Steve's Blog
“Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9b (NIV)
A good author or screenwriter can draw us into their story where good and evil are in conflict in such a way that we have great expectancy and longing to see the villain’s demise. In fact, if the nasty piece of work is spared destruction there is almost a sense of disappointment. Whether this is the result of an innate consciousness of justice or simply a base desire for payb...
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What does it take to get ahead and be successful in life? Conventional wisdom tells us to be aggressive and grab for what we can because most likely no one is going to hand it to you on a silver platter. Consider James and John, also known as the “Sons of Thunder.” In Mark 10:35-45, James and John request to be seated in places of honor with Jesus when he sits on his glorious throne. How audacious and presumptuous of them. There is every indication that their parents instilled in them the belief...
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But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy. Psalm 68:3 (NLT)
Depending upon the translation the words rejoice and be glad appear in the same verse about 30 times in the Bible. We should be reminded from time to time, especially when we are in trouble or when we see trouble all around us that we are to be people of rejoicing and gladness. Remember who is the source of our rejoicing and gladness. This world cannot provide lasting joy. Through Nehem...
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I don’t know who coined the phrase “The length of our lives is represented by a dash between two dates,” but it is certainly a succinct way of stating what most people sense, especially as they get older, that life passes by quickly.
This week my parents celebrate their 59th wedding anniversary and next week Denise and I will be celebrating our 30th. Recently we have been with people who are celebrating significant birthdays or anniversaries and almost inevitably someone will say, “How did I g...
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Do we ever get to the place where we are too important or big to do certain jobs for the cause of Christ? Are some tasks so menial that they are not deserving of our effort or attention? Many years ago, my grandfather was working with a well-known evangelist. One evening during a meeting my grandfather noticed that there was a need to set up more chairs. As he began setting up additional chairs, he asked another minister to help him, but he received this reply, “That is not my ministry!” This ma...
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A few weeks ago I wrote about the paradox of serving in the kingdom of God and how, even though it is counterintuitive, the way to greatness is actually found in being a servant to others. Even though God plainly tells us that “His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts” there is still an element of surprise when God revealed His plans and purposes to us. We have been conditioned by the world’s methods and protocols, but God does not limit Himself to man’s conventions, in...
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Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. 2 Corinthians 6:11 (NLT)
It can be very difficult at times to maintain a heart that is open, tender and compassionate. There are certainly risks involved when we allow our hearts to be open and loving, but the alternative of closing our hearts to others is ultimately more damaging to ourselves and others.
A heart needs to be trained and exercised so that it can increase in capacity, both physicall...
Yesterday, we celebrated Labor Day here in the United States. Without dwelling on the origins of the holiday or the meaning behind it, let us simply say that for many people, it was a day to relax and not labor. In any organization, but specifically in churches, there are both visible and invisible jobs to be done. However, do not assume that just because a job does not have visibility, it is not important. Therefore it is incumbent upon leaders to recognize and honor those who serve in jobs tha...
I had a conversation this week with a friend of mine who has many years of experience as a worship leader. The essence of the discussion settled on the fact that worship encompasses more than singing. We can sing songs of praise, sincerely and with the right motivation, but still not be a worshiper of God. Someone who sings and proclaims the praises of God can do so without being fundamentally changed, but a worshiper is someone whose life is devoted to the one whom they worship. A worshiper’s l...
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So Moses told the people of Israel what the LORD had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery. Exodus 6:9 (NLT)
If we are rebuffed when sharing the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we must be very careful that we do not assign the wrong attitude or motivation upon those who do not receive our message. Without complete understanding, which is very difficult when it comes to other people, we may perceive that rejection o...
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In California where I live, we have been facing drought conditions for several years. The solution to a drought crisis is obviously water. Even in the best of times there is not enough rainfall to supply all of the needs in Southern California. We depend upon rivers and aqueducts to bring the water to us.
It is impossible to sustain life, physically or spiritually, without water. The Psalmist declared, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you...
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And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of a...
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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 television companies offer movies on demand. Many areas of life are tailored for convenience and hurriedness. However, patience is something that God wants to develop in each one of us. In 1 Corinthians 13 w...
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 surface, these seem like very normal, even noble prayer requests, but what if it is really better for us to pray that instead of our journey being on a smooth path, we ask for a road of opportunity.
T...
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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 examples from Jesus’ ministry in which he was seemingly interrupted by those in need. Now in the 2nd part we will examine some steps that we can take so that we are not caught off guard by opposition or any...
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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 watered down while others view it as a way to introduce people to Jesus in a nonthreatening manner. A question that often comes up in my mind is this: “What do we call the opposite of seeker sensitive?” Se...
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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 country today. Benjamin Watson, a football player for the New Orleans Saints wrote an essay in which he said the following, “…ultimately the problem is not a SKIN problem, it is a SIN problem. SIN is the...
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 of times…”
What a great impact was made when the One who is the Light entered our world as a man. To those shepherds, wise men, and others like Simeon who welcomed and sought after the LIGHT OF THE W...
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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 situation was their fault because everything was working fine before the upgrade and now it was broken. There was no clear indication of what the problem was and it took many hours of diagnosis on my p...
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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 humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. Isaiah 57:14-15 (NLT)
There are Scriptures which call us to “Prepare a way for the Lord.” However, our text clearly directs us to rebuild...
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 promised me that day long ago.” Joshua 14:11–12a (NCV)
The first lesson that we can learn from Caleb is to have a passionate heart for God. There are six references in Scripture that indicate to...
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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 take up our cross and follow him?
There are several accounts in the gospels where at various times Jesus told his followers that if they wanted to be a disciple of his, they must deny themselves, take...
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“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 sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity.” I enjoy riding my bicycle, in fact, I will usually ride several thousand miles per year. However, without making any excuses, I recently emerged from...
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 people and it also tells us that persecution, hardship and suffering awaits those who follow Jesus.
The problem with emphasizing persecution, hardship and suffering and bypassing promises of blessin...
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Faith is a difficult thing to quantify. Jesus said that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed that you would be able to command a mountain to be moved from here to there. The seed of the mustard tree is among the smallest seeds, so we could only imagine what we might be able to accomplish if our faith was much larger, but for most of us even the idea of having mustard seed sized faith is daunting. Many of us probably relate to the father who cried out to Jesus, “I believe, please help my...
View all of Confession, Reality and Faith