Tag Archives: spiritual warfare

The addictive need for praise and control.

Jesus saw it happen. Jesus warned us it would happen even to those who call themselves Christ followers. (Matt 23) All their works they do to be seen by others (Matt 23:5) They love the best places at the feasts, the best seats, and the big greetings and the big titles. (Matt 23: 6-7). They’veContinue reading “The addictive need for praise and control.”

Let’s don’t neglect to praise God in the midst of hard things…

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Tim 1:17) As Paul wrote those words in his letter to Timothy, I wonder if he sat his pen down, lifted his hands to Heaven and was overcome with praise to the Lord?Continue reading “Let’s don’t neglect to praise God in the midst of hard things…”

Need a little JOY?

I wish I could call Karen. I’d love to sit with her on her couch, open our Bibles, and pray as we did so many times over the years. Joy just oozed out of that precious woman. It truly did, and even as she lay dying. She was my friend and my mentor. I loveContinue reading “Need a little JOY?”

How do you keep going when life is crashing down?

What do you do when you get the phone call, the diagnosis, the news you never saw coming? What about the hard thing thet you thought wouldn’t still be this hard? What then? Are you destined to continually be consumed by the trouble and pain and spiral further downward into a pit of despairing emotions?Continue reading “How do you keep going when life is crashing down?”

False teachers know there is a God…they just think themselves wiser and better.

We have to test everything because the enemy is at work all around us. The evil one is no less sly than he has ever been; and we have to be on guard, and especially so, with those we allow to speak into our lives. I recently read on a local, family counselor’s website, whoContinue reading “False teachers know there is a God…they just think themselves wiser and better.”

From my son-in-law…

Powerful, insightful words from my son-in-law, Forest McCollough— The murder of Charlie Kirk hit me in a way nothing else ever has, and I think other people are feeling the same thing. I have heard people say that he is a martyr – and I completely agree with that. A martyr is someone who isContinue reading “From my son-in-law…”

Put on your armor and keep standing.

My daughter, Abi, wrote this a few years back. This truth is a powerful, keep-you-going reminder— I felt alone. Sad, disheartened, fighting back tears-very much like an alien and stranger though surrounded by others my age as I sat in my Contemporary Moral Issues Philosophy class, at the University of Tennessee, listening to my classmatesContinue reading “Put on your armor and keep standing.”

Keep Telling The Truth!

God hates lies (Prov 12:22). The devil is the father of all lies (John 8:44). He often uses lies in order to fulfill his goal to rob, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). I’ve seen this play out this year as lies have impacted our family, our church, and our nation. I understand more than everContinue reading “Keep Telling The Truth!”

Eyes on the Better Object

The great, preacher teacher, Oswald Chambers, said, “If I have a lingering thought of defending myself I haven’t truly repented of the sin.” Indeed, we prevent our own freedom when we try to excuse or explain away that which God calls sin. It’s human nature to want to do so. But we are missing freedomContinue reading “Eyes on the Better Object”

We can’t call wrong things right because we love our kids.

I woke up early.Sad.And mad. Sad and mad that, once again, I’ve had a front row seat to watch parents encourage their children to go ahead and do an unholy thing because they, “deserve to be happy”. This is nothing new. For years, I watched as parents of my kids’ friends did this. They compromisedContinue reading “We can’t call wrong things right because we love our kids.”

When I’m tired. When I’m hurting.

When I’m tired …When I’m hurting… I desperately need to hear God’s Words above the emotions swimming in my mind. Life is difficult.People are difficult. Sometimes, it would be so much easier to live my life for Jesus if it were not for other people–the ones who hurt you and never apologize, the ones whoContinue reading “When I’m tired. When I’m hurting.”

You can run back

Desperate. They find the tomb empty.. Suddenly angels appear and remind the women of the words Jesus had said about his death and resurrection. The women run to tell the eleven, but the disciples didn’t believe them. But Peter. Peter rose and ran to the tomb. (Luke 24) Why Peter? We know from other partsContinue reading “You can run back”

Ignoring and Accepting Sin is Not Love.

We long for it.We desperately want it.Unconditional love. But the enemy, he’s twisted it. And so many are buying his lie, and the evil one is using this lie to separate people from those who truly love them. The father of all lies has whispered that if people don’t accept our sin, treat it asContinue reading “Ignoring and Accepting Sin is Not Love.”

Misunderstood? Maligned? Here’s some encouragement

They said he was bold with his letters and wimpy in person. They said he preached with impure motives to draw attention to himself. They said he was flesh controlled rather than spirit-controlled. These words had to cut especially deep considering all Paul had endured to bring the good news of the gospel to thoseContinue reading “Misunderstood? Maligned? Here’s some encouragement”

Keep on. For those you love and those you may never meet.

Ministry is hard. There has been more than once I’ve wanted to stop sharing about Jesus, and pull away, and just love those who are easy to love and believe what I believe about the faith and the Word. Recently, I’ve been tossing and turning with thoughts of escaping to a desert island, because, asContinue reading “Keep on. For those you love and those you may never meet.”

Oh, that God would do it again!

I woke up thinking about a conversation my brother, my son-in-law and I had about the great revival movements of God. We had resolved there is NOTHING that might keep God from doing it again. My brother then mentioned how the spark that started the greatest revivals in history had been that of LAY PEOPLEContinue reading “Oh, that God would do it again!”

In the midst of trouble, sit down.

This week, as I have counted my blessings, I’ve found myself counting again something as a blessing I didn’t think I ever would. Several years ago, our family faced what felt like a true enemy in another flesh and blood person. It all seemed to begin right after we shared our faith with this person,Continue reading “In the midst of trouble, sit down.”

We don’t have to follow our emotions into trouble.

Sometimes, I confuse myself. My emotions seem to be all over the place. How very much God knows our tendency to veer from His ways when it comes to our hearts. How often we allow our emotions and affections to rule us. How many revered men have been brought down by illicit affairs? How manyContinue reading “We don’t have to follow our emotions into trouble.”

For those wrestling to understand…

Jacob wrestled with God. That’s too much for my mind to even conceive. Except, I’m wrestling. Not in the physical sense, but certainly in that I’m trying to understand what God is doing through some exhaustingly hard things in my life and in this world. I know it’s true that God routinely does things weContinue reading “For those wrestling to understand…”