You may not have ever heard his name. He lived a scandal-free life, above reproach. He was married and faithful to the same woman until her last breath just a few years ago. If you do not attend an independent Baptist church, you may not know who he was. But Jesus knows his name. …
Not All Who Wander Are Lost; Sometimes They’re Just Obstinate
A farmer tries to lead a resistant donkey along a dirt path on a rural farm. The Israelites' Red Sea moment celebrated the greatest victory they had ever seen in their lifetime. For four hundred years since Joseph's reign, God's people lived outside the land He had promised to Abraham. For at least a …
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Letting God
Christian cliches make me cringe. If it fits on a T-shirt or a social media meme, it is probably too simplistic to convey the full truth of God's Word. "Let go and let God" fits into the cringe category of Christian cliches, no doubt, but there is truth to unpack within the statement. It's a …
Advocating for Real Change in the Pro-Life Movement
A young woman sits tearfully in a car on a rainy evening, deep in thought. Imagine with me a 15-year-old girl who realized yesterday that she has not had her cycle for two months in a row. When she tells her boyfriend, he readily steps up to pay for her abortion. When the girl protests, …
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The King’s Return
From my devotional, His Song in the Night Jesus returning for His followers. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up …
The Blood-Stained Path of the Kingdom
Jesus carrying a wooden cross surrounded by onlookers and Roman soldiers Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and …
The Heart of the Kingdom: Pure Motives
A preacher passionately delivers a sermon to a diverse congregation inside a church. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8 Watching so many of those who claim to be spiritual leaders fall from grace leaves my heart searching for answers. This week, the topic of legalism or …
The Unprecedented Rules of the Kingdom
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7 Since the beginning of time, humans have imagined their deities as wrath-filled gods in need of appeasement. Ultimately, every man's god was like the man himself: flawed, doling out justice in his own best interest, given to fleshly desires and appetites. Kings, …
Repentance: Exchanging Kingdoms
Ruling My Own Kingdom The message of repentance often gets lost in the 1-2-3, a-b-c, easy as can be, altar call to salvation. The message both John and Jesus were preaching started with repentance. The last post mentioned this, but today's will build on it. In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the …
Carrying Extra Weight
One thing that has surprised me about getting older is the near impossibility of losing weight. About ten years ago, I made a lifestyle change that helped me lose 35 pounds. Ten years later, I thought that if I reimplemented that same plan, the weight would fall off again. Not so. In fact, what …
His Song in the Night 