“The Lonely Path to the Summit”

Paul summarizes all that he is facing in two phrases—he is “carrying in the body the death of Jesus,” but not without purpose, for it is “so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” Following a suffering and rejected Savior in a fallen world will involve suffering—both because the world is fallen and because the world rejects its King. But when we suffer and choose to trust Christ through the trials we face, we are filled with His power and presence, reflecting His image to those around us.

To Inhabit Love (You Have to Know Who God Is)

I have more for you. More than what you can see and hear and touch. There will be a day when you look into my eyes. Your mind will stretch, your heart overwhelmed, your soul expanding. For it knows—it knows by whom it was made. Thinking of Me, of My love for you now, is the fuel you need to get through any day. It is simple, really. My love for you equips you to soar. My love for you is the only true taste of freedom. And you are made to inhabit it.

I give you good gifts. I give you desire to love. I give you desire for joy. I give you desire for curiosity, for learning, for […]

This is ~ Chapter 8 ~ from Our Glory Stories.

MY ANGEL STORY  By Roger

“Destruction may seem imminent but My power to save is omnipresent.” Father

The state of Alabama has two major rivers that run from north to south. The one on the west side of the state is the Tombigbee River, and the one on the east side is the Alabama River. These two large rivers merge just a few miles north of Mobile, Alabama, to form one huge river that flows into Mobile Bay and then the Gulf of Mexico. The oil field where I worked as a pumper is located about 60 miles upstream from the Gulf in the “v” that is formed by these two rivers converging together. Work crews were […]

God is taking us a way we have not been before to a place we have never been, to do things we have not done before, in a new and greater way.

From the passing church age of worldwide growth and development, we have matured into a new era.

God has not changed. However, mankind has changed and is changing to become more aligned with where God has always been. As we the people of God change, our relationship and interactions with God are changing.

There are two major aspects that are helpful to us in understanding God’s work of change on earth. One is the personal individual change of our own life, and the other is […]

It’s safe to say that the questions I’m most frequently asked as a pastor involve the issue of God’s will. People often ask, “How do I know what the Lord wants me to do with my life?” Or, “When I have two options, how can I know which way the Father wants me to go?” I’ve also found that never are believers more concerned about God’s will than during times of waiting—when we desperately want to know what He’s up to and whether He’ll answer our prayers.

King David was able to endure through all his adversity because he understood that it was the Lord’s plan for him to be king of Israel (1 Sam.16:1-13). And Abraham was able to be patient because the Father had promised he’d have many descendants […]

Religion has built in deterrents, then because of the deterrents our avoidance alarm goes off!  Because religion is typically focused on behavior we seldom get to the relationship part.  We talk about it but usually the emphasis is think right, do right and be right or you can’t earn the relationship part.  The other motivational tactic in religion is stressing the fear of God!  For too many this promotes the angry, critical, judgmental God that you have to look out for!  Then we are told that we must love this God, but human nature tells us strongly to run from this God!  Is it any wonder why the world around the religious wants to avoid getting involved?  Something else I’d like to mention is performance; all the ‘doing’ that is […]

When this title popped into my head, I quickly remembered an experience I had a many years back.  Gerri and I were visiting with my aunt and uncle in Mississippi.  We went with them to their Wednesday night church service.  Their pastor asked the group a question that went something like this:  “How would you feel if the Lord took your thoughts and wrote them on this wall right now?”  I thought, “Wow!  I like this guy!”  I also knew that there were times that I wouldn’t like my thoughts on that wall in front of others.  In those days, I didn’t yet realize how important it can be to critically consider what I think and why I think it!  Have you ever stopped to consider the same?  You may […]

THE WISE
When truth presents itself, the wise
person sees the light, takes it in, and
makes adjustments.
 When you give them feedback, they
listen, take it in, and adjust their behavior
accordingly.
 When you give them feedback, they
embrace it positively. They say things
like, “Thank you for telling me that. It
helps me to know the way I come across.”
Or, “Thanks for caring enough to bring
this to my attention.”
 They own their performance, problems
and issues and take responsibility for
them without excuses or blame.
 Your relationship is strengthened as a
result of giving them feedback. They
thank you for it, and see you as someone
who cares enough about them to have a
hard conversation.
 They empathize and express concern
about the results of their behavior on
others. If you tell them that something
they are doing hurts you, you get a
response that shows […]

Recently one morning, I was seeing a picture of someone sitting at a table. The person was sorting out seeds into three different piles. When I asked the Lord what it was that I was seeing, He said, “I am sorting people out right now. These seeds are people and relationships in the life of the Believer.”

Covenant, Contractual and Convict

He said that the three different piles of seeds are the three different types of people in our lives right now which are: covenant, contractual and convict. (When I asked what convict meant He said that those were people that were close only to steal.)

1. The covenant seeds are those people who you can trust your heart to and go into battle with. These people are good seeds; they can be trusted. They not only yield […]