Terra Take A Bow

You try not to stare
She was nervous. So were we. It’s awkward to meet someone who sells their body all night, every night. But she’s why we’re in Cambodia.

Her name is Terra. She’s 24 and has an 8-month-old daughter named Terry. We’re talking to her at one of the Saving Moses Centers in Phnom Penh. We are trying to find out more about her, but little Terry is stealing the show.

“She’s almost walking!” I shouted. Mom seemed to smile, but it was kind of different. Her eyes had a mom’s loving glimmer, but were weary looking from being up all night. She had been with five men using her body as nothing more than a business service.

We wanted to encourage her, but it was difficult. Not speaking Khmer was part of the problem, but it was way more tricky than that. Turns out that little Terry was fathered by one of Terra’s many customers, and it’s not certain which one.

I felt helpless. I’m holding little Terry and thinking, “Who’s going to celebrate special occasions with her?” First steps were a big deal with my kids, as they are with most. But Terra’s thinking about survival. Full stop.

“Boot the grime of this world in the crotch dear”

We let Terra and Terry go get some sleep. Later, as I was riding back in the tuk-tuk, a song came into my head. It wasn’t a worship song, but I bet David would’ve loved it. I started singing in my best Morrissey voice,

Is it wrong to want to live on your own?
No, it’s not wrong, but I must know,
How can someone so young,
Sing words so sad?
Sheila take a, Sheila take a bow,
Boot the grime of this world in the crotch dear,
And don’t go home tonight,
Come out and find the one that you love and who loves you,
The one that you love and who loves you.

I could feel the Holy Spirit rising in me, and I began to pray for Terra and Terry. “Jesus become real to them. That You would be involved in every detail of their lives.  That they would feel Your love, and sense Your pleasure in them.  That every good and perfect plan You have for them would be fulfilled.”

I got a picture no camera could take

As I prayed, my vision was blurred with tears that filled my eyes. But I saw something I will never forget. It was Terra holding little Terry while kicking a dark hooded figure in the crouch. Angels were surrounding them. They were laughing too. Then a tall, strong, handsome man, with eyes like fire, appeared next to them.  He knelt down with arms outstretched. Terra put little Terry down, Terry started wobbling towards him. “Look!” he said (felt like thunder). “She’s almost walking!” The angels shouted, and Terra took a bow.

That’s Not How Bob Does It

Being a merciful person is right, but not always easy

One summer afternoon in the middle of a Phoenix traffic jam, I noticed a elderly woman with a flat tire on the side of the freeway.  After fighting the, “She must have Triple A roadside service,” or, “Surely her husband, son, grandson is coming to help her,” type of thoughts, I saw her open her trunk and begin to make efforts to pull stuff out.  My next thought was, “Even if I wanted to help her,  I’m stuck in the middle lane.”  No sooner than having thought that, both lanes to my right opened up.  “Alright!  I can take a hint,” I shouted at the roof of my car as I pulled over to the side of the road.

“May I help you?” I asked

“That would be so sweet,” the little lady responded.

I began to dig the spare tire out, but she had no jack, and no lug wrench.  Fortunately, mine worked.  As I begin to place the jack under her car, she said, “No. That’s not where that goes.”

I paused for a minute.  She continued,

“That’s not how Bob does it!”

“How does Bob do it? I patiently asked.  “I don’t know, but I know it’s not like that!” she snapped.  Did I mention it was 110 degrees?  

The next 2 seconds seemed like an eternity

I was fighting the urge to put my wrench and jack back in my trunk, and wish this dear woman adieu.  But something deep down inside me rose up that actually gave me pity for this woman and her situation.  I proceeded to change her tire, with her blow-by-blow directions coming over my shoulder the whole time.  

“Yes ma’am. No ma’am. Yes ma’am,” is all I said.

As I finished getting her flat tire in her trunk, I saw how dirty my arms and hands were, I also saw her digging in her pocketbook, then extending to me some cash.  “No, that’s okay ma’am, I don’t need any money.”  I shut the trunk, begin to say goodbye, when she said, “Thank you. Thank you so much young man.”  I told her it was no problem, and that I did it unto the Lord.  Then she said something that still amazes me,

“Things have been tough since Bob died.”

As it turns out, Bob was her husband of 48 years and had just passed away a few months ago. For another few moments she told me how he had always taken care of the car, and she never had to worry about anything mechanically.  Through the din of the traffic I listened.  Then I reached out my hand and asked if I could pray with her. She nodded and thanked me.

As I got in my car, I didn’t yell at the roof this time, but put my head down and said, “Forgive me God.  Thank you for using me. And thank you for the covenant of marriage we have with you!”

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I Will Pass Over

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Something strange was happening in the slave’s back yards 

It was about 6pm. Two million Israeli families had fired up their BBQs and were all cooking lamb. The smell and the smoke filled the air over the Egyptian city.

An Egyptian soldier yelled over the fence, “What are you guys doing?” There was no answer. “No wonder you guys are slaves!” Another soldier laughed and yelled, “Trying to make a ‘smoke plague’?” The soldiers just looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. They couldn’t figure it out, but God had it figured it out.

There had already been 9 plagues that had come upon the Egyptians as Pharaoh persisted in his stubbornness to release the Children of Israel from their bondage in Egypt. Instead of just rolling right along into the next plague, God instructed Moses, “We’re going to set something in place right now that will be a memorial forever of how I do things.”

A new calendar was created, and from that point on every family was to select a lamb. Not just any lamb, but a special one without spots or blemishes. It had to be a “perfect lamb,” and it had to be only one year old.  Hebrew tradition tells us that they would take these lambs for three days and examine them very thoroughly all the way down to the eyelids. This ensured that there were no blemishes.

Something you wouldn’t want to kill

Imagine, the kids have been cuddling with this lamb and playing with it for three days, and now it had to be killed. Then a hyssop plant would be dipped in its blood and put it on their doorpost

God said told them the reason, “I’m going to come that evening, and if I don’t see the blood I will kill the firstborn in that household. But, if I see the blood, then I will pass over.”

The practice of Passover went on year after year for hundreds of years. Between the book of Malachi until the time of Jesus, millions of Jews would come into Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. 

One day John the Baptist was baptizing people. Someone caught his attention. He stopped and pointed, “Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.”  And for the next three years, Jesus was exposed to the world, just like the lamb was exposed to the family for three days. 

Something strange happened one Passover 

Jesus and the disciples had celebrated the Passover before together, but something was very strange about this one. Jesus was leading the Seder; he lifted the matzo bread and blessed it,

“Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min ha-aretz”
(Blessed are you oh Lord God, King of the Universe, Who brings forth bread from the Earth)

As he broke the bread and served it, Jesus said something that wasn’t part of the Seder Haggadah (script),

This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.
(Mark 14:19) 

The disciples looked around at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Then Jesus took the Seder cup, blessed it, and said an even stranger thing, 

This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.
(Luke 22:20) 

They couldn’t figure it out, but God had it figured it out

Jesus goes that night to Gethsemane. He mentions the cup three times. He’s arrested after betrayal. He’s tortured and beaten all night long. What’s going on?  They’re down to checking the “eyelids” now. “Let’s see if we treat Him wrongfully if He’ll sin. Let’s see if there are any flaws or blemishes in Him.”

But nothing wrong can be found. Jesus said, “the wicked one has nothing in Me” (John 14:30). Pilate then says, “I find not fault in Him”. Later, Judas says, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”  Why are these things said?  This was to certify that this Lamb was without spot or blemish, and underserving of death.

Jesus was then crucified at the same time as the Passover Lambs were being killed for sacrifice (9AM).  At noon we’re told, “there was darkness” which was a dramatic physical manifestation of God’s judgment of all the sins of the world put on one man in one place.

Then at 3PM, Jesus lifts his head and says, “Into your hands I commend my spirit.” It was in this moment and place that fulfilled God’s covenant with His people. The blood from this Lamb is now applied to the doors of people’s hearts. God tells us why, “I’m coming again, but not as a lamb of sacrifice, but as the Judge of the living and the dead. If I don’t see the blood you will die. But, if I see the blood, then I will pass over.”

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Enemy’s Got No Back

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When David showed up

Goliath had the entire army of Israel frozen in a state of fear.  But David stood toe-to-toe, face-to-face, and eye-to-eye with the giant. David knew his covenant with God was his defense, and his words were his weapons. 

Israel was a nation that lived by and relied on their covenant with God. Those who knew their God, and the power of their covenant with Him, were mighty and did exploits in His Name. David was a prime example. 

As David assured King Saul that he was well able to slay Goliath, he credited his covenant with God as the power behind his ability…

Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? The Lord Who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine! (1 Samuel 17:26, 37)

Circumcision was the sign of the covenant. By calling Goliath uncircumcised, David was making this very pointed statement, “He may be a giant; he may be strong; but he has NO covenant with God, and that’s why I can kill him.” 

David ran at Goliath!

Quickly and bravely David slew Goliath in the Name of the Lord—because of his covenant. The covenant David stood on was made long before he ever faced the giant. God established it with a man called Abram. 

God promised to make Abram the father of many nations. He promised to give him a great deal of land as an inheritance so his descendants could live peacefully on it. God also made very specific promises to Abram’s descendants—promises of blessing and victory.

These were incredible promises, and at first it was hard for Abram to believe God actually wanted to do these things for him.

God made a blood agreement 

Abram asked, “How can I be sure these things will happen?” The Lord answered by telling him to prepare for a blood covenant. Abram complied. This was familiar language for him. In Abram’s day, the blood covenant signified an absolute and unbreakable guarantee of a man’s word.

Nothing short of a blood agreement could have convinced Abram of God’s desire to bless him. By cutting the covenant with him, God communicated His unfailing love and loyalty on a level Abram could understand and trust.

How does all this apply to you and me?

Paul tells us in Galatians that if we belong to Jesus Christ, then we also belong to Abraham and thereby become “heirs according to the promise”(3:29). We are the unborn generations promised to Abraham when God cut the covenant with him. Through the new covenant, God has promised to care for us the same way He took care of Abraham.

This new covenant is better than the old. The blessings and promises of the old covenant promised to those who keep the terms of the agreement are wonderful. But keep reading and you’ll also find the curse that will fall on those who break the agreement. That’s where our covenant differs. Although we ourselves have been guilty of breaking the terms of the covenant, we’ve been freed from the penalty of it.


Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law… (Galatians 3:13)

Every demonic and diabolical thing that could ever come against you during this lifetime was placed on Jesus when He went to the cross. He bore the penalty for your sin. He bore all of your sicknesses and carried all of your diseases.

And He totally stripped the devil of his power to harm you! And like David you can stand on that covenant and defeat anything that stands in your way—no matter how big it looks, it’s got NO back!!!

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Good News for Bad People

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Most people have some concept of what will happen when they die.  Many see themselves going to a place where some type of benevolent God will judge them based on how good a person they were. They’re hoping God has noticed the things they did right, the things they did for others, and most importantly the things that differentiated them from “bad people.”

The bad part about good

The trouble with this kind of thinking is that it’s based on each person’s opinion. If what God has said in His word were brought up, it would argued that there are lots of different viewpoints. But which one is right? They can’t all be right.  

If being “good” is the qualifier of what happens on the other side of this life, then who or what defines “good”?  Is it words, acts, gifts, attitudes, or all the above? And how much, how often, and how consistently does it have to be to be done to qualify?


Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. (Romans 4:4–5, NKJV)

The simple, yet absolute truth is that we do not, and cannot “earn” something from God.  If we could, it would not be a gift, but wages.

Headline News

I was reading about television entrepreneur Ted Turner, who was lashing out at Christianity.  “Christianity is a religion of losers,” Turner told the Dallas Morning News. Referring to Christ’s death on the cross, Turner said, “I don’t want anybody to die for me. If I’ve had a few drinks and a few girlfriends, and that’s gonna put me in hell, then so be it.”

He’s actually right…but only partly.  


For the truth about God is known to people instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. (Romans 1:19-22, NLT)

“I’ve tried to be a good person”

No one who is in hell will ever be able to say to God, “You put me here,” and no one who is in heaven will ever be able to say, “I put myself here.”  

Although Ted Turner is somewhat right about people choosing their eternal destiny, he’s completely wrong about Christianity being a religion of losers.  Whether or not Mr. Turner, or anyone else, doesn’t want someone to die for them, it’s already happened.  Jesus Christ of Nazareth died on a cross at place called Calvary.  He died so that anyone who would receive Him as Lord will not go to hell, but to heaven.

That’s good news for bad people!

On Any Given Sunday

On Any Given Sunday

It’s an incredibly beautiful Sunday morning, and I’m on my way to church.  It’s what I do every weekend. I love going. I love what we do there. I love being with the people who are there.  We have something in common.

While on my way to church I thought about all the other things people were on their way to do.  There were motorcycle clubs, bicycle clubs, and horse riding clubs headed out on group rides. There were hiking clubs, rock climbing clubs, and botanical clubs headed out to local trails. There were gun clubs gathering at shooting ranges. There were families headed to the beach, people headed to the mall, and others headed to the movies. Some people were sleeping in, some people were doing yard work, and some people were watching sports on the TV. 

Clubs, families, and individuals love Sundays. It’s a day where they can do what they want, the way they want, with or without people if they want. Enjoying this kind of freedom is especially rewarding when you’re with others who like the same thing. They have something in common.

The Less Obvious Question

Seeing people going everywhere except to church on a Sunday makes it’s easy for a church-going person like me to wonder, “What’s wrong with those people?” (vis–à–vis Dana Carvey’s church lady). But on a gorgeous Sunday morning like this, the more important question for me to ask is, “Why am I going to church?”

People go to church for different reasons. Some go out of guilt and fear, others out of tradition and habit, and then there are people like me who go because we love it. Let me elaborate.

We love Jesus. We love being around people who love Jesus.  We love singing songs about Jesus.  We love learning more about Jesus. And we love being reminded how much Jesus loves us, and how much Jesus wants to be with us.

They Got Me Into It

If you ask someone how they got interested in a particular activity or hobby, most likely they’ll tell you about somebody who was already fanatic about that area.  The passion that person had attracted them, intrigued them, and as a result got them involved. 

Here’s the key: when you really love something, you’ll want others to experience the same thing. This doesn’t mean everyone will love it like you, but someone will. And it’s that person who’s gonna skip a whole lot of other activities to do what you love.   

So instead of getting bummed about why so many people want to do other things rather than go to church, let’s continue love going. It this kind of passion that is actually more enticing than anything else.

When Defeat and Lack Ruled

Back in the 80’s

There was a movement in the church that became mockingly referred to as the “prosperity gospel.”  With such notions as equating one’s faith to the type of car a person drove (a Cadillac seen as entry level), or the brand of watch they wore (special kudos for a Rolex), criticisms of this movement were justifiable.

The prosperity movement found its roots in the “Word of Faith” movement, which also received criticism for its over-emphasis of material things. I can remember one prominent Word of Faith preacher say that if Job had had more faith he wouldn’t have suffered the things he did. But God said this about Job…

He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. (Job 1:8)

Powerful Kernels

Notwithstanding some of the errors that came out of the prosperity and faith movements, there were some powerful things contributed. 

Prior to these movements, you would rarely, if ever, hear any teaching/preaching about the authority of the Believer, nor about the idea that God wants to bless His people. Defeat and lack were seen as the badges of true holiness.  

There’s a pendulum swing between two positions: you’re either a poor ol’ wretch eking out an existence until the sweet by-and-by, or, an upwardly mobile Bible-quoting expert, naming and claiming your way to blessing in the here-and-now. Obviously these are extreme positions, but finding a middle ground can prove a little tricky.

There are strengths and lessons gained during seasons of shortages and attacks, but I believe it’s wrong to see them as the destiny for God’s people.  It brings no praise to God to live helpless in the face of demonic attack, or to give into a poverty mentality.  Whether it’s spiritual or circumstantial, Jesus has overcome everything on our behalf and has given us the necessary resources to be overcomers.

Unworthy and Entitled

Walking in authority and blessing can be difficult when the pendulum starts swinging.  We can see ourselves as totally unworthy, or see ourselves as totally entitled, but Paul centers this issue by saying, 

We are to have no confidence in the flesh. (Philippians 3:3)

This means there’s nothing in the natural we can do to merit or demerit what God has given to us. God’s not impressed with our doing without, nor is He coerced by the natural things the signal success.

You may feel that you deserve the difficulties and attack you’re under. Or, you may have a hard time believing that God would want to prosper you. But these principles are built upon our faith in what God has promised. Not because of anything we’ve done or deserve, but because He is God and we are His people.


Let us continually say, “The Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His people.” (Psalms 35:27)

Calling In Blessings

Financial and Material Supply

People who truly believe in God would never doubt His ability.  They would say with confidence that He is powerful and that nothing is impossible for Him.  But when it comes to the miracles or supernatural breakthroughs needed, especially in the area of finances, doubt quickly arises.  

Many have be been taught to be suspicious of the suggestion that God wants to provide money or anything material to people. God is put into mysterious terms, where His sovereignty trumps His promises, and where the truly mature believer settles for less.  Holiness is seen as being content and poor, or somewhere in the middle.  

But scriptures seem to contradict this idea.

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19)

And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. (2 Cor. 9:8, NLT) 

His and Ours

God made everything, and everything belongs to Him. God owns everything in this world. 

The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. (Psalm 24:1, NKJV) 

“The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,” says the LORD of hosts. (Haggai 2:8, NKJV) 

When God talks about owning the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10), He’s not just saying that He owns some animals. He’s demonstrating that He is the creator and owner of all of the wealth in the world.

When God created man, He said, “…let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26) 

Everything God has created has been given to us. God owns it all, and He gives to us out of His own abundance. We have been given everything we need pertaining to life (2 Peter 1:3). We just have to start exercising our dominion.

Calling In Blessing

Just as God has the power to bless and curse, we also have the power to bless and curse. We can speak words of life, which call in supply and abundance; or we can speak words of death which call in poverty and lack.  

You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! (John 14:13–14, NLT) 

God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did. (Romans 4:17, NKJV) 

God has infinite resources at His disposal, and He uses them to meet our needs and to bless us. God is greater than any business, government, or economy. It doesn’t matter how much doom and gloom there is in the media, or what the experts say. God owns everything, and gives us the needed resources when we call on Him…even money.

Good Defense

“The best offense is a good defense.”

While this statement is true in many different areas, it is certainly true when it comes to the area of spiritual warfare.  When we ask the Lord to place His shield around us there will be an advance of God’s kingdom in our lives against the forces of darkness. In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us: 


Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)

The word “wiles” has to do with specific deceptive schemes and plans that Satan has directed toward each of us.  In other words, Satan tailors his attacks to fit each person.  The hierarchy within Satan’s organization is also mentioned in this passage and reveals that we are fighting a countless host of demons and fallen angels who are now in league with him.

Since we are in a very real and deadly war, God has supplied us with armor. The only unprotected area is our back. This means that we cannot not turn and run, but we must stand in faith against these “wiles” of the enemy. 

Faith must be mixed with God’s Word 

All the pieces of the armor of God have one thing in common—the Word of God. But these pieces of armor also must be coupled with faith…


…the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. (Hebrews 4:2)

Without faith in God’s Word, the power of God is totally neutralized in our lives. He can do no mighty works for us. We can go to church every Sunday. We can even read our Bible every day. But if the Word we read and hear isn’t mixed with faith, nothing will come of it. 

That was proven in Jesus’ ministry. He went to Nazareth and preached to the people but “He could there do no mighty work…because of their unbelief” (Mark 6:5-6). Think about that. Those people had the Healer right there with them, but they couldn’t be healed. They had the Deliverer right there, but they couldn’t be delivered.

Exercise your rights

The devil is an outlaw, and even though Jesus has taken away his authority in the earth, and even though he has no legal right to kill or steal from the children of God, he’ll do it anyway. You can let him get away with it, or you can tell him to get lost.


Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

You can enforce Satan’s defeat by speaking the Word of God in faith, by acting on what God’s Word says. Demanding that the Enemy leaves you in the name of Jesus. Then refuse to back off that demand. Resist the devil with all you’ve got! He might fight you for a while, but sooner or later, he will have to flee from you! It’s God’s Word!

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The Best Comfort

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Misery enjoys company

When we go through tough times, there’s something comforting about knowing that another person is also going through similar stuff.  This can be healthy in that it reminds us we’re not alone. And if a person has gotten through similar difficulties and uses their experience to encourage and provide wisdom, this can be helpful. 

However, while finding solace in another person’s pain may feel good, it can be a subtle form of vengeance.  And more importantly, it brings no solution to what we are facing. 

The “fellow-strugglers” myth

It feels awesome to have some one come to us when we are struggling, hurting, under attack, etc. and say, “You poor thing, bless your heart. I know exactly what you’re going through, I’m facing the same thing.” But that solves nothing.

Many sectors of the Church have been infected with a view that problems and difficulties are things that God allows in our lives to teach us, or make us more holy.  God is viewed as distant and mysterious. When it comes down to individual, specific circumstances, very religious sounding deceptive language is used. 

“God is sovereign. His ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are different than our thoughts, therefore you can’t be entirely sure what He’s going to do.”

God’s not a liar, is He?  

If God has said in His word that He would heal us (Ps. 103:3; 1 Pet. 2:24); or that He would deliver us from the Enemy (Col. 1:13); or that He would give us whatever we ask (Mk. 11:24), but then doesn’t do what He said, that makes Him a liar.  However the Bible tells us that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). In fact the Bible tells us it is actually impossible for God to lie (Heb. 6:18). 

This is part of understanding the absolute nature of God’s character. But many people don’t want to reconcile these things. 

Listen to Joshua and Caleb

The best kind of comfort in difficult times comes from people who know how to stand of God’s promises.  People like Joshua and Caleb who have faith in God, and know that nothing is impossible for Him.

Get around people who know that God is ready to perform His word (Jer. 1:12); and that His word is unchangeable and settled forever (Ps. 119:89); and that every promise God has ever made is YES and AMEN in Christ! (2 Cor. 1:20)

This may not feel as good as commiserating with a fellow-struggler, but it will bring about a breakthrough that’s guaranteed by God.