Author: Dwight Clough

This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth. — 1 Kings 13:34 NIVTwenty-five times in scripture we come back to the sin of Jeroboam. I don’t think any other name in the Bible is more often associated with sin than his. The sin of Jeroboam led to the fall of nine successive dynasties and the destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Eight kings were assassinated; the sin of Jeroboam was a factor in every one.Again and again, the LORD sent prophets to warn…

For our readers in the greater Madison, Wisconsin area:I am starting a father / son group to give dads a chance to connect with their boys, and boys ages 10-16 an opportunity to form new friendships. Boys from single mom families also welcome. Read about it here: http://www.dwightclough.com/father_son_info.pdfNow the dwelling of God is with men … — Revelation 21:3We think of heaven as a destination – you die and go to heaven. We think of it as a place or a location – streets of gold, the celestial city. We think of it as relief from all our troubles -…

Taste and see that the LORD is good … — Psalm 34:8How do we taste and see that the Lord is good? Sometimes our mouths are full of the disgusting, distasteful ingredients of life. Sometimes we are so intent on these things that we don’t realize that we have a choice. We can hold up to God all that is bitter and sour in our lives. In fact, we must. If we don’t, we will never be able to taste and see that He is good. We will be stuck in a double bind: trying to create a paradise we…

Taste and see that the LORD is good … — Psalm 34:8Some of you have tasted and seen that life is bad. Life is cruel. Life is unfair. But the Lord extends an invitation to experience something bigger than life. Taste and see that the LORD is good.In our book, Amazing Faith, my coauthor Thomas Shaw tells the story of a woman who experienced one bad thing after another until finally she was flat on her back with a broken back and in great pain. A Christian radio station was on, but instead of bringing her comfort, it only brought…

Taste and see that the LORD is good … — Psalm 34:8Why does the Lord invite us to taste? Why does He not say, for example, "Take it by faith: The LORD is good."? Why doesn’t He structure this verse as a promise: "Someday you’ll find out that the LORD is good."? Or a conditional promise: "If you obey, you will someday find out that the LORD is good."?Notice also, that God does not say: "Comprehend My goodness." There will always be things about God that we cannot comprehend or explain. This is why we need eternal life — it…

Then the fire of the LORD fell … — 1 Kings 18:38There’s so much that I like about this chapter: Elijah standing up to King Ahab, Elijah provoking a contest with Baal and challenging the people to choose the true God, Elijah taunting the false prophets, Elijah soaking his sacrifice with precious water, and Elijah’s brief but powerful prayer. But this is the moment that makes everything else so special: God showed up.This is the central fact of human history, the main truth of the Bible: At the right time, God shows up.Notice how God works. He first gets our…

Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing. — 1 Kings 18:21There is a limit to what theology can do. Nobody in his right mind is going to give away his life for a creed. Nobody is going to die for a doctrinal statement.The people said nothing. On one hand they have King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. They have made it politically incorrect to follow the LORD. No, they’ve made it downright dangerous to…

"I have not made trouble for Israel," Elijah replied. "But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the LORD’s commands and have followed the Baals. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table." — 1 Kings 18:18-19Where does Elijah get his courage? He flatly contradicts King Ahab. He sets the record straight. He accuses Ahab of ruining the country. And then he issues an order to the king, and fully…

Kim and I are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and prayer from you, our brothers and sisters around the world. Thank you so much for praying for Kim. We know that something good has to happen, and we will certainly let you know how things unfold.Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth." — 1 Kings 17:24The word I want you to notice in this passage is the word "Now." When this widow gave part of her last…

Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?" — 1 Kings 17:17-18There’s nothing like a disaster to reveal our real belief system. Here was hers: God could not truly forgive. The sin she had been trying to minimize or forget was making God more and more angry. God had already taken her husband away. Now He was back. He…