Rejoice, the Lord is with You!
Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary In the book of Luke 1:26-38, notice the angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary: And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” The word rejoice is...
Jesus, I Need a Miracle!
Cancer Healed! Living in the desert southwest is a joy! The geography and climate offer a variety of extremes that engage the mind and senses. As I write, Christmas is a week away, and almost on cue, the weather went from sunny and warm to winter-like—rain in the...
A Pure Heart Yields Pure Motives
Do you enjoy a good movie? When it comes to movies, if you’re anything like me, the plot and the quality of the actors are important ingredients for a good film. An actor's stage persona helps carry even a mediocre plot. But, an actor’s role on film is not a...
Expectant Faith
Faith is tangible. Have you ever ordered something online? Consider when an order is placed online, the buyer is seeing only an image of the real item. There is substance to that image, it represents a product to be purchased and delivered. You, the buyer, have faith...
Are you Straining or Trusting?
In Mark 6:45-56, the story is told of Jesus directing the disciples to get into a boat and to cross over the Sea of Galilee to the city of Bethsaida. The scripture indicates in vs. 45 that Jesus strongly urged the disciples to get into the boat and go to the other...
Is Jesus Enough?
While visiting a missionary friend in Guatemala in 1997, Jesus challenged my thinking. Have you ever had Jesus shift your thinking?! He specializes in molding our reasoning to mirror that of heaven—not of earth—if we allow Him to. Carolyn and I had been...
A Voice in the Desert
Evil hates truth and schemes to silence the prophetic voice. The Bible and Church history record this repeated reality. However, God’s voice will not be silenced, and of the increase of His government and kingdom there is no end. In 1945, one of my heroes of the...
An Apostolic Commission
Happy Reformation Day! Today, October 31st, is the 500th anniversary of when Catholic priest Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther never intended to leave the Catholic church; he desired transformation. However,...
Offense Stops Miracles
I had a vivid dream last week involving the name of Jesus—such a beautiful name! In the dream, I was ministering to a large crowd of people in an outdoor setting. Next, the dream shifted to an indoor sanctuary, where more ministry was occurring. I had a sense in the...
Do Not Be Afraid! Only Believe!
A while back, I spoke with a long-term friend who was not himself. He loves Jesus, is full of faith, and has seen God perform miraculous healings while ministering to others. In fact, he is one of the most optimistic people I know—he understands God’s love and...
