About me

I was born and raised in Northern (Superior) Wisconsin about 80 miles from the Canadian border; and, yes it gets very cold there! At the young age of 32 I began to feel called into ministry. One night at a church dinner, my wife Judy and I sat at a table next to our district superintendent. In the course of our conversation, he said that he had a small church that needed someone to supply the pulpit until he could appoint a new pastor. My pastor suggested that maybe I could do that. I agreed, and two Sundays later, my wife and I drove to that small rural church. Little did we know that I would fill the pulpit in that church for thirteen years!

I have now been in the ministry for 35 years after also serving churches in Virginia and Maryland. I am currently retired...well, sort of. In my retirement, I am now serving as part-time Pastor of First Evangelical Covenant Church in Superior Wi. I began writing books about seven years ago, and still enjoy speaking and teaching when I can. My wife Judy passed away in 2021and I have since remarried to My wife Crystal.

I have a deep desire to help people grow in their faith and knowledge of God’s Word. My books are what I call a “Quest for Discipleship”. As I said, I am a published author and I have nineteen books which include my latest called "Tell Me, Show Me, Fill Me, Change Me"; "In It For Life"; “By His Hand”; “Show and Tell”; “The Promised Gift”; “Jars of Clay”; “The Kingdom of God”; “From the Pastor’s Desk”; “More From the Pastor’s Desk”; "T.E.A.M."; "Let Earth Receive Her King"; "Therefore" "Principles from Proverbs"; "God's Top ten"; "Prayer Changes Things", "5 R's of Revelation" and two "Renewed Faith" 90 day devotionals all by Life Ministries Publishing.

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Friday, February 1, 2013

    According to the Bible, God has given man two free gifts that solve the two problems of mankind. Man’s #1 Problem is SIN.  God has provided the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ His Son and his sacrificial death on the Cross of Calvary. Man’s #2 problem is that he is a SINNER.  That is, we have a sinful nature that is bent toward sin and pleasure and power. To help us with this battle with the sinful nature God has also given the free gift of the Holy Spirit. Both gifts must be accepted to do us any good at all. However, we must receive the first before we receive the second. These two gifts from God - along with the “inspired” owner’s manual - give us “everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3)
    In His Word, God offers us four things that can become a part of our lives when - and if - we accept His gifts, and allow the Holy Spirit to “do His thing!”  The first is that God offers through His Holy Spirit to “lead us.” The primary goal of the Holy Spirit is to lead us into “Christ-likeness.” He will guide our thoughts, and direct our paths according to God’s will. I have looked back on my life and found that God was guiding and directing my paths in life even when I didn’t know it.
    Second, God offers us the “power” of the Holy Spirit. Someone once said that “knowledge is power” and perhaps that’s the real power we receive; the knowledge of truth. The Bible says that the “things of the Spirit are foolishness to those who are without the Spirit”, but the Spirit opens blind eyes and deaf ears, and softens even the hardest heart. We receive power over Satan and temptations. We receive the power to witness and to stand on, and grow in, our faith. We receive the power to use the gifts and talents we have been given for God’s glory. The knowledge of God and His Word is a powerful thing!
    Third, we receive and begin to bear, the “fruit of the Spirit”. If you read (John 15:1-17) you can better under-stand the Spirit’s role in “bearing fruit” in our lives. I personally believe that the proof or “manifestation” of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our life is not “gifts” it is “fruit!”  Whatever spiritual gift we have received from God is virtually useless without the “fruit of the Spirit” to back it up.
    Fourth, of course, is that we receive the gifts of the Spirit. 1st. Corinthians 12:7 tells us that the gifts are “given for the common good.” These are to help us become participators rather than spectators of God’s work in the world. The gifts of the Spirit are given - not to bring “competition” but rather “contribution.”
    We have been given a two-fold gift from God; the work of Jesus, the Son of God “for us” and the work of the Holy Spirit “in us.” One is our eternal gift…the other is our internal gift. Both are intricate parts of our growth as Christians.

 
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