During Passover, Passion Week, and Resurrection Weekend, millions pause to reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Yet for many, this sacred season has been reduced to cultural tradition like Easter eggs, celebrations, and commercial distractions.

For believers, however, this moment calls us back to something far deeper: the High Cost of Love demonstrated at Calvary. It is a time to remember that our salvation, freedom, and reconciliation with God were not earned, they were purchased.

The contrast reveals a profound distinction between the merchandising of Easter and the holiness of the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

For believers around the globe, this is a sacred time, a solemn reminder of the Great Sacrifice that purchased our salvation, freedom, and reconciliation with God. May we never lose our wonder and awe at the price that was paid.

Perhaps you’ve heard or even asked yourself: Is what Jesus did on the Cross 2000 years ago really pertinent to me today?

It is im possible to have a strong foundation as a Christian unless we have arevelation of the Passion of Christ, the Work of The Cross, and The Power of the Resurrection…and how it can transform our lives today. Without that understanding, we will be apathetic believers at best.

In some circles and especially in our western culture, we may have heard about the Cross so often that the thought of our sins that put Him there doesn’t still break our hearts, igniting a burning passion of gratitude and service within us.

We sometimes take for granted the High Cost of Love that was displayed upon the Cross for us. I wonder if it’s because we have so many distractions and substitutes that put more focus on self rather than fixing our eyes on the Author and Finisher of our faith?

The Cry from the Cross: “It Is Finished!”

Among the final words Jesus spoke while hanging on the Cross, recorded in the Gospel of John, are these powerful words:

“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” (John 19:30)

These were not words of resignation but a declaration of victory. The Greek word tetelestai means paid in full, completed, accomplished. The mission for which Christ came into the world had reached its fulfillment.

Immediately following His death, something extraordinary occurred: “Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” (Mark 15:38)

The veil was of considerable size and weight. I’ve been taught that it was 30 feet wide and 90 feet high, supported by four pillars. So when we read that the veil was torn from top to bottom, a supernatural event is being described, as if some great pair of hands took to the veil and tore it as if it were nothing. We are looking at nothing less than the hands of God reaching down to rip away that which separated us from His presence!

This veil in the temple separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, the earthly symbol of God’s dwelling presence. Because of humanity’s sin, the holiness of God would not allow the presence of sinful flesh before Him. No one was allowed to go behind the veil into the presence of God except for once a year, on the Day of Atonement, when the High Priest was permitted to enter and make atonement for the people.

When Jesus, the High Priest of the New Covenant, completed His work on the Cross, access to God was opened.

“For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” (Ephesians 2:18)

Through the finished work of Christ, we now receive forgiveness, salvation, healing, freedom, and restored fellowship with God. The Cross was not merely an event; it was the doorway into relationship.

The Great Exchange:

Centuries before Calvary, the prophet Isaiah foresaw what would take place:

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows… He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4–5)

This prophetic picture reveals what I call The Great Exchange through the High Cost of Love. Jesus exchanged:

• our sin for His righteousness,
• our guilt for His forgiveness,
• our sickness for His healing,
• our death for His life,
• our separation for intimacy with the Father.

An old hymn captures it well: We owed a debt we could not pay; He paid a debt He did not owe.

Christ willingly experienced our separation so we could experience His fellowship.

A Question Worth Asking:

Is what Jesus accomplished on the Cross truly relevant today?

It is impossible to build a strong Christian life without a clear revelation of Christ’s passion and sacrifice. Without understanding the Cross, believers often drift into apathy, living shallow spiritual lives disconnected from eternity.

The late Leonard Ravenhill frequently wrote a piercing question on his notes:

“Are the things you’re living for worth Christ dying for?”

In one handwritten letter he sent me during a difficult season of his life, despite illness and physical suffering, he concluded with a statement that deeply impacted me:

“He is no fool who exchanges his burden of sin for the burden of the Lord.”
Those words convicted and encouraged me. The Christian life is not merely
receiving forgiveness; it is exchanging our burdens for His purposes.

The Exchange of Burdens:

The first exchange Christ made was eternal, giving us life in place of death. Yet the exchange continues daily as we surrender our will to His.

To follow Christ means embracing His heart for a broken world. If our sins are forgiven yet we lack passion for God’s purposes, something is missing at the foundation of our faith.

Paul reminds us: “You are not your own…you were bought at a price.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20)

Christianity is not living as we please while occasionally calling on God for help. It is yielding every part of our lives to His lordship. Our goal is not to make God fit into our plans, but to fit into His.

Paul seemed to be wondering if the Corinthians had forgotten this foundation stone of a fruitful Christian life. Christianity is not living any way you want, with a quick call to Jesus for help whenever you get yourself in trouble. The life of faith is not a “pick and choose” game where we keep what we like and discard what we don’t. Christianity is not making the Word of God fit what we want so we can continue to satisfy our own fleshly desires and greed. Our quest should be to fit into God’s plans rather than trying to squeeze Him into ours.

This is still a watershed issue that should challenge our values today. Despite the fact that Jesus died to give us new life through His resurrection, we are often too busy thinking about and doing things which amount to resurrecting the “old man” rather than living the resurrected life, so it becomes very easy to get off into error.

Identifying with the New Life:

Many believers struggle because they continue identifying with their past rather than their new identity in Christ. When we continually rehearse old failures, strongholds remain.

The Cross calls us to die to the old man and live the resurrected life. When we die to ourselves and commit ourselves to the full lordship of Jesus, our hearts become less likely to be drawn into deception. Thus, a firm commitment to do the will of God will keep us from falling into error by entertaining what is not His will for our lives. When we are not focused on God’s covenant for our lives, it is so easy to become deceived through vain imaginations, the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.

We need to orientate our minds toward identifying with our new life in Christ instead of our old man, who was dead in trespasses and sins. When we identify with our pasts, it is impossible to break the strongholds of sin in our lives. This “identification” problem stands at the core of most struggling Christians.

Jesus promised: “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine…” (John 7:17)

Commitment to obedience protects us from deception and aligns our hearts with truth.

The Leper’s Cleansing – A Prophetic Picture:

Leviticus 14:1-4 describes the “great exchange” in a truly wonderful way:

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “This shall be the law of the leper for
the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought to the priest. And the priest shall go
out of the camp, and the priest shall examine him; and indeed, if the leprosy is
healed in the leper, then the priest shall command to take for him who is to be
cleansed two living and clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop.”

Leprosy, in the Bible, is symbolic of the uncleanness of sin and especially the result of sin: death. Aside from a miracle, there was no cure for leprosy. (Yet, God provided instructions for those who would be cured! Proof that He wants to do miracles!) Because it was highly contagious, those who were infected had to live in separate colonies. If you were a leper and someone approached you on the road, by law you had to raise your arms and shout, “Unclean, unclean!” so people would know to avoid you for fear of being infected.

God uses leprosy in Leviticus 14 to illustrate how our sins were cleansed in Jesus 2000 years ago on the Cross. This is the same chapter Jesus referred to in Matthew 8:1-4 after He healed a leper. When the leper was “cleansed” or healed, Jesus told him to follow the prescription in Leviticus 14. A healed leper would undergo a specific ritual designed to teach about the Messiah and His redemptive work.

One bird was killed in an earthen vessel over running water — a picture of Christ in human flesh.

The second bird was dipped in the blood and released into the open field.

The imagery is profound.

The slain bird represents Jesus’ sacrificial death.
The living bird represents resurrection life, Christ victorious and all who are set free in Him.

Through His blood, the sinner is cleansed and released into freedom.

This is the Great Exchange: He died so we might live.

Consecrated Hearing, Doing, and Walking:

After cleansing, blood was applied to three places on the one who is cleansed:

• the right ear
• the right thumb
• the big toe of the right foot.

This symbolized total consecration.

The ear — set apart to hear God’s voice.
The hand — set apart for righteous works.
The foot — set apart to walk in God’s ways.

Every dimension of life comes under the sanctifying power of Christ’s blood. Holiness is not human striving but divine transformation.

The Oil Upon the Blood:

Oil, representing the Holy Spirit, was then placed upon the same areas where the blood had been applied.

The order reveals God’s pattern:

1. Cleansing through the blood
2. Sanctification for God’s purposes
3. Empowerment by the Spirit

The Holy Spirit seals salvation, sanctifies character, and empowers believers for service: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” (Acts 1:8)

The early church proclaimed not only a crucified Christ but a risen Lord demonstrated through Spirit-filled lives.

Sealed, Sanctified, and Empowered:

The remaining oil was poured upon the head of the cleansed person — a picture of overflowing empowerment. This foreshadows the outpouring of the Holy Spirit described in Acts.

The Christian life is meant to be lived in supernatural dependence upon God.
Without Him we can do nothing, but through His Spirit we become witnesses of the living Christ.

Leviticus 14 is loaded with symbolic references that are easy to miss. “Cedar wood” is representative of the wood of the Cross, and thus becomes a symbol of the crucifixion. “Scarlet” is a type of the blood of Christ which was shed on that Cross for our sakes. “Hyssop” is symbolic of the purging Jesus experienced on our behalf (Psalm 51:7, Hebrews 1:3), cleansing away the sins of the world by His blood.

The chapter continues:

“And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel
over running water. And for the living bird, he shall take it, the cedar wood and
the scarlet and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in the blood of the
bird that was killed over the running water. And he shall sprinkle it seven times on
him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy, and shall pronounce him clean, and
shall let the living bird loose in the open field” (Leviticus 14:5-7).

What is the significance of the two birds?

The first bird is killed in an earthen vessel over running water. The first bird typifies God manifested in the “earthen vessel” of flesh—Jesus of Nazareth. “Running water” (sometimes referred to as living water) is figurative of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was “killed…over running water” in the sense that, from beginning to end, He was anointed by and saturated with the Holy Spirit “without measure” (see John 1:32, Matthew 26:6-13, John 4:7-14).

The second (living) bird is taken together with the cedar wood, the scarlet, and the hyssop, and dipped in the blood of the bird that was killed over running water. The leper is sprinkled with this blood seven times, then the living bird is loosed into the open field.

Many commentators believe the second bird is figurative of us as we are cleansed of our sins, and the bird that was killed is figurative of the Lord exchanging His life for us.

Think about it! The “living” bird is taken together with the elements representative of the crucifixion. It is dipped in the “sinless” blood of the bird which was killed over running water, then let loose into the open field after the leper is sprinkled with blood seven times.

Jesus overcame the world “by water and blood” (1 John 5:5-6). Although He was crucified, death could not hold Him because of His sinless blood. He was resurrected from the dead by the living water of the Holy Spirit. Then He sprinkled His blood before the temple in heaven, once and for all, so that He could forever cleanse all those who would come to Him (John 20:17, Hebrews 9:12).

The Crown of Thorns for the Crown of Life:

Jesus bore a crown of thorns — symbolizing humanity’s curse — so that we might receive the Crown of Life.

He took upon Himself:

• sin,
• guilt,
• fear,
• pain,
• death.

Scripture promises: “Be faithful… and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10)

One day we will lay every crown before Him, declaring Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Cross Was Not an Accident — It Was Fulfillment

Among Jesus’ final words were: “It is finished.” (John 19:30)

The Greek word tetelestai means paid in full.

This declaration meant more than the end of suffering. It announced that everything foreshadowed in the Old Covenant sacrificial system had reached completion.

Jesus did not abolish the Law; He fulfilled it.

The entire Levitical system pointed prophetically toward Him

Jesus, Our Perfect Sacrifice:

In Leviticus, God established five primary sacrifices that governed Israel’s worship and relationship with Him. Each revealed a different aspect of atonement and fellowship. Together they formed a prophetic picture of Christ.

At Calvary, Jesus became the Perfect and Complete Sacrifice, fulfilling all the offerings simultaneously.

1. The Burnt Offering — Total Surrender (Leviticus 1)
The burnt offering was completely consumed on the altar, symbolizing total consecration and devotion to God. Jesus fulfilled this perfectly. He held nothing back. “Not My will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)

Christ offered Himself entirely, in absolute obedience to the Father.

The Cross reveals complete surrender.

2. The Grain Offering — The Sinless Life (Leviticus 2)
The grain offering contained no blood but represented thanksgiving and a life of purity and holiness. It was made of fine flour, symbolizing a life without corruption.

Jesus lived the flawless life we could never live. He was:

• without sin
• without mixture
• without compromise

His perfect humanity qualified Him to become our substitute.

The Cross was effective because His life was spotless.

3. The Peace Offering — Restored Fellowship (Leviticus 3)
The peace offering celebrated reconciliation between God and humanity. It symbolized restored relationship and shared fellowship through the Cross: “Having made peace through the blood of His cross…” (Colossians 1:20)

Jesus removed hostility between God and man.

The veil tearing in the temple declared that peace had been restored and access to God reopened.

The Cross was not only about forgiveness — it was about fellowship.

4. The Sin Offering — Atonement for Sin (Leviticus 4)
The sin offering dealt with humanity’s sinful nature, cleansing defilement before God.

Paul writes: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Jesus became our sin offering, carrying the weight of humanity’s rebellion upon Himself.

The judgment we deserved fell upon Him.

This is the heart of the Great Exchange.

5. The Trespass Offering — Payment for Our Debt (Leviticus 5)
The trespass offering addressed specific acts of wrongdoing and required restitution.

At Calvary, Jesus paid humanity’s moral and spiritual debt in full.

When He cried, “It is finished,” the account was settled forever.

The debt ledger was erased.

The Perfect Sacrifice:

Unlike repeated temple sacrifices, Jesus’ sacrifice was once and for all.

“By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14)

He was simultaneously:

• the High Priest
• the Lamb
• the Altar
• and the Offering

Every sacrifice pointed to Him. Every altar anticipated Him. Every drop of blood foreshadowed Calvary.

The Cross was the convergence of centuries of prophecy.

A Personal Lesson — The Exchange of Burdens:

During a season when I suffered severe sciatic pain and emotional exhaustion, I received a handwritten letter from Leonard Ravenhill, then in his 80s, recovering from illness and heart attacks.

Yet he wrote with surrender, not complaint:

“My times are in Thy hands… ready for service, lowly or great.”

He ended with these words:

“He is no fool who exchanges his burden of sin for the burden of the Lord.”

Those words convicted me deeply.

The Cross is not only where Jesus removes our burden — it is where we exchange our lives for His purposes.

The Invitation of the Cross:

The Cross still asks each of us a personal question: Are you living surrendered to Christ, or still carrying the weight of your past?

While many today pursue exalted and high places, Jesus, The Exalted One, left His highest place to pursue us.

In Jesus’ own words, “No greater love has no man than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

The Great Exchange is available today.

Exchange guilt for grace.
Exchange striving and self-rule for surrender.
Exchange your brokenness for His life.
Exchange fear for faith.
Exchange religion for relationship.

Let our prayer be:

“Not my will, Lord, but Yours be done. Transform my heart. Sanctify my life. Let
me never be ashamed of the Gospel.”

BY DOUG STRINGER

(Portions extrapolated from Doug’s book, Born to Die…that we may live as well as other writings from throughout the years)

Grace does not eliminate truth, and kindness does not cancel consequences.

Sin still carries consequences. Choices matter. God has established moral laws, biblical laws, natural laws, and human laws. Violating them, personally or corporately, always produces the fruit of sin, either sooner or later.

Grace was never given to justify sin, but to transform lives.

I endeavor to show genuine care, concern, kindness, and generosity to those I encounter. But kindness does not require agreement with another person’s decisions or personal choices. Rather, it is meant to be a tangible expression of Christ’s love. Jesus Himself was full of grace and truth (John 1:14). As Matthew 5:16 reminds us, we are to let our light shine in such a way that others see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.

At the same time, we must resist the temptation to bring God’s holiness down to our level. We do not enter His presence casually. We come to be changed, from the inside-out.

When we lower God’s standards to accommodate our preferences, we risk profaning what is holy.

THE HIGH COST OF LOVE AND GRACE

The grace of God came at an immeasurable cost poured out on Calvary. Hebrews 10 delivers one of Scripture’s most sobering warnings:

“If we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins…How much worse punishment do you suppose will be deserved by the one who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:26–29)

Grace is trampled when we treat Christ’s sacrifice as ordinary or common, when we claim grace while justifying compromise. This is not only a personal insult to the high cost of God’s love, but a growing corporate danger within the Church.

Years ago, I wrote:

“A gradual desensitization permits us to accept things once thought profane and obscene as now acceptable, even commonplace. People pick and choose what is right and wrong for them, often according to their own personal preferences and feelings.” (Doug Stringer, July 7, 2009)

That warning has only intensified with time. What once shocked our consciences is now normalized. What once called for repentance is now defended as personal freedom.

DIVINE WARNINGS IN UNCERTAIN AND STORMY TIMES

Excitement and momentum may carry us for a season, but storms demand roots. Windsurfing and speedboating through life may be exhilarating; but when the winds of crisis and shaking intensify, we must be anchored in God’s Word, His presence, and His wisdom.

God is calling His Church to prepare and to become an ark of refuge in troubled times. 

By aligning ourselves with His kingdom principles, we can be positioned to help others rather than be swept away ourselves.

How can we settle into complacency while so many remain shipwrecked in despair? How can we sit comfortably on the shores of comfort and ease while the world cries out for hope?

Noah faced similar days marked by corruption and moral decay. Hebrews 11:7 tells us he was divinely warned of things not yet seen and responded with godly fear. He prepared an ark, and in doing so, saved his household.

Obedience in dark times still matters.

LESSONS FROM THE BOOK OF HEBREWS: AVOIDING SPIRITUAL SHIPWRECK

The Book of Hebrews repeatedly exhorts believers to stand firm and finish well. Like the many warnings given to the Titanic before its tragic shipwreck, Hebrews offers divine warnings meant to spare us from personal and corporate collapse.

Among them are ten common hindrances to revival:

1. Negligence
2. Hardening of heart
3. Unbelief
4. Prayerlessness
5. Dullness of hearing
6. Discouragement
7. Unforgiveness and bitterness
8. Refusing God’s voice
9. Failure to hate sin
10. Insulting the Spirit of grace

Nearly every believer desires transformation, yet these subtle dangers often stand in the way.

Leonard Ravenhill observed: “Revival tarries because we are often content without it. We fear the cost. We resist disruption. Yet the Christian life can only be lived God’s way and that way requires surrender.”

The days of cosmetic Christianity are ending. Lukewarm, Laodicean faith is being exposed. We must choose whether we will be devoted or complacent, hot or cold.

A CALL TO COURAGE AND COMPASSION

Scripture tells us everything that can be shaken will be shaken (Hebrews 12:25–29). Shakings often lead to disappointment and discouragement, and, if we are not vigilant, they can also lead to compromise. But these moments are meant to drive us to prayer, not to retreat from it.

We are living in a time of open doors and fierce opposition. Paul wrote, “A great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:9). This is not a time to hide in comfort or retreat into our holy huddles.

George MacLeod, the famed Scottish preacher, rightly declared:

“I simply argue that the cross be raised again, in the center of the marketplace as well as on the steeple of the church… Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles but…at a crossroad…where cynics talk smut and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble. Because that is where He died, and that is what He died about…and that is what church people ought to be about.”

We are called to stand in the gap between the living and the perishing.

GRACE THAT EMPOWERS TRANSFORMATION

God gives grace not to excuse sin, but to overcome it. When we yield our will, mind, and body to Him, grace empowers us to live holy and compassionate lives in dark and difficult times.

We profane grace when we want God’s blessings without yielding to His lordship, when we build our own thresholds (meaning our own kingdom and plans) rather than surrender to His.

Anytime we build our own threshold or doorpost alongside God’s, we are not adding to His Kingdom, we are creating a counterfeit. Ezekiel 43 warns us not to place our threshold beside His, for doing so creates enmity between God and us. These “abominations” are not just outward sins, they are heart attitudes that replace God’s standards with our own.

In doing so, we reject His holiness while justifying our version of righteousness.

Holiness is not a religious list of rules. Nor is grace a license to do whatever feels right in our own eyes. True holiness—birthed from intimacy with Jesus—is not external piety but an inward surrender and consecration to the purposes of God. That is what will distinguish the Church in an age of compromise.

And just as dangerous as abusing grace is withholding it from others. Grace received must become grace extended.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11-14)

The hour is urgent. The harvest is ripe. The sirens are sounding.

As Winkey Pratney writes:

“When God finds someone with courage to pray, preach, and live a life of holiness and compassion, He can literally change the face of a nation.”

During times of crisis, courage and cowardice both emerge. Character shines brightest under pressure.

The question remains, will we trample grace or will we let it transform us?

Paul said, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11).

Notice this: Contentment is learned. It is forged in hidden places, developed through long obedience, and cultivated by surrendered trust.

Contentment does not mean the absence of vision, it means vision without striving.

True contentment flows from a life surrendered, rooted in godliness, sustained by gratitude, and confident that Christ alone is enough.

When leaders lack contentment:

• They chase affirmation.

• They compare assignments.

• They rush God’s timing.

• They compromise values for results.

But contentment:

• Guards the heart from envy and ambition.

• Anchors leaders in obedience, not outcomes.

• Allows leaders to lead from rest, not restlessness.

• Produces longevity, not burnout.

Contentment keeps leaders from confusing success with significance.

THE DANGER OF EMOTIONAL LEADERSHIP:

One of the greatest threats to leadership today is emotional reactivity, allowing feelings to dictate decisions.

Happy leaders may quit when joy fades. Content leaders remain when obedience costs.

Happiness comes and goes. Joy sustains hope. Contentment remains rooted.

LEGACY IS BUILT FROM CONTENTMENT:

Revival, reform, and reformation do not come from leaders chasing emotional highs. They come from men and women who are content to walk faithfully even when they may be unseen, uncelebrated, or misunderstood.

God entrusts lasting influence to leaders who are more concerned with alignment than with applause.

A LEADERSHIP PRAYER:

Lord, teach us contentment, not as complacency, but as confidence in You.

Deliver us from striving, comparison, and emotional drivenness.

Anchor our hearts in obedience, faithfulness, and truth.

May our leadership be sustained not by happiness, but by holy contentment.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

BY DOUG STRINGER

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a heart for the underdogs.

Long before I understood theology, leadership, or calling, I instinctively gravitated toward those on the margins. I think back to my childhood in National City, California. There was a boy in our neighborhood who would run from the school bus and crouch behind parked cars. The other kids mocked him. I didn’t fully understand why he did what he did, but something in me knew there was a story beneath his behavior. Rodney and I became friends until he and his family moved away.

Years later, looking back with greater compassion and awareness, I realized he likely had a colostomy bag or some physical condition he was trying to hide. What looked strange to others was probably his attempt to survive embarrassment, shame, or fear. That memory has stayed with me—not because of what we knew then, but because of what we failed to see.

That moment and others helped to shape me. It reinforced something I’ve come to believe deeply: every person has a story, and discernment requires compassion before judgment.

Reflections of an Older Man

As the years have passed, I’ve become more aware of my own limitations—physically, emotionally, and mentally. I feel tired at times in ways I didn’t when I was younger. Recuperation takes longer now. Rest is no longer optional; it’s necessary.

That’s why I’ve had to become intentional about stewarding my well-being. Mental stress relief, physical exercise, and consistent time at the gym aren’t luxuries for me—they’re lifelines. That space gives me room to breathe, to think, to process, and to reflect. It strengthens me physically, yes, but it also steadies me emotionally and mentally.

I’ve learned that if we don’t create margin, life will drain us dry. And too many in ministry confuse depletion with devotion.

The Desire for Do-Overs

If I’m honest, there are moments I wish I could redo.

Things I regret. Words I wish I’d spoken differently—or not at all. People I wish I’d noticed more. Moments where I could have ministered more effectively or loved more intentionally.

Time is relentless. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Do I have regrets? Absolutely.

Do I wish I had known then what I know now? Without question.

But here’s what I’ve learned: while we can’t reclaim yesterday, we can redeem today. Scripture exhorts us to redeem the time—not just by avoiding waste, but by living intentionally, wisely, and humbly in the present.

I often return to one of my old sayings:

Every life experience can become a life lesson, and every life lesson becomes part of our life message.

God wastes nothing—if we’re willing to learn.

The Cost and Privilege of Calling

Being in what I often describe as “the ministry of serving others” carries a cost few see.

Discernment doesn’t come cheaply. It requires a great deal of mental, emotional, and spiritual “deletion”—letting go of assumptions, ego, offense, and self-protection.

There is privilege in it, yes. There is deep purpose, especially when lives are genuinely impacted in godly and lasting ways. But there is also exhaustion—real, bone-deep exhaustion.

I don’t think most people understand the constant internal and external wrestling with God that comes with surrendering to His call. The intercession. The weight of responsibility. The unseen battles. The emotional labor of caring deeply while remaining anchored.

And if I’m candid, one of the things I haven’t always done well is learning how to rest physically—especially during intense seasons of responding to the needs of others. Good intentions don’t negate human limits.

Fixing Our Eyes on the Source

I’ve learned—sometimes the hard way—that true replenishment doesn’t come from applause, productivity, or even successful ministry outcomes. It comes from keeping our eyes fixed on the Lord.

He alone restores the soul.

He alone gives wisdom—both spiritual and practical.

He alone teaches us when to advance and when to pause.

In a world that celebrates speed, visibility, and constant output, I believe God is calling us back to discernment, compassion, and faithfulness—especially toward the underdogs, the overlooked, and the misunderstood.

Because often, they’re closer to the heart of God than we realize.

And perhaps, in learning to see them more clearly, God is also teaching us how to see ourselves—and Him—with greater clarity.

BY DOUG STRINGER

We are living in days of increasing chaos, compromise, and cultural confusion. In such a time,
there is a desperate need for leaders who have not just been trained but transformed. The world
isn’t longing for more polished presenters or platform personalities—it’s longing for men and
women whose lives radiate the presence and power of God.

True leadership isn’t about titles, talent, or trending influence. It’s about transformation. Before
we can transform culture, we must first allow God to transform us.

Romans 12:2 reminds us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind.” This is not a one-time event but a daily surrender—a continual
yielding of our hearts to the shaping hand of God. Leadership rooted in godliness is built not on
charisma, but on consecration.

You can have gifts, charisma, and even a wide platform—but without godly character, it will
eventually crumble. What we need today are leaders whose hearts are shaped in the secret
place, who lead from humility, brokenness, and wholeness in Christ. God is more interested in
our posture before Him than our position before people.

Vessels of Honor in a Culture of Compromise:

We are living in a generation where the pressure to conform is relentless. But transforming
leadership doesn’t bow to the idols of popularity, political correctness, or personal gain.
Paul’s exhortation in 2 Timothy 2:20–21 calls us to be “vessels of honor, sanctified and useful to
the Master.” To be used by God, we must remain set apart from the compromise that surrounds
us.

We don’t need more cultural influencers; we need Kingdom carriers—leaders who are not
swayed by public opinion but anchored in biblical conviction and compassion. The kind of
leaders who stand unshakable in a shaking world because they’ve already bowed their knee in
surrender to Christ.

In the world’s eyes, success is measured by numbers, followers, and applause. But Heaven
measures differently. God is not impressed by what impresses men. Titus 2:7–8 charges us to
“set an example by doing what is good.”

The legacy of a leader is not found in the monuments they build to themselves, but in the altars
they establish to the Lord.

What we compromise to keep, we will eventually lose. But what we surrender to God, He will
use to shape the next generation.

Love in Every Language:

What does love look like? Love looks like serving.

SERVING others opens their hearts to receive our message.

When Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, He demonstrated a love that stoops low to lift others up. Compassion is not weakness—it’s Kingdom strength expressed through humility.

Compassion evangelism is more than good works; it’s the tangible expression of Christ’s love.

Too often, our good works become “dead works” when they’re disconnected from the heart of
the Gospel. Every act of compassion should ultimately point people to the cross.

Our serving is not to draw attention to ourselves but to direct attention to Jesus—so that “it
would bring glory to our Father in Heaven” (Luke 5:16).

In Genesis 24, we see Rebecca’s act of kindness—drawing water for 10 camels—open the
door to a generational covenant blessing. Simple obedience and serving others can unlock
divine purpose.

In John 4, Jesus told His disciples, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about… Look up,
the fields are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:32, 35). Compassion opens our eyes to see what God
sees—the harvest before us.

And in Luke 21:13, Jesus said, “It shall turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.” Every act
of love, every moment of service, every relationship forged through compassion can become an
occasion for testimony—an opportunity for the Gospel.

The Ministry of Presence:

Sometimes the most powerful ministry is simply showing up. Presence matters.

Friendship evangelism, compassion evangelism, and the ministry of presence all flow from the
same heart—to make the invisible God visible through our tangible expressions of who He is.

We may never know the unseen threads God is weaving through our lives—the connections, partnerships, and moments that become nets of salvation.

Unseen Threads in the Fishing Nets:

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and told them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some” (John 21:6).

When they obeyed, the catch was so great that they could hardly pull it in. Yet when they
worked together, the net was not broken.

Too many have been torn while trying to draw in their nets—forgetting that synergy and
partnership are part of God’s design.

Scripture tells us that Peter and his companions caught 153 fish. Some biblical scholars note
that there were 153 known nations in the world at that time—a prophetic sign that the Gospel
would reach every tribe, tongue, and nation.

When we work together in humility and unity, we become part of God’s great harvest net that
will not break.

Relational Equity – The Currency of the Kingdom:

The Kingdom of God is built on relationships—first with God, then with one another.
Relationships define our destinies. The degree of influence we have and the legacy we leave for
the next generation are determined by the depth and quality of our relationships.

In a culture obsessed with image and influence, let’s be a people of integrity and intimacy. Let’s
build relational equity that endures—rooted in love, humility, and the shared pursuit of God’s
heart.

When we lead from the towel instead of the throne of self, we become vessels of impact in a
compromised culture.

Because love—expressed in every language—still opens hearts, heals wounds, and changes
the world.

I’ve encountered many within the body of Christ who are going through a process of pruning. I first noticed this in my own life and in the ministries I oversee. But I also began to hear from others who felt they were being “cut back.”

In John 15:1–2, Jesus says: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

According to this passage, pruning is not punishment. On the contrary, it is proof that we are bearing fruit and that the Father desires to prepare us for even greater fruitfulness. Unfruitful branches are cut off altogether, but fruitful branches are pruned so that health and multiplication might increase.

If you are in a pruning season, take heart! The Father is tending to you in love, shaping you for a greater harvest.

Challenging Days & Jude’s Warning:

But while pruning is a sign of God’s care, we are also living in days when apostasy is rapidly increasing. Jude 12 gives a sobering picture of false teachers and apostates, describing them as “clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots.”

Pruning is for the fruitful. Judgment, however, is reserved for those who twist God’s Word, despise His authority, and lead others astray. Jude reminds us that these mockers will arise in the last days, following their own ungodly lusts, and causing division in the body of Christ (Jude 18–19).

We are living in such days now. The authority of God’s Word is being dismissed—even within the Church. Sound doctrine is being replaced by teaching that pleases the itching ears of a culture in rebellion against God.

But Jude 20-21 exhorts us: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

This is how we remain “fit” in the midst of apostasy—grounded in truth, steadfast in prayer, and rooted in the love of God.

Becoming Fit:

When Jesus called disciples in Luke 9:57–62, many responded with “yes” but added their conditions and excuses. Jesus replied with words that cut to the heart: “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Fitness for the kingdom requires full devotion. Just as athletes must train for a race, we must prepare spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically for the battles ahead. A casual, half-hearted faith will not stand in days of deception.

Apostasy will increase. False teachers will abound. The love of many will grow cold. But those who are trained in godliness and anchored in God’s Word will endure.

Rejecting God’s Truth:

The days of Jeremiah mirror our own. The people promised obedience—“whatever the Lord says, we will do” (Jer. 42:5)—yet when God’s word came, they rejected it and accused the prophet of lying (Jer. 43:2).

Today, we see the same spirit at work. Many profess allegiance to God until His Word collides with their desires. Truth is being redefined. God’s design for marriage, family, and morality is being rewritten by culture, and those who uphold Scripture are vilified as hateful or intolerant.

But love compels us to uphold truth. To reject God’s Word is to embrace death and destruction. To speak truth, even when unpopular, is the highest form of love.

Lovers of Truth, Doers of the Word:

In days of increasing deception, we must love truth more than acceptance, and we must do the Word rather than merely hear it.

We cannot retreat into apathy or fear. This is our moment to shine as light in the darkness, to be salt that preserves, and to be those who, like Jude says, “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

There will be discouragement. Things once unthinkable are now celebrated, even in the Church. But God has not left us without hope. 2 Corinthians 2:14 reminds us: “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.”

Dispensing His Fragrance:

Like an air freshener that releases fragrance in the dark, God has called us to dispense His presence in a world full of corruption and decay. Our lives should carry the aroma of Christ, convicting some, drawing others, but always testifying of His reality.

The pruning, the training, the preparing—all of it is so that we might stand firm in truth and be fruitful witnesses of His kingdom.

A Greater Harvest:

If you are being pruned, it is preparation for greater harvest. If you feel the weight of apostasy around you, know that God has placed you in this generation for a purpose.

Now is the time to be strong, steadfast, and “fit” for the kingdom. Now is the time to love truth, live truth, and dispense His fragrance.

Let this be our prayer:

Prune me, Lord. Keep me faithful in these days of apostasy. Make me fit for Your kingdom. Keep me anchored in Your Word, steadfast in Your love, and prepared for the great harvest that is to come.

BY DOUG STRINGER

In a world filled with noise, distractions, and complications—even in the Church—it’s vital that we return to the simplicity and purity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The message of the cross is not complicated. It is profoundly simple, and yet simply profound.

Paul warned the Corinthians: “I fear that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3)

It’s easy, even in ministry, to get caught up in strategies, programs, or spiritual trends—and lose sight of the simple power of the Gospel. But what changes hearts isn’t our eloquence or innovation; it’s Jesus Himself. It’s the Cross. It’s repentance. It’s forgiveness. It’s new life. That’s the Gospel.

The Power is in the Purity:

We don’t need to dress up the Gospel to make it more appealing. The Gospel, when preached in its purity and power, is more than enough. It calls us to die to ourselves, to live for Christ, and to love others unconditionally.

God didn’t send a philosophy or a policy. He sent a Person—Jesus. And that Person laid down His life to reconcile us to the Father.

A Revival of Simplicity:

What we need today is a revival of simplicity—a returning to our first love. Not a form of godliness without power, but a living, breathing relationship with Jesus. The Gospel is not a doctrine we argue, but a truth we live and proclaim. That kind of simplicity has power to shake nations.

Let us not complicate what God has made clear. Let us not cloud what the Holy Spirit has made pure. And let us never lose the wonder of the Gospel—the Good News that Jesus saves, redeems, and restores.

BY DOUG STRINGER

The same is true today. We can attend church and profess Christ, but if our hearts remain divided, we cannot walk in the fullness of God’s prophetic destiny.

Renewed Expectations:

After the resurrection, two disciples encountered Jesus on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24). They had walked with Him for years, yet they didn’t recognize Him. They were talking about Him, reflecting on His ministry, but were blinded by disappointment:

“…we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.” (v. 21)

Like them, many today miss God’s presence because they hope in their own expectations instead of His. But when the disciples invited Him in—“Abide with us”—their eyes were opened as He broke bread. Their revelation of Jesus was renewed, and soon after, they worshiped with great expectation in the upper room until the outpouring of Pentecost.

I believe God is raising up a prophetic generation who will no longer live in disappointment, but with fresh vision and expectation. They will walk in a renewed revelation of Jesus and be empowered by the Holy Spirit to prepare the way for His return.

A Supernatural Outpouring:

True revival is more than a powerful service—it transforms individuals, communities, and even nations. I’ve seen it firsthand in places like Fiji, Uganda, Vietnam, Australia, and Colombia.

In Cali, Colombia, during the height of cartel violence, the Church united in prayer. They confessed, “We don’t have the capacity to change this, but we serve a supernatural God.” And God moved mightily. He still moves today.

But revival always begins with us. We cannot expect His holy presence while clinging to impurity.

The Holy Presence of God:

What God has done in the past is only a glimpse of what He longs to do in this generation. But it begins with honesty before Him.

Is there anything you need to throw into the Brook of Kidron—any impurity, idolatry, or hidden sin? These are the things that kept Israel from their promised land, and they will keep us from ours.

My prayer is for a supernatural outpouring of the Holy Spirit—bringing conviction, healing, and restoration. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. When we surrender fully, His Spirit works through us with power.

Discerning the Body:

Paul connected the five sins of the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10) with the way we approach the Lord’s Table in 1 Corinthians 11:

“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” (vv. 28–29)

Authentic communion requires humility, unity, and purity. We cannot harbor bitterness, unforgiveness, or division and expect to experience His presence in fullness.

Isaiah cried, “Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips” when he encountered God’s holiness (Isaiah 6:5). The same happens when we truly discern the Lord’s body. His holiness humbles us, His grace cleanses us, and His Spirit unites us.

Our eyes, ears, and thoughts are gateways to our hearts. What we allow in shapes who we become:

“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7)

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV)

Choose Your Table:

Jesus hears us when we invite His presence. He responds when we say, “Abide with us.”

But the choice is ours: will we sit at the Lord’s table in authentic communion, or continue partaking at the table of the world?

Today, God is calling a prophetic, multi-generational army to rise—set apart, consecrated, and filled with His Spirit. Let us give ourselves wholly to Him, discerning His body rightly, so we may walk together in His power and His purpose.

Whose table will you choose?

BY DOUG STRINGER

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.” (Proverbs 21:2)

When we hear the term self-righteousness, many of us immediately think of the Pharisees—those religious legalists of Jesus’ day who were more concerned with outward appearance than inward transformation. And indeed, legalism is one form of self-righteousness. But there’s another, more subtle form that has crept into the modern Church—one that cloaks itself in liberty, yet leads to license. This, too, is self-righteousness.

When we justify our compromise and celebrate liberties that subtly lead to licentiousness, we are not walking in true freedom—we are walking in deception.

It’s a self-righteousness that justifies compromise and cloaks rebellion under the guise of personal freedom. Both legalism and licentiousness are rooted in the same issue: a heart that elevates self over God.

At the core of both legalism and license is the same error: We begin interpreting truth through our own preferences rather than submitting to the heart and authority of God.

A.W. Tower rightly stated when he said, “Self is the opaque veil that hides the face of God from us.”

We have become more and more enamored with celebrity, success, and power…even in the Church world. The lust of the eye, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life–LUST and PRIDE–all rooted in SELF! Self-absorption, self-centeredness, selfishness, self-adulation, SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS…

Legalese, Law, and the Spirit:

Whenever an agreement or contract written in “legal-ese” needs to be interpreted, it’s often left to attorneys—experts trained to decipher words on paper—yet sometimes without understanding the spirit of the contract itself. The same applies to how we often approach Scripture.

We dissect the letter while losing the intent. The result? We drift toward two extremes:

• Legalism: when we see the law as rules to control others rather than as a reflection of God’s holy nature.
• License: when we see the law as prohibitive instead of protective or as lording instead of loving.

Though opposite in form, both extremes destroy—one by creating burdens God never intended and the other by removing boundaries God lovingly established.

Jesus didn’t come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. Grace is not God’s excuse for our sin—it’s His empowerment to overcome it.

We make our interpretations based on what we want to believe—yet God calls us to surrender our beliefs to His truth.

God’s Word Is Our Constitution:

God’s Word is not a buffet for us to pick and choose from—it is our Constitution. But when we treat it as amendable to culture, feelings, or personal comfort, we are no longer under its covering. Instead, we create man-made amendments that strip it of power and authority.

When we try to live by the letter of the law while ignoring the spirit behind it, we begin building thresholds and doorposts next to God’s own, thus erecting false altars that bring enmity between God and us (Ezekiel 43:8).

Anytime we build our own threshold or doorpost alongside God’s, we are not adding to His Kingdom—we are creating a counterfeit. Ezekiel 43 warns us not to place our threshold beside His, for doing so creates enmity between God and us. These “abominations” are not just outward sins, they are heart attitudes that replace God’s standards with our own.

In doing so, we reject His holiness while justifying our version of righteousness.

Holiness is not a religious list of rules. Nor is grace a license to do whatever feels right in our own eyes. True holiness—birthed from intimacy with Jesus—is what will distinguish the Church in an age of compromise.

Worship in Spirit and Truth:

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24)

True worship flows from truth and intimacy, not performance or permissiveness. Jesus doesn’t simply want our service—He wants our hearts. We cannot be a “light on a hill” (Matt. 5:14–16) if we’re shrouded in either legalism or lawlessness.

The Spirit of Grace Is Not for Abuse:

“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins… [We] trample the Son of God underfoot, count the blood of the covenant by which [we were] sanctified a common thing, and insult the Spirit of grace.” (Hebrews 10:26–29)

This passage doesn’t just apply to unbelievers. It speaks to all—including professing believers—who use grace as an excuse to walk in willful sin while claiming the benefits of Christ’s blood. When we use grace to justify sin, we don’t just defile ourselves—we insult the very Spirit of Grace and treat the blood of Jesus as if it were common. In essence we profane the Holy.

We don’t need to trample the blood under our feet—we need to be under the covering of the blood!

A Reasonable Sacrifice:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)

The apostle Paul exhorts us to live as holy sacrifices—not out of obligation, but as a reasonable response to the costly love of Jesus.

The Christian life is not about rigid rule-following or boundary-less living—it’s about full surrender.

We offer Him our hearts, our minds, our emotions, our time, and our very lives—not to earn grace, but because we’ve received it.

When we’re caught up in our own ambitions or entangled by distractions, we miss the beauty of God’s purposes for us. And when we walk in bitterness, resentment, lust, or pride, we disqualify ourselves from being “acceptable sacrifices.” But when we surrender—truly surrender—He purifies us and makes us instruments of grace to those around us (1 John 3:1–3).

Grace Received Must Be Grace Extended:

We not only abuse grace when we use it as a license to sin—we also violate grace when we withhold it from others. Jonah was a prophet of God, yet he was angry when God extended mercy to Nineveh. His heart did not reflect the heart of God.

The Church must not have a Jonah spirit—happy to receive grace but bitter when others do. As freely as we’ve received, we must freely give.

In times like these, when confusion and compromise abound, the Church must arise—not in self-righteousness, but in Christ’s righteousness. We must be a people who walk not according to the letter of the Law or the desires of the flesh, but according to the Spirit of truth and grace.

Let us worship Him in spirit and in truth, and live lives that glorify the One who gave all for us.

“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord.

Join me in Prayer:

Lord, forgive us.

Where we’ve become pharisaical in our legalism or presumptuous in our liberties, we repent.

Where we’ve misused Your Word, misapplied Your grace, or misrepresented Your holiness—cleanse us.

We don’t want to be so legalistic that we lose Your presence,

Nor so free that we lose our reverence.

Teach us to live by the Spirit of the Law—

To be true worshipers, walking in Spirit and in Truth.

Let our lives be living sacrifices—

Acceptable to You, and reflected to a world in need.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In a world filled with noise, distractions, and complications—even in the Church—it’s vital that we return to the simplicity and purity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The message of the cross is not complicated. It is profoundly simple, and yet simply profound.

Paul warned the Corinthians: “I fear that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3)

It’s easy, even in ministry, to get caught up in strategies, programs, or spiritual trends—and lose sight of the simple power of the gospel. But what changes hearts isn’t our eloquence or innovation; it’s Jesus Himself. It’s the cross. It’s repentance. It’s forgiveness. It’s new life. That’s the gospel.

The Power Is in the Purity:

We don’t need to dress up the gospel to make it more appealing. The gospel, when preached in its purity and power, is more than enough. As I often say, “The gospel is simple, but it’s not simplistic.” It calls us to die to ourselves, to live for Christ, and to love others unconditionally.

God didn’t send a philosophy or a policy. He sent a Person—Jesus. And that Person laid down His life to reconcile us to the Father.

A Revival of Simplicity:

What we need today is a revival of simplicity—a returning to our first love. Not a form of godliness without power but a living, breathing relationship with Jesus. The gospel is not a doctrine we argue, but a truth we live and proclaim. That kind of simplicity has power to shake nations.

Let us not complicate what God has made clear. Let us not cloud what the Holy Spirit has made pure. And let us never lose the wonder of the gospel—the Good News that Jesus saves, redeems, and restores.

BY DOUG STRINGER