... when push comes to shove, while I value and pursue a deeper understanding of whatever I can understand, I do not ultimately lean on my own understanding and choose to pursue a more reliable path of deeper clarity and peace. Continue reading

Sacrifice is the essence of following. Jesus could not shrink from His hour because His purpose in living was wrapped up in His hour of dying. We die to all that is not our purpose and His purpose in us when we follow. We empty ourselves of all we perceive to be self-honoring to receive the greater honor of the Father. Jesus explains it so much better than I do: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves... Continue reading

Here is the prayer of a maturing heart to be prayed in our youth. Continue reading

Two arguments for prayer directed to God for people in power are given by Paul. It is not an exhaustive list, but it is a good summary of two categories, the good prayer does us and the kingdom value for aligning with God's purposes: 1. "... that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity..." - Our Benefit 2. God's Benefit - " ... who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth..." So, it benefits us to pray so that our lives can be more stable ad it... Continue reading

I only respect flawed people. I respect them even more if they know they are flawed. That goes for leaders and people in public life.I generally like them and appreciate them across the board as long as they operate on the integrity of their convictions with consistency, intelligence, and the willingness to question their own views by listening and negotiating. There are very few villains out there - maybe some, but I cannot judge motives. I am critical and respectful of leaders and suspicious of them. It is a healthy tension. I am also hard on and suspicious of myself.... Continue reading

All my value is that you regard me. Why, oh why? It does not matter why because You are the Why of all things and of my existence and You have engraved Your love into the fabric of the universe. Continue reading

You can only take one carry-on and one personal item on the plane these days and you cannot take a truckload of spiritual luggage on your journey with Jesus.It is hard for the rich man, Jesus says ... or the man who perceives himself as rich and unable to travel light.But who can be saved if it is so hard for us to let go? Continue reading

Photo by Jehyun Sung on Unsplash Great leaders come from unlikely places and walks of life. "Taken from the sheepfolds," the lowliest of servants, dirtiest, least regarded, often maligned, stereotypical crude and rude, one is placed in a position of influence. David brings the skill sets he used in leading sheep to lead people. God chose David to lead, but becoming a leader involved some choices and actions on his part. First, in his case, he had to win the people over. No kingdom or authority was handed to him by any government by decree. He was not appointed by... Continue reading

We need to hear the news, process world events, and pray for our world through the missional lens God's intention to build His Kingdom of love and righteousness with justice and shalom. Continue reading

If I am going to enjoy righteousness and the pursuit of holiness, I must also understand the pernicious power of the sin that does so easily beset me. I am not immune and you are not immune from The Great Distraction or its destructive persistence. There is a duality to our lives - an authentic self and a false self. I cannot speak of the wicked man without recognizing the phony me who walks around in and desires to rule my body and mind. I can own the reality and reject the rule, but it is a daily deed. As... Continue reading

In his musings, the psalmist wandered around the dusty trails of his own existence, traversing over his own struggles and victories, glancing upon the outgrowths of wickedness that tormented him and the grace that attended him. He paused to pray a reflective prayer over his fleeting existence for perspective and resolve, assessing his own need of assessment. " “O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind... Continue reading

If you were Pilate, and to some extent, we all are at some point, you just don't get it. We can't get it when we try to impose our own or society's definitions of power, might, prestige, and influence on a kingdom that is not of this world. We ask the same question he asked. With truth standing before us, staring us in the face, trying one angle after another to explain truth to us and to shake us out of our tired definitions, "What is truth?" The truth is that truth is .... And it is not what we... Continue reading

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. - Mark 9:23 To this challenge, a man in need replied that he believed, but he needed help with his unbelief, those edges where belief was still developing. In ministry, we are in the business of helping people believe—first in God, then in the possibilities of God working in and through them to accomplish His purposes. Belief is the most powerful attitude in the universe. It is absolutely essential for realizing God’s promises and our own potential under God. It is the great missing... Continue reading

You are sitting there, quite possibly stumbling upon this blog by accident because you are surfing the internet via a stream of consciousnesses in dedicated avoidance of whatever it is that you need to be doing right now. Continue reading

In order to comment on some issues, one must define what the real issues are. if one is inclined to believe that no "position" can define the "issue," then it is difficult to find any basis for conversation. First, there must be definition and, when definition is established, it is often found that there is no issue. But that requires quite a bit of un-boxed thinking and a "radicalism" that goes to the radix/root - a process that is much too difficult for most of us whose roots go too deeply into the mud of traditionalism and the sands of... Continue reading

Prayer gathers our scattered thoughts and hidden anxieties. Prayer gives voice to the voiceless within us. Prayer centers us in God. Prayer opens the door for the possibilities we may not readily see. Prayer is God's invitation to participate in what He is doing. None of us are really ""good at it," but the good news is that we do not have to be. We just need to enter in and meet God. Continue reading

Adonai, above all powers, above all rulers, above all my thoughts and hopes and dreams, LORD of my frailties and Dreamer of my dreams, Giver of life, Author of hope, First Cause, Final Conclusion, Ultimate Concern, Lover of humanity, Creator of all that is, Mighty God, Everlasting Father ... my Abba ... To Thee, I come and with Thee, I stand. In Thee, I rest. Through Thee, I live. You are, יהוה , the Great I AM. I hesitate to speak Thy Name lest I speak it for naught and yet ... You invite me, to call Thee, Abba, Father,... Continue reading

Welcome to the morning! Gloria! Gloria! Kyrie eleison! Lord, have mercy! Have mercy on me. And grant that mercy and grace Like soothing oil and Refreshing water Sweetened by Thy love Shall flow through me into The lives of all who come to drink, Of all who come to be renewed. May I be another light, Another window, mirror, conduit, Any metaphor that, materialized, Brings this mercy to those Who feel abandoned, lonely, discouraged, and alienated From Thee, themselves, and others. Thou who hast given me mercy So freely and abundantly, Show forth that same mercy in me To all... Continue reading

- Photo by Angelina Kichukova on Unsplash - The horns of the wicked and the horns of the righteous are made of the same sort of stuff, but represent different approaches to what they represent, honor and power. The righteous seldom strut their stuff. The wicked seldom cease. One shall come to naught and the other shall be exalted. The powers of this age and the ruthlessness of power-grabbing, power-wielding personages and entities shall ultimately fail. Those who seek truth and justice at each junction of choice and each crossroads of intent, regardless of the assessment of rewards, losses, and... Continue reading

It was 2017.My family randomly picked the losing team to cheer for and they were doing well, but the game was getting boring. I don't watch much football. In the second half, it got really, really exciting. Continue reading

Life is not fair. Thus goes the lament. Evil people prosper. There is no justice. That is the lament of those who tag it all with this question: "Why bother?" The psalmist cried this often-cried cry and then, "But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end." - Psalm 73:16-17 (ESV) "Until." Until he went before God to gain perspective - the perspective of the whole of their lives, the whole of his life, and the vastness of God's purposes. Some... Continue reading

The authentic transparent life of a struggler who trusts in God. - Psalm 69 Continue reading

In God’s new day, no one will have to protect his property, dignity, rights, or territory. God will take care of it all and it will be lovely.Until that day, we shall have some fences. Let us commit to understanding what we are fencing in and fencing out. Then, let us commit ourselves to good fences of love and respect that make good neighbors. Continue reading

The kingdom belongs to those who so closely identify with Jesus that they share his sufferings. Fine-tuned people rejoice with gladness in a kingdom characterized by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. As the tuning of a musical instrument is never once and for all, so we have embarked on a lifetime of tuning. We keep at it constantly and God makes beautiful music through us. Continue reading

God is not impressed with our religious overtures as long as our hearts are still serving the false gods of our own making, the gods of pleasure, materialism, lust, power, or whatever triggers the hormonal rushes in our brains. Continue reading