Outposts

We have all been invited to meet the Beautiful Friend, in the words of Jesus, to “repent, believe, follow” from Mark 1:14-16.  i don’t know about you, but i think most people can’t resist, in the long run, a divine ...   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/beautiful-words/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

After four years of a man pursuing the Lord for a vision of what He, the Lord, wanted to do, it finally happened, and God gave him a vision and multiple confirmations as to the new direction.  So the man …   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/i-am-uncomfortable/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Trepidation: a nervous or fearful feeling of uncertain agitation, or apprehension.  I liked this definition too, “reluctantly trembling.”  The word carries connotations of disquiet and foreboding about a potential upcoming threat.   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/trepidation-nation/     Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

It is not merely bread, and not simply a cup, and should never be minimized down to just a “thing we do.” Communion is symbolic and is the God-given means by which...   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/communion/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Can you relate to any of the faith-challenging drama in our thinking concerning the back-and-forth bounce that happens in all believers who struggle with faith and fear at the same time?   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/faith-vs-fear/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Home: a place of residence or refuge.  For believers, home may mean not only the place we live while here on earth, the physical place, as in “Home is where you hang your hat,” but Heaven, our end place with Jesus, as in “Home is where the heart is."   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/home/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

A salutation and benediction is an utterance of good wishes, the form of blessing pronounced by an officiating minister at the closing of divine services, or by friends at the arrival into fellowship, or at the parting ...   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/salutations-and-benedictions/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

In this present day and age, I have come to the conclusion that our Christian faith is under siege.  And if that is true, what are we going to do about it?   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/under-siege/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

There is a noteworthy distinction between being as one, together, and merely agreeing; simply because people agree doesn’t mean they are united as one.   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/one-two-three/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

One of the things God gives to us of Himself is what I would call, modeling. God models for us how to act, when and how to have grace, what is His idea of kindness, courtesy, ...   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/modeling/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

What do we do with our time?  How do we “spend” our moments?  We all have time and moments to spend as we determine.  They are valuable and whatever we choose to spend them on is a one-time purchase, whether precious or...   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/god-has-the-answers/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

We spend a lot of time teaching nice principles and only uplifting doctrines from scripture, cycling through our “go to” Bible verses, looking for one to make us feel better about, um, something ‘er other, but we spend almost no time learning to resolve conflict, in a setting where struggle, strife, and rivalry is so at the forefront of issues which need to be dealt with. One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/conflicted/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

We think we’re “good people” because we’re being productive.  We feel good about life when we have days in which we appear to ourselves as movers and shakers … you know, really “making it happen” so to speak.  Corporate world always seems to stage everything for measuring efficiency and productivity, and then at the performance review, your value is based on your production numbers.  Teddy Roosevelt said...   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/character-or-accomplishment/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

More people than we can imagine can hear the roots of loneliness creeping through them when the world is hushed at four o’clock in the morning.  When it is just you and no one else is around, the room is …   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/when-it-is-just-you/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

All my days are before the Lord and none of them are hidden from God, the one whose eyes see everything, all potentials, and all possibilities, from beginning to end, all at once.  I have three of God’s imperatives in mind, things we absolutely must have as essentials...   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/gods-three-imperatives/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

God was compassionate towards us as fallen mankind, but His Son, Jesus, not only empathized with us, but He also SYMPATHIZED with us. He not only understood our dilemma, but He also joined us in overcoming that dilemma without capitulating to participate in the cause of our dilemma, with the cause being iniquity, transgression, and sin.   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/a-heart-of-compassion/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

The closer the relationship, the more ridiculously easy it is for us to be offended and suddenly be faced with the wonderful opportunity to become a victim.  Oooohhh, and haven’t many of ...   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/bowed-to-the-ground/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

"Why" is likely one of the most dreaded words for today.  We say, “If they’d just …,” -- “If I could only …,” -- “If everyone would …”  Shoulda’, woulda’, might’ve … and there’s that slippery little “if.”  “If” this, then that.  “If” is the foundation of imaginary things, true, but “if” is also among the bricks that build air castles.  "If" is an important and necessary word, but we often use "if" to our own demise.  Why?   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/why-why-why/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

The sky is clear, I mean not a cloud in the sky this evening, just blue and blue as far as you can see in any direction.  As to God’s brilliance about His color – blue – it’s the color of the sky, ocean, sleep, and twilight; blue …   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/words-of-praise/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Our adversary, the merchandiser, is the one whose will is fully set against God and ourselves, now and forever.  It’s important to know something of who it is that constantly grieves the nations as a whole and us as individuals...   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/trading/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

The world around us, especially law enforcement and the military, put hundreds of thousands of dollars into research for better armor every year.  Yet, there is a part of ourselves for which there is no armor except the armor which God supplies us, by way of believing...   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/what-is-your-armor-made-of/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Jesus isn’t just a “was”.  He isn’t only “here and now” and soon to fade away like a fair-weather friend.  He is the Messiah, King of the Universe, the One who eclipses the speed of light, able to be in the past, the present, and the future all at the same time.  He has no up, no down, no front nor back; not top or bottom.  He is infinitely God, able to move backward and forwards in time at will, for He is beyond time and space, He is God...   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/he-is/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Honesty is like a magnet radiating a strong magnetic force; in the heart of God’s people it is a clear bell set on a hill; like a clarion call, it draws truth-hungry people to engage.  Honesty should be one of our...   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/the-value-of-honesty-2/     Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

God has woven the need for justice into the very fabric of creation.  Like all ideals, however, justice has its greatest value when it is lived out in daily life.   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/justice/     Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

In Isaiah 59:14-15 there are four which go together:  justice, righteousness, truth, and honesty.  It is not possible to have justice without truth and honesty.  Neither is it possible to have Godly kindness without compassion.  Wherever justice is, truth and honesty are always nearby.   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/the-quick-and-the-dead/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Psalm 37:11 “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.”  Psalm 37:34 “Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land.”  Inheritance from God is a privilege, not something we …   One to read :: https://livinginhisname.org/of-privilege-and-pretense/     Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

God, YHWH, who is rich in mercy is the King of the Universe.  What an amazing heart God has toward us, and I mean not just those who believe on His name, but all people.  Because the Lord is merciful, Matthew 5:45 “… He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”   Related :: https://livinginhisname.org/mercy-beyond-the-vanishing-point/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Purity is one of God's attributes, and concerns the necessity, and power of living a consistent and repeatable life of being unmixed and undiluted with the world ... a life of our being the same in private as we are in public ... consistent and repeatable.   Related :: https://livinginhisname.org/personal-holiness/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

What or Who is the reference point and pattern in your decision-making machine, concerning how to choose and live?  What or who governs your appetites?  Whoever stands at the helm of your boat has incredible influence concerning where that boat goes, so I must ask, “Who is in your wheelhouse?”  We need a reference...   Related :: https://livinginhisname.org/reference-points-and-patterns/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Luke 14:28-30, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.‘”   Related :: https://livinginhisname.org/living-a-circumspect-life-2/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

What do all of the following words have in common? Crossroad, intersection, cloverleaf, crosswalk, crossway, exchange, grade crossing, gridiron, interchange, junction, traversal, underpass.  They are all places where paths or roads meet and a decision must be made. True, we …   Related :: https://livinginhisname.org/where-two-ways-meet/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Deuteronomy 31:8 “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."  To what or whom do you turn when you’re in the middle of a terrific storm or experiencing a terrible loss?  Someone?  No one?  Anyone?  Are there any truly safe people in your life who would comfort...   Related :: https://livinginhisname.org/god-of-all-comfort/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

  In the morning….there’s just something very important about “in the morning”.  It’s like really important stuff always seems to happen at that time.  We set off on a trip "in the morning," we pray “first thing” in the morning, we begin another day “in the morning”; our thoughts seem more fresh and crisp in the morning...   Related :: https://livinginhisname.org/song-of-the-morning/     Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Are you a typical promise-maker and promise-breaker? If you tend to break your promises, let me suggest you do more and promise less. Better to pledge...   - - -   Related :: https://livinginhisname.org/pledges-and-affirmations/     Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

The storm is raging, I mean the ocean spray across the deck is being blown so hard it stings your skin and eyes and there is nowhere to hide from the pounding, the thunder and ...   - - -   Related :: https://livinginhisname.org/options-at-the-end-of-your-rope/     Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

The Lord has many attributes, all of them holy, righteous and true. Some examples of His attributes are knowledge, mercy, dependability, wisdom, vision, and compassion, to name a few.  I’ve made a list of 94 and I’m sure that is …   - - -   Related :: https://livinginhisname.org/his-attribute-of-commitment/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

It is by the intense, persistent pursuit of Christ we come into the call and anointing to heal, prophecy, and raise the dead; not by our incessant surrounding ourselves with people who have something we want. Christ alone is our source, …   - - -   Related :: https://livinginhisname.org/a-persistent-pursuit/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Life, for me, has radically changed over the last 52 years of walking with Jesus.  In these years God has taught me so many things. i’ve learned to not be angry about everything and for a guy who was easily …   Related :: https://livinginhisname.org/call-it-what-it-is/     Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Some wounds clear up pretty quickly, but there are wounds of the heart and soul that take time, introspection, insight, and understanding to resolve.  When a friend is surprisingly brutal or you're left with a cruel betrayal, it leaves a …   Related :: https://livinginhisname.org/wounds-require-binding-and-binding-takes-time/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

What is silence? Is it good or bad? Sometimes both, sometimes neither, it depends on why. Is it a something or a nothing? Many times we expect an answer from God, our spouse, a child, or whom-so-ever we are engaging with, but there is just silence, or no reply.  In that space of no reply many of us...   Related :: https://livinginhisname.org/facets-of-reticence/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me  

These days, we are hiding from God, but it’s not a child's game, and there’s no laughing and giggling to it all anymore. Gen 3:8-10, "And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself."  There are three significant words to note: afraid, naked, and the word for hiding.   - - -  Related: https://livinginhisname.org/still-hiding/   Support: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Who Are You Anyway?  Contrary to popular belief, we all really do need a mediator.  We have a conflict within us between life and death and there needs to be a judge and peacemaker to help resolve our conflicted thinking and crisis of conscience.                    Hebrews 9:13-15, “For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason, He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”            How will God reward us in Heaven when we have led a life of constant self-condemnation?  i think that for many of us, we’ve bought into the lie that we are alone and nobody cares, making it easy to aim our own condemning finger at ourselves.  Either way, it’s still all about ourselves… the consummate victim and martyr. Being a victim is as much about domination as being a controller.   - - -    Related: https://livinginhisname.org/who-are-you-anyway/   Support: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me  

... and the Lord said the way of mammon is death.  Mammon elevates us in the moment, it spikes and then trails off in a negative direction… it starts high and then the thrill deteriorates until the next high… like drug use… we spend so much time trying to get back that initial spike of exhilaration, as a result, little by little we, pursue our devotion to stuff, and things, or for some maybe, the possibilities of fame and power, but it never quite becomes as satisfying and delicious as the first time we encountered “mammon”.   - - -   Related: https://livinginhisname.org/ugh-mammon/   Support: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

A few hard-won practical insights ... Oftentimes, if we could hear what is in the silence of those around us, quite possibly we would find good reason to exercise great grace.  Silence speaks loudly if we are willing to listen.  Maybe fear holds people silent more often than we think; maybe most people really don’t know what to say – so they say nothing. We really, really need to learn to listen beyond just the words. i think maybe we’ve been taught to speak and to speak well, but it is rare to meet someone who has been taught to listen.   - - -   Related: https://livinginhisname.org/little-wisdoms/   Support: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Faith is the eternal optimist, risk is the eternal pessimist. How do we act in faith and risk together?  What is risk to you and what parts of your life do you feel are your biggest risks?  If you know the truth, is there any risk involved? And, what is your idea of a necessary risk, responsible risk, irresponsible risk, and how does your choice of risk affect you and the people around you?   - - -   Related: https://livinginhisname.org/faith-vs-risk/   Support: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Most of what we see is just the person at the microphone, but we can rest assured, that even the speakers who seem the most competent, well-spoken, and organized have a team of people behind them, making it all happen.  As to the behind-the-scenes workers, you, yes you – are the champions behind the champions.   - - -   Related: https://livinginhisname.org/the-champions-behind-the-champions/   Support: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me  

Good works and the bottom line definition of "good". What does the Lord mean when He uses the word “works”, and is there a difference between doing good things, and maintaining good works?    - - -   Related: https://livinginhisname.org/illustrated-righteousness/   Support: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Is there any place that's actually safe?   - - -   Related: https://livinginhisname.org/meanderings/   Support: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Over time, the Lord has given me some little, hard-won wisdoms, and this evening i’d like to cover a few of what i’ve gathered...   - - -    Related :: https://livinginhisname.org/little-wisdoms/   Support :: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me

Stand UP Church, we've got to get to our feet! The word for “standing up” and “standing” was used extensively in the O.T., over 1000 times this expression is used in one capacity or another…. many times the entire nation of Israel was called to “stand before the Lord” in solemn assemblies…. The phrase “stand before Him” is an expression of dedication, allegiance, and service. Joseph stood before Pharoah, David before Saul, etc, etc and so the believer stands before the Lord in a position of obedience, respect, and readiness to serve.  When at church and the music starts, do most of us even know why we stand? Is it because someone told you to?  Is it blind habit, something we do because… well… it’s what we always do?  Maybe it’s that we see others stand and we don’t want to be the odd one out… and if no one told you to – would you stand anyway?  Why would you do that?  The wise take the time to carefully consider their motivations... Do you stand for righteous reasons?... What are your reasons for standing, or not?   - - -   Related: https://livinginhisname.org/stand-up-church/   Support: Venmo | Living In His Name Ministries PayPal.Me