Let’s clear up a debate on CHRISTIAN DELIVERANCE… To say deliverance isn’t Biblical is like saying schoolyard bullies aren’t real. Would you ever say to a child… “You can’t be bullied, you’re a member of the public school system.” Or… “You can’t be bullied by demons because you’re a saved believer.” That’s ludicrous. Bullies are not only real – they worsen if you openly follow Christ. Are there bad deliverance ministries? Absolutely. Do I see this on the rise? Sadly…yes. There’s a lot of mess floating around.  I blocked a few yesterday who came on my posts with non-biblical nonsense and ..read more

Like a snowflake or a fireworks display – life is but a mist that appears and then vanishes (James 4:14) . . . just a moment, then the moment’s gone. This is likely why those who have had a near-death experience, if only briefly, catching a glimpse of their own fragile and ephemeral mortality – tend to take inventory of everything and everyone in their life. Of course, nothing has actually changed . . . except for their perception of their own life. It’s not so much that they didn’t already intellectually know how brief their life was – it’s just that, now they have participated in the knowin ..read more

“You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 1 Kings 17:4 (ESV) In 1 Kings chapter 17, we are introduced to Elijah, an unlikely prophet of God. It’s here that we witness a normal guy from the hills of Gilead standing in front of King Ahab, boldly declaring that there would be no dew or rain for several years. Can you imagine the faith it would take to tell an infamously evil king that there would be no rain for years? Elijah’s faith was strong, and his obedience is inspiring. After speaking with the king, God tells Elijah to go into hiding beside a broo ..read more

I was 21 the first time someone spoke the words, “God will use this for good,” in a painful moment.  As much as I needed a few healing Bible verses for a broken heart, it felt like my friend was preaching at me instead of loving me. Perhaps you’re trying to heal your broken heart today, too. Maybe an unempathetic loved one has thrown a few Bible verses at you in an attempt to fix your broken heart. This isn’t an article about how to deal with insensitive people.  However, I do hope to encourage you not to turn away from God because other people misuse his words with good intentions ..read more

Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” Haggai 1:5-6 People go out to work to gain great wealth. They will then eat, drink, and clothe themselves to seek joy and contentment, but are rarely to never satisfied with what they have and always want more and more. Haggai records God talking to the people about not building His house but build ..read more

A few weeks ago as I was walking and thanking God for the early spring flowers that were coming forth in their beauty, I heard Him say, “For My Bride to arise in full array, let My glory be seen through you today!” Immediately I remembered that some years ago the Holy Spirit revealed something in the Book of Esther that impacted me deeply. Queen Vashti refused to come forth at the King’s beckoning when he wanted to show off her beauty (Esther 1:11). She was cast out from her position as queen; she was rebelling against his authority! Hechoseher as queen. At that time, I was challenged greatly ..read more

There is something called the “Mere Exposure Effect.” It is a psychological, and sadly, a spiritual effort to influence people to believe certain things over time. It is sometimes called the “Familiarity Principle.” This effect/principle has been used by governments to bring change to a resistant population. It is more dangerous in how it is used in our lives in a spiritual context. It is a long effort to create a desired result that will appear over time. The more you expose people to something the more they will tend to accept an error as normal behavior.  The results of ..read more

Through our salvation, Christ has given us a new identity in him. We are no longer strangers or orphans before God; we are sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters, and best friends with Christ. And as God’s children, we’ve been given specific gifts for use in his kingdom. Isn’t that a better status than any identity you can get from your job? “For whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his” (Hebrews 4:10 ESV). We no longer labor to gain an identity, because we’ve been given one through Christ. Our souls have a hard time actually accepting this. W ..read more

Good morning Daddy, Jesus, Holy Spirit! I know my ways are not your ways. Please help me to hear your thoughts over my own. Holy Spirit be my autocorrect when I start going down a wrong path with my thoughts. Please show me how to navigate my interactions with those around me. Help me to be a blessing to everyone I interact with today.           Purchase Gary and Beth’s book Joy All Around Us: Finding Joy in an Upside-Down World here.       Featured Image by Debby Hudson on Unsplash   JOIN COMMUNITY   JOIN COLLECTIVE  ..read more

A few weeks ago the nursery in our church was crowded and a little 3-year-old began to cry. When asked what was wrong, he said, “I’m just done!” Out of the mouths of babes, Right?! Do you ever feel like crying, “I’m just done” because you need peace? I’m guessing you have. Maybe you’re just done with worry over your kids. Or maybe you’re just done wrestling in your marriage. Perhaps you feel done trying to reach out to the neighbor who is consistently difficult. Whatever the case, you feel “just done” and you need peace. How do we as followers of Jesus pursue peace in our relationships? The P ..read more