Revelation 3:1-7 How can we come back from the dead? What steps would we, as a church, take to return from near lifelessness? We can learn a great deal from the dangerous difficulties present in a church described in Revelation 3:1-7. They had once been a living church, but were in peril of becoming “the…
Read MoreThe Arizona Democratic party this weekend censured Senator Kyrsten Sinema for not voting to get rid of the Senate filibuster—a parliamentary practice that has been in place for almost 200 years in our Senate. This democratic senator from Arizona has taken heat from both sides over the last few months. While I disagree with her…
Read MoreThere lurks within every human heart an intractable rebel, bent on refusing the rightful lordship of Jesus Christ. There is, of course, no answer to this defect other than the grace of God. The gospel changes the terms of the battle; the Spirit strengthens us; Scripture directs us in the fight. But even for believers…
Read MoreSome of this blog’s readers have known me for many years, but I’m quite sure you didn’t know this: I was once a secret agent for the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA). You see, FEMA developed a program called the ‘Clergy Response Team’ (CRT) to enlist ministers in calming the populace in the event of…
Read MoreWhen Christians speak about open doors, we often mean something different than when Scripture uses this phrase. In Scripture, “open doors” usually refers to – well, um – open doors, as in actual doors opening to a temple, house, tent, prison, or even a bathroom. But Paul uses this concept four times as a metaphor…
Read MoreRecently, I came across a fascinating article entitled, “The U.S. Birthrate Has Dropped Again. The Pandemic May Be Accelerating the Decline.” There are a variety of reasons why it’s significant that the birth rate continues to drop. Practically speaking, it will have drastic economic and sociological effects in years to come. But as a pastor,…
Read MoreBible verses, in and of themselves, are a good thing. What about printing them on t-shirts, bumper stickers, fast drink cups, socks, underwear, or baby diapers? “Now,” you say, “not all of those are the same!” I agree with you, but can you articulate why? Practices that seem like a good idea up close can…
Read MoreWhat makes a thing “sacrilegious and blasphemous”? We’ve seen the terms connected to recent events. Much of the ensuing discussion expresses dismay at the actions of some and ridicule of this dismay on the part of others. I don’t want to get into the specifics of the incident here, we hope the controversy brought about…
Read MoreOver three decades serving as a pastor I have had opportunity to witness many trends and fads in church life. Terms like “seeker” and “emergent” and “missional” and “relevant” and “contemporary” have all at various times found their way into the evangelical lexicon. While these cover a wide range of issues and involve many different…
Read MoreIt was the day of my dad’s open heart surgery when I received a prophecy that would come true 12 years later. The heart surgeon met with my brother and me and described the surgery. He then said something that I will never forget. “You boys are next!” That is exactly what every young man…
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