My lovely bride and I will board a plane in about 24 hours to fly to the holy lands. We will be in Israel, the land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As a believer in Christ, I am thinking about the rich heritage I have been afforded by the Jewish...
Good things happen in life and very bad things do too. There are blessings and trials alike. Whether you are a believer or an unbeliever, you will experience similar joys and pains in this life. But, what do I know as believer that is so helpful and...
I feel close to God when I am in nature. If I am sitting in the lineup with my buddies at San O, bobbing up and down as waves pass under and looking at the horizon or the rugged cliff coastline- I sense Him and feel a sense of awe about God. Some...
I don’t like asking other people for help. Maybe its a bit of pride. I am kind of a DIY guy (Do It Yourself). There are some things in life we must do for ourselves. Right? Listen to music, hold the hand of your spouse as you walk along, enjoy...
The mega rock band The Police (with Sting) sang the hit song De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da- which sounds like a baby babbling. But the lyrics are actually fairly profound. “Poets, priests, and politicians, have words to thank for their positions...
I have a power in my life that once was not present. I have had some ability to resist certain temptations all my life. For whatever reason, I don’t tend to have an addictive personality. I realized some people are wired up with a proclivity...
I love the feeling of working hard and as a result being able to buy something special for my wife or family… even just paying my mortgage! Its the feeling of accomplishment, I guess. Getting what you deserve resonates with all of us. But...
I used to listen to KMET rock radio station as a teen. The DJs had different names for each day: WhooYa Monday, Titillating Tuesday, Humpday Wednesday, Champagne Payday Thursday (one of my favs)… I think in those years, many people got paid on...
I was teaching a new believers class yesterday at church. In the class I describe how Christians are ‘positionally’ righteous before God, because of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross. Simply said- God treats us as if we are as...
I came to faith in Christ at age eighteen. That didn’t make me perfect in word, thought and deed. But, something tremendous did happen- I was adopted into God’s forever family and I received His grace and forgiveness of sin, and I became...
I can still hear the echo in my head of my wife’s mom Mari, when frustrated, exclaim “Jiminy Cricket!” Jiminy Cricket is the sidekick friend of Pinocchio’s who also represents to some degree, his conscience. The name Jiminy...
I wonder and often worry about God’s favor and blessing upon my life. I am certainly blessed without deserving it. I’m not perfect, for sure. I make mistakes and I do what I myself do not approve, let alone failing to do all that God...
I can only remember one or two times that my dad was a bit ashamed of me. One was when I was cursing on the walkie talkies to my brothers. (you know junior high stuff), and then again when I was fighting, really fighting with my brother Jimbo. I...
I love that life has many journey’s. I enjoy going new places and taking on challenges. But, ultimately, all of our journeys will come to an end. For the apostle Paul, his many journeys ended in Rome and what God did through his life...
We’ve heard the saying “When in Rome, do as the Romans”, right? It general, it means to abandon your previous held morals and simply act like those around you. Compromising convictions is not a good way to live and certainly is not...
I love survivor stories that include some miraculous encounter with God or an angel who assures a praying and penitent person that they will be saved. The apostle Paul was one of those people more than once. Time and time again he was rescued from...
There is a song from 1969 by Tommy James and the Shondells called Crystal Blue Persuasion. It emphasizes love is the answer to the problems in our lives and the world. Few know the story behind it… James realized afterwards that the title fit...
My hibiscus flowers are all blooming right now! Yellow, Red, Orange, and more. You’ve heard the saying “bloom where you are planted”, right? And the idea of “go with the flow”! As Christians, God may take us to unusual...
Some people know quite a bit about God, but haven’t yet come to know God (in a personal way). I didn’t have either advantage growing up. But, now after coming to God through Jesus Christ, I can say that I certainly know much, much more...
There are real dangers in life. Sometimes we create our own by living foolishly or taking unwise risks or ‘thrill-seeking’. Then there are dangers that arise because we choose to follow God and express our faith. What can result is...
Recently Elon Musk bought a lot of Twitter stock. I wonder what he is up to? I love that in America we can say just about anything, anywhere. I can say something right, wrong, agreeable or disagreeable and most will defend my right to say it. And...
Sometimes I have bought a movie ticket and fallen asleep during the movie. Has that ever happened to you? I figure, “hey, I bought the ticket, I can watch or not watch”! I have the opportunity to teach and preach nearly every week. I am...
I remember in college hearing for the first time the term ‘herd poisoning’. The big idea was that as people we tend to not think very well for themselves when in big crowds. We do things that we otherwise wouldn’t do or approve. I...
One of my goals in life is to be ‘proficient in the Scriptures’. I had the opportunity to have some University education in the Bible. I will always be grateful for particular professors at Hope International University like Dr. Joe...
I didn’t have the advantage of growing up in church. Although my childhood was pretty dog gone great, that’s one advantage I lacked. I was curious about life, purpose, meaning, eternity, God, and the like, but there were plenty of other...
Our Constitutional rights matter. They are valuable to each individual. I just read that some people were awarded over $10,000,000 for the mistreatment by law enforcement officers while protesting. I am super sympathetic to the difficulty of the...
I recently returned from a mission trip with some pretty amazing people. We were meeting practical needs of people of the Texas-Mexico border and encouraging the ministry partners there. God did miracles and our faith was strengthened (see more at...
If following Jesus easy or hard? Yes! Its both. Most of us know that Jesus said “narrow is the way that leads to life, few there are that find it. And broad is the way that leads to destruction, many there are that go that way”. I have...
No one likes to be misjudged or persecuted. But, life brings disagreements between even those who were once likeminded. People see life from different perspectives or through different lenses. We hold values and priorities that can be contrary to...
Love doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rather rejoices in the truth. People sometimes rejoice over the wrong things. I hope I am not in that crowd. As the early church experienced persecution by the Roman government and particularly...
Are you a Christian? I’ve been asked that many times. And the answer is of course, yes. I am a Christian and a Christian pastor. I have noticed at certain times, people have been embarrassed to call themselves Christians (maybe because the...
I don’t like to change my mind. Having once formed an opinion, I prefer to stick with it even more than receiving new information that might challenge my sincerely held beliefs. But, thank God- I am not so rigid to remain completely unwilling...
Back in the 1990s people would stop in shopping malls and stare at large posters with patterns on them. Some would stare for half an hour or more and then exclaim “Now I see it”! These posters were computer generated Stereographs. Inside...
I was born with an inward desire to know my Maker and worship Him. I believe that ‘instinct’ is within us all. I wasn’t born with the knowledge of the gospel and that the Maker of Heaven and earth is the God of Abraham, Isaac and...
And so they killed Stephen! That’s how Dr. Luke concludes the seventh chapter of the book he wrote called The Acts of the Apostles. I don’t always respond positively to the criticism of others. Do you? I think my natural tendency is to...
My philosophy and understanding of God used to be very simplistic and superstitious. I didn’t really understand His will and His ways. I thought ‘everything always works out fine’, so long as you are following Him. That just...
Have you heard the saying: “No good deed, goes unpunished”? Its a funny saying that is often true. Sometimes in life we are following the will of God, or doing something really good, but not everyone is pleased. Some are threatened, some...
Starting at the age of twelve, I had a curiosity about spiritual things. I didn’t know much about Christian history or the history of the world in general. I thought it was kind of altruistic to simply think and espouse that ‘all roads...
People are fickle. We change our minds quickly and are easily swayed by fake news and other people’s opinions. We need grounding in truth and God’s Word. On the other hand, we are also stubborn. Having once arrived at an opinion, its...
I remember sharing a summary of my job description with an assistant once. I said, “my job is to make promises and fulfill them”. Your job is to help me do it. Promises are important= they forecast a desired future. While I can’t...
I was thinking today that sometimes I feel very lucky. My friend Bogar actually calls me “Lucky”! How nice that feels. Whenever I consider my lovely wife, I certainly think I am lucky- and so very fortunate! What makes me feel truly...
I like receiving praise, respect, greetings and recognition. Who doesn’t? That desire can be a trap when I find myself ‘putting on a show’ of external righteousness instead of being genuine and real. Nobody is perfect and when we...
Almost 35 years ago my wife and I had a big wedding! Ours wasn’t limited by space or even money. We had about 500 guests because my wife has a large family and lots of friends, cousins, aunties, etc. It was certainly by today’s standards...
There is no shortage of bad advice. Ask someone going through a separation or divorce. Talk to a parent with a rebellious teen. I have received my fair share and dished out a bit as well. How can we know the advice we are receiving is worthwhile...
I’ve had bad things happen in my life. Sometimes the loss and suffering is not of my own doing (though I certainly have escaped what was rightfully due me many times, by God’s grace). Who hasn’t suffered in a world that is brutal...
The political party I normally vote for lost power in the last election. The policies of the current party are largely (IMHO) disastrous. So, I feel some days like “why do I even pay my taxes?” Ever say that yourself? Maybe you said it...
I have a philosophy of life that goes kind of like this: Because I believe in God, His second plans can seem like the first. What I mean is this: God has a perfect will for my life. I may mess it up. Certainly others will too. Have your dreams been...
I read in Harvard Business Review that only a few months ago “Covid-19 has ravaged employment in the United States, from temporary furloughs to outright layoffs. Currently, over 4 million Americans have been out of work for six months or more...
I have a lot of friends. I love them all, but I wouldn’t trade my sons for any one of them! Some stories in the Bible are so stunning, confusing, yet powerful that you can’t read them and not marvel at God’s amazing redemptive plan...
I have a framed picture in my office of a huge wave slamming into a lighthouse. Its astonishing. I always wondered how they built the lighthouse. Most likely during calm days. But, upon closer inspection, you can see that a man is standing there...