News & Reflections

Insights on Location at the 7 Churches of Revelation

Church History, News & Reflections, Overcoming /

Early this year, my wife Susan and I had the privilege of spending a month in the beautiful and historically enigmatic country of Turkey. In addition to visiting family members who live there and teaching at an international church on prayer, we journeyed to each of the original locations of the seven churches of the Book of Revelation. Our express purpose was to experience firsthand what it must have been like to be a Christian at that time in those cities, gain insights into the issues addressed in their respective letters, and share those findings in a brief five to six minute travelogue video of at each site.

The inaugural video in the series is published above. It was recorded at Ephesus, the first city and church to which John wrote the seven letters. The subsequent video for each city will follow in order, over the course of the next few weeks accompanying a blog post for each, giving some additional background information and key insights. It is my prayer that they will help deepen your understanding of these prophetically significant letters and their importance for us still today.

People are often surprised to learn that the seven churches to which the Apostle John wrote the seven letters dictated by Jesus, were all located in Western Turkey. It also is not commonly understood that the cradle of Christianity was in fact located in Turkey during the first century after the death of Jesus and the center of the Christian world continued there for more than 700 years.

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The 45 Second Thanksgiving Rule

6 Comments / News & Reflections, Relationship with God, Relationships /

“Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16 Holman Christian Standard Bible

Forty five seconds – that is how long most award shows, including the Oscars, give recipients to say “Thanks!” Conveying thanks to the people in our lives who have blessed us and contributed to our success is of paramount importance. We dare not leave anyone out, especially mom, dad, our spouse and God.

I think the 45 second rule is a good one to incorporate in our everyday lives. Giving immediate and heartfelt thanks to those who bless us with some kindness, however great or small, has a multiplied benefit. It is not only an expression of common decency to our fellow human beings, but it is also an acknowledgement of the presence in each of us of the divine. As those who believe in God, we know that “every good and perfect gift is from above” originating from our Heavenly Father (James 1:17 NIV). When others are kind to us, it is a tangible indication of God Himself showering us with His goodness. What better use of the next forty-five seconds is there than to say “thanks,” to both our human and divine benefactors?

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Check Out My Book on Prayer!

4 Comments / Answers to Prayer!, Check this out!, Church History, Featured, News & Reflections, Prayer /

My book on prayer can be purchased on Amazon or Barnes & Noble websites, plus a Kindle version is also available from Amazon. IGNITING AN IMPASSIONED PRAYER LIFE – How to Develop the Energized, Extended, and Sustainable Life of Prayer You’ve Always Wanted. Do you wish you were more motivated to pray? Is your prayer life

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A New Day!

7 Comments / News & Reflections, Prayer /

The first of this month, April 2014, I began a new chapter in my life and ministry. In God’s providence, through a series of divinely orchestrated events, I have been invited to become the executive director of the Twin Cities House of Prayer (TC-HOP).

Those of you who are regular readers of this blog have undoubtedly picked up on the fact that prayer has been the preeminent burden and focus of my heart over the past year from my many posts on that topic.

My personal prayer, breathed by the Holy Spirit has been “Lord, make me a house of prayer for all nations.” Over the course of time, as with any God inspired prayer, He has been answering. As a result there had been a growing passion within me that cries for the “kingdom of this world to become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.” (Revelation 11:15)

Starting with me, where spiritual journeys of transformation always begin, my scope of prayer has expanded in concentric waves outward to include my home, my church and the church at large. All of these constitute His “house,” His dwelling place. It is the same house to which Jesus issued His mandate that first Palm Sunday after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem when He declared “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations!”

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The Joys of Childlike Creativity

1 Comment / Holy Spirit Aha's, Life Balance, News & Reflections /

“Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

Children have a lot to teach us about kingdom ways and the joys of being a child of the Heavenly Father. I am relearning some of these valuable lessons simply by being on vacation with two of my little grandchildren. My wife Susan and I are on a Caribbean getaway sharing a condo near a beach with our oldest daughter and her family. Sophie (6) and Greta (3) like all children have boundless energy and active imaginations. What has been fascinating to me is their tireless delight in creativity and play.

It is no exaggeration to say that every waking minute is taken up with some industrious engagement either in creating something or game playing. Their creativity is channeled through many different activities including drawing, coloring, writing, singing, dancing and acting out imaginary scenarios, all of which others are invited to enjoy, critique, applaud and/or participate.

They have an amazing capacity to churn out works of art with great rapidity, ushering from a free flow of ideas that are uninhibited by over thinking and self-critical judgments. One typical day Sophie drew and colored several beach scenes, wrote a story entitled “The Three Ants” akin to the three bears tale and joined Greta in opening an art gallery and spa to which all of us were invited. We also played tag in the pool between numerous games of Uno, Skip-Bo, and Mexican Dominoes. In the evening Greta orchestrated a show in which she performed and then assigned each adult an instrument to play as she conducted.

There is something to be said for the renewing and energizing power of playful, creative pursuits in life. My joy in watching and participating in my grandchildren’s creativity reminds me of how God must feel when He sees us as His children utilizing the creative gifts He has given us. I am convinced that an integral aspect of ruling and reigning with Christ Jesus is conceiving, designing and/or generating new things for God’s glory.

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