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The feeling as the plane lifts off and I watch Nigeria disappear behind the clouds... hard to explain.   It's like collapsing on the locker room floor after a winning shot that saved the season … the team jumping together, the crowd delirious and now later we lay on the floor and think, “Did this really happen?!” This week in Nigeria has been powerful. For many men, life changing. We have begun to build strong relationships with key men from across Nigeria. Not average men. These leaders are building significant churches, community outreaches, schools, medical centers, businesses, and raising up successful...

Joshua had messed up. Made a bad mistake and it killed some of his friends. He sent a group of men into battle without having direction from the Lord. They went into battle at a place called Ai and were thrashed. Many of his men were killed. (See Joshua chapter 7.) Joshua was stunned. Fell on the ground. Began to cry bitterly. “It would have been better if we never came here, we should go back to the wilderness, it’s all so bad.” It was whining prayer—can you relate? I can. This is just weeks after the great victory at...

The pastors summit in Lagos has been crazy - wonderful - wild. The Elevation Church "Exponential Conference" has been outstanding … from famous African musicians to many highly significant pastors from this beautiful continent. A middle-aged pastor of one of Nigeria's largest churches said: "They tell me you might be Ed Cole’s son, is this true?” I answered that I was. He grabbed me and hugged me. With emotion and a few tears, he said, “When I was at university in Southern Nigeria, I found your father’s books at the local Bible bookstore. I bought every one they had. Your...

Joshua was a great leader of Israel. They went up against a powerful city in Jericho as they moved into the Promised Land. God gave them a huge win. You and I often have the same wins. God-given and producing a powerful feeling of victory in our guts. It’s great. But the victory of Jericho could be your downfall. Might lead to your next defeat! Why is that? Because it wasn’t hard. In the story of Joshua, all that Israel had to do was march around the city once a day, then seven times on the seventh day … then...

The root word for character is “chisel,” because a man is inwardly formed through difficulty. The All-Pro basketball player Kevin Durant was talented like many others, but he has become great because he put one phrase from his high-school coach deep into his heart and psyche. His coach, Tim Notke, said, “Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.” Durant is a hard worker. Paul said it this way, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Romans 5:3,4 Endurance is difficult because it fights against our desire for...