Daily Devotional

May 18, 2024

Outcomes Matter

Jesus gave himself to: 1) redeem (buy back) us from all wickedness and to 2) purify for himself a people that are his very own, and are 3) eager to do what is good. Purity and a desire to do what is right and good are natural outcomes because He ha…

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May 17, 2024

No Sloppy Agape Here

Grace is not a "Get Out of Sin Free" card. Nor is it "Sloppy Agape." It is a force, and it is powerful. Years ago, I developed a working definition after an exhaustive study. Grace is God's power, strength, ability, authority, and favor to do what …

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May 15, 2024

The Battle is Mine

Some days it feels like a David and Goliath scenario. I'm David, and the darkness in the world is the enemy, Goliath. Maybe I've killed a bear or lion in my day, but Goliath? He's too big, too much, too overwhelming. Then I hear God say in a still s…

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May 14, 2024

Formed, Set Apart, Known, and Appointed

Scholars estimate that Jeremiah was likely a young man, somewhere between 17-25 years old at the time of his call. I was 19 when I knew God called me to be a pastor. God had a plan for Jeremiah and me before we were formed in the womb. It is appare…

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May 11, 2024

Civil Disobedience

What would you do if you were brought before a court of law and mandated not to pray out loud or even utter the name of Jesus in public? It’s happening all over the world at this very moment. Decisions need to be made now in the event this co…

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May 8, 2024

The Unseen Realm

Do not miss this truth: we are in a spiritual battle. It’s easy to be distracted by the noise, chatter, and events of this world that vie for our attention. However, the real battle is spiritual, and the stakes are eternal. The battlefield is…

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May 4, 2024

Founding Principles of Providence: Separation of Church and State

The First Amendment "provides a legal separation between Church and State: not a moral nor a spiritual separation... There is no reason, under the Constitution of the United States, why the principles of Christianity cannot pervade the laws and inst…

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May 4, 2024

No More Wavering

Just as Elijah’s prophetic voice rang true in his time, it still rings true today. You must choose whom you will serve: the gods of this world or the One True God. The tragedy is that both then and now, most people will say nothing. We need to…

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May 2, 2024

I Am Not My Own

Last night, we held a worship and baptism celebration service. We were blessed to baptize 28 people who said, “Yes,” to Jesus as both Savior and Lord. It was a beautiful evening filled with joy, praise, worship, and exhortation. The atmo…

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May 1, 2024

We've Done Easy, Let's Do Difficult

It would be easy to move to a cabin in the woods and escape from the madness of our world that has gone off the rails. Sometimes you just want to check out, however, we cannot opt for the easy path. As Christians in America, we’ve done easy. I…

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April 30, 2024

Engage Your Jurisdiction

When Jesus spoke, it was compelling to those who heard; “They were astonished at His teaching.” Jesus’ message was marked by authority. The Greek word “exousia” refers to the power, authority, or jurisdiction that someo…

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April 28, 2024

Whackos or Prophets?

I used to think the guy on the street carrying a sign that read, “Repent, for the end is near!,” was a whacko. Now I’m pointing to him and saying, “Listen up, he had it right all along!” Like the men of Issachar, we mus…

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April 26, 2024

Deconstruction Gone Awry

This is a stunning revelation from Paul regarding the role of the Church in disseminating the manifold wisdom of God. The Church serves as the delivery vehicle for the diverse and multifarious knowledge of our infinite Heavenly Father. As a pastor, …

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April 25, 2024

Will You Be a Watchman?

We need godly, Spirit-led men and women to be “Watchmen on the walls” in this hour. A cursory reading of your newsfeed is enough to see that our nation, the USA, is in crisis. Nefarious Marxist ideologies have taken over in education, th…

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April 24, 2024

Contagion

I once took a full 5-gallon water bottle, put one drop of a mysterious liquid into the bottle, and invited a man from the congregation to come to the platform and take a drink from the bottle. He would not do it. We all had a good laugh, then I drov…

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April 23, 2024

A Dangerous Move

There has been a move away from holiness and consecration in our contemporary church culture. In our desire to be relevant and current, we tend to abandon biblical virtues we don’t like or understand, which distinguish us as believers who live…

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April 22, 2024

I'll Never Be the Same

Most people live their lives and go about their daily business doing the best they can, completely unaware that there are dark and nefarious powers at work around them. These influences are political, cultural, and ideological, and at their core, th…

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April 21, 2024

American Idol

Due to a fit of disobedience and resentment, Jonah found himself in a dark place: the gut of a large fish. He imagined he was going to die. In despair, he cried out to God and repented of his willful disobedience. God gave him a second chance, and J…

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April 20, 2024

The End is Near-er

My early days as a believer were tainted by a well-meaning coworker who was over the top on the end times, aka eschatology. He would not stop talking about it. He said, “No one knows the day or hour,” but he thought he cracked the code. …

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April 19, 2024

A Viable Threat

God had worked a great miracle through Peter and John, and all they did was answer the questions. Their answers did not fit the preferred narrative of those in power in their culture. So they were threatened and commanded not to speak or teach in th…

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April 18, 2024

Undone and Forgotten

God does not do anything halfway. What He starts, He finishes. He is the ultimate promise keeper. Mind you, there will be seasons along your journey where it will appear as though He is distant and detached. That’s not the case. He has not mov…

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April 17, 2024

Theater of the Absurd

Welcome to the Theater of the Absurd. Our nation is off the rails. We have lost our way. Our moral and spiritual compasses are broken. We have ignored God and turned to our own way. The Church has removed itself from the public square in the name of…

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April 15, 2024

Cultural Engagement - A Tale of Two Kings

Jesus had no problem speaking truth to power. After all, He was and is the King of all Kings. Jesus made it clear that the very reason He was born a King was to testify to the Truth. Pilate’s response was notable: “’What is truth?…

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April 14, 2024

Needed: Men of Issachar (Ladies Included)

It was time for Saul to hand over the kingdom to God’s chosen man for the job, David. Leaders from the tribes of Israel sent men to rally behind David and oversee the transfer of power. Among those who came were “Men of Issachar,” …

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