Waiting patiently is not high on the list of my attributes. I am much happier when things go according to my schedule. I know that I am not alone in my impatience because we live in a society that caters to instant gratification. We have fast food and microwave ovens. The cable and satellite televis...

Recently, I listened as someone offered a prayer for someone who was traveling. They prayed for smooth flights, easy connections and no interruptions. I’ve heard prayers before a church service asking that everything would go according to plan, smoothly and once again with no interruptions. On the s...

Last week we looked at the contrast between the desire to have things go smoothly, as planned and without interruption versus the realization that interruptions and obstacles might actually be divine appointments that allow us to see God at work while ministering to others. We looked at a few exampl...

One of the ways to stir up lively discussion among Christians is to bring up the subject of “Seeker Sensitive Churches.” Inevitably, blood pressure will rise and charges will be thrown back and forth. For some, “Seeker Sensitive” is a code word for a gospel message that has been compromised or water...

It doesn’t take a genius to look around us and see that we have a problem. It is not about the specifics of any one incident, but rather it is an environment that breeds contempt and distrust. It is ridiculous to think that we can either ignore or deny that there is a problem with racism in our coun...

The Christmas story is filled with contrasts and extremes. On one hand Christ birth brought some extreme joy, while others were filled with terror. One of my favorite opening sentences in all of literature is from Charles Dickens, “A Tale of Two Cities.” “It was the best of times, it was the worst o...

My blog post is a day late this week because I was preoccupied with a more pressing issue. On Sunday around midnight, the AGIF website stopped working after an automated system upgrade. I spent several hours on the phone with various technical support people and I kept pressing the point that this s...

God says, “Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity.” The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humbl...

The account of Caleb’s life in the Promised Land is found in Joshua 14:6-15 and there are four lessons from his life as we begin this New Year. “I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out, and I am just as ready to fight now as I was then. So give me the mountain country the LORD...

What does it mean to “take up our cross?” Some take it to mean a burden such as a physical challenge or a relationship that is difficult. People would describe something in their life and they will tell you that it is “their cross to bear.” But does that have any bearing on Jesus’ call for us to tak...

“Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” Hebrews 10:36 (NLT)

The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines endurance as “the ability to withstand hardship or adversity; especially: the ability to s...

As we study Scripture, we encounter many truths and promises that God makes to us as His children. On one hand, there are promises of blessing and prosperity and on the other, warnings about persecution and hardship. Both are true, the Bible tells us in many places that God blesses and prospers his...