First Cause
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Global >
      • United States
      • Africa
      • Democratic Republic of Congo
      • Guatemala
      • India
      • Kenya
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Nigeria
      • Peru
      • Rwanda
      • Sweden
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
    • Leadership
    • Our Team
    • Our Statement of Faith
  • Training
  • Leader Resources
    • Outreach
    • Quotes A-C
    • Quotes D-F
    • Quotes G-K
    • Quotes L-O
    • Quotes P-R
    • Quotes S-U
    • Quotes V-Z
    • Worship
    • Testimonials
    • Annual Newsletter
  • Leader Podcasts
  • Blog
  • Prayer
    • A Link In The Chain
    • Prayer Request
    • Long Eternal Line
  • STORE
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Inicio
  • Nosotros
    • Liderazgo
    • Equipo
  • Capacitacion
  • Eventos
  • Blog Devocionales
  • Galeria
  • Contacto
  • Link Page
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Global >
      • United States
      • Africa
      • Democratic Republic of Congo
      • Guatemala
      • India
      • Kenya
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Nigeria
      • Peru
      • Rwanda
      • Sweden
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
    • Leadership
    • Our Team
    • Our Statement of Faith
  • Training
  • Leader Resources
    • Outreach
    • Quotes A-C
    • Quotes D-F
    • Quotes G-K
    • Quotes L-O
    • Quotes P-R
    • Quotes S-U
    • Quotes V-Z
    • Worship
    • Testimonials
    • Annual Newsletter
  • Leader Podcasts
  • Blog
  • Prayer
    • A Link In The Chain
    • Prayer Request
    • Long Eternal Line
  • STORE
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Inicio
  • Nosotros
    • Liderazgo
    • Equipo
  • Capacitacion
  • Eventos
  • Blog Devocionales
  • Galeria
  • Contacto
  • Link Page
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

Reveration Blog

6/5/2023 1 Comment

Drinking the Living Water

Picture
If you have ever hiked in the mountains, you know that the higher you climb, the purer the water source will be. But as the streams flow downward, they become part of the forest, and now purification tablets are needed to protect against giardia parasites which can cause giardiasis. Continuing downward, the stream merges with other streams and becomes a river.  More pollutants are added as waste flows into the river from drainage systems, and people throw their trash, dump chemicals, etc., into the water.   So what is my point?

Read More...
1 Comment

3/31/2023 1 Comment

The Power of Care

Picture
​Do you feel like a caring Creator guards your life, or are you feeling incredibly vulnerable and unsafe?  When we know Jesus, at least three important facts should kick into gear.  First, we understand from Psalm 139:16 that “Your [God’s] eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.” There is nothing accidental about our lives—we were purposefully designed. Second, we know from John 3:16, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” Faith in Jesus brings us a redeemed life with God that will forever unfold. But we must understand a third critical fact to negotiate life joyfully.

Read More...
1 Comment

3/22/2023 0 Comments

Boldness

Picture
​Herodotus, a Greek historian from Halicarnassus, wrote the Histories, a detailed account of the Greco-Persian Wars that modern historians and archeologists have largely validated.[1] The Roman orator Cicero called him “The Father of History.” Herodotus wrote, “It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen.” Herodotus understood Spartan warriors' courage and the Greeks' bravery in defeating Persian armies that dwarfed them in size and resources. Imagine if this astute historian had understood the boldness available to those who serve an unshakable kingdom!  ​

Read More...
0 Comments

1/16/2023 0 Comments

No Choice in the Matter

Picture
David & Teresa
Around 2010, David was having his quiet time on his outside patio when the Lord said, “I want you to give me everything.”  He responded, “Lord, You have everything . . . we served You on the mission field . . . ” The Holy Spirit then impressed on his heart, “I want everything in your bank accounts.” David’s heart broke, and he began weeping.  Then he conceded, “Lord, it’s all yours.” He went to his wife, Teresa, and shared what had happened.  She replied that before emptying their bank accounts, she wanted confirmation. After two days of prayer, Teresa heard from God and agreed with her husband.  They emptied all their accounts and wrote a check to Eternal Perspectives Ministries.  David told me, “It was fun to write that check but very scary.”  About two years later, God directed them to move from Indiana to Oregon. Without funding or a job but full of faith, they obeyed.  For six months, with two of their children and a dog, they slept on couches in friends’ homes until the time came when God blessed them with provisions to have their own place and ministry. 
 ​

Read More...
0 Comments

1/14/2023 8 Comments

Navigating the Christian Life

Picture
Author Geoff Davis
​Over forty years ago, on April 1, 1982, I pinned on a US Army Ranger Tab. When I began that program on February 2, 1982, I started with some of the Army’s best soldiers. God used it as one of the most formative lessons in my walk with Him, so that I might know Him better. ​

Read More...
8 Comments

1/6/2023 1 Comment

The Lord Will Provide

Picture
The old Mary would have freaked out but not the new Mary.  The old Mary was extremely insecure with finances and struggled with worry.  The new Mary was all about trusting God, and now she faced one of the biggest tests in her life.  One of her clients owed her over $60,000 and had missed several deadlines in paying their debt.  She had leveraged her credit card to keep her business afloat, and if ever there was a time for panic, it was now. But instead of harassing the client to pay or taking them to court, she was gracious to them and kept her confidence that her business was God’s and not hers.  He would provide.  First, her hospital wrote off a bill she owed of $170,000! Second, other clients provided much-needed funds.  Finally, a different bank gave her a new and better credit line of almost $200,000. ​

Read More...
1 Comment

5/14/2022 0 Comments

Your Faith has Healed You!

Picture
Life is full of challenges. As you read that what challenge comes to mind that you are facing?  For some of us, it is financial, for others relationships, and still others health, the need for work, etc. What is unhealthy is when we let the problem(s) we face dominate our thinking because we flounder in fear and uncertainty.  In his book Brave, Strong & Tender, Phil Downer asked, “Do you ever find yourself spending more time thinking about the size of your problems than thinking about the size of your God? Do you feel locked up because of fear?”

Read More...
0 Comments

10/1/2021 0 Comments

Not By Strength

Picture
Zerubbabel by lineage could have been a king of Judah in the line of David. Instead he served as a governor and one who was exalted by God. “‘I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, My servant’—this is the LORD’s declaration—'and make you like My signet ring, for I have chosen you.’ This is the declaration of the LORD of Hosts” (Haggai 2:23b). He was a great leader.  Yet God made it clear through the prophet, Zechariah, that it was not Zerubbabel’s human power that accomplished God’ will, but rather God’s Spirit.

Read More...
0 Comments

7/7/2021 0 Comments

God's Gracious Hand

Picture
​Meditation
Ezra 8:21-23--I proclaimed a fast by the Ahava River, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us, our children, and all our possessions. I did this because I was ashamed to ask the king for infantry and cavalry to protect us from enemies during the journey, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who abandon Him.” So we fasted and pleaded with our God about this, and He granted our request.

Read More...
0 Comments

10/10/2020 0 Comments

What is Worship?

Picture
​Meditation
Jonah 1:8,9--Then they said to him, “Tell us who is to blame for this trouble we’re in. What is your business and where are you from? What is your country and what people are you from?” He answered them, “I’m a Hebrew. I worship Yahweh, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.”


Read More...
0 Comments

7/31/2020 0 Comments

I & II Samuel

Picture
If you want to read great books on leadership, read 1st and 2nd Samuel. Early tradition suggests that 1 and 2 Samuel were originally one book in scripture so I will do my best to examine the combined 55 chapters and share key leadership lessons.  No author is named for these books but scholars largely credit the prophets Samuel, Nathan and Gad. Based on 1 Sa. 27:6, the writing may not have been completed until about 930 B.C.[1]

Read More...
0 Comments

11/23/2019 2 Comments

How to Overcome Challenges to Faith

Picture
​George McDonald once wrote, “A man’s real belief is that which he lives by.”  One of the best measurements of a person’s faith is to observe how that person responds to adversity.  Here are twelve steps that I believe make all the difference in overcoming challenges to our faith.

Read More...
2 Comments

5/31/2019 0 Comments

Will You Take Her?

Picture
Sarah and Mark dropped me off at the Atlanta airport along with Jadon and Leili, my two oldest grandchildren whom I would be bringing back with me to Colorado. They were excited for the opportunity to stay with Kathleen, Bryan and me in a home they had often spent time enjoying.  But traveling was not as easy as I thought.  

Read More...
0 Comments

4/19/2019 1 Comment

Confession Liturgy

PictureSarah Tegtmeier (Dan York's daughter) with her family L-R Jadon, Luca, Leili, Mark, Simeon
Meditation
Psalm 85:15--But You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth


Read More...
1 Comment

4/10/2019 1 Comment

Confirmation

Picture
My good friend Dan moved from Tigard to Albany Oregon to work with Dana, another mutual friend.  Unfortunately, Dana’s business experienced a downturn and he had to let Dan go.  In 2012 Dan felt led to stay in Albany and serve as an Associate Pastor in a Calvary Chapel.  


Read More...
1 Comment

8/20/2018 0 Comments

Selecting Leaders

The Ascent Church in Monument, Colorado is in the process of selecting new elders. Two of us, who are currently on the elder board, recently met with one of two prospective elders to gauge whether he would be a good addition to our team.  The process will continue with several more meetings with our pastors and elders and, then if nominated, the congregation will vote to bring them on as elders.  It is a solid method and it works well for our church.
 
Meditation
1 Timothy 5:22—Don’t be too quick to appoint anyone as an elder, and don’t share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
​

Read More...
0 Comments

5/31/2018 0 Comments

Do Not Fear

​Meditation
Zephaniah 3:15,16--The Lord has removed your punishment; He has turned back your enemy. The King of Israel, Yahweh, is among you; you need no longer fear harm.  On that day it will be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear; Zion, do not let your hands grow weak.
 

Read More...
0 Comments

5/18/2018 0 Comments

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Have you ever been in a situation where no matter what action you took nothing good was likely to happen?  We call this “stuck between a rock and a hard place.” In 1917 a lack of funding caused by an earlier banking crisis led to a dispute between copper mining companies and mineworkers in Bisbee, Arizona. The workers, some of whom had organized in labor unions, gave their company management a list of demands for better pay and conditions. Management refused their request and many workers at the Bisbee mines were forcibly deported to New Mexico. “Given that the mineworkers were faced with a choice between harsh and underpaid work at the rock-face on the one hand and unemployment and poverty on the other” this is probably the source of the phrase.[1]  



Read More...
0 Comments

4/26/2018 0 Comments

Hold Your Peace

I heard an excellent message from a pastor recently about not defending ourselves when we are betrayed or attacked.  His point was that no matter what we say in defense we cannot undo the damage and we may actually make things worse.  If we have done what is right and are slandered, lied about, or smeared unfairly, the best course of action is to continue to live our lives righteously and trust God for the results.  If close friends ask what is happening, we may share with them . . . The point is: don’t retaliate, defend, or excuse ourselves.

This is not easy.  To hold our peace when warred against is like watching mosquitoes take blood and not swatting them.  Why would we do that?  

Read More...
0 Comments

4/13/2018 0 Comments

24/7

​What causes people to be downcast?  I would surmise in most cases it is because of unfavorable circumstances. We want something that does not materialize.  We deal with sickness.  An enemy is a relentless grief-flinger.  “Sixty students who had attempted suicide were asked why they had wanted to end their lives.  The majority, 85 percent, said they had tried to kill themselves because their lives seemed meaningless and without purpose . . . Without purpose we lose motivation and sometimes lose health and even lose life.”[1]  Without understanding God’s ever-present love we are destined for despair.
​
There is a passage in the Talmud that says, “We don’t see things as they are; we see things as we are.”  It is easy to be pessimistic if our perspective is rooted in the wrong place.
 




Read More...
0 Comments

<<Previous

    Categories

    All
    Abiding
    Ability
    Accountability
    Accusations
    Action
    Adaptable
    Adversity
    Advice
    Agreement
    Alert
    Alliance
    Ambition
    Angels
    Anger
    Anointing
    Arguing
    Aspiration
    Assumptions
    Attitude
    Authority
    Available
    Balance
    Baptism
    Belief
    Betrayal
    Bible
    Bitterness
    Blessings
    Blood
    Bold
    Boundaries
    Bribery
    Burn Out
    Busyness
    Calling
    Calm
    Care
    Causes
    Challenges
    Change
    Character
    Choices
    Christmas
    Comfort
    Commitment
    Communication
    Communion
    Community
    Comparison
    Compassion
    Complacency
    Complaining
    Compromise
    Concern
    Conduct
    Confession
    Confrontation
    Confusion
    Conscience
    Consent
    Considerate
    Contentment
    Context
    Corruption
    Courage
    Craving
    Creation
    Creativity
    Criticism
    Curiosity
    Dark
    Death
    Deception
    Decision Making
    Dedication
    Delay
    Deliverance
    Demons
    Depression
    Despair
    Discernment
    Discipleship
    Discipline
    Discouragement
    Dishonesty
    Disobedience
    Disrespect
    Divine Appointment
    Divisive
    Dogmatic
    Doubt
    Duty
    Easter
    Edify
    Empathy
    Encouragement
    Endurance
    Envy
    Eternity
    Ethics
    Evangelism
    Evolution
    Example
    Excuses
    Experience
    Failure
    Faith
    Faithful
    Fasting
    Fathers
    Favor
    Fear
    Feedback
    Fellowship
    Flesh
    Focus
    Follow
    Foolishness
    Forgiveness
    Freedom
    Friendly
    Friendship
    Fruit
    Gentle
    Giving
    Glory
    Goals
    God
    God Fearing
    Godly
    Gods Love
    Gods Promises
    Good Friday
    Gossip
    Government
    Grace
    Grumbling
    Guidance
    Habit
    Happiness
    Healing
    Healthy
    Heart
    Heaven
    Hell
    Help
    Heresy
    Heroism
    History
    Holidays
    Holiness
    Holy Spirit
    Honor
    Hope
    Humility
    Hypocrisy
    Idolatry
    Image
    Immorality
    Incompetent
    Inconsistent
    Ingratitude
    Inheritance
    Initiative
    Insecurity
    Inspiration
    Integrity
    Interference
    Isolation
    Israel
    Jealousy
    Jesus
    Joy
    Judgment
    Justice
    Justification
    Kindness
    Knowledge
    Language
    Laughter
    Law
    Lazy
    Leadership
    Learning
    Legalism
    Life
    Light
    Listening
    Lonely
    Love
    Loyalty
    Lying
    Marriage
    Meaning
    Meditation
    Memorial
    Mentor
    Mercy
    Mind
    Ministry
    Miracles
    Money
    Music
    Name
    Obedient
    Observation
    Opportunity
    Opposition
    Pain
    Parables
    Parenting
    Passion
    Patience
    Peace
    Perseverance
    Philosophies
    Plan
    Poem
    Possessions
    Power
    Praise
    Prayer
    Prayer For Leaders
    Prejudice
    Preparation
    Pride
    Priorities
    Profiles
    Promises
    Protection
    Providence
    Provision
    Prudence
    Psalms
    Punishment
    Purpose
    Questions
    Rebellious
    Recognition
    Reconcilation
    Redemption
    Relativism
    Relevance
    Religion
    Repentance
    Repetition
    Reputation
    Respect
    Responsible
    Rest
    Restoration
    Revenge
    Revival
    Reward
    Righteous
    Role
    Sacrifice
    Safety
    Salvation
    Satan
    Security
    Selection
    Self
    Sensitive
    Serving
    Sickness
    Silence
    Sin
    Sincerity
    Sorrow
    Soul
    Speech
    Spiritual Disciplines
    Spiritual Gifts
    Spiritual Growth
    Spiritual Warfare
    Status
    Stewardship
    Strategy
    Strengths
    Stress
    Stubborn
    Submission
    Success
    Suffering
    Suicide
    Teaching
    Team
    Temptation
    Testimony
    Testing
    Thankful
    Theology
    Thinking
    Thoughtful
    Time
    Tradition
    Training
    Travel
    Trinity
    Trouble
    Trust
    Truth
    Understanding
    Unequal
    Unity
    Values
    Victory
    Virtue
    Vision
    Warning
    Weakness
    Will
    Wisdom
    Witness
    Work
    Worry
    Worship
    Youth
    Zeal

Picture

Contacts

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Photo used under Creative Commons from Rachel Maxey Miles