God still holds the clay of nations. The fig tree had leaves but no fruit. The temple was busy but barren. A people baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire can become a house of prayer again.

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.” — Matthew 25:14 (NKJV) I was taught early as a young Christian that giving mattered. Not the kind of giving that makes a show of itself, but the everyday kind where you just don’t clutch after money. I tried to live that way. I enjoyed what I had, but I didn’t hold it tight. I had some abilities as a carpenter and general handyman. Nothing fancy.

Today is my mom and her twin sister Connie’s birthday. I’m looking at this old picture of the two of them, both smiling, both full of life. Same blood. Same history. And as I look at it, I’m reminded of something I probably don’t stop often enough to say. A mother matters. She matters to a young man trying to figure out how to become a man. She matters to a daughter learning what it means to be strong while still being tender. God gave men a big responsibility as the head of

I've been thinking lately about what has made America strong. There are plenty of answers people could give. Our military. Our economy. Our form of government. The freedoms we have enjoyed. Those things matter. But I believe something much more basic has played an important role in the strength of this country: families, churches, and ordinary people trying to live according to Christian values. For generations, many Americans were taught that your word mattered. You worked h

There are times when I feel the weight of spiritual conflict. My natural response has often been to fight—to pray harder, put on the armor of God, stand my ground, and contend. Scripture certainly tells us that spiritual warfare is real, but lately, in solitude and silence, I have been thinking differently about what it actually means to fight. When God revealed Himself to Moses, He said: “I AM WHO I AM.” Yahweh. The God who is. The God who has always been and always will be.