Prov 29:18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast of restraint
We need a prophetic vision of the activity of God in the earth to be able to live a life that makes sense in light of what is coming in the days ahead, at the end of this age, and in the age to come.
Read MoreAs an American I’m incredibly grateful for the blessing of freedom that we experience in the United States. I’ve traveled to many, many nations, and there is no place like America. At the same time, I’m convinced that America, specifically the church in America, must turn to God with her whole heart or she will face judgment. God’s judgment begins in His own house. I’m deeply concerned that instead of humbling ourselves in repentance, many have become emboldened around political parties and political arguments. Oh that we would mourn over the transgressions of America instead of placing our hopes in human solutions, especially American politics.
Read MoreLast night was the first debate in what is shaping up to be an incredibly emotional and heated presidential election season. I’m burdened because of the vitriol I have seen in public discourse from both sides.
Read MoreThe one key transition is the realignment of the church around the person and presence of Jesus. God is putting a priority on gathering together around Jesus’ presence as the centerpiece of church expression. The church has been centered around many programs but rarely has it been centered mostly on His presence. I believe God is changing that right now.
Read MoreI am convinced God has used the tumult of 2020 in order to reset our methods and models. He is changing the understanding and expression of Christianity in this generation.
Read MoreWhile I was at UpperRoom this past weekend, Michael Miller and I had a conversation on intimacy with God and leadership influence that really sparked my heart. I want to share some of these thoughts with you especially if you are someone with a leadership role in ministry.
Read MoreThe difficulty of the challenges the nation and the church has faced in these past months has truly been unprecedented.This weekend my local spiritual family will resume “in-person” Sunday services for the first time in four months. I have tried to use this season as a time of reflection. I have tried to only speak publicly when compelled by the Lord. I have focused mostly on ministering to my family, helping tend to the needs of our local spiritual family, leading our staff, and staying faithful to the Lord in the Word and prayer. As we all begin to re-emerge in public assemblies, I want to offer a few takeaways from this season in hopes that it will give you a plumb line and rudder for the days ahead.
Read MoreIn late March after the WHO labeled Covid-19 a worldwide pandemic I began to hear the Lord speaking, “consider your ways”. I knew it was a bible verse, but I couldn’t recall the reference. I searched and found the familiar passage in Haggai 1:5, 7. I knew that it was a word for this “Covid-19” season but I didn’t know the specific application (whether for our spiritual family or me personally). I decided to sit on it and allow the Lord to clarify it to me.
Read MoreI want to emphasize again that I believe we’re in a critical hour. Our greatest need is to prioritize the presence of Jesus above everything else in order that we may obediently follow the Lord’s leadership through the myriad challenges of the days ahead. As a result, this will require us to say ‘No’ to good things in order to say ‘Yes’ to God things. The parable of the ten virgins gives us a great example.
Read MoreWhat is the most obvious need for a drunken man? He must sober up. But what is the greatest need for an alcoholic? He needs to get delivered from his addiction to alcohol. He doesn’t simply need to sober up, he needs to be fully delivered. I’m convinced that one of the greatest needs for the Western Church is that we must not only sober up, we need to be delivered from our addiction to shallow and frivolous intoxications.
Read MoreWhen we consider His leadership many questions arise. Why does God allow bad things to happen to His people? On one side of the question some imagine that the Lord never allows believers to suffer or to go through trials. On the other side some believe that God directly authors every calamity that has ever happened on the earth. The truth is somewhere in the middle. And therein is a great tension.
Read MoreWhen we consider how He leads we have to agree that nothing is happening apart from His knowledge or desires. He is moving all of history forward according to the counsel of His own will. There are certain things He directs and certain things He allows. But in all things He remains enthroned and sovereign over the affairs of humanity.
Read MoreFor the first time in over fourteen years, we closed the IHOP-Atlanta prayer room to the public (our worship teams continue 24/7 and live stream is available on YouTube). As I was driving to the house of prayer yesterday, I was deeply humbled beneath the weight of what is happening in the world, the greatness of our God, and my own overt weakness in the midst of it all.
Read MoreThe Covid-19 Coronavirus is on virtually everyone’s mind right now. My oldest son came home from college yesterday telling me it was the conversation in each of his classes. My recent Google searches for generic subjects are returning results randomly including Coronoavirus details. In the midst of this, I want to offer the current data from the World Health Organization as well as a biblical perspective on this outbreak.
Read MoreSpiritual disciplines are necessary for believers to grow in Christ. Paul told Timothy, “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” This is not legalism, but rather employing the grace of God in our lives to help us to practice biblical principles geared to strengthen us in our walk with God. There are many spiritual disciplines we need to practice: prayer, fasting, study, evangelism, simplicity, silence, confession, etc. In this blog, with inspiration from a friend of mine, I’ve put together a list of disciplines that are often overlooked but are critical to helping us grow in intimacy-based holiness.
Read MoreSo often believers look to sources outside of Scripture to find principles to live by. Some of these resources can be helpful, but almost always they’re incomplete because they don’t take into account a Biblical worldview.
Read MoreIn Psalm 145:5, David declared, “I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works.” Paul followed up David by instructing us to, “seek those things which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on the earth.”(Col 3:1-2). Whoever came up with the idea that a person could be too heavenly minded to be any earthly good must have overlooked these passages!
Read MoreI was thirty-three years old when God called me to transition from being a youth pastor to move my family to Kansas City to learn the message, model, vision, and values of the House of Prayer. I was working for an incredible church and just when things seemed to be peaking, the Lord called me away to seek Him in perpetual worship and prayer.
Read MoreThe Lord has been dealing with me about my own digital habits for some time. I have felt cautioned by the Lord from time to time to make sure that I wasn’t being controlled by my phone or iPad. At the end of last year I felt strongly impressed to do away with distractions and specifically get out of the habit of allowing my phone to control my time. Here are seven things that I’m doing right now that our helping me to overcome my phone dependency.
Read MoreI wrote the last couple of weeks about how the Lord has been speaking of our great need to overcome areas of superficiality in our lives. As I started the New Year in the prayer room, my heart and mind were literally buzzing were with the Holy Spirit’s presence. I felt the Lord’s nearness so freshly. As the Lord does, He kindly began to impress upon me several personal areas that He was inviting me to overcome superficiality in my life this year. Putting these in writing helps me to be accountable and hopefully, at the same time, it will encourage you.
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