Affection, Presence, and Fullness

1 Comment / Encouragement /

Since posting Graham Cooke’s words a few weeks ago about seeing God as our habitation, I’ve been thinking a lot about the progression of how that came to be in my own life. Three words have risen in my meditation on that, which I first shared in Greenville, SC, a few weeks ago.  They have been growing in my heart ever since, especially the last one. They are providing a valuable focus in my daily life, and I find myself grateful this Thanksgiving season for all three of these.

Affection:  Talking about God’s love is easy on the tongue, even for those who think they have to earn it by their good behavior. That’s why I like the word affection better to speak of what is in God’s heart for us. For some, love is a commitment, often bereft of feeling. But affection occupies a tender place in the heart that speaks of delight and desire. Paul writes that our engagement with him is like a young child crying out, “Abba.” he’s talking about that kind of affection a young child has for its parent. Scripture also talks about the deep affection a groom and a bride share. Ask God to reveal his affection for you so that you, too, can know how deeply loved you are by God.

Presence: God-with-me is not just a theological fact, he also wants it to be a discernible reality. Often during the day, I pause long enough to surrender my heart to that reality. I don’t control when or how he makes himself known to me, but I am constantly cultivating an awareness of presence and watching for his fingerprints. That awareness can come with waves of delight or the simple tenderness of knowing I’m not alone. I enjoy touching a presence greater than myself and surrendering to his desires. Often it comes with a word of affirmation, insight into something going on in my life, or fresh courage to stay the course. I find that connection more precious than anything I might want him to do for me.

Fullness:  It’s easy to look for fullness outside of Jesus-in-us. Most of my life, I’ve looked for it to come from my circumstances—health, friendships, provision, and pleasure. But affection and presence have changed that for me. This is the life of abundance he promised, the fullness of joy, and the peace that makes no sense to the rational mind. I notice a marked difference in my life when I am living for fullness, seeking things to make me joyful or safe, and living from fullness because I’ve found my joy and safety in him. When I need any circumstance to come out a certain way for me to be content, I know I’m seeking fullness outside of him. But when he fills me up, it doesn’t matter what else is going on around me and I can live with others in mind.

Without these, it is easy for any of us to settle for a Christian life that is made up of beliefs, programs, and ethics, instead of a real and holy connection to the transcendent God. His desire is to live in us and to interact with us as we navigate life.

Cultivating an awareness for his affection, an attraction to his presence in us, and an appreciation of his fullness allows us to live in “the glorious riches of this mystery—Christ in you, the hope of glory”  (Colossians 1:27).

 

Affection, Presence, and Fullness Read More »

A Government I Can Embrace

Encouragement / / , ,

When I pray for the world and hold before God the agonies and travails of war, slavery, starvation, natural disasters, and darkness, I am usually in front of this globe in my studio. I try to see it as God sees it, in its totality first, then in specific hotspots around the world, and finally think of how God is meeting individuals who are navigating the ever-increasing horrors of our age. I often sense a bit of what God might be feeling as he sees his creation in chaos, and his joy as he pours his love and redemption into human brokenness and as he moves resolutely to bring it all to a redemptive end

These days, I’ve been praying that the words of Isaiah 9 will finally come true:

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.

I can’t wait for the government to be on his shoulders. It seems humanity is incapable of managing a just and honest society without corruption, exploitation, and hoarding power for the elite. In time, however, he will make all things new, and he will be the one to govern humanity’s affairs in his love and his justice forever. And while I look forward to that day that happens, I get to yield to his kingdom today and live under his government in the face of the chaos in my world. That’s what love is teaching me to do, and why I wrote It’s Time: Letters to the Bride of Christ at the End of the Age.

I know people are reticent to pick up a book about the end of the age because most provoke fear, set dates that never come to pass, or twist Scripture to apply them fallaciously to current events. This isn’t that book. This is a book of hope and courage for those who want to live under his government. The creation waits for the sons and daughters of God to be revealed.

So, I’m delighted that people are responding to this book exactly as I hoped they would. Here are two emails I got this weekend, sharing how the book touched them.

Elara

“Wayne, let’s be honest, we’re all juggling a million end-of-the-world scenarios every morning, and yet here you are, calmly handing us a roadmap for courage, love, and faith without making us feel like we need to start building bunkers. That alone deserves a slow clap.

It’s Time isn’t about fear-mongering or doom scrolling through life waiting for the apocalypse. It’s a call to actually live deeply, intentionally, and with a hope so solid it could probably survive the next global crisis. I love how you take decades of pastoral insight and turn it into letters that feel like someone just sat down and said, “Hey, here’s how you can breathe again, even when the world feels upside down.”

What’s brilliant is how you make faith practical. God’s love isn’t just a headline on a Sunday, it’s a power source for real-life courage. Hope isn’t a motivational poster; it’s confidence that we can still do meaningful things today. And yes, even for those of us who sometimes confuse panic for productivity, there’s room for peace, clarity, and maybe even a little joy.

This book is a reminder that life isn’t about waiting for the end. It’s about showing up, walking in light, and loving with purpose, no matter what crazy twists history throws at us. If anyone wants a fresh wake-up call to live as if God’s Kingdom is happening right now, without freaking out, this is it.

I’m grateful for the way your words and your work draw us closer not just to clarity, but to Christ Himself. It’s rare to find someone who speaks hope without minimizing struggle, and peace without dismissing the chaos we’re all navigating. It’s Time isn’t just a book; it’s a steadying hand in a season where so many feel unanchored. I’ll be returning to its pages again when I need reminding that faith isn’t fragile, it’s fuel.

 

Kyle (No, not Rice):

I wanted to send an overdue thank you for the gift, It’s Time has been. This work has been so helpful and encouraging to me. I am grateful for the insights with which you shared a radically different view on the end of the age. Like many of your readers, I grew up in fear of the end times (and lots of other things too). Your message of hope and the enduring love of our Father in this book has made the end of the age exciting and something to look forward to rather than dread. You haven’t steered clear of the challenges of our age or whenever the final age is to come. However, you beautifully expressed love as the motive for all God is and will do.

And over the last decade, as it has become clearer we might be heading towards the end in my lifetime, I have often wondered what I should do to prepare. Your focus on strengthening the connection and relationship with Christ and others as the key was very encouraging. It was also a reminder of the simplicity of God’s way. I am now less preoccupied with doing something rather than enjoying the friendship with Papa and letting him lead each day. And I am learning that he will show me what I need to do, whether this is the end of the age or not.

Thank you for your wisdom, courage to write in this mine field of a topic, and generosity in giving it away in the blog format. In a world where people try to monetize everything, it is so refreshing to have someone share so freely.

I never felt like I wanted to be there on the morning when the new world would be revealed because I was too afraid of walking through the times that would take place before then. Your inspired writing has helped make space in my heart for a hope and desire for God to reveal that new world and to have me be a part of that transition.

Thank you, Elara and Kyle, for summing up what this book meant to you and passing it along to me. I pray that many others will find the same hope and joy in watching God bring his redemption to creation, whether it is in their lifetime or at some future date.

If you’d like a copy, you can order it here in paperback, e-book, or audio.

A Government I Can Embrace Read More »

Finding the Trailhead to Love

4 Comments / Encouragement /

I just returned from a weekend in the South, meeting with many people in Atlanta, GA, and Greenville, SC, who had recently left the religious group they were part of for multiple generations. What a weekend! So many amazing people who were ready to honestly process their journey and sort out what was real from their past, and what was not. I sat among them with a tender heart for what they are going through. Many of you reading this have been through it as well.

It is a journey out of fear and threat, into a life of love and peace. For most of Christian history, fear has been used to motivate people to live for God. It begins with the fear of hell, and then moves to whether or not you can do enough to maintain your salvation. Many in this sect told me that even following all the rules didn’t even guarantee your salvation; no one knows that until they stand before God.

It’s disorienting to give up a lifetime of religious lessons, even when they have failed you. What guarantee do we have that God’s love will win the day? Moving from a fear-based environment to an affection-based one, especially with the fear of hell hanging in the background. The struggle is not so difficult for those who have not been ensnared by performance-based religion. Trying to earn a love we already have. But those trails run deep in our brains, and it takes some time for God’s spirit to renew our minds to think inside his love, where we can live from fullness instead of our fears.

The path of fear does not lead us to God’s presence. Sadly, it leads us away from him. You cannot love the one you fear. Certainly, God can break through it, and he often does, but living under constant threat makes it difficult for us to recognize his love as he reveals it to us. I do realize how easy it is to miss his nudges into freedom because the fear of the eternal consequence of getting it wrong looms large. That’s why I’m blessed by people who are willing to risk a different journey. To even consider another path takes tremendous courage, especially when family and friends tell you they will lose their hope of your salvation if you take it.

Jesus offered us a different path, where God is revealed in us and we become responders to his insights and nudges. That all begins with learning to relax into his love, which can take a few months or even a couple of years. So don’t press yourself. Religious performance always begins with what we do; living by affection begins with what God does.

So, how do you find the trailhead? I encourage people to ask God every day for him to reveal his love to them. Then watch for ways he does that, not by fulfilling your desires, but by showing you that you are not alone and by revealing himself to you. That’s the trailhead. Go down that path, and he will teach you how to rely on his love, recognize how he makes himself known to you, and how to respond to him. That is the essence of what it means to follow him, not from obligation to religious activity or beliefs, but to a connection of endearment to the presence of Jesus at work in you.

I pray for them, and all of you reading this who desire a better journey. I know it is scary to leave the familiar, but if it isn’t fulfilling your hunger to know him, it is worth the risk. If you need help with this transition, please check out He Loves Me, or even make use of the Engage videos to coach you into recognizing how God wants to build a relationship with you.

Tomorrow, Sara and I are off to Tulsa for our 50th college reunion. Can you believe it? We have some great friendships that we’ve treasured over the years, and who will be there as well.  Hopefully, our flights won’t be cancelled by the crazy government shutdown over here. It worked last weekend; we are hoping it will work this weekend, too.  We’ve checked in, and so far the flight is a go!

Finding the Trailhead to Love Read More »

The Growing Buzz Around IT’S TIME

Behind the Scenes / / , , ,

I am amazed at the rising interest in my newest book, It’s Time: Letters to the Bride of Christ at the End of the Age. Many people are helping position this book to find its audience more easily.

Someone sent me a list of books about the end times, and It’s Time has found its way to the top of the list:

 

Most especially, I’m grateful for how people are finding hope and comfort in this book, not the fear and dread often associated with the end of the age. That’s why I wrote it. Here are some recent emails from some of my readers.

Ben, coordinator of a book club:

It’s Time!: Letters to the Bride at the End of the Age, is a deeply stirring and contemplative work, one that feels both timely and timeless. The way it weaves Scripture, reflection, and a quiet sense of expectancy creates a space for readers to pause, listen, and rediscover intimacy with God amid a restless world. What struck me most is the gentle conviction at the heart of your writing. You don’t call readers to fear or urgency, but to love, light, and steadfast faith, the kind that transcends circumstance and reminds us that hope was always meant to be lived, not simply awaited. The vision of believers preparing their hearts as the world turns toward uncertainty feels not just prophetic, but profoundly personal.

Books like It’s Time! Don’t just speak to the moment; they help transform it. They remind us that faith is not about waiting for the end but awakening to divine presence in the here and now.

Mary:

I bought the audio edition. It is like we are seated around the table, and you are talking to me. I find comfort in the words as they land gently in my heart.

Judy:

I received my copy of It’s Time! And started reading it. My heart is so uplifted, much like the first time I read He Loves Me! I’ve read it many times and have shared it with my friends and family. He Loves Me opened the eyes and heart of both my husband and me. It was a love I had longed for as a child growing up with an abusive father. My husband, who recently died, was the first person who helped me begin to understand true selfless love and friendship. I want to thank you for all you’ve done. He Loves Me! was such a blessing. It’s Time! has the same ring of truth to my heart as did He Loves Me! I’ve always wanted to thank you.

Kate:

You have a poetic way of talking about a raw subject. Your reflections on Christ’s return and your call for the Bride to rise in love, light, and resilient faith are timely, deeply moving, and truly Spirit-led.

Merry Usman, Salt of Heaven:

Your book carries a powerful reminder that regardless of when Jesus returns, we are called to live as people of hope, surrendered to His purpose, and anchored in truth. The poetic beauty and urgency of your writing echo the heartbeat of Christ’s call to His Church—awake, ready, and radiant.

And finally, someone created this video to promote this book at the recent Frankfurt Book Fair:

If the video doesn’t play, click here: https://vimeo.com/1129609857, and feel free to share it widely.

You don’t have a copy yet?  You can order it here in paperback, e-book, or audio.

The Growing Buzz Around IT’S TIME Read More »

Abiding in God as our Habitation

3 Comments / Encouragement / / , , , , ,

On last Friday’s podcast, I read a Facebook post by Graham Cooke, which a good friend in Calgary shared with me. Since that aired, many have requested a copy of what I read. It’s not easy to find Graham’s original post on his Facebook, so I am reposting it here.

If we could get this one reality to settle in our hearts, it would decisively change how we embrace God’s presence in us and set us free from the need to seek tricked-up encounters that fade away without transforming our hearts inside his love.

You’re not trying to get into God’s presence—you’re practicing His presence that never leaves. Abiding isn’t visiting Him occasionally; it’s recognizing He’s made His home in you permanently.

This completely transforms how you approach spiritual life. Instead of seeking encounters, you’re acknowledging habitation. Instead of trying to feel His presence, you’re trusting His promise: “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

Abiding is habitational, not visitational. You don’t abide by working harder to connect with God. You abide by resting in the connection that already exists. He lives in you permanently—not sometimes, not when you’re spiritual enough, but always.

Kingdom routine: Habitation – When blessings feel temporary or His presence seems distant, practice abiding by making His presence your permanent habitation. This isn’t about feeling Him constantly; it’s about knowing He’s constantly with you, whether you feel it or not.

Here’s what changes when you understand abiding:

  •  You stop chasing what you already have
  • You rest in relationship instead of working for relationship
  • You practice awareness of existing presence instead of creating encounters
  •  You live from His promise, not your feelings
  • You make His presence your dwelling place, not your occasional destination

Abiding isn’t a spiritual discipline you perform—it’s a reality you acknowledge. You don’t have to maintain His presence; you simply recognize it. You don’t have to earn His dwelling; you just accept it.

The goal isn’t constant feeling but confident knowing. Some days you’ll sense His presence strongly. Other days you won’t feel anything. But abiding means your spiritual stability comes from His faithfulness, not your feelings.

You are His permanent address. He is your permanent habitation. That’s not something you achieve through spiritual effort—it’s something you receive through His love.

—Graham Cooke

Abiding in God as our Habitation Read More »

Voices from the Road

Encouragement /

Sara and I have arrived in Seattle for a brief stop, then we’re on to Portland for the weekend. After that, we’ll be taking a pretty direct route through California to our home. It is time to return and see what Father has for us there.

The conversations I have with people on the road are rarely recorded, but our time with UChurch in Calgary on September 21, 2025, was. So, if you want to listen, here are the links, and how they described the sessions on their website:

 

We were so glad to welcome Wayne Jacobsen to UChurch. In this first part of his time with us, Wayne talks with Brant Reding about what it means to live loved by God instead of striving to earn His approval. He shares from his own life about betrayal, illness, and seasons of uncertainty, showing how God’s love brings trust and freedom even when circumstances are painful.

The conversation also touches on:

  • How God gently unravels illusions and old religious habits.
  • Why authentic community grows out of love rather than programs.
  • Honest questions from the UChurch family about family conflict, friendships, work life, and being real with neighbors.

This episode invites us to rethink faith as a daily trust in God’s love, not a performance.  >>>>>Listen Here

In Part 2, Wayne is joined by his wife, Sara, to share their deeply personal journey of walking through trauma, separation, and healing. Together they tell the story of how Sara’s hidden childhood trauma surfaced decades into their marriage, leading to a season of distance, grief, and struggle. What could have ended their story became the place where they discovered what Wayne calls “the deepest love in the darkest place.”

They talk about:

  • How trauma shaped Sarah’s life and the long road of healing they’ve been walking together.
  • Why God doesn’t stand at a distance but meets us in the middle of our darkest places.
  • The role of safe community, patience, and tenderness when walking with someone through pain.
  • How God’s love reshapes even the most broken parts of our lives.

This conversation is raw and courageous, offering hope that no darkness is beyond God’s reach.  >>>>>Listen Here

 

As much as we have enjoyed the incredible beauty of nature on this trip, we’ve also enjoyed how God is taking shape in so many of his children. We’ve been with a lot of people who have lived in the darkness of legalism, trying to make sense of how their hard work was not meeting their desire to know Jesus. I cannot believe how widely they have opened their hearts to us. What we share has to be light-years from what they have known, and yet they have listened and processed their journey in light of the love that legalism only gave lip service to.

I asked a couple after one session how they think through what they’ve heard. Does it resonate with them, or is it so foreign they are tempted to discard it?

The husband responded, “No, it resonates. When I hear you talk about relaxing into God’s love, I know that somewhere deep inside, I already knew that. I didn’t realize it until you put it in words. That allowed me to recognize what I already knew.”

I love it when people say stuff like that. It confirms to me what a work of the Spirit his truth is. It doesn’t hit us out of the blue, but comes as a recognition of what he has already been seeding deep inside our hearts. I am so honored to have such conversations with people like I’ve met on this trip, and watch the eyes of their hearts pop open as his truth rises in their hearts.

Voices from the Road Read More »

When Our Trajectory Shifts

Behind the Scenes /

Sara and I had a fulfilling weekend in Calgary, sharing with a group of people some of the dynamics essential to relational community, and then in the afternoon, Sara and I shared about God’s faithfulness through our trauma story and how God shows up with his deepest love in our darkest places.

Monday, we toured Banff National Park (see above), yet another place where God’s Creation expresses his majesty and his wonder. The mountains, rivers, and lakes refreshed our hearts and restored our souls. This morning, we drove through some of that region as we began our journey home. We are in Cranbrook, AB, for the next two days, and then we will be in Coeur d’Alene over the weekend.  From there, we’re headed home, across Washington to the Sea-Tac area, and then south on I-5 through Portland, Redding, and points south.

Throughout this trip, Sara and I are even more aware of just how much the events of the last three years have altered our journey in ways we could not have imagined. At that time, I was contemplating what life would look like if without Sara, and whether or not I could continue to help others if my life to that moment had been a lie.

Then, God gave me a vision of a spaceship hurtling through the stars. Slowly, a large, orange, Jupiter-sized planet came into view from the left. As the craft whizzed past the planet, its course was bent by the gravity of that planet, and it shot off in a completely different direction. The thought in my head was, “This will change the trajectory of your life, but it will lead to beautiful places.

That has certainly been true. When Sara returned and we sorted out the bad counsel she had received, I knew that her discovery of trauma would decisively affect everything about our lives. On this trip, we are still discovering what that means and how Jesus is inviting us to live in these days, helping people with trauma, traveling less, and, most importantly, what it means to live inside a love that is greater than the darkest things evil can dish out.

God is always the loving hand working beneath the darkness to bring his redemption to bear on the assaults of evil. When your best-laid plans turn on a dime, we all need to know God still has a way through for us. He can take our new reality, as painful as it is, and work great good out of it. Let his glory unfold in you, especially when circumstances change your trajectory. Don’t cling to the plan of the past, but let God write a new script that will lead you to more beautiful places.

Most of the underlying themes that allowed me to let God shift my trajectory can be found in my newest book: It’s Time: Letters to the Bride of Christ at the End of the Age. It’s about the transformation that love can work into a heart that can prepare them to face any ordeal and come out with a deeper appreciation and practice in love and trust. You can order it in paperback ($10.99) or e-book ($8.99).

And now, the audiobook is available ($17.46 from Amazon), in which I get to read my own words for those of you who want to listen to the tones and inflections I had in mind when I wrote it. I’m so glad to have it available in this format. You can listen to a preview of the audiobook in the player below:

Let me close with a review I received last week about this book:

Wayne Jacobsen’s It’s Time! is a tender, urgent call to the heart of every believer who dares to ask: What if Jesus is coming back sooner than we think—and are we living like it matters? In this moving collection of spiritual letters, Jacobsen writes not with fear or fanaticism, but with deep love and prophetic insight—guiding Christ’s followers into readiness not just for His return, but for the kind of radiant, resilient faith needed in these final hours.

Drawing from the imagery of the Bride of Christ, Jacobsen paints a portrait of a people set apart—longing not for escape, but for intimacy with the Bridegroom. His tone is pastoral and poetic, rooted in Scripture and overflowing with wisdom born of experience and prayer. As he walks the hills near his home and listens to the whisper of the Spirit, he passes on that whisper to us—reminding us of what it means to live faithfully in an age clouded by darkness and deception.

This is not apocalyptic speculation. It’s spiritual preparation. With honesty and clarity, Jacobsen reminds us that whether Christ returns in 10 years or 150, there must always be a generation willing to:

  • Love beyond self-preservation
  • Shine brighter than the lies of the age
  • Walk in unshakable trust amid the shaking of nations
  • Anchor hope not in outcomes, but in God’s sovereign story

What makes It’s Time! so compelling is that it doesn’t scream for attention—it sings. It calls quietly, yet powerfully, to the Bride of Christ to awaken, to prepare, and to live as though eternity is nearer than we think.

 

When Our Trajectory Shifts Read More »

On Our Way to Calgary and Coeur d’Alene

Encouragement / / , , ,

Having traveled from California to Denver, Rapid City, SD, Sheridan, WY, Bozeman, MT, we have arrived on the doorstep of Glacier National Park to spend a few days together. We are in the most magnificent RV Park we’ve ever seen.

Last weekend we were in Yellowstone National Park, and yesterday we drove the Going-to-the-Sun Road (see above) through the heart of Glacier National Park. Such beauty is hard to contain, and we have felt wonderfully detached from all the political fear and animosity driving our world to deeper conflict and anguish. It truly is time for those who are at rest in the love of Jesus to be revealed in the way they treat others, especially those who are lost in darkness.

We saw breathtaking views around every bend and have reflected on the immensity of our Creator. It’s also quite a contrast between the beauty of what he made and the constant conflict among humanity that despoils his work.

We got into an interesting discussion in Bozeman, MT. Helping people discern between true and false ministries, we talked about the difference between those who give you the agency to follow Jesus and those who rob you of the freedom to do so. Misguided leaders would rather tell you what to do—what you can read, who you can associate with, what meetings you must go to, and even what to wear, or even what to eat. In Colossians 2, Paul warned us that those who tell you what to do have lost connection with the Head. Since they are no longer following him, they don’t think you can either, so they make you dependent on their rules.

One of the major causes of embedded trauma is that the person did not have the agency to manage the tragic events happening to them. They didn’t have the internal resources to deal with the pain, nor did they have someone to turn to for help. Those who represent Jesus will in the world help others find their agency by equipping others to discern and follow the heart of Jesus. They are not troubled by your mistakes, but encourage you to think and listen for yourself. (In this week’s podcast, Kyle and I will discuss how Scripture in the hands of a bully can weaponize passages that were meant for our healing and freedom, and how that devastates people. It will air this Friday.)

Tomorrow, we head north to Canada. This weekend, we will be with the folks of UChurch in Calgary, AB. They are meeting at a community center in a park at 10:00 am and again at 2:00 pm, with a lunch break in between. They are providing hot dogs and burgers, and asking everyone else to bring side dishes to be shared.  8551 Bowness Road NW  •  Calgary, T3B 0H8. If you live nearby come and join us.

Next week, will visit Banff National Park before we head back to the U.S.

Our first stop when we are stateside again will be Coeur d’Alene, the weekend of September 27-28. We are hosting a meet-up on Saturday, outside Coeur d’Alene, in Liberty Lake, WA.  Saturday, September 27, from 1 pm to 5 pm. We’ve had a lot of interest, so please RSVP and get more details by signing up here.

 

On Our Way to Calgary and Coeur d’Alene Read More »

Embracing Peace Amid the Chaos

Culture Watch / / , ,

Every day this week, Sara and I have woken up to yet another horrible story in the news:

  • Israel launching missiles at Hamas in Qatar
  • Starvation in Gaza
  • Russian drones shot down over Poland
  • The assassination of Charlie Kirk

These are certainly perilous times. My heart hurts with each news cycle as the world seems to spiral ever deeper into animosity, polarization, and carnage.  How do I manage these things? I do it the same way I’ve managed my life for the past four years—I wake up every day and try to gaze at these things from God’s perspective.

The world may be growing darker, but his plan for redemption is the undercurrent to all of it. His heart is to redeem, to let his love interact with the chaos of this world. Don’t doubt for a moment that his plan is unfolding, and though growing pain and darkness may be part of that as the world rebels against its Creator, we know he will win in the end.

And then, I ask Jesus what he is giving me today. I’m not trying to get anything from him. I’m not trying to get him to fix the world. I’m not fretting over anything I cannot control. I simply ask him to help me love well in my corner of the world.

I can tell you what it was like yesterday. Sara and I shared our trauma story with Kyle’s (yes, podcast co-host, Kyle) Advanced Counseling class at Sheridan College. We told them the story of Sara’s unfolding trauma story and how it nearly derailed our marriage. It sparked a raw and honest conversation. We were even asked if this experience changed our relationship with God. What a morning!

And then, in the evening, I sat around a table with some people who are dealing with the implosion in the 2×2 church, and shared about living in God’s love and community beyond it.

Sara and I will move on from Sheridan, WY tomorrow and head into Montana, still planning on getting to Calgary and then coming back through Coeur D’Alene and some routing across Washington and Oregon.  We are also having days just to enjoy the beauty of the countryside around us. We spent a day seeing the beauty of the Black Hills and stopped to behold the Devil’s Tower. It’s a trip with great beauty in the Creation, and in God’s work among his people.

It is possible to walk through the chaos of these days, with our gaze firmly set on him, and have his peace hold our hearts in these perilous times. That’s the theme of It’s Time: Letters to the Bride of Christ at the End of the Age. It’s now completely done and available at all e-book outlets, and in print from Amazon.com.

Here’s an email I got today from a reader:

I was immediately struck by IT’S TIME!, a Spirit-filled collection that speaks with tenderness and urgency to the Bride of Christ in an age clouded by uncertainty. Rather than leaning on fear or speculation, your letters call believers to cultivate resilient faith, deep intimacy with Christ, and a radiant hope that transcends circumstances.

What makes this book stand out is its balance of pastoral warmth and prophetic clarity. The imagery of the Bride of Christ, paired with practical encouragement for love, light, and trust in perilous times, resonates deeply with both individual readers and church communities longing for renewal. It’s not apocalyptic hype it’s spiritual preparation.

I hope you can take some time and read thoughtfully throug it.

As an added note, I got this advice from Stephen in Japan.  “Just a bit of a tech tip for those who are reading on Kindle. What you need to do is to click on the book, select delete download, and then click the title again so it starts the new download.” That way you won’t have to re-buy the book; you’ll get the full download.

 

Embracing Peace Amid the Chaos Read More »

It’s Finally Done!

10 Comments / Uncategorized / / , ,

We have made it to Colorado, though the trip out was not easy. We had some mechanical issues and severe weather to navigate, but we arrived on time and spent the first couple of days getting our issues resolved. We are now set up alongside a beautiful creek in Golden, CO, with a walking path along it that stretches out in both directions. And Mandy enjoys the creek every day.

Next week, we will head north with stops for conversations and sightseeing in Rapid City, SD, Sheridan, WY, Bozeman, MT, Kalispell, MT, and hopefully in Calgary, AB.  Then, we’ll work our way homeward through Washington and Oregon. If you want to join us somewhere, let me know.

I am writing this to let you know that my newest book, It’s Time: Letters to the Bride of Christ at the End of the Age, is finally complete and ready for purchase. You can order it in paperback ($10.99) or e-book ($8.99). If you purchased the Kindle version for Part 1, the new version with Part 2 will be added to your file the next time you update it. It may already be there.

This book has been a labor of love over the past three years. When God first put it on my heart to write it, I knew this would be a very different book for me. It would be like living loved on steroids, through the darkest challenges life can throw at us. What I didn’t know at the outset was how my life would be put through the wringer in so many different ways as I wrote it. Through it all, I have discovered a depth of trust in his love and rest in his work that has rewritten the script of my life in a wonderful way.

Everything Jesus has taught me in the last five years is in this book, how the life of Jesus and his goodness can shine through us, regardless of whatever darkness we face. That’s what Creation yearns for and what the world needs to see—a people who have found their Life in him, and nothing that happens in this world can destroy it.

Now, I want to share all of that with you.

It’s Time is about God revealing himself in his sons and daughters as the end of days unfolds. I’m not a date-setter, but I will be surprised if this world makes it another decade before Jesus returns. Whether this is the end or not, I cannot say with any degree of certainty. I see signs that make me wonder, and the possibility delights my heart. If this is not the beginning of the end, then when it does come, it will look a lot like this.

The time of Jesus’s coming may be at hand; the time for letting his love be revealed through us definitely is.

Here is an excerpt from the last chapter:

These pages carry a gentle invitation to draw into the deep places where our love and trust in him aren’t based on us getting what we want, but the simple and profound magnificence of his presence in us. This is how Jesus prepares us for whatever may come. Too many followers of Jesus are playing the world’s games, thinking they are following Jesus. They have been deluded by the lie that the kingdom comes by coercion. Their wounded hearts look to lash out at their perceived enemies. Their only hope is to be loved back into life, where the tactics of darkness hold no sway.

“Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20)

That phrase makes my heart soar in a way it hasn’t before. I’m convinced we live in the moments before the dawn. Certainly, darkness seems to rule everywhere we look, but for those with eyes to see, the skies have already begun to brighten ever-so- slightly on the eastern horizon.

And, here is the Table of Contents

  1. It’s Time
  2. Is This Where It Ends?
  3. This Scares Me to Death
  4. Who Are You to Write Such Things?
  5. The Tender Call
  6. Following the Lamb
  7. The Power of Tenderness
  8. Love What Is True
  9. Eyes to See, Ears to Hear
  10. Only One Thing Matters
  11. Love, Rest, and Play
  12. Rise and Shine
  13. Riding the Wind
  14. By Every Word
  15. The God-Shaped Life, Part 1
  16. The God-Shaped Life, Part 2
  17. Embracing God in Our Pain
  18. Holding God’s Pain
  19. Children of the Day
  20. Stand By
  21. And Then the End Shall Come

_______________________________________________

It’s Time: Letters to the Bride of Christ at the End of the Age
221 pages, paperback ($10.99) or e-book ($8.99)

It’s Finally Done! Read More »

MENU