“And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.” Hosea 2:15a ESV The valley of Achor represents shame, disobedience, failure, mistakes, greed, defeat, regret, punishment, death. (Joshua 7). It is translated the valley of trouble. It is the epitome of our past pain, hurts, discomforts, regrets. But only God can take a place of destruction and plant a vineyard in its...
Bathsheba – The Real Story
David and Bathsheba – ⚠️ This May Challenge You! I love to teach this story and set the record straight about Bathsheba. This whole hot mess of a relationship was instigated by King David’s lusts. If you read the story, ignoring what you have heard about Bathsheba, you will see: 1. David was in the wrong place at the wrong time. David was on the roof, she was not....
Bible or Hallmark Movie?
Genesis 19 is just a bizarre chapter. I read most of the chapter with an expression of disgust, thinking, “If this were a TV show, I would have turned it off.” It’s weird when you think you need to watch a Hallmark Movie to cleanse your pallet from a Bible reading. How does an entire town unite and decide to sexually assault strangers visiting your town? Was there a town...
Restoration after the Storm
Yesterday, my daughter was scheduled to land in the midst of a storm. As I drove to pick her up, the rains came down torrentially. The sky was dark with only the lightening lighting the sky every few seconds. This storm was scary. Intimidating. Intense. By the time the storm had passed, Lyndsay texted. They had been diverted to Greensboro and I would have to pick her up later. When...
Not a Dream But a Legacy
David had been King about forty years. He made some mistakes along the way, but by all accounts He was a good king. But his own son, Absalom, led a rebellion against him. Now David found himself exiled, abandoned by friends, and once again surrounded by about 600 people. He abdicated the Kingdom he had built disgraced, head covered, feet bare. As he left, he is met by a descendant...
Restoration
Have you ever gone through a season where you felt like Job? It seemed for every step forward you took, you were knocked back two steps? James and I went through a very difficult time in the late nineties. It culminated with a summer of me loosing my job, and my mom, my childhood pastor and a favorite student all passing away. I was at my lowest point. But in...
Heal & Restore
Yesterday during worship. I heard the Lord say, “My Presence is here to heal and restore.” Healing and restoration are characteristic of God. He loves to heal and restore. In the Old Testament, Israel was forever getting in trouble, wandering away from God by worshipping other gods. When things got bad because of their actions, they would cry out to God. In His mercy, He would heal and restore their...
Backstory
The movie Wonder, starring Julia Roberts is a fun, uplifting movie about a boy with a facial disfigurement. One of the minor characters, Miranda, was a former friend turned foe. As the story unfolds and just as you are beginning to really dislike her character, the director brilliantly introduced Miranda’s backstory. How did this once trusted friend suddenly become an enemy? Knowing Miranda’s backstory changed everything. No longer do you...
Restoration
The Lord will restore everything the enemy has stolen from you. He will restore your peace, your finances, sleepless nights, marriages, health, children, hope. Believe it! Declare it! The Bible says that when a thief is caught, he must repay seven times what was stolen. What has the enemy stolen from you? Command him to give it back to you sevenfold. This is a season of restoration. “Yet if he...
The Challenge – Week 10 Day 5
Life is full of challenges. Financial devastation. Broken marriages and relationships. Wayward children. Job loss. Severe weather. Sickness. Divorce. Hopelessness. All come to kill, steal, and destroy. But Jesus promised He came to give us abundant life. Are there areas in your life where you are wondering, “Where is my abundance?” God wants to remind you today that He restores – He makes better than before. He restores relationships, finances,...