Alright now. Don’t do anything you are going to regret. Just put down the gun and everything is going to be okay. So goes a scene in just about every crime drama that has ever aired. The bottom line? Crime fighting is extremely dangerous until you disarm the bad guys. Give law enforcement officials a […]
Tag Archives: Holy Spirit
Can There Be Such a Thing as Hyper-Grace?
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now I see. T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved. How precious did that Grace appear The hour I first believed. John Newton These now famous […]
Why Egocentric Ministry Makes Apathetic People
“Whose kingdom are you building, yours or Mine?” These words spoken to me by the Holy Spirit were not physically audible, but they could not have been louder. On that day in the fall of 1993, my life was forever changed. Since starting into college ministry, I had been working tirelessly to get our campus […]
Three Mindsets that Have Betrayed the Church
The pain of betrayal has few equals. I can still feel the sting from the time when I helped two friends patch up their broken relationship only to have them both turn against me. I’ve long since forgiven both guys but I have to admit that that one hurt for a long time. Just a […]
Driving a Stake through the Heart of Elitism
The Free Dictionary defines elitism[1] as: 1. The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources. 2. a. The sense of entitlement enjoyed by such a group or class. b. Control, rule, or domination by […]
Overwhelmed by Humanitarian Needs
Brrr! It is COLD in western Pennsylvania. Last night the temperature dropped to -9°. It hasn’t been that cold here in over 20 years! This morning, my car didn’t want to start any more than I wanted to go outside. Last night, during the news reports about our current “polar vortex”, a commercial kept airing […]
From Spiritual Mountaintop to Spiritual Wilderness
Dramatic. Powerful. Intense. All are words that I would use to describe the weeks following my conversion to Christianity. Surrendering my life to Christ was without question a calculated decision; I was not crying out to God in a moment of crisis. Still, I was a broken person and the Holy Spirit moved dramatically to […]
Is Change Really Possible?
Change, my friends is inevitable. Nothing is static in this transient world. Nothing! This is especially true in a world of rapidly evolving technology. Today’s new thing will probably be obsolete by the end of the week! But when we ask if change is possible, we aren’t referring to change in the general sense—our real […]
Have You Seen God?
I’ve seen sunshine, rain, and snow, but in all my years I have never seen the wind. While I was hiking through the woods recently, a huge gust of wind picked up bunches of dry leaves along the trail and threw them swirling into the air. I’ve felt the wind and I’ve seen its influence; […]
No Power, No Game – A Key Lesson from the Super Bowl!
It was an odd moment in the third quarter of Super Bowl XLVII as the Mercedes-Benz Superdome suddenly went half black. The players and coaches stood befuddled, the broadcasters went ominously quiet, and the television cameras simply panned the half-darkened ceiling of the massive dome. Nobody really knew what was going on but one thing […]