In much of scripture the word “imagine” is used in reference to the wrong which men dream of. If we were honest, i believe most of us imagine domination, manipulation, we imagine control, seduction, surrender and … Continue reading →

Thanks for tuning in. i’m Social Porter and this is Outposts, it is no accident that, as you were channel surfing, you stopped here. Hopefully you’ll sit a while with me to look a little deeper into the word of … Continue reading →

Purity is one of God’s attributes, and concerns the necessity, and power of living a consistent and repeatable life of being unmixed and undiluted with the world… a life of our being the same in private as we are in … Continue reading →

i think for most of my life, i didn’t know words to communicate with. i often left people wondering what in the world i was talking about, not to mention my own frustration at wondering why i felt so misunderstood. … Continue reading →

We love to say, “We are living in a culture of honor at our church,” and it’s highly likely, at least on some level, that’s true. But after having spoken to quite a few people about what their idea of … Continue reading →

In your prayer time, do you practice to plead the case of another? Not hyperventilating with many words, but advocating their cause before the Lord? Proverbs 23:10-11, “Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless, … Continue reading →

i met a young man the other day, covered in tatoos, quiet, life in turmoil and chaos … in trouble. Across his neck he had the words “Expect No Mercy”. The tattoo reminded me of the words of someone who … Continue reading →

Isaiah 61:1-3, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and … Continue reading →

John 8 Jesus was in the temple teaching, as usual, and then came the Pharisees with a woman who was taken in adultery (where was the man? Also, how is it they just “happen” to be there to catch her?). … Continue reading →

Why do we study God’s word? Is it to gain information so we’ll know about Him? Maybe we do it so we can truly know our Redeemer. Is it so we can say we read the Bible? Is it for … Continue reading →

When i was growing up, my mother made almost all of our clothes for the entire family. i saw with my own eyes, that there were times when what she made didn’t work out …  i remember walking into her … Continue reading →

Ahhh, yea … it’s another of those hypnotic evenings with the sun having settled down to a rosey glow at the horizon and the clouds are parceled out across the sky, looking like the porches at the entrance to Heaven’s … Continue reading →

Even if it seems like the whole world is against us, even when our eyes see nothing but dark clouds all around, as believers, God is on our side, and we have the strength to come out winners. As believers, … Continue reading →

          What do all the following words have in common? Crossroad, intersection, cloverleaf, crosswalk, crossway, exchange, grade crossing, gridiron, interchange, junction, traversal, underpass.  They are all places where paths or roads meet and a decision must be made. True, we … Continue reading →

        What are you doing for no other reason than because you love Jesus? AND, what have you ceased doing for no other reason than His love for you? Jack Miller asked that question of his congregation when he served … Continue reading →

          “Am i ok?” “Will i be alright?” We are often so, so worried about our own welfare. i believe we spend untold hours being concerned if our money will work out, if our health will hold up, if we’ll … Continue reading →

Shadows Shadows….soft and rarely detailed and defined. They catch an outline enough to identify a silhouette, but never a lot of detail, at least not like the light. Shadows speak softly, in demure tones, whispering to each other, and to … Continue reading →

It is such a nice evening out i feel like i’m living in a postcard picture. There’s not a cloud in the sky except over towards the horizon… all those sky colors, singing, as if they were calling to something … Continue reading →

As the day is passing away and the sun fades from the sky, all the regular friends have gathered at the deck area and pulled up a comfortable chair for some cool jazz and contemplative conversation. Thank you for joining … Continue reading →

Romans 1:18-21, “For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it … Continue reading →

Jesus, You did it! You changed my regret and overwhelming sorrow, You ripped off my black mourning band. You didn’t leave. You gave me room to breathe. Jesus pulled me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud and … Continue reading →

i visit the jail often, often enough over the last years to see patterns among those incarcerated. Most who are incarcerated are not only physically imprisoned, but also mental and spiritual prisoners too, many times, if not most times, in … Continue reading →

        There, at the end of my pencil point were letters and words, notes to myself and pictures of visions i had made to remind myself of what the Lord was saying or showing me. It was a very small … Continue reading →

i thought i would come to the cafe a little prevenient this evening, considering it’s getting dark earlier, i wanted to enjoy the fading light of the day with all the colors of the setting sun. i’m Social Porter and … Continue reading →

          The following is a compilation from The Message Bible: Did you know God is a safe house? The moment you arrive, you relax, and you’re never sorry you knocked on God’s door. When God speaks to victims, real victims, … Continue reading →

Having set through more than a few sessions of listening to someone attempt to resolve a conflict with someone else, one significant thing i have noticed more often than not, was both people displayed an amazingly distinct lack of listening. … Continue reading →

When we see Jesus face to face His presence will govern and light Heaven the same way the sun illuminates the sky, the glory of the Lord allows no shadows in all of Heaven. In my imagination, i can see … Continue reading →

          John 17:17-19 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified … Continue reading →

Synthesis of Nine Fruits of the Spirit At about program number 52 i began to notice a phenomenon within myself…it was the growing realization that i didn’t know what i thought i knew. You’ve heard the phrase, “Out on a … Continue reading →

On a side note and then a fore note, we should be ever so careful what we profess. Palms up – confession, palms out – profession. Are you a typical promise maker and promise breaker? If you tend to break … Continue reading →

My alarm was set for 6:30 A.M. i had been awake off and on during the night but at 6:30am i was absolutely dead to this world asleep. Amazingly, i should have heard the automatic “click” of the alarm kicking … Continue reading →

There was the grandest of all grand parades right down the middle of Glory Land! The endless crowd of the redeemed of the Lord were waving banners, people were jubilant and laughing, confetti of some sort filled the air, horns … Continue reading →

Be authentic, credible, genuine and true. Titus 2:1 “But as for you, teach what is fitting and becoming to sound wholesome doctrine, possessing the character and right living which identifies true believers.” Paul instructed Titus to teach good sound doctrine … Continue reading →

Ps147:3 “Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle.”  Ps68:4 “Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name Yah!”   Who is this King?  Isaiah (12:2) said, “I will trust and not … Continue reading →

I’ve asked myself the question, “If I could relay one thing to people, what would I tell them?” I have considered this a good while now, I have walked far, met a lot of people, and witnessed many things, and … Continue reading →

What to do on a sinking ship? Here is wisdom: If you can’t get out of the storm with Jesus, then be in the storm with Jesus. Mark 4:35 “On the same day, when evening had come, He said to … Continue reading →

          Nahum 1: “Look! Striding across the mountains— a messenger bringing the latest good news: peace! Celebrate, worship and recommit to God! No more worries about this enemy. This one is history. Close the books.” Psalms 35: “But let me … Continue reading →

“Always”, and “Never” are, what i call, ultimate words. There are very few things in this life we live which are “always”, and “never”, but yet in the Bible there are ultimate words used, and i believe the Lord wants … Continue reading →

When i got married, i told my wife i would bring her coffee in bed, and that i would never lie or steal from her. i vowed i would always be where i said i was, and that if she … Continue reading →

The Lord has many attributes, all of them holy, righteous and true. Some examples of His attributes are knowledge, mercy, dependability, wisdom, vision, and compassion, to name a few. i’ve made a list of 94 and i’m sure that is … Continue reading →

As believers in Christ we are a peculiar lot… we go forward in life on written phrases in scripture, resonant words from a friend, a vibrant dream or vision which is often no more than an audible or visual whisper. … Continue reading →

It is by the intense, persistent pursuit of Christ we come into the call and anointing to heal, prophecy, and raise the dead; not by our incessant surrounding ourselves with people who have something we want. Christ alone is our source, … Continue reading →

Not too long ago, a man called asking me if i thought he was a failure. It was absolutely heart breaking to me, not for my sake, but for his. Through my eyes, i didn’t see a failure, i saw … Continue reading →

Life, for me, has radically changed over the last 46 years of walking with Jesus. In these years God has taught me so many things. i’ve learned to not be angry about everything and for a guy who was easily … Continue reading →

i had a dream several years ago. In the dream i had driven through deep woods, up through the mountains, down into the long view of endless flat land, and eventually to a very arid climate when suddenly the road … Continue reading →

Some wounds clear up pretty quickly, but there are wounds of the heart and soul which take time, introspection, insight, and understanding to resolve. When a friend is surprisingly brutal or your left with a cruel betrayal, it leaves a … Continue reading →

Have you ever tried to find the picture hidden in a picture? It’s like, the more you try and see “in” the picture, the more you only see your first impression. A picture in a picture is called a stereogram, … Continue reading →

i’m Social Porter and this is Outposts, a semi-live broadcast from the late evening, cascading banks of the Ockluhwahhah River, where the trees gently lean over the river’s edge and every evening is pleasant. Our topic is about getting old … Continue reading →

What is silence? Is it good or bad? Sometimes both, sometimes neither, it depends on why. Is it a something or a nothing?          So many times we expect an answer from God, our spouse, a child, … Continue reading →

Decent, middling, ordinary, second-rate, so-so, undistinguished, uninspired, characterless, colorless, common, conventional, fair to middling, humdrum, intermediate, medium, moderate, no great shakes, passable, run-of-the-mill, standard, tolerable, unexceptional, vanilla… Many years ago, on a whim, i called a friend one day…  when … Continue reading →

Some topics are a bit expansive, some are a challenge to get a grip on, yet others speak to attitudes or the intricacies of relationships, yet all have the common thread of always pointing to Jesus, who is the answer, … Continue reading →

When my son was very small we used to play hide & seek. i would hide my eyes and count to ten, very slowly, so he would have time to hide. i would hear him laughing and giggling as he … Continue reading →

Jesus is coming back, and when the righteous are removed… the world will be left with nothing but the sound of their own breath and what remains of the world around them… how will it all look if there are … Continue reading →

In a published article written by J. Blake Brown, he writes, “In 1516 M. Luther was reading Romans 1, and when he got to verse 17he was struck by Paul’s quote from Habakkuk 2:4, “The righteous will live by faith.” Those … Continue reading →

i sometimes catch myself wishing others weren’t the way they are. How often we have said to ourselves in a moment of anguish, “Gahh! i wish so-and-so was different! Why do they have to be that way?” It’s easy to … Continue reading →

Luke 10:25-35 is an interesting story of how we view other people and their needs. In the Biblical account there are 8 characters:  Jesus, who tells the story, an expert in the law, a man who made a trip to … Continue reading →

i really love the tune, Moon River. i’ve been completely taken with it since i was a child and my dad would play the Henry Mancini version on our family’s little turntable stereo. i played it over and over… there’s … Continue reading →

          Contrary to popular belief, we all really do need a mediator. We have a conflict within us between life and death and there needs to be a judge and peacemaker to help resolve our conflicted … Continue reading →

Ugh! Mammon! What a word… the more i say it the more the word feels like something very unpleasant in my mouth. The way it is used in scripture speaks of more than just money, which is what most of … Continue reading →

On a side note, it seems so much of our time is spent on things of lesser importance, sort of like the anxiety about sanctuary carpet color, knowing the 25 little-known Harry Potter facts, or maybe doing a study on … Continue reading →

             i fully believe the Lord is talking to us, one way or another, all the time. Sometimes it’s in whispers and dreams, maybe a few resonant words in the middle of a conversation or a song lyric…. other times … Continue reading →

Love              In a 1985 Grammy award-winning song written by Terry Britten and Lyle Graham, as performed by Tina Turner, took the airwaves by storm … “What’s love got to do, got to do, got to do with it? … Continue reading →

Joy              Nehemiah 8:10, “Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for … Continue reading →

Kindness  Kindness is not only what we do, but how we are and why we do what we do. As example, it is a kindness to listen, and a kindness to bury the dead. It’s the kind of virtue which … Continue reading →

Goodness           Goodness is intrinsic and essential to good works. From God’s perspective, doing good things is not His definition of “good works”. In order to have “good works”, the foundational element of our character must be … Continue reading →

Gentleness              i heard a story of a corporal at Valley Forge who was directing three men as they tried to lift a log into place. It was too heavy, but the corporal commanded again and again, “All right, men, … Continue reading →

Self-Control Oh my gosh! In this country do we even have any self-control, which literally means that our thinking is on a level path? One group thinks the other is on a downhill skid, the second group is absolutely sure … Continue reading →

Peace i find the Lord often uses contrasts to teach us about Himself, and how to conduct ourselves worthy of our calling in Christ. Frequently the best way to understand God’s perspective about Shalom peace is to also investigate the … Continue reading →

Longsuffering            And there i sat, day after day … the sun came up and the sun went down … the seasons came and went … days went by …  waiting to hear from the Lord. Three years and not … Continue reading →

Among all of the things we all do, everyone does a good thing here and there, obviously some more than others, even the worst of people do something good from time to time, and i suppose it also depends on … Continue reading →

Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness             Isaiah 25:1, “Yahweh, You are my God; I will exalt You. I will praise Your name, for You have accomplished wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.” An attribute of God is His … Continue reading →

In 2013, the Lord gave me some insight into what He had built into the morning, why daybreak was so valuable, and sunrise speaks of His glory, it became Outposts #92: “The Song Of The Morning”. i wondered at the … Continue reading →

i think servants make great leaders! If we are sitting at home studying our scripture, not moving out to where we can give away what we’ve got, what good is the work God does in our heart? What good are … Continue reading →

Let’s step off the dock here and jump right in: What will it take for you to be OK with yourself? We say, “If they’d just…”, “If i could only….”, “If everyone would…”. Shoulda’, woulda’, might’ve….and there’s that slippery little … Continue reading →

 God has given Jesus a crown of glory and honor and a good name, and having put everything under the feet of the Son, Jesus has dominion over all the works of His hands, including all animals, creatures, all birds … Continue reading →

i don’t know about you, but sometimes…sometimes i am just so very tired of struggling. Oh and how often it just seems my days are filled with one little struggle after another….. just tedious …. so many things in a … Continue reading →

A few years ago, in our home fellowship, a continuing topic of discussion for a while was about the attributes of God, why we need them, and how they are a life-giving imperative in the lives of all Christians everywhere … Continue reading →

Faith vs Risk Faith is the eternal optimist, risk is the eternal pessimist. Today, the word “risk” is used in everyday speech to describe the probability of loss, or maybe the likelihood of accidents of some type. Risk has everything … Continue reading →

Stewardship is a “touchy” subject …. many seem to resent any mention of money from church leadership, even though scripture does discuss it in plain words. Also, i’ve noticed, almost anytime stewardship is mentioned, among the very first thoughts in … Continue reading →

It’s a beautiful evening and i thought i’d go outside on the deck which overlooks the beautiful river below. i’m Social Porter with Cletus Iaomi and you’re listening to Outposts, cool jazz and contemplative conversation, broadcast semi-live from the deck … Continue reading →

Rainy day, dream away. There’s a casual drizzle this evening, everything is wet…. it’s an nice all day drip from the sky. It’s just been one of those days, you know, not too warm, not too cool, the wind picks … Continue reading →

[shofars blowing] God has woven the need for justice into the very fabric of creation. Like all ideals however, justice has value only when it is lived out in daily life. Justice is not served only when it suits our … Continue reading →

Good evening friends, this is Outposts, a semi-live broadcast from the late evening, cascading banks of the Ockluhwahhah River, where the trees gently lean over the rivers edge and every evening is pleasant. It’s a gentle establishment at the end … Continue reading →

Justice and judgment are built into the Name of the Lord. They are only two of many Holy attributes which comprise His character. In the Lord alone is the capacity to render to everyone their due with unbiased scales….i call … Continue reading →

Honesty is like a magnet radiating a strong magnetic force; in the heart of God’s people it is a clear bell set on a hill; like a clarion call it draws truth-hungry people to engage. Honesty should be one of … Continue reading →

          Deuteronomy 31:8 “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” To what or whom do you turn when you’re in … Continue reading →

Let’s get right to the topic this evening – my guess is there are a lot of people who incur offense at the hands of others, mostly from family, friends, and the occasional stranger – probably, the worst of offenses … Continue reading →

How is it we can do so many things God asks us to do and yet, for many, we have seemingly no clue about who He really is? i mean, we say we do, and of course we actually do … Continue reading →

Ephesians 2:1-5 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who … Continue reading →

Psalm 37:11 “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.” Psalm 37:34 “Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land.” Inheritance from God is a privilege, not something we … Continue reading →

When you spend time on a river, you get almost every imaginable condition – heat and rain, high and low, hot and cold.  Any given day can be a challenge, but on average: every day is beautiful! In the evening … Continue reading →

After four years of a man pursuing the Lord for a vision of what He, the Lord wanted to do, it finally happened and God gave him a vision and multiple confirmation as to the new direction. So the man … Continue reading →

Time slips away everyday for all of us. As we sit under the stars on the deck of a wonderful cafe at the end of Old Field Road, time is ticking, the sun rises and sets, the days come and … Continue reading →

Proverbs 4:5 “Get wisdom! Get understanding!”, and again in 7, “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.” The Lord calls us in the beginning and in the end to get from Him … Continue reading →

It’s acoustic jazz night, it being the fourth Friday of the month. Sit back, relax, let the smoky mood and soft rhythm settle into your ears. ?Can you see the vision as it’s cast in your mind? Trust God to … Continue reading →

Everyone in the world, and….i suppose every living thing in the world, is always choosing, as was mentioned in a previous program. But our ability to choose is based on our ability to discern the differences between our choices. That … Continue reading →

If i’m not mistaken the last topic was about Peacemakers, those who do more than just keep the peace, but actually step into the fray and make peace with themselves and others. There is a difference, you know, between keeping … Continue reading →

Good evening and welcome back to another, hot off the digital press, Outposts, a semi-live broadcast from the late night, cascading banks of the Ockluhwahhah River. The stars are out in full force tonight, singing glorious melodies to God …. … Continue reading →

Have you ever heard God say something to you that seemed to make no sense? And you knew it was something excellent but His words didn’t seem to connect to anything you understood? That happened to me many years ago, … Continue reading →

Persistence Calvin Coolidge said: “Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world … Continue reading →