I’m not proud of it, of course, but it’s true nonetheless. I had accepted Christ, but did not have a relationship with God. When I heard people proclaim that Jesus is the light of the world, it simply did not register.    That’s why for 22 years I walked past hundreds and hundreds of doors God had opened for me to enter and illuminate his magnificence for others to see.    And...

  I was mesmerized over the past couple of weeks watching Olympic ski jumpers soar off a skyscraper ramp like rockets into the damp South Korean air. It made me wonder how they must have felt during their first visit to a ski jump event. Watching humans fly down a frozen mountainside must have surely produced fear and trepidation.    I learned with a couple of keystrokes that they are terrified...

Where our mind goes, our actions will soon follow. If we want to live out of Godly purpose, we must diligently guard our thoughts and be transformed by the renewal of our mind.    How can God use us if our life is driven by conforming to the world we live in?    A renewed mind transcends avoidance of worldly behaviors because we can “do the right thing” and not be transformed....

One of the most powerful and compellingly clear verses in God’s Word leaves no room for misinterpretation about what Jesus was telling us to do… “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34    The old self runs away from money.  The old self runs away from this world’s pleasures. The old self avoids disgrace, discomfort, dishonor,...

We can’t grab onto to something new and better—God’s peace, joy and a life of purpose—until we let go of the strongholds we have been clinging to. We need a SPIRITUAL REBOOT! Easier said than done, right? Of course.    It’s like the members of a circus trapeze team who refuse to let go because they do not fully trust their partner.    It’s the SAME thing for...

Keeping our options open with God to avoid making “uncomfortable” spiritual commitments will NOT make us “free.” The god of OPEN CHOICE is a saboteur who promises us that keeping our options open will lead to everything we want. But in the end we wind up at the doorstep of the OPEN CHOICE false god with nothing.    This is the moment of truth where we choose–or decline—to follow God,...

Peace and joy in Christ are not automatic when we are saved, and we can’t manufacture it through our own efforts. Earlier in my faith walk, I tried with all my might to do it that way and, of course, failed miserably.    I thought the mansion and sports car would do it, but over time I learned that God’s peace can only come out of an intimate relationship with Christ...

Christians know from first-hand and painful experience all about the pervasive and destructive power of fear. They know it can have a dramatic impact on how we look at, and react to, the world. And they know it can only be vanquished through Christ. But there’s a healthy version—fear of the Lord—that allows us to incinerate the lies peeking out of the darkness. It is a healthy respect for God that...

  Insecurity is a form of FEAR produced by fixation on, and yielding to, our “perceived” shortcomings. Things like: “I am no good. I am incompetent. I am inferior to everyone.” That is what I call SITUATIONAL insecurity and, if unchecked, it will inevitably lead to GENERAL insecurity that pervades our very soul and never goes away.    Early in my faith walk my insecurity started out...

God made us to doubt ourselves and never doubt HIS TRUTH, but today we have that script playing in reverse! We are focused on ME, ME, ME and easily forget about the Lord’s divine plan for our life. Make no mistake, humility does not come easily. Our earthly desires scream out for the power and pleasure that comes from pride. And nothing makes the enemy happier than seeing this arrogance. REWRITING...