Personal God

If you say a prayer in faith and God has to do what you ask, who is in the position of power? And have we reduced God to some kind of genie in a lamp? Rub the lamp and out pops God asking, “What do you want master?” Or maybe he is like some kind of cosmic vending machine; plop in your prayer, maybe even add some fasting, and out comes what you paid for. And which side is God on? Is he American? Continue reading

Blood and Water

There once was this society that sprung up beside a mighty river. They noticed right away how important the river was. Every spring the water rose above the banks and watered the land, preparing the soil for all manner of crops. And because it was a mighty river, there was enough water for their livestock and for themselves; their families. Continue reading

Which Power

God’s Presence is here to do battle. There is no real question of whether or not he can vanquish the enemy. So, why hasn’t he? Why hasn’t he just wiped Satan out and all that he stands for?  I mean, sometimes don’t you wish he would? Ah, but the Presence of God is not here to merely vanquish the enemy. Continue reading

The Painful Path

On Saturday morning you can watch complicated issues resolved in thirty-minute or hour long Westerns on ME TV. Hey, evil people will often come to their senses inexplicably in the last minute of the show. I would like to believe that people will come to see the truth through my acts of kindness and love. Continue reading

Credentials

What are your credentials? What do you have that tells others that you are qualified for the job? It is kind of funny what some people will accept as credentials. Can the son or daughter of Denzel Washington act? Maybe, but I can almost guarantee that they will have more of a chance to get into the industry than my children. Whether they survive in that industry may depend on their actual ability. Continue reading

I am Yahweh

I keep getting these phone calls from people telling me they are with the police department or with the fire department and that they are raising money for underprivileged children or for protective gear or for something equally significant. Continue reading

Impressive

Sometimes we’re a bit like the Wizard of Oz you and I. We put all of our energy into being impressive; donning impressive clothes; speaking impressive words; putting on an impressive display. All the while we are terrified that someone is going to notice the man behind the curtain. And if they notice that we are just people after all, will they listen to what we have to say? Can our message be impressive if we are not? Continue reading

The Present One

Let’s say you were interviewing God for a job and it went something like this: “Okay, Yahweh, what we’re looking for here is a god who can turn this country around. I mean, this place is a mess; full of corruption and immorality. Women and children are abused; the poor are cheated; the weak are ignored. Many are told and have been convinced that they do not matter. Violence erupts in every corner on every day. Continue reading