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Demons and Authority
In Mark 1 there is the story of Jesus casting out the demon in the synagogue. While we focus on the power encounter, Mark focuses on the authority. Twice in the same story he mentions the authority of Jesus to teach. 22 The people were amazed by his teaching, for he was teaching them with authority, not like the legal…
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Anxiety is Spiritual Warfare
7 Throw all your anxiety onto him, because he cares about you. 8 Be clearheaded. Keep alert. Your accuser, the devil, is on the prowl like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:7-8, CEB) Anxiety confuses our thinking. We create “what if” scenarios, along with “If only” scenarios. When that happens, the enemy roars. He smells the blood. Anxiety has…
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Giving Without a Second Thought
A refreshing look at James 1:5 from the Common English Bible. First, the NIV 2011: 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. Common English Bible: 5 But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to…
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Don’t Let God Rest!
Advent is about God coming down to us. It is about his pursuit of us. Advent is also about the expectation and hope of the return of Christ. We long for his appearing again. As God has pursued us we have this invitation to pursue him. We have the invitation of prayer. 6 Upon your walls, Jerusalem, I have appointed…
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Verses That Bother Me
Luke takes time to emphasize the poor in passages that are similar to Matthew (like the Sermon on the Mount). It’s probably why I like Matthew better! 😉 22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and…
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Living Dead in Prayer
My prayer life just lacks. The Lord has me camped out in Matthew 6 and I fully understand why. My prayer life is junk. I don’t follow any decent pattern of Kingdom prayer in my life. I walk with anxiety and not release. I struggle with his provision and lose sleep. The enemy begins to call the shots in my…
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The Privilege of Living Dead
As I am challenging myself with John Wesley’s work on entire sanctification, I am meeting incredible people who live out the heart of Wesley’s message on a daily basis. They are people I can’t even name on a website because of the sensitive work they do. Their call is incredible. One organization challenging the Christian community with reaching the unreached…
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John Wesley and the Hunger for Christian Perfection
Wesley summarized his search for Christian perfection in his work, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection. As I work my way through this piece I find my own heart longing for this work of Christ in me. It is a lifelong journey. Without knowing it, I’ve been living out Wesley’s journey for quite some time. It is wonderful to see…
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In the Stillness You are There
We tend to look for God in the spectacular. The noise. The crowd. Something that “shows” God off in some way. Elijah knew the show. He knew the spectacular. He had taken on the prophets of Baal in spectacular fashion and God came in power. Elijah knew the powerful exhibits God could put on. But when he needed to hear…
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God Speaks… and We Refuse to Listen
I received a new Richard Foster book in the mail (purchased through IVP). I am so glad this man is writing more! This new work, Sanctuary of the Soul, is about meditative prayer. In the early pages he reminds us of our refusal to listen to God. It’s not that we can’t hear. It’s more of a condition that we don’t…
Category: Prayer
