Back in 2011, Laura Story wrote one of the most memorable Christian anthems thus far in the 21st century, “Blessings.” For those who don’t know Laura’s “story,” she was a co-writer with Chris Tomlinof the 2004 smash worship hit, “Indescribable” and in 2005 she married her high school sweetheart, Martin Ellington. Within the first year of marriage, Martin began exhibiting troubling symptoms of forgetfulness of simple tasks, inexplicably falling asleep at work, and he grew an inch and a half in one month. The doctors ordered an MRI to attempt to diagnose the root of the problem.

Shortly thereafter, while she was attending a music conference in 2006, she received a call from Martin who had been diagnosed with a brain tumor, which was pressing on his pituitary gland. Doctors successfully removed the tumor, but while he was in the hospital, he contracted meningitis which ultimately resulted in permanent memory loss, partial vision loss, and difficulty walking. As a result, Martin could no longer work, and Laura became the main financial provider for her family.

In 2008, while struggling with anger toward God over her life circumstances, Laura received a call from INO Records in Nashville encouraging her to write a praise and worship album. While her natural inclination was to decline the invitation, know she having a difficult time worship her Creator. However, an INO executive challenged her with the question, “What if God is asking you to write worship songs in the midst of your trials?” It was during this time where she penned the following words:

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel you near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if each promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win, we know
That pain reminds this hearts,
That this is not, this is not our home…

What if my greatest disappointments,
Or the aching of this life,
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy.
What if trials of this life,
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise?

Reading these isolated words, they are powerful on their own; but knowing Laura’s “story” shows us a connection betweenGod’s Word and our lives.

The truth is: All of us are guilty of praying selfish prayers. We all want God to work in such a way that brings comfort to our lives and answers to our needs, as we see fit. We all want an easy life without conflict, not the James 1:2-4 life. However, life without conflict will yield a life without faith, reflected in prayerlessness. Conflict actually serves to make our stories of God’s faithfulness memorable.

Recently, my oldest daughter, Mikaela, told us she was getting married to an incredible young man who loves Jesus…and who just happens to be one of the two fastest men in the world. While we were initially excited, the reality set in on me that I was still responsible for the last four months of her apartment lease which would cost me over $6,000, including all bills. I need to also state that after this wedding, I don’t just have an extra $6,000 lying around to take care of it. So, we started praying for God’s provision.

If I’m honest, I’ve really been frustrated with this apartment complex because she has had this leak since October 2019 that has been awful and lead to mildew and health issues for her. The third week of February, after months of me being told it was fixed, the leak was worse than ever and I was not feeling like a spiritual giant. As anxiousness and frustration started to overwhelm me, I stopped to pray. In that moment, I was completely at peace. It’s amazing how prayer doesn’t always change your circumstances, but it will always change you.

To make a very long story short, two days later I was contacted by Mikaela’s apartment manager and she told me the apartment needed to let us out of the lease and asked if we would be willing to sign a release form. Uh, yes! Think about this: Before I even knew I needed to get out of this lease, God allowed a life-changing leak, ignited by raindrops to serve as my deliverance. God gave me Blessings Through Raindrops (Literally).

We need to remember the words of Romans 8:28 that God IS working all things together for our good, even when we don’t see. Keep praying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. On a final note: The song “Blessings” won the Song of the Year at the 2012 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards and she was named artist of the year. God brought unexpected provision in Laura’s “story,” and He will do the same for you and me.

In these verses, we find the author, most likely the Apostle Paul, encouraging us to stay faithful to the faith, our belief system, and to whom our faith is founded upon – Jesus Christ. That same Jesus, whom we have our faith in, underwent temptation – the same temptation we go through – and he was able to weather the storms of temptation without sinning.

Paul continues to say, because of Christ’s understanding of temptation and struggle, that He is our “high priest” – our advocate – who not only understands but also sympathizes with us in our weakness. He invites us to his “throne of grace”…to receive mercy and find grace in the midst of our temptation.

Allow me to dig deep here for a moment:
I’m convinced that too often we focus on the subject of the temptation and ignore the root of temptation. Some would argue whether or not Jesus ever dealt with the temptation of ___________ (fill in the blank with some “verb or action”). We don’t know if Jesus ever dealt with the temptation to do drugs, look at pornography, steal, or fill in the blank with whatever sin you could imagine. What we do know though is that Jesus was tempted and that his temptation was less about the action of temptation and more about the heart underneath.
Notice a couple of realities when Satan came and tempted Jesus after his wilderness prayer retreat. Matthew 4

• Jesus was led to pray in the wilderness because soon He would be launching his ministry – temptation is meant to sabotage the will of God in your life.
• Jesus had spent 40 days fasting and was full of prayer – Jesus was FULL of prayer and fasting. He had just spent 40 days in seclusion WITH God. Jesus wasn’t just having a “weak” moment, he was rejuvenated spiritually.

Remember temptation doesn’t just come to the weak.

• Each temptation presented to Jesus was within his ability (power) to do so – Satan will work your mind when tempting you. He may present you with something that is within your own reasoning. It is not always the extremes that he tempts us with, in fact it rarely is.

Remember, you may have the “right”, but it doesn’t make it right.

• Satan first tempted him with food because Jesus WAS hungry. – The first entry point Satan tried to use was Jesus’s humanity, but he is never satisfied with just our humanity. Satan touched on the reality of the moment – Jesus WAS hungry, and Satan was offering Jesus an opportunity to quench his physical hunger. Temptation won’t stop at your humanity. He will come after everything.

Remember the temptation is deceitful, it won’t stop.

• Satan’s second temptation was to get Jesus to question his belief, specifically what he believed about WHOSE he was. – Even before his wilderness prayer retreat, Jesus had just heard God – his father – say “this is my son in whom I’m well pleased.” Satan is now testing Jesus’s trust in God – his father. Will God save you? Will He send down angels on your behalf? Satan’s temptation is actually less about what Jesus will do, and more about what he believes. This is how temptation is deceitful. Satan doesn’t care about what you do, He can’t actually overcome your doing – unless you’re demonically possessed the excuse “Satan made me do it” will NEVER stand trial. You are not controlled by Satan ….or God. You are a free-willed being, making decisions based upon your own beliefs. What Satan is after is your beliefs – your thoughts – which is why we are “take hold of every thought” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Satan is trying to rewrite the truth Jesus knows about himself – he is his father’s son. Never before has a possessive apostrophe been more significant. And since Jesus KNOWS this and is secure in this he is able to overcome the doubt the enemy tries to cause him to wrestle with.

Remember the enemy wants your beliefs, not just your actions.
One of my favorite quotes is, “Every action is born out of a belief.” Hold tight to your beliefs.

• Satan’s third temptation dealt with the promise over Jesus’s life. – The enemy knows the greatness in you and the promises for you. God is a good father – Luke 11:13. He has great things in store for your life. The enemy knows that because you are His, your potential to make an impact in the world is unparalleled. You are unstoppable when your life is fully surrendered to the Lord. You don’t have to settle in life, because God’s plan for your life is not pathed with just what you can see. Satan said to Jesus all that you can see I’ll give you, but because Jesus knew that what God had for him was greater than what he could see at that moment, Satan’s offer was foolishness.

Remember you have a promise over your life, don’t sell it short for what you see today.

Paul finishes the passage in Hebrews 4 stating that in the midst of our struggle with temptation we are to “draw near” to the throne room. Drawing near seems so anti what we are supposed to do. It wasn’t what Adam and Eve did when they fell to the temptation of the enemy. Remember? They both eat of the fruit they weren’t supposed to and God enters the garden, as he so often did, and they were hiding. Isn’t that what the enemy wants us to do when we fall? Run and hide. Run away from the one who can forgive us. Hide from the one who makes us pure again. The enemy of our soul is entirely more deceitful than we know.

Jesus says come. The Holy Spirit says come. The Father says come – draw near to my throne room where there is an abundance of grace and mercy for you.

So today, I encourage you to overcome the temptations in your life…..draw near and receive before the throne of grace and mercy.

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About the Author
​j. Taylor Choate

​J. Taylor Choate is a gifted communicator with a passion for the Lord and His Church. He has earned his Bachelor of Arts in Church Leadership with a minor in Church Revitalization and Planting from Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU), and is currently completing a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from SAGU. He shares his life with his wife Morgan and their daughter Matilda. Taylor serves as Treasurer of Refining Fire Ministries, and Bridge Community Church as the Associate Pastor.
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I find it interesting that the response that Jesus gives (The Lord's Prayer), has become a trite and repetitious recitation that we often quote in a low monotonous buzz; commonly chanted from the King James Version with words we barely understand. My spirit is grieved when I think on this, because there is nothing about this prayer that should be limited to platitude! Packed into this stanza lies the format that God Himself has given to us in response to the request, "teach us how to pray." For me, this reality is telling of our lukewarm tendencies when approaching the topic of prayer. Each line is filled with heavenly wisdom when approaching the throne of God:

Our Father...

Incredibly, Christ instructs us to address God in this way. No, this was not the first time that God is referenced as Father in the Bible, but it is significant in how it is used to introduce this topic. We often approach God for his infinite wisdom or unquenchable power. Or maybe we throw ourselves at the mercy of a righteous judge. But how often do we approach God as our Father? I think of the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32. In this story, the Father not only receives the son, but he also runs toward the son. How would it impact our approach to prayer if we saw God as running toward us instead of waiting for us to come to Him? It is interesting to me that Jesus is recorded to have shared this story only a few chapters after his teaching on prayer.

...hallowed be Your name.

On the extreme opposite, we may experience those who have no problem believing that God desires to answer our prayers. Many seem to treat prayer as a kind of wishing well that produces prosperity and blessing at our whim. While I believe that God desires to bless us, I have a difficult time accepting the relationship that this seems to convey. God is our Father, not a genie in a bottle. At times, we seem to forget that He is, the all-knowing one and we are the ones limited by our finite wisdom. What is more, how often does our own depraved nature motivate our prayers? If we were to receive all that we have ever asked for, we would not be spoiled brats rather than mature sons ad daughters? C.S. Lewis said it best, "We want not so much a Father but a grandfather in Heaven, a God who said of anything we happened to like doing, 'What does it matter so long as they are contented? That's not to say that God purposely withholds from us, as though to tease us. But instead that He is Holy, and what he desires for us is Holy. So what does this teach us about prayer? Instead of coming to God with our long list of "wants," what if we came to Him and allowed Him to tell us what to pray?

Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven

I, like many other believers, have wrongfully understood this statement as a safety net against praying the wrong thing. When given two options, I have often prayed for the one that I wanted, but followed up with, "but your will, not mine." In all honesty, what I was saying was, "I want this, but in case I would actually want that, make sure I get what I really want." Now, of all the things that one can do, this is certainly not the worst, but it misses the power abiding in this part of the prayer. Here, Christ is commanding us to release the activity of Heaven into the Earth. In an earlier article, I demonstrate how earthly dominion has been given to mankind through the creation and restored at the resurrection. With this being said, God has chosen to partner with us as we pray. As He said to Peter, "what you loose on Earth will be loosed in Heaven" (Matthew 18:18). Prayer is how we agree with the Will of God and prepare its way. Rarely will you find a believer who disagrees that prayer is essential, but are we equally convinced that a lack of prayer is detrimental?

Give us this day our daily bread...

When I read this portion of the prayer, I am immediately reminded of Exodus 16. In the wilderness, God provided the Israelites with "bread from Heaven" Each day, this mama would fall from the sky, and the people would go out and collect it. God's specific instruction was, "the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day…" They did not receive enough bread for a week's worth, or even for the next day. They specifically collected enough for the day that it was collected. Consider for a moment the level of faith that would be required to be obedient to this direction. Every day when they consumed the last of their ration, they had nothing left for the next day. All they could do was trust that tomorrow God would once again be faithful. The verse goes on to say, "...that I may test them whether or not they will walk in My instruction." The entire operation was a training process to teach the Israelites to trust in Him. The wilderness theme resurfaces again and again throughout Scripture, coupled with the theme of God providing for the faithful. The significance of this being found in Christ's teaching on prayer is far larger than can be addressed in the scope of this article. But, we should realize that prayer is intended to lead us into a deeper place of faith and trust in His faithfulness. If our prayers don't scare us, they might not be what God is asking us to pray.

Forgive our sins, for we also forgive those who are indebted to us.

I have always found it interesting how these two concepts are seemingly fused. Of course, what comes to my mind is Jesus parable in Matthew 18 - the unmerciful servant. If you're unfamiliar with the story, a servant, who owed an astronomical amount, was taken to the king for trial. The servant pleaded with the king and the king was merciful. As the servant went out, he found someone who owed him money and demanded he pay immediately. When the king found out, he had the servant placed in prison until he could pay back the debt that had been previously forgiven. This is a very interesting parable and when taken literally, the message is hard-hitting. It would seem that God is saying that we will be forgiven to the measure that we forgive others. Christ does say this very clearly in Matthew 6:14-15, "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." It can't be put more clearly than that. But, what does this have to do with prayer? Mark 11:25 says, "Whenever you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone so that your Father, who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions." Prayer not only facilitated communication with our Heavenly Father, but it also fosters community with our fellow believers. Effective prayers are prayed in humanity. One of the surest ways for pride to abide in our lives is for us to harbor unforgiveness toward one another.

Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

There are many different directions that I could take in expositing this particular passage of the prayer, but I will choose to take the road less traveled. Prayer is dangerous business. This is true for many reasons. In this case, I mean that leaning into the activity of prayer can often result in twisted theology and deception. When we begin to listen to the Spirit, we must realize that the voice of the Holy Spirit is not the only voice we can hear. We also have a real and true enemy who would desire nothing else but to distort the Truth. Take, for example, Jesus temptation in Matthew 4. In this case, Satan quoted Scripture in an attempt to convince Jesus to bow to him. That being said, it is not beyond Satan's ability to take something good and use it as a weapon of deception. So how then do we combat this? Fortunately, Jesus shows us the answer. When Satan attempted to twist the Truth, Jesus used discernment and revealed the lies and half-truth that Satan was presenting. We must have such a grasp on the Word of God that we can defend its Truth!

Much can be said, and many pages could be written on the deep and powerful lessons abiding in Christ's very instruction on prayer. I invite you to take some time and meditate on the Lord's prayer. It is so much more than cross-stitching across a decorative pillow!

For many years I have read and reread the stimulating sermons of J Wallace Hamilton. He was the dearly loved pastor of Community Church in Pasadena, Florida. He was called there in 1932 and long before the term “mega-churches” was common-place in America, he pastored one. ​Ushers counted 3,450 cars one Sunday with families sitting in them and listening to messages from amplifiers on posts and in the trees to this instinctive, brilliant, present tense truth teller. The building held about 1,500, but over 8,000 of his members never came inside.

The powerful, fascinating, thought provoking truth got into their hungry hearts though. Recently, I was re-reading one of his books titled, Ride the Wild Horses. It is from a series of messages preached from the proposition that all of our God-given energies are meant for creative, constructive and eternal spiritual use.

As I read the message titled, Fruitful Frustrations, many pastoral and personal thoughts came to my mind. I have lived in this meaningful message before, maybe all of us have. So, I just felt prompted to share a little of it with you.

“Paul wanted to go to Spain. He had his heart set on that. In his dream of Christian conquest, he had laid his plans for reaching the outermost rim of the world, to preach the good news of Christ. But he never got there.

Instead he got a prison cell in Rome.

A large majority of us have to settle for something less than what we want, and for many that is a major problem of life – to take a broken plan, a disappointment, a frustration, and make something out of it.

The world has many philosophies, but no one answers back to this tragic element in life so persuasively and redemptively as Jesus. Christianity was born in the fires of failure and defeat; its symbol is a cross on which its Founder took the worst in the world and made it an instrument of redemption. And part of the many meanings of this cross and this faith lies in its teaching that all our frustrations, even the worst the world knows, may be made fruitful.

Everyone has learned to some extent how to make frustrations fruitful by getting traction out of trouble. No one but a fool would pretend to understand the mystery of pain and no one but a liar would pretend to enjoy it, but certainly this is clear: that without pain there would be no progress, and without frustration no traction for our feet.

All life makes progress in a resisting medium. The bird needs resistance of the air to fly; the fish needs the resistance of the water to get traction for his fins, and even the simple business of standing on our feet could not be accomplished without frustration – without resisting forces pushing against our action.

Life’s troubles are so disagreeable, the weight of them so heavy that we never give them credit for their help. I am sure that most of us, looking back, would admit that whatever we have achieved in character we have achieved through conflict; it has come to us through power hidden deep within us, so deep that we didn’t know we had them, called out into action by the challenge of opposition and frustration. The weights of life keep us going.

The cults of comfort are in error, and they have no worthy answer to trouble when they call us to dodge it by metaphysical gymnastics, or to think it away. The Omar Khayyam’s are useless too, they have no answer but to suggest that we damn ‘this sorry scheme of things’, they want a world that is all pleasure and no pain. These light, easy answers are based on the false assumption that the goal of life is happiness, peace of mind and comfort. It isn’t.

Holiness, not happiness, is the goal of life. So, when God molds a man, He puts weights on him, gives him burdens to life, crosses to carry, hardships to endure, tribulations over which to triumph.  All is a profound mystery, to be sure. A little boy wanted to know why vitamins are always put in spinach and never in ice cream, where they should be. Don’t ask me why, but for some strange reason our sweetest songs come out of our saddest thoughts; the Negro spirituals are sad songs of a sad race, and they are the loveliest music in America. Arnold Toynbee, the historian, traced through history in his monumental study. In a chapter entitled “The Stimulus of Blows,” he shows how hardy civilization has come to birth in response to challenge: “The greater the challenge, the greater the stimulus.” Without weights, even civilization cannot keep going. A little boy was leading his sister up a mountain path. “Why,” she complained, “it’s not a path at all. It’s all rocky and bumpy.” “Sure,” he said, “the bumps are what you climb on.”

Hamilton isn’t just preaching pious platitudes from a paneled pulpit. He has walked through the bumpy, tangled jungles of life. He has had his share of scratches and patches, but he kept on going and I love how he comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.

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About the Author
R.J. Koland, M.Div.

R.J. Koland is an experienced pastor and administrator. Having received education from the University of Minnesota and Bethel Theological Seminary, he was well equipped to lead six churches as well as support numerous other ministry endeavors. Currently, he pastors Central’s Assembly Of God in Mesquite, Texas, as well as serving as the Director of Development for Newman International Academy, a charter school based out of Arlington, Texas. R.J. Has helped launch several successful institutions of higher education, as well as held multiple professorial and administrative roles in other various colleges.

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I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine. Our discussion centered on the ordinance of communion. He explained, “Sunday morning is the highlight of my week because it means that I can partake in communion.” He went on to explain, “this activity is so enriching because I feel in touch with Christ, at this moment, more purely than any other time throughout the week.”

I was instantly taken back to a time in my teenage years when I was questioned about my denomination’s decision not to offer communion weekly, but rather sporadically throughout the year. Being uninformed at the time, I didn’t have a cogent response, nor did I fully understand the dynamics of this issue. Now, having gone through seminary, I understand the deeper dimensions of one theological persuasion over the other. There is the big split between those who practice transubstantiation (e.g., Catholics) and those who practice consubstantiation (e.g., Lutherans). But the debate stretches even further than this dichotomy. One group partakes weekly because of the belief that sanctification rests in the act of partaking, while another chooses to view it as a memorial and partakes sporadically to avoid this “heretical sacramental view.” It is not my goal to systematically outline the full range of conflicting views, but rather to address the reality that they exist. I have one question for any of these perspectives: where’s the power?
 
Matthew 26:26-28
While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My Body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
 
When Christ first offered the elements of communion to the disciples, it was a fresh illustration, untainted by years of repetitiveness. His command was for us to, “do this in remembrance of me.” The Apostle Paul explains this charge by stating, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes,” in I Corinthians 11:26. But, what does it mean to “proclaim His death?” Are we merely announcing that he died, or is this something altogether more profound? I would argue for the latter. Jesus death was not ordinary; it was supernatural and redemptive – Christ died so that we wouldn’t have to. But, it goes deeper still: Christ not only took what should have been ours, but He also gave what should have been His.
 
Ephesians 1:18-20
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly place.
 
Ephesians 2:4-7                                                                                        
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
 
These verses demonstrate that Christ was exalted and blessed by the Father for His work on the cross. But, we were also raised up to sit next to Christ in His glory. When we proclaim the death of Christ, we are not telling a somber story of the day our Lord died, we are telling a joy-filled testimony of what we have received as a result! We proclaim this testimony by partaking in the communion that we have in Christ; by living into the richness of the blessings that have been bestowed upon us. Our profession of faith in the sufficiency of his death and our strongest show of gratitude is when we live our lives not as lowly reprobates begging for God’s mercy, but has children of the Most High God, sitting at His right hand and enjoying the richness of His blessings.
 
So, how then should we observe communion?
I will ask my question again, “Where’s the power?” For me, the power isn’t in the elements. I once had the opportunity to speak with a World War II veteran who later became a pastor. He explained, “I risked my life for a flag. Not the strips of red, white, and blue fabric, but for what that fabric represented. This is how I see communion. When I take the elements, I am able to physically experience the illustration that Jesus used, but that illustration was intended to allude to something far beyond what can be grasped by our senses.”
 
How often then should we observe communion?
Once again, “Where’s the power?” As my friend expressed, “Sunday morning is the highlight of my week because it means that I can partake in communion. This activity is so enriching because I feel in touch with Christ, at this moment, more purely than any other time throughout the week.” I have meditated on these words for such a long time, but I’ve concluded that they grieve me. On September 4th of this year, my wife and I will celebrate four years of marriage. When this day comes, I will be fully reminded of the vow and commitment that we share. But, I pray that I not more aware of this reality just because I am taking the time to remember it. No, my marriage is a part of my life in such a way that the benefits and blessings of marriage are to be enjoyed and celebrated more throughout the year then they are on the one day that we take to express our appreciation. Why not so with our life in Christ? I don’t think that it matters how often you partake in the ordinance of communion, whether methodically or sporadically. The importance lies in where you place the power – in the elements and the observance or in the one that we are remembering.
 
So, may you walk in the richness of your heavenly blessing, not when you take the elements, but each and every day of your life.
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About the Author
Devin Peterson, B.S., M.Div.
​
Devin Peterson is a passionate writer with a heart for prayer and intercession. He has earned his Bachelor of Science in General Ministry from West Coast Bible College and Seminary and his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) with an emphasis in Biblical Languages from Luther Rice College and Seminary. As the youngest son of Kevin Peterson (the founder of RFM) he has been a part of the ministry his entire life. Currently, he serves as President and Chairman of RFM. Devin lives in Mansfield, Texas with his wife Ashley and their 3-year-old Yorkshire-poodle.

​Ever since The Message was published, I have been intrigued by Eugene H. Peterson and his writings. He insightfully shares about Jeremiah in his book Run with the Horses. Among the dramatic dialogues between Jeremiah and Jehovah, the LORD revealed that the divine purpose of Jeremiah’s life was to be found in knowing that God “gave” him to the nations.

About the Author
R.J. Koland, M.Div.

R.J. Koland is an experienced pastor and administrator. Having received education from the University of Minnesota and Bethel Theological Seminary, he was well equipped to lead six churches as well as support numerous other ministry endeavors. Currently, he pastors Central’s Assembly Of God in Mesquite, Texas, as well as serving as the Director of Development for Newman International Academy, a charter school based out of Arlington, Texas. R.J. Has helped launch several successful institutes of higher education, as well as held multiple professorial and administrative roles in various colleges

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About the Author
David Dorries, Ph.D

Religion of itself does nothing to change a society. It is not much more than a belief system that regulates its members by the standard of rules interpreted by the members themselves. For the most part it is a moral group that is clean in its lifestyle, but large in its judgement. Thus, allowing a judgmental attitude to be unattractive to those they intend to reach. The religion group in in contrast to political correctness, but does not have the power to make change...The result is two opposed groups in one society. Both claim to bring hope to people's lives, but creates such a stintch in its self righteousness that it is difficult to see the difference. Carnality tends to create a definition that makes sin seem acceptable. Carnal is the word that is used to excuse sin for weakness or convenience It compromises absolute standards to benefit results. In the political correctness & carnality are both in contrast with true Christ-likeness.This is not to say that Christians don't stumble and fail at times but, stumbling and failing are admitted, not justified. I Jn. 1:5-10; I Jn. 3:4-10; I John 2:1-2

This article was found in a prayer journal of Dr. Peterson’s. The excerpt was dated May, 21st 2017.

Kevin Peterson was founder of Refining Fire Ministry, and President from 1996-2013. Although he has gone on to be with the Lord, his voice and legacy live on in his writings. A graduate of Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri (now a part of Evangel University), Kevin also received an honorary Doctor of Ministry from West Coast Bible College and Seminary.

About the Author
Devin Peterson, B.S., M.Div.

Devin Peterson is a passionate writer with a heart for prayer and intercession. He has earned his Bachelor of Science in General Ministry from West Coast Bible College and Seminary and his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) with an emphasis in Biblical Languages from Luther Rice College and Seminary. As the youngest son of Kevin Peterson (the founder of RFM) he has been a part of the ministry his entire life. Currently, he serves as President and Chairman of RFM. Devin lives in Mansfield, Texas with his wife Ashley and their 3-year-old Yorkshire-poodle.