“David inquired of God…”, “And David again inquired of God…” 1 Chronicles 14:10a, 14:14a There are four main types of sentences categorized by their function: declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory. Declarative sentences make statements. Interrogative sentences ask questions. Imperative sentences give commands or make requests. Exclamatory sentences express strong emotion or excitement. And depending on what you are attempting to achieve, you w

“The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars in front of the Lord’s Temple, the bronze water carts, and the great bronze basin called the Sea, and they carried all the bronze away to Babylon.” 2 Kings 25:13 NLT As the grand temple of the Lord in Jerusalem was planned by the mind of king David and then built at the hands of king Solomon, the Lord carefully placed two interesting focal points at its entrance. Two soaring symbolic messages to call its worshippers

“They rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers, and His warnings which He gave them. And they followed...

“And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, that they should be the Lord's people...” 2 Kings 11:17a ESV As a cowboy drove wild Texas cattle north up the Chisholm Trail to the nearest railhead, he had one last stop for rest and supplies, Fort Worth, Texas. And between 1866 and 1890, those cowboys trailed more than four million head of cattle through the now dubbed “Cowtown” that held the Fort Worth Stockyards. During its heyday, the Fort Worth St

“But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So, he turned and went away in a rage.” 2 Kings 5:11-12 We are all programmed. By our normal that is. You see, every day of th

“…and after the fire, a light silent sound.” 1 Kings 19:12b NAB If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? An ages old philosophical thought experiment to challenge the boundaries of human perception and observation. But what if I were to press into that thought experiment and move the edge of the philosophical boundary just a bit? What if nothing happened in that forest? Would someone need be present to perceive the

“Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways.” 1 Kings 13:33a NIV You can find the microcosm of all human...

“You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty (arrogant) to bring them low.” 2 Samuel 23:28 ESV We live in an odd time indeed. There was a time in our human history that if you wanted to promote yourself to the world it meant a rather extensive process. To get yourself in front of millions of people meant that you were either on a silver screen or had done something of great (or great evil) merit that would land you on national news. But today, if

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16b NKJV The pastor took his place behind the pulpit as the congregation rustled about, settling in for the upcoming sermon. As he started, the pastor opened with a simple direct question to his hearers. “If you prayed for at least 5 minutes yesterday, please raise your hand.” And it was then the discomfort started. Weak trepid hands raised around the church, some high, some low, and some obvi

“The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8 NLT The ship listed lightly to port gently arousing me from my dreams. The soft swaying felt as if the entire hand of the sea was intent on rocking me into another world of consciousness. I glanced through the stateroom’s windows at the sea beyond and was rewarded with a full moon carving a silver path to the far edge of my world. Pleased with this exc

“But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?” And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace (he was as one deaf). 1 Samuel 10:27 ESV with LSV addition We’ve all had it happen. In fact, more than likely, countless times. Hurtful and harmful words issued by another that hurt, damage, and prick at our inner soft spots. Oh, the pain that can come from another’s words. Words that are carefully aimed with the intention t

“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25 ESV I’ve always been fascinated with flight. And so, when Margie and I were living in West Texas years ago, I decided to take flying lessons. And what a joy it was. To be suspended in invisible nothingness gazing out at the endless expanse in front you, you realize that with enough fuel you could simply fly in a perfectly straight line and end up exactly w

“And the Lord said to him, surely I will be with you…” Judges 6:16 The more years I add to this life the more I realize that at the core of my being simply rests a scared young child. Each time I’m asked to speak publicly the emotions of that child surface, sharing fear, trepidation, and even at times, fright. As I take seminary exams and submit lengthy graduate level papers, that same child fears the resulting grade, a flashback to so many of the same formu

“Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them.” Joshua 23:13 ESV Something big just about always starts as something small. A Sequoia redwood seed is the size of a small sunflower seed, nestli

“This is the land that yet remains…” Joshua 13:2a Think about this…a gift is only a gift if it is claimed. Allow me to expand. Say if I were to buy you a shiny new red Corvette with a big red bow on top. But in order for you to receive that Vette, I give you a riddle to solve. But after a few tries you decide the riddle is too difficult and you give up. You have failed to claim the gift and therefore the transaction is never fulfilled. (Which I guess is OK as I w

“Then Joshua set up a second monument of twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing, and they are there to this day.” Joshua 4:9 We tend to remember our pains more than our joys. The low points of our defeats tend to bring a bitter sting that lingers much longer than the sweetness of our victories. As I personally reflect during this writing, I could jot down a page of

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29 ESV Here it comes. As soon as I tell somebody I’m a missionary and ask about their thoughts on God, the crazy questions come. Did Adam have a belly button? Who created God? Were there dinosaurs on the ark? Do all dogs really go to heaven? Who did Cain and Able marry? After

“Imprint these words of Mine on your hearts and minds, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.” Deuteronomy 11:18-20 We live in a world of inundation. Especially when it comes to advertising. Did you know it’

Then Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying: “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which the Lord has commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half-tribe” Numbers 34:13 ESV Expectations are killer. We all have them, and we all react to them. They sit just below our psyche prowling, lurking, ready to pop up at seemingly the most inopportune time. And folks, whether you are ready to admit it or not, our own expectations cause most o

“So they brought the Israelites a bad report of the land which they had scouted out, saying, the land through which we went to spy out is a land that devours its inhabitants. And all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come from the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13:32-33 AMP Every morning I have a choice that involves much prayer,