EZRA’S FAST
Ezra was a descendant of Aaron living in Babylonia among the Jewish exiles during the reign of Artaxerxes, the 3rd in a succession of kings who were moved by God to issue decrees enabling the rebuilding of Jerusalem and her temple, around 520 BC. The rebuilding of the temple under Zerubbabel and Jeshua the High […]
THE PECULIAR GLORY OF ADVENT
The weeks leading up to Christmas are called the Advent Season. I’ve found that knowledge of this season is hit or miss in Christian circles these days. Mainstream churches that observe an annual liturgical calendar are usually familiar with it and faithfully light the four candles of hope, peace, joy, and love. Meanwhile, I’ve been […]
A PASSION FOR HIS GLORY.
Recently, we were confronted with two extreme situations, each evoking a polar opposite range of emotions. A dear friend of ours who was suffering from glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer that had sunk tentacles deep into both sides of her brain rendering it inoperable and giving her but a few months more to live, was […]
SEAL THE TEACHING AMONG MY DISCIPLES.
Almost 3,000 years ago, God gave a peculiar command to the prophet Isaiah during the reign of King Ahaz that I believe to be of great relevance again to us today: For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this […]
DEEP THOUGHT OF THE WEEK: UNITED PRAYER REFLECTS THE UNITY OF GOD.
I was thinking about unity this week as I prepared to lead our online study group through Chapter 8 of my book Prayer Matters. God Himself consists of relationships. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all perfectly one. Our Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as being one god existing in […]
HOW WE CAN PRAY ABOUT RACISM
The death of a black man at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis has ignited turmoil and debate about racism like never before. It was assumed that he was treated with fatal brutality because of the color of his skin. The narrative, fanned into flame by media and interest groups, quickly escalated […]
OUR UNIQUE GOD-GIVEN KINGDOM ASSIGNMENT
“Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.” 1 Corinthians 7:17 On January 15th I resigned from the job I had held for two years, following an extended time of prayer and listening to the Lord with the help of some godly […]
The Prayer Altar in Heaven
WHAT GOD DESIRES FROM US WHEN THE WORLD IS SHAKING
Few of us would doubt that the world is in the midst of an unprecedented shaking right now. The news headlines of outbreaks and government responses are causing the way of life we have come to consider as normal to grind to a halt. Fear and panic are spreading, mixed in with re-evaluation of how we do life at every level: work, shopping, leisure, medical care, self-care, and yes – spiritual life. Churches worldwide are suddenly thrust in a position to rethink how to, well, do church and continue their core mission of worship, community and outreach.