Posts with the category “daily-devotions”

My daughter and I were climbing a mountain the other day and nearly caught up with an older climber who had started long before us. In fact, I wondered if he was going to make the summit because he looked like he was struggling. I was shocked later that day to see him climbing an even higher peak farther into the mountains. I could see that he knows the 'secret' to climbing a mountain. What is tha...  Read More

So there I was, standing in the black spruce getting eaten alive by mosquitoes- stuck. My 4-wheeler was high centered in what amounted to a narrow, deep trench. Somehow I needed to tilt it up on its side so it would no longer be resting on the skid plate, and then throttle the 2 left wheels forward. I knocked down and limbed a spruce tree that I could use as a pry bar. By jamming the 6 inch end of...  Read More

Getting stuck in Alaska's wilderness on an a small 4-wheeler presents unique challenges. I'm certain that I've faced this more than 100 times, and many of them while hunting by myself. On this particular day I was 'high centered.' Not only could I not physically lift the front or the back of the machine, but even if I could, I had nowhere to move it. Each wheel rut was up against a solid earth wal...  Read More

I had snowmachined into the high country with some friends, and we were stopped just below treeline. I had hunted dall sheep in this country and knew how tough the peak and ridge above me were- both to get to and to walk. Imagine my shock when I looked high above me, and, standing on a windswept rock outcropping, were four moose... in the middle of winter... on a jagged mountain... far above treel...  Read More

One feature of Alaskan life is midnight airport runs. The 'red-eye' flights are popular because they're cheaper. In mid-summer our outside guests are always amazed that it's still light out. Light brings a degree of comfort and security along with the amazement of being able to see snow-capped mountains at midnight! Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." Light overcomes dark, we all understand...  Read More

How wide is your social circle? When is the last time you did something fun with someone new? Only NEW friends ever become 'old' friends. INVITING and INCLUDING others is hard work at times. I understand. We are busy people and only have so much extra time. For many years, I have viewed friendships from the standpoint of eternity. In other words, I may not get to spend nearly as much time with you...  Read More

Back when I was a school teacher, I was always looking for a way to support my family over the summer. I already had my private pilot's license, so I decided that I would get my commercial license and try to get a job flying for a fishing lodge during those long summer days. I was flying out of Merrill Field in Anchorage and was perhaps halfway through my training when Laura and I were offered a t...  Read More

When I went to buy a battery for my 1981 GMC 1 ton pickup, as he entered the truck details in his system, the parts man asked. "What color is it?" I laughed out loud. You see, my truck has panels from five different trucks. From back-to-front it's brown, yellow, blue, black, and red. I've met many who claim to be Christians who remind me of that truck. The 'color' of their faith seems to change de...  Read More

When Jesus sent out his disciples to proclaim the good news- "God himself has paid the penalty for our sins and Invites us to become his children"- this became the centerpiece, the driving force, the all-consuming passion of those men and women. Why? Because Jesus, the miracle worker, the man crucified by the Romans because of the demands of Jewish leaders, walked out of the grave alive! Jesus PRO...  Read More

What activities fill your day? Life itself takes a lot of work, doesn't it? Cooking, cleaning, laundry, yard work, chasing after kid activities, our own hobbies... all of that before we even talk about earning a living. If we don't INTENTIONALLY keep our relationship with Jesus Christ (and our mission) at the center of our lives, we will unintentionally LEAVE GOD OUT. My prayer life has not been w...  Read More

And so it begins. Our longest day of the year was gloriously sunny, but now we start marching the other way. For the next six months each day will be shorter than the one before it. We have four months- maybe a few weeks more- before the snow comes to stay. Between now and then, life for 'outdoorsy' Alaskans becomes almost a little frantic. Hiking, climbing, camping, fishing, dipnetting, berry pic...  Read More

Small irritants can cause big problems. When ignored or not dealt with properly, they can negatively impact how we think and speak and act in other, more important situations. I was by myself and knocked a bull moose down in heavy brush. I was in a 'walk in only' area. The 'no-see-ums' were so thick and biting my exposed skin so relentlessly that I could hardly stand it. I started cutting very rap...  Read More

When Solomon was made king, God told him that he would grant him whatever he wished. Did he ask for wealth? Did he ask for long life? Did he ask for victory over his enemies? No, none of those. He asked for wisdom so that he could rule the nation of Israel with justice. God was so pleased that he gave him greater wisdom than any person who ever lived on earth (and whoever will live on earth). But ...  Read More

I hauled a large extension ladder deep into the woods. Don't ask me how- that's a story in and of itself. I also carried in a large 2-seater ladder stand piece by piece. I climbed about 20 feet up the ladder with a drill and 2 eye-bolts. It was a little precarious, but I drilled a hole in each side of the tree and screwed in the eye-bolts.Then I threaded a rope through each 'eye' and pulled it dow...  Read More

We see a great battle between good and evil being played out in America today. A single political party is orchestrating and paying for riots across America. It's the party of slavery, the party of the Ku Klux Klan, the party of segregation, the party of the welfare state, the party of illegal immigrants casting votes, the party of many billions of dollars of secret government corruption, the part...  Read More

There is a remnant in Israel. God's 'chosen' people are to be respected, loved, and honored. Salvation of mankind came first TO and then THROUGH the Jews. Our Savior, Jesus, was a Jew. This is why Satan has always hated Israel. They are a constant reminder to him of God's mercy and grace and of Christ's victory over sin and death. Consider the striking difference between Israel and her enemies. If...  Read More

On this Father's Day I want to give thanks for my own father. My grandmother (his mom) told me that my dad took his first job at 10 years old, earning $2.50 a week. She told me that he gave her two dollars of that money to help pay the bills. My dad gave his three sons a picture of a strong, masculine man. He was a hard worker, an excellent employee, and demanded that we also work- even as very yo...  Read More

Another glorious morning. We can pretend that the weather doesn't matter, but it does. We know that sunshine is a gift because in a perfect world, at creation and all the way to the days of Noah, the sun was shining every day. But it wasn't Arizona desert sun. God watered the earth every day with morning dew and with springs bubbling up out of the ground. And what do we receive from the sun? Heat ...  Read More

A weary body is one thing. A weary soul is quite another. A body that is weary from the hard toil of serving others- of working to provide- of physical exercise and training- soaks up rest like a dry sponge soaks up water. But physical rest becomes very difficult when a person has a restless soul. Every soul that is not anchored in Christ is in danger of drifting into troubled waters. People seek ...  Read More

Spontaneity is a great thing. Many of life's great moments are unplanned. In the same way, many great opportunities are missed by those who refuse to set aside their schedule and plans. The problem comes in when so many people, especially men, say, "I like to live spontaneously" as an excuse for a lack of commitment or irresponsible living. God tells us that a wise builder makes a plan and conside...  Read More

Marriage is simple... IF...IF...if TWO people are utterly committed to Christ. No, it's not always easy, but it's simple. In other words, it isn't complicated. When both husband and wife are utterly committed to Christ, then he is also committed to being a provider, a protector and a tender leader of his wife and children. She is also committed to running a neat and orderly home, to supporting and...  Read More

Does God always get what God WANTS? It's not a trick question. Can anyone KEEP God from getting what he wants? Because God is all-powerful, because he is the ruler of the universe, we tend to defend him by saying, "No one can keep God from getting what he wants. Nothing can keep God from acting according to his will." But this is simply not true. Because of God's JUSTICE (God is JUST) he cannot si...  Read More

What are you hoping for? In the short-term, it might be more sunshine or a better job. It might be to lose weight or go on a vacation. Perhaps you are hoping for more money or hoping to get married. But what if you already possess that which you hope for? What if your hope for a better life, for excellent health, for a perfect relationship, for peace and joy and comfort- has already been granted? ...  Read More

"Come, Holy Spirit." Sin has a 'gravity' all its own- a power that 'draws' every single person on earth. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can set us free from the gravity of sin. But in order to be set free, we must be FILLED with the Holy Spirit. How does that happen? GREAT DESIRE is the starting point. You must seek him, hungering for his filling through prayer. But this 'hunger' and 'asking' s...  Read More

Today is the very FIRST day of the rest of your life. For me, that's an exciting thought. I may be having three or four 'mini' adventures today. It might be something as simple as stopping at a new place for a cup of coffee or perhaps spending a few minutes checking out a new (to me) park or trail. And because I have a Kingdom focus- because the Lord has put HIS heart IN me- I will be looking for ...  Read More

"Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray." -Luke 5:16One of the things that we often hear from men is that they feel closer to God when they are 'out in the woods' or 'out on the water.' In general terms, boys are more easily distracted than girls and have a harder time focusing for extended periods of time. But when we are out in creation, even as our eyes and ears and minds are engaging wi...  Read More

Years ago, Laura and the kids were at a stop light in Anchorage when a truck going 35 miles an hour plowed into the back end of them. Thankfully they didn't have permanent injuries, but the insurance Company said that our car was a total loss. Let me tell you something- just because they said it doesn't mean it's true.I bought the car back from the insurance company, and with a sledge hammer and a...  Read More

"They moved." In Alaska this is a very common phrase when speaking of friends. Our state is highly transient. As a pastor, a little piece of my heart goes along every time someone moves. As a Christian, wouldn't it be much more accurate for us to say of those who have died, "They moved"?After all, in the same way, that Anchorage is a place and Fairbanks is a place and New York is a place and Tokyo...  Read More

Physical strength has SOME value. Every boy and man daydreams about being stronger. But if we were able to listen in on funeral conversations, isn't it true that the vast majority of those considered to be a STRONG man or woman would never have won physical strength contests? Why, then, when their lives on earth are over, do people say they were so strong?For some, it was strength to endure- to ca...  Read More

When a little toddler starts to giggle, it spreads through the whole room. Laughter is a gift from God. Teach yourself to smile and to laugh easily- to laugh at yourself- to laugh at unexpected and inconvenient circumstances. Laugh often and laugh well. There is an idea out there that being serious and diligent means you shouldn't laugh or be light-hearted. WRONG! Yes, there are times when laughte...  Read More

I had an interesting experience when buying a battery for my 1981 GMC 1 ton crew cab pickup. The cashier asked me, "What color is it?" On the passenger side the rear quarter panel is brown, the back door is yellow, the front door is blue, the front quarter panel is black, and the hood is red. Tell me, if five different people were passionately arguing over what color their new trucks should be, wo...  Read More

Our mission team from south Georgia arrived last night. They stood by the luggage carousel until everyone was gone but them- no baggage. The service counter informed them that all of their bags were put on a different plane that would be landing in Anchorage shortly. It simply made a very long day a little longer. By the time we got them to the church it was nearly 4 AM Georgia time.Sometimes our ...  Read More

Revelation 4:8 tells us that heavenly creatures surrounding God's throne never stop singing, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!" God always WAS. Jesus prayed in John 17:5, "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."But he is not simply a God of the past, He is a God of the present- God always ...  Read More

Life marches on. I know several who, shy of a miracle, will be meeting Jesus soon. I know countless others who will die and go to hell soon- unless... unless... unless like the thief on the cross next to Jesus, they repent and turn to Christ in faith. But how will that happen if you and I are not DOING what God has commanded us to do?Romans 10:12-15 says, "For there is no difference between Jew an...  Read More

In John 17:11 Jesus prayed for his followers, "I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world and I am coming to you Holy Father. Protect them by the power of YOUR name- THE NAME YOU GAVE ME- so that they may be one as we are one." The name Jesus (in Greek pronounced Ee-Ay-Soos) literally means "The Lord Saves," or, "God Is Salvation." This is the name the angel told Mary an...  Read More

One of Satan's most effective weapons against believers is a spirit of depression. A wise psychiatrist (who spent decades as a leader in his field) said that when he dealt with people struggling with depression he told them to go into the poorest part of town, find someone who has a need, and then DO SOMETHING to meet that need. But instead of heeding that advice many Christians state, "I suffer f...  Read More

Memorial Day. A day to remember those who have fallen defending freedom around the world. While the continent of Africa (read Mungo Park's journals- he didn't encounter a single tribe in years of travel that was not capturing, enslaving and selling others) along with nearly all of the rest of the world continued to practice the evil of slavery, the United States became the first nation in history ...  Read More

Who's the ONE? YOUR one? Ask God what ONE unsaved person you should be praying for right now. The Holy Spirit will immediately lay a name on your heart, he'll do it right now. Write this person's name down and tuck it in your Bible. Now commit yourself to intentional, focused prayer for this person. Pray that God will give YOU an opportunity to speak to him or her and that YOU will have an opportu...  Read More

Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."John 1:1-4,14 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made. Without him nothing was made that has been made. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who c...  Read More

One of the most powerful examples of right behavior in the face of our enemies was given by David before he became king. King Saul was trying to kill him- literally hunting him down with thousands of highly trained soldiers. David was not only a loyal and faithful soldier- he was married to Saul's daughter and was best friends with Saul's son. Though he had done nothing wrong, day after day, week ...  Read More