Where have the Statesmen gone? What’s a Statesman, you ask? A Statesman is a leader who possesses the following qualities, at least according to Brett and Kate McKay in their article appropriately titled “The 4 Qualities of a True Statesman.” First, they have a bedrock of core principles. Second, they possess a moral compass. Third, they have a vision. …
Isaiah 2:4 He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Isaiah saw a day when the world powers dominating the headlines would come to their senses and bow their knees to…
Confronted by a totally new experience, Joshua made an expression which fits our current situation. Telling Israel how to proceed, the newly minted leader said to his tribe, “You have never passed this way before” (Joshua 3:4). I am sure every person reading these words can identify with that assessment. Just as Israel had never confronted the circumstances in which…
One of the issues we must put to rest if we are going to Serve God In Baal’s Shadow involves getting over the idea everything must be precisely as we think necessary in order to effectively serve Jesus. The hero of the story related in 2 Kings 4: 42-44 (I have assigned him the name Earl) lived in a town…
I made a couple of mistakes this week. First, I read The Insanity of God by Nik Ripkin. This book was recommended to me by Pastor Steve Molton. I want to say “thanks” to Pastor. Nothing like having your heart torn apart by realizing how small and petty one can be about serving Jesus! If you are curious, I challenge…
“Jacob, don’t be afraid to go down into Egypt” (Genesis 46:3). It doesn’t add up. Earlier in his life, this same God told Jacob, “Go home and live in the land of your fathers” (Genesis 31:3, 13). For his entire life, Jacob recalled stories about his father and grandfather and the danger posed by Egypt (Genesis 12, 26). He finally…
For many who walk with Jesus, the world seems to be turning upside down. Good is now bad, bad is now good. Those who seek recognition are pandering to the fears of God’s people, portraying our day as something unlike anything heretofore experienced by believers. Even worse are those who, for a fee, will give to you their private “revelations”…
Stolen! Robbed! Cheated! Yes, many people feel that way. Millions feel as if they have endured the illegal theft of something important and they are angry. My task is not to comment on the validity of that issue, nor the feelings being experienced by believers during this season. That which I want to focus upon is how we respond to…
We are nearing the end of 2020. Most of us will not regret seeing this year through the rear- view mirror. However, we all know that things are not going to magically change at the stroke of midnight on December 31. The new year will not only have some carry-over hardships from this year but will present us with a…
Spending some time working through an eventual book series “Walking with the Master”, I was reminded of His teaching about the role and work of the Holy Spirit. Only a few hours removed from the cross. Jesus sought to cheer His crestfallen followers by telling them it was actually good news for them that He was leaving, for if He…
