Posts by Jeff
Time to Frustrate the Devil
Spiritual warfare is always a hot-topic among Christians. Even the sound of the phrase…spiritual warfare…it just seems to invite us to peek behind the curtain and see what’s going on there. When I first became a Christian in 1994, I never thought about Satan or his demons. Hell was something I experienced deliverance from –…
Read MoreWhen It Feels Impossible
Out of options. Discouraged. Jaded. Disgusted. Fearful. Bitter. Fatalistic. I have experienced all of these undesirable aspects of life. I wish I could boldly declare that these facets of living below only occurred before my delivering conversion. I prefer not to lie to you, however. No, I have often hit some low spots in this…
Read MoreTrained in the Valley
For those who follow Jesus wherever He wisely chooses to lead, there will be seasons in the shadowed valley. Not every measured time period in our lives will be lived out atop the mountain of victory. Part of our call to faith-filled lives of trust and obedience in Jesus require that we are piercingly tested…
Read MoreBoldness in Days of Indecision
Every now and again I choose to post a sanctified rant here on the TTM blog. Today, my selected rant is based off of what I read in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13. Take sixty seconds and read it for yourself. You will note some comments from me in parentheses. “For you yourselves know, brothers, that…
Read MorePolitics & Culture: Who Are My People?
People have asked me multiple times over the last year why I don’t speak out more on political issues. Recently, I have received a few messages from a few people who wrongly assumed I had posted something on social media as a rebuttal to something political or cultural that they posted on their own timelines.…
Read MoreEngaging in the Fight: Identity & Accusation
The battlefield of the spiritual realm is often intangible, yet it bears profound consequences on our everyday lives. In a world where unseen forces wage war for our souls, understanding and engaging in spiritual warfare is crucial for every believer. The struggle against the powers of darkness is real, but many either become overly consumed…
Read MoreProphetic Teaching from Mark 8:18
Mark 8:18 – “Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?” These words from Jesus prophetically instruct us in three ways: about the future, about the present, and about the past. FUTURE – “Having eyes, do you not see?”; are you observing what…
Read MoreMoving into 2024
MOVING INTO 2024 If you have followed Transforming Truth for a while, you know that I typically slow down right around Thanksgiving each year. I dedicate December to spending time with family, engaging in minimal ministry, and getting still and quiet before the Lord as often as possible. Typically, every January is “blast-off” month…
Read MoreRainbow Sherbet Saints
RAINBOW SHERBET SAINTS Spiritually groomed in a church culture that emphasized the practice of separation, I learned in the early days of my journey with Jesus that it was my presumed responsibility to be suspicious of those who were different than me. At various points I remember hearing well-meaning (but misguided) Christians speak about God’s expectation…
Read MorePastors, Pulpits & People in the Pews
One of the strangest, most unfortunate aspects of the modern church is often found in the expectation of what happens in the pulpit from those who sit in the pews (or, more commonly, chairs). Somewhere before I was saved in 1994, it must have begun its slow creep into local churches. I’ve been a Christian…
Read MoreFor Those In-Between
Today is part of the process. Today is neither the beginning nor the end, simply another day wherein your great God works on you a little more. Before there was a physical you, there was an intent for you, the divine idea of you in the infinite heart of God. Then He sovereignly chose when…
Read MoreWhat the Enemy Says About You
There’s a great character study on a not-so-famous fellow in the Old Testament named Gideon. If his story was rewritten today in a modern scenario, Gideon would have been a nerdy underachiever who flunked out of community college, took a minimum wage job, and spent the bulk of his time in his parents’ basement playing Xbox while occasionally…
Read MoreWhen Your Awe-Tank Hits Empty
Recently, the Holy Spirit and I hunkered down in Psalm 63 together (you may wish to pause right now and read it yourself so you will understand more of what I am about to share). Trekking through those familiar verses, a well-known stirring began to move again in my heart. This stirring within is a…
Read MoreHoly Spirit: When & Why I Changed My Views
Some of you are familiar with my testimony as it pertains to my theological shift in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s regarding the person and work of the Holy Spirit. I learned so much incredible theology from those who poured into my life after I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord in 1994. As…
Read MoreThe Salted Slug in the Church
“No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” – Luke 13:3 Jesus wrapped volcanic words like those above in a blanket of love, sensing no inner conflict when doing so. God’s Son did not give a preface or disclaimer to what He was going to say. He just stated the…
Read More3 Holy Spirit Gifts We Must Pursue
For many years I did not believe in the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit. In those days, when I read First Corinthians, chapters 12-14, I understood those references to things like prophecy, miracles, healings, and tongues as being gifts to the historical church that no longer had present day availability to Christians. Around 1999,…
Read MoreThe Trickle Before the Torrent
The longer you are an active participant in the Kingdom of God, the more your citizenship allows you to see. To be a Christian is far deeper than asking Jesus into your life, being water baptized, joining a church, behaving morally and learning theology. While all of these things are good, they also can serve…
Read MoreAbout God’s Timing
“When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” – Galatians 4:4-5 What a remarkable thought: there was a fullness of time that God had ordained into which He would…
Read MoreUn-Muting the Prophets
“…then they will know that a prophet has been among them.” – Ezekiel 33:3 Our generation is in dire need of the ministry of the prophets. These unique individuals are seen in Scripture to be those who, without fear of people, boldly spoke God’s truth in a way which addressed the times in which they…
Read MoreGetting Close To Midnight
Christians, can we admit that in our darkest moments of doubt and struggle we find ourselves still not convinced of the greatness of God? We would never be so brash as to deny that God is good – holy, wise, powerful and faithful – but we deeply struggle at times to believe if His inherent…
Read MorePregnant With Hope
On the first day of the week for nearly two millennia, the followers of Christ have found a time and place to gather with one another for the purpose of worship and oneness. Most of us would casually deem these groups of people as “religious gatherings”, inadvertently diminishing the significance of who we are, what…
Read MoreCONFLICT: The Mantle of Nehemiah
There was a very long season for me in ministry when I rarely went a week without some level of significant resistance from another human being. It was maddening and discouraging on some days, but on other days I found myself stirred for the fight. Looking back, none of it felt holy because the conflict was…
Read MoreYou Are Powerfully Blessed
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” – Romans 4:7-8 Heavenly Father, in a world that offers us no shelter from turmoil, we run to this refuge again and again and find it always waiting…
Read MoreFreed Up From Fear
There’s a funny little strand of my DNA which has been active since as far back as I can remember: I never grow tired of watching practical jokes that include some unsuspecting person getting scared to death by a friend. It probably isn’t an altogether holy component of who I am, but there is just…
Read MoreA Prayer For A Pop of Color
“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and…
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