Jesus, the blessed and the gentle Son! Even though He speaks with great boldness against all forms of hypocrisy, injustice, manipulation, and deception, His heart is a gentle heart. He won’t break the crushed reed or snuff the faltering wick. Jesus came to bring “Good News” to the poor of heart, and freedom to all captives. As his followers, we are called to that same gentleness. Read more

A great transformation in how we do church has been under way for the last decade or so.  It seems that as a culture changes, God leads His people into new wineskins, if they are willing to go. The church that doesn’t have fresh wineskins soon looses the wine!  Todays generation places high value on relationship and personal empowerment.  The saints are looking for the ministry God has for them, and the centralized structures of the local church have not... Read more

“Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.” (Galatians 5:1, The Message). Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” Why then is it that so many who preach and teach the truth seem so bound up with religious shackles? Not only that, they seem equally intent on seeing to it that others are as bound up... Read more

Make room for the Holy Spirit’s bulldozers. He wants to give you an extreme makeover. Last spring during a visit to Charlotte, N.C. I stopped by the Billy Graham Library to take a tour of the evangelist’s boyhood home and to see his ministry’s offices. In a shaded grove on the same property I stumbled upon the grave of his wife, Ruth Bell Graham. Her tombstone bore an unusual inscription: “END OF CONSTRUCTION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.” Mrs. Graham... Read more

Life is a progression of growth and the fulfillment of God’s will and purposes. We may not feel ready as the times and seasons unfold, yet learning comes in the motion of life and feelings often have little to do with it. So when God says go, make your move now, and take every step He gives you. If you wait for “ready”, “ready” may never come.  Listen, anticipate, and above all prepare for ready, set, and go! Read more

The words and actions of Christ were not influenced by human critics or praise but completely dependent on God’s will. Jesus’ compassion and ability to overcome was possible because his life was guided not by human respect but only by the love of his heavenly Father.”God in us” empowers us to a love that is not dependent upon love in return, because His love consumes and compels us. Read more

Have you ever noticed how often the things that “don’t need to be said” really need to be said? This needs to be said – Building deep relationships and learning to communicate are essentially one and the same. A meaningful relationship may involve many things besides effective communication, but one cannot exist without it. In Hollywood people may walk down the street and on seeing someone on the opposite sidewalk be filled with the excitement of an instant connection. However,... Read more

Eight years ago, while my wife and I were involved in homeschooling our children, I came across a book entitled, Icons of Evolution. This book is of particularly benefit to those engaging the public educational system, where the theory of evolution is major tenet. The author is Jonathan Wells, who holds doctorate degrees from both Yale and the University of California at Berkley. This is not a “Christian” book designed to uphold Biblical creationism, rather it is an expose’ of... Read more

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Deuteronomy 5:11 Right now you’re probably thinking, “This should be an easy devotional—I don’t blaspheme…” (except when I say, “Oh my God!” – but he knows I mean that in a nice way – or when I get the bajeebies scared out of me and I say, “Sweet Jesus!”). So I am not misusing God’s name in... Read more

Try not to rely too much on knowledge. It may distort reality and have little to do with truth essentials and the order of things that only God can reveal. So the one who thinks they know much may be in darkness to true wisdom from God. Factual truth can be deceiving if perceived inappropriately. Depending on knowledge is limited, but dependence on God allows you to tap into unlimited knowledge, wisdom, and truth. Read more