J. D. King

From my childhood, I’ve heard fervent declarations about going to heaven. In our little church we often sang about it, reflecting on it virtually every time we gathered on a Sunday morning. This was a significant aspect of my Pentecostal identity and heritage in Northwest Arkansas. From the rollicking musical interludes of “I’ll Fly Away,”

While Christians are called to live an overcoming life of victory and goodness, most haven’t obtained their rightful inheritance. Even as hearts long for the light, darkness quietly encroaches on our families and churches. We desperately want to move forward, but the way out can seem complicated. Part of what we’re dealing with is the

I once encountered a man in the sweltering heat of Florida who claimed to operate in the deeper things of the Spirit. People were lambasted with whatever insight he thought he was receiving from the Lord. Loud and overpowering, he wanted to ensure that everyone came into alignment with the minutia of his opinions. He

I’ve found that most Spirit-filled Christians operate within a distorted lens when comes to spiritual gifts. Most of the talk on the reality of the supernatural descends into a discussion about possessions, strengths and abilities.  Believers will, for example, talk about their prophetic gifting, healing ministries or other spiritual activities they’ve been able to publicly

There’s a fair amount of confusion about Satan and where he functions. Sometimes you can misread a particular passage of the Bible and start moving in the wrong direction. One example of this for me is when the apostle Paul referenced the devil as “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). I

God sometimes operates in ways that aren’t easily understood. While this ambiguity can be quite unsettling for us, the Lord has no qualms with guiding through the whispers and nudges. In some cases, He’s inviting us to see through a glass darkly. A lot of churchgoers have difficulty with this. They honestly don’t think it’s the way

Most assume that ancient believers possessed a much greater anointing and insight. It is believed that they gained an inroad with God that can’t be accessed in the same way today. Paul and the early disciples are imagined as being more than mere flesh and blood. This outlook is rarely beneficial. It keeps modern believers from

Over the last several months I’ve written three unique articles exploring biblical patterns of prophetic engagement. For many years, I desired to comprehend the ways our heavenly Father has communicated with His sons and daughters. What can we learn from God’s means of communication in the Bible? Obviously, God’s avenues of disclosure are vast and varied. It would

Each of us will, sooner or later, find ourselves gripped by inexplicable loss. With no advanced warning, darkness exploits a small crack in the facade, worming its way into a place it doesn’t belong. In the midst of tragedy, those who are hurting naturally want answers. They want someone to provide explanations and help them

You’re probably disturbingly aware of this, but the blackest darkness grips the lives of multitudes. Without being entirely cognizant of it, people are deeply ensnared in the throes of iniquity. Tragically, all of God’s sons and daughters have followed the way of Adam—turning against the unceasing love of the Father. As we voluntarily cracked open

When praying with someone with a disease, it may become apparent you’re dealing with something spiritual in nature. Luke makes reference to what is called an “afflicting spirit.” He writes, “And there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years and was bent over and could not straighten herself up” (Luke

Due to distorted purposes and identity, first-century religious leaders within Judaism implemented a misguided approach to things. Twisted forms of religion not only affected their understanding of faith, but also marred their efforts to expand the “community of faith.” Confronting this problem on one occasion, Jesus declared the following,  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,

Since the beginning of this year, I’ve posted two articles on how God’s communication with humanity is conveyed in the Scriptures (You can read the posts here and here).  What I’ve been exploring in these articles is the “manner” of transmission—not the “content” itself. It seems that many believers are rightly concerned with what God

When individuals study the end-time passages from the Bible, many are drawn to intense verses with images of blood, war and conflict. Since so many are obsessed with the notion of cataclysmic destruction, they readily embrace verses that seemingly foreshadow violence and devastation.  People have always had a difficult time understanding apocalyptic imagery and the way

After losing His beloved earthly family in the Garden of Eden, God would not rest. From that day forward, He’s been on a mission to get His estranged children back. His greatest desire that is that all of creation would be restored to Him and clothed with His glory.   Interestingly, the Lord inaugurated this