gives us excessively more. Even in the midst of adversity and affliction, His grace gushes like a fountain, and He constantly fills our souls, minds, and spirits with His bounty. Being reminded of this is especially important after we’ve navigated the shock of a world-wide pandemic that has subjected millions to extreme loss. While we’re still dealing with the lingering effects of

April 8, 2021 No Comments

He Makes the Broken Brave

“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” – Psalm 23:6 Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.” Along these lines, when we think about courage, we tend to imagine that it means taking a big leap of faith or a giant step in the right direction, but when we’re working hard for something, progress happens gradually and sometimes imperceptibly. Though we may feel like we’re “spinning our wheels” and find ourselves tempted to give up before we get there, we’re usually closer to the finish line than we realize. In fact, when we persist in doing the hard things, there are great rewards for staying the course. Take Mandy Pursley, for example. Mandy was an interview guest on Hour

April 7, 2021 No Comments

Salvation Through Suffering

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” – Isaiah 53:5 On this Good Friday, we turn our focus to the cross. And while it’s important to view this day in light of Jesus’ death, it’s equally as important to understand that the depth of His agony equates to the fullness of our freedom. You see, our Savior didn’t have to die the way He did — any manner of passing would have sufficed. However, He bore enormous physical and spiritual pain so that we could be healed and made whole…completely. Not only does His journey to Calvary show us that there’s nothing we go through that He cannot sympathize with, but it reminds us that He took upon Himself the weight of affliction to liberate us from it.

April 2, 2021 No Comments

Trust in the Lord

“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 Today, I have a word for those of you who feel trapped, stuck or frozen. It’s not a particularly profound or deep thought, but it’s worth repeating again and again — trust the Lord. I know the ongoing nature of the COVID situation has many feeling discouraged and wondering if there will ever be an end. Like everyone, I struggle with the mixed emotions of the whole thing, and as I pray, God keeps bringing me back to the truth that He is trustworthy because He is good. Even as we drill through, trying to do the right thing day after day, His Kingdom remains unshaken. His plan is not affected by earthly circumstances, and He is not

February 10, 2021 No Comments

Crushing Evil

Protection in God’s Presence

The Devil is Defeated

You Are Not Your Mistakes

Don’t Fear the Devil

Habits Build a Holy Life

The Overflow

He Makes the Broken Brave

Salvation Through Suffering

Trust in the Lord

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