|City on a Hill - Writings for Refuge

Revelation 16:15“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” The point of storing oil and keeping the lamp burning is sight...vision. In the midst of deep darkness, light will shine. This is primarily about seeing and being salt and light. Jesus coming will be mostly unseen and misunderstood until it is too late for many to rightly respond. Many mistakenly think as Jesus returns it will be more obvious. This is the opposite of how it works. Spiritual confusion, selfishness, and delusion are growing. That makes it harder to see what is happening with truth, not easier. Jesus said "watch, pray, I'm coming like a theif in the night" The events of His coming are unfolding in very clear, measurable, observable, and dramatic ways all around us. Do I see them? Are they fueling a response? Will I be found growing in holiness, peace, patience, clarity, joy, self control, and faith... Or am I running...

I received a great question from a good friend about something I taught last Friday in a message called "Rapture of the Elect". I'll post the message below, if you are interested. I appreciate questions very much. Here is the question: Question: Would you give me the scriptures that say confessing our sins publicly is a prerequisite for the first resurrection? Revelation 20:4-6 is pretty clear on who qualifies. (Revelation 20:4-6 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (5) But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. (6) Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. O...

I received a great question from a good friend about something I taught last Friday in a message called "Rapture of the Elect". I'll post the message below, if you are interested. I appreciate questions very much. Here is the question: Question: Would you give me the scriptures that say confessing our sins publicly is a prerequisite for the first resurrection? Revelation 20:4-6 is pretty clear on who qualifies. (Revelation 20:4-6 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (5) But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. (6) Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such...

My heart is breaking today to hear the push back against kids protesting in support of gun control. I am not talking about gun control. I am talking about our kids. Whether or not you agree with gun control, the truth is, the kids in our country need to have a voice. They need to be heard. My hope is not that they tow a party line. My prayer is that they aren't taught to diminish what is possible by well-meaning adults who are afraid of change. Change has to happen. Not in the form of gun control, IMO, but rather in the form of repentance, righteousness, and contending for a new heart for our culture. If the church could hear the underlying fear and pain, and speak into the validity and righteousness of that cry....if we could add our voice in the same cry for righteousness, but lead by example to a better judge...to a more effective office... if we could generously and patiently give vision for where that cry is heard, we could see an entire generation start to see the truth of wh...

The Tent of Meeting Moses set up outside the camp was a precursor to the Tabernacle of Testimony that would follow it. Rebellion of God's people brought about the Tabernacle of Meeting, or the temporary tent Moses erected to stay near God himself, until the rebellion was dealt with. When Moses first went up on Mt. Sinai, God showed him to build the Tabernacle of Testimony. The instructions God gave Moses were for a public meeting place. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai he found Israel, the people God had offered the Tabernacle to, worshiping the Golden Calf Aaron had made. God told Moses He would no longer go with Israel. God withdrew His offer to be in the camp of Israel, but God did not withdraw the promise to take Israel to the promised land and drive out her enemies! Here the Lord was testing Israel. Did she want God, or simply the promises of God?: Exodus 33:1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out o...