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Tuesday, May 12th, 2026
Two “A’s” plague us: Anxiety and Anger.
I wrote briefly about Anxiety yesterday here. Today I’d like to say a little about Anger (but certainly not exhaustive).
Anger is a curious thing to me. It’s like a double-edged sword. There is good Anger and there is bad Anger. We have all experienced both, but perhaps recognize anger gone wrong with more insight. We’ve dished it out; we have been dished on. We have seen what it has done to others (by our hands or another’s); we have seen/felt what it has done to us. Sometimes it is mild-frustration, complaining, irritation. Sometimes it is veiled-judgmental thoughts, for example. Sometimes it is “hidden” from view-painted over with a plastic smile, busyness, or an addiction. And sometimes-WHOA LOOK OUT!-everything breaks loose. Words fly. Emotions erupt. Physical manifestations overtake us. Not a pretty sight.
Anger, to be sure, is not always bad or destructive. While I have mostly described the destructive kind, there is good anger. Anger against sin and injustice. Anger vs prejudice (I am currently reading “Night” by Elie Wiesel, his account of being in a concentration camp). Anger vs sin and false information (abortion, trans mutilation, for example).
The tricky part is navigating it and confronting it correctly. Not kidding ourselves by saying, “I’m justified in this” in order to curb or salve our guilt. Blaming others, as though our reaction is justified because it is “their fault.”
The Bible tells us “And don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.” (Eph. 4:26-27 NLT) So there is the admonition to deal with it and not let it stick around. There is justified anger over sin and unrighteousness and blatant disregard for God and others. But even that is to dealt with and not left hanging around. We must, no need, to be careful that anger does not grip our heart.
I’ll echo the Bible again: “Don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Other translations say, “Be angry, but don’t sin.” No matter how you shake it it all means the same: don’t let sin hang around in the form of anger. Slam the door. Or to paraphrase the last part of that verse from Ephesians: “Kick that ladder out from underneath the devil” or “Slam that door in his face.”
Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: Anger, Christian Living, God's Word, Humility, Leadership, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Sin
Monday, May 11th, 2026
2 “A’s” plague us: Anxiety and Anger.
Both can pull us down; neither can pull us up.
Anxiety can drive us to disquiet. To lose sight of what is good, true, and beautiful. Phil 4:8 says, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Colossians 3:1 adds, “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” (Both are from the New Living Translation)
Anxiety leads us away from the direction of those verses. We find ourselves looking inward, instead of upward. Instead of trusting God’s perfect plan, we tend to become the back seat driver who takes over the wheel thinking we can do it better. Aaah yeah.
A.W.Tozer once said,
If we understand that everything happening to us is to make us more Christlike, it will solve a great deal of anxiety in our lives.
Anxiety comes, and is magnified, when we get this crazy notion we know best. I realize anxiety comes in all sizes, shapes and colors and often comes from all sizes, shapes, and colors, but when shaken out much of anxiety is a result of “I know best.” The words of Philippians and Colossians I previously quoted really are a lifeline to ending anxiety.
{Note: Tomorrow I will take up the other “A”: Anger}
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Anxiety, Christian Living, Lifestyle, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Story
Thursday, May 7th, 2026
My post is late this morning due to preparation for a funeral I am involved in later this morning. Fortunately, the man was a Christ-follower and so the funeral is easier to do than if the person did not know Jesus. I thought I would share some of my thoughts for you to hold in your own heart, but then maybe also be able to share with others whom you may know having a hard time. Here are some of my thoughts I’m sharing:
Main thought: WHAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR US IS FAR BETTER THAN WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND.
John 14:1-6 is my go to Scripture here. For those who have placed their trust in Jesus, a place has been prepared for them.
- Heaven is going to be our new home. Jesus said He is going to prepare us a place. In Bible days, the husband would build onto his parent’s house a room that served as a place for he and his future bride to live. Rev. 21 speaks of a new heaven and a new earth. “For the Christian, death is the door to life.”
- Heaven is a house of reunion. Jesus said, “I will come and get you…” “Separation is the law of earth; reunion is the law of heaven.” Important: Never say “Goodbye.” Always say, “See you later.”
- Heaven is the house of the living. Rev. 21 tells us there is “no more sickness, death, sorrow, tears, darkness, or pain.” Sounds pretty good to me! (And certainly to anyone, especially this man, who suffered incredible pain the past few years)
- Heaven is a forever home. Death is an intruder, but for the Christ-follower, it is defeated. We will live forever in the presence of God and His Son, Jesus. Our bodies die. Waste away. We do all we can to slow the process: exercise, take vitamins and supplements. But the statistic is still 1/1.
Finally, GOD’S GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR ALL OF LIFE’S HEARTACHES.
Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled.” That word means “stirred up or shaken.” God does not fall asleep on the job and He knows what each of us are going through, (especially the widow and the rest of the family and friends).
That is just a short snippet of my words today. Maybe it is something you can use for yourself or someone you know.
GRACE AND PEACE.
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Death, God's Word, Grace, Heaven, Love, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look
Wednesday, May 6th, 2026
I have been enjoying reading a book entitled 30 Key Moments in the History of Christianity by Mark W. Graham. Last night as I was putting the finishing touches on a chapter titled “Persecution, Schism, and a Doctrine of the Church,” he quoted an early church leader named Cyprian. As Rome harassed early followers of Jesus, Cyprian said,
“For it is not persecution alone that is to be feared…Caution is more easy where danger is manifest, and the mind is prepared beforehand for the contest when the enemy exerts himself. The enemy is more to be feared and to be guarded against, when he creeps on us secretly…deceiving by the appearance of peace.” (p.59)
As I read that my mind went in another direction. Not so much the persecution angle, but how it applies to our daily lives as believers. I thought about the Scripture in I Peter 5:8-“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” Or Eph. 4:26-27 where Paul writes, “And don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.”
Just as Cyprian was concerned about the enemy creeping in and destroying the unity of the church, we should be concerned about the enemy creeping up and in to hurt or destroy our testimony, our peace, joy, and love for God and each other.
So like all good soldiers, know your enemy. Expect not just frontal attacks, but also blind-sided ones. The enemy is good at that. Be alert! Be on guard!
{Notes: 1) All Scripture is from the New Living Translation. 2) Graham’s book is an excellent one to read!}
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Alertness, Choices, Christian Living, Leadership, Ministry, Opinion, Perseverance, Preparadeness, Reflection, Scripture look, Sin, Story
Tuesday, May 5th, 2026
“Jesus is coming again and this is how it will happen.”
“No. This is how.”
On and on it goes. Speculation abounds. “Experts” know it all (or so they think). It goes without saying no one really knows the day or the hour.
But there is one thing we can or should all agree on: we need to be prepared for that day. Sadly enough, there are even people who have taken that to an extreme or a warped view. We have the doomsday prophets who convince people to join their extremist cult. We have “prophecy buffs” who have Jesus coming at every changing world event. This is not a 2000 thing. This is a “from-the-very-beginning-of-the-church” thing. Ever since Jesus left, there have been those who have gone to extremes about His return. (Who can forget the Left Behind series)?
Now…I believe Jesus will return, AND (here is something so astounding astute it will amaze you): we are closer today than yesterday. 🙂
Maintaining a proper balance between being prepared and “when” has and always will be a challenge. On the one hand, we need to keep our eyes to the sky looking for His return; on the other we must not look under every rock trying to figure out when.
We live with expectation; we don’t live with hyper fear or hyper speculation, i.e. guessing. Jesus will come when it is His time. When the Father says, “Go.” Until then…B.E. R.E.A.D.Y. Be prepared. Be expectant.
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, God's Plan, Jesus, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Second Coming
Monday, May 4th, 2026
“Keep looking ahead.”
If you have ever run track (not here) or ever watched it (yep), you will notice the best runners never look around. They look straight ahead.
Proverbs 4:20,23-27 are interesting verses. Here they are for you:
My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words…Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. (NLT)
As you probably guessed it, the verse that says, “Look straight ahead…” is the one that caught my attention this morning. So many followers of Jesus (myself included) often get sidetracked. Instead of keeping my eye on what is ahead, I start with the roaming eye and swivel head. Coaches and runners will both tell you how dangerous it is for a runner to start looking around. It is easier to stumble. It is easier to worry. It is easier to miss someone passing you over the other shoulder. It is common to lose speed. It is also common to be overtaken.
Just like in life. Keep your eyes peering straight ahead. Don’t look around. Don’t get sidetracked. The writer of Hebrews gives some good wisdom: “Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slow us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1-2a NLT) Keep looking ahead!
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Jesus, Leadership, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Perseverance, Reflection, Scripture look
Thursday, April 30th, 2026
Many of us speak out boldly and excitedly when we are discussing our favorite sports team, a hobby of ours, a person we really think highly of, someone we love, or a myriad of other topics. But there is one topic we become strangely silent on and shy away from…
…telling someone about Jesus.
That thought struck me this morning as I read Romans 10:9-10,13 and 14-15,17. “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved…For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (9-10,13). “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless some tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scripture say, ‘How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!’…So faith faith comes from hearing, that, hearing the Good News about Christ.'” (14-15,17) {Scripture from NLT}
As I follow those verses, the first three speak of coming to Christ for salvation. The latter three speak of someone making the message known. I know the common excuse: “I can’t. I’ll live a good life in front of them.” That’s good…to a point. But there are many who live good, moral lives but are not Christ-followers. So the message of salvation never gets told or is confused by “Don’t worry. Be happy. Treat others right. Be moral.” Sadly, the life-changing, life-transforming message of Christ is left out of the equation. As the latter 3 verses tell us someone has to say something! As verse 17 says, “Faith comes by hearing” but not just any words, but “hearing the Good News about Christ.”
Being a silent witness is good…to a point. Our actions do need to match our words or form the foundation of credibility when we do say the words. But it is still important that we speak when the need arises.
We all need to wear sandals. (v.15)
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, God's Plan, Jesus, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Sharing Jesus, Speaking out, Story, Truth Telling
Wednesday, April 29th, 2026
Question: when an atheist gets mad about life’s circumstances, who does he get mad at and blame?
In the area of full disclosure: there have been times I have gotten angry with God. I’m guessing you have to. Now…ask that above question again. 🙂
When Elie Wiesel survived the Holocaust, he came out with no faith. He couldn’t grasp God’s seeming disregard and indifference toward His people, the Jews. How could the God of his childhood-who loved the Jews-allow such an atrocity? That’s a fair question. After a faith struggle, Elie eventually said, “It was because I believed in God that I was angry with Him.”
Again…the question. Who do they blame? “I blame God.” But you said…
Getting angry with God is not uncommon. Jeremiah. David. Job. Moses. And more. How many time in Psalms does one read about David’s anger with God? “How long, O Lord, how long?” “Where are you God?” Job accused God of being cruel. Moses often lamented God’s patience with the people of Israel. I once heard that 1/2 the time Moses wanted to wipe out the people of Israel and God said no; the other half it was God wanting to wipe them out and Moses saying no.
I admit I’ve been angry at God. Injustice in a courtroom, for example. (I saw a different side yesterday. 🙂 ) Ironically, it was often my own fault for the trouble. God was the convenient One to blame.
But you know what? I believe God is okay with me expressing my anger. His shoulders are big enough. He’s even more thrilled when my anger brings me back to His arms…even if I blame Someone others claim does not exist. Again…the question.
“Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ “ (Psalm 14:1)
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Atheism, Belief in God, God, Opinion, Perseverance, Questions, Reflection, Story
Tuesday, April 28th, 2026
Death is the great equalizer.
I know. Sounds morbid. But please hear me out. First, a history lesson.
You may have heard the story about the Great Plague that infected London in the 17th century. It began in May 1664 with a few cases. One year later in that same month, 590 cases were reported. By June the number had swelled to over 6000+. Panic ensued when over 17,000 cases were reported in July, and by August the number was 31,000. By the time it was brought under control, more than 70,000 Londoners had been burned or buried. They now know it was carried by fleas which had bitten diseased rats. Back then, people thought the bad smell was air pollution so they carried posy petals in their pockets to ward off the disease. Hospitals even walked their patients around rose gardens hoping to cleanse their lungs with the flower’s fragrance. You may know that it was during this time the children’s nursery rhyme was born: “Ring around the rosy, pocket full of posies, ashes ashes we all fall down.”
We could say the disease spread because of misdiagnosed causes. I don’t fault them. Look how things spread in 2026 and we have much more up-to-date medical methods.
I believe it is also spot on to say that even those who escaped the death of the Black Plague died eventually. Dead is dead. And as I said at the very start: The death (the grave) is the great equalizer. Brian Johnson included, we will all find our way there some day. No matter how many vitamins or supplements we take. No matter how much we work out. No matter how much sleep we make sure we have. No matter how much of a controlled environment we live in. We will all taste death.
For some that is bad news. In spite of the efforts to say, “There is no heaven or hell,” I’ll stake my claim on the Bible’s words: “It is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment.” It also says, “For we must all stand before Christ to be judged.” Accept it or deny it. The choice is yours.
I’ll conclude with this: What if I am right and you are wrong? If you are right and I am wrong, I have lost nothing. However, if I am right and you are wrong, you have lost everything. Do you really want to take that chance?
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Death, God's judgment, God's Plan, God's Word, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Sin, Story
Monday, April 27th, 2026
My blogging friend, Glynn Young, blogs at Fact, Fiction, Friends. This past weekend he wrote the following and posted it:
We are the same
After James 2:1-13
We are poor,
we are rich,
we are noble,
we are common,
we are black,
we are white,
we are the church.
We are educated,
we are illiterate,
we are titled,
we are born low,
we are uptown,
we are ghetto,
we are the church.
Within the church,
we are the same,
Within the church,
we are equal.
Within the church,
we are equal before God.
We are the church.
I believe Glynn has hit the nail on the head. For the next 2-3 months I will be preaching on the book of James and I guarantee this will used in the sermon on James 2:1-13. The church is to know no racism, classism, or culturalism. All those are part of a thing called FAVORITISM. Making judgments based on those three factors is dead wrong.
{Shameless plug: Glynn has written several books that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading. One 5 book series is called The Dancing Priest. It is a wonderful series starring Michael Kent Hughes, his ultimate wife, Sarah, and his family, as Michael becomes the king of England and fights the corruption in the Church of England and his government. I have read them all at least 3 times (the earlier ones more). He has also written a fine fiction book called Brookhaven. Based on his research into his family history, Glynn brings alive characters from the Civil War. I have read it twice and only a shortage of time has prohibited me from writing a review. You will not be disappointed if you choose to read either The Dancing Priest series or the stand alone book: Brookhaven}.
Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Church, Favoritism, Kindness, Leadership, Love, Mercy, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Story
