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As I set to compose this article, I am also considering the devastating news from a dear beloved friend who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. One of the most difficult questions any pastor can be asked is, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” I still remember the phone call from my niece to inform me that my only sister had been called home due to ALS. I recall the agony in her voice when she said, “Uncle Bruce you are a pastor. Please tell me why God allowed my mother to suffer this way?” There are theological answers,...
From the Bible in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, the apostle Paul writes, “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to Scripture, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to Scripture.” Looking closer at this Scripture, we...
In his book “Ordinary Church”, Joseph S. Beach has a section titled “The Ordinary Pastor of an Ordinary Church.” When you have gone through the process of “Church shopping,” one of the first things you probably considered was the Pastor. The first point regarding Pastors that Mr. Beach makes has to do with what Pastors are. They, first and foremost, are human beings, folks trying to make their way through life just like you. Secondly, your Pastor is also a fellow “regular” Christian (no super Christian), someone trying to follow Christ j...
We are currently going through Senate Confirmation Hearings for a Supreme Court Nominee. In recent decades this questioning has often focused on the candidate’s view of privacy. This was a veiled (recently, not so veiled) way to ask the candidate about their views on hot-button issues. One of the effects of this activity on the national stage is that as Americans we become increasingly more protective of private matters in our lives—areas in which we believe no one or no entity has a right to intervene. This is a thought that I fully und...
Especially after the loss of a loved one, our thoughts are often directed to the brevity of life here on earth. As I advance in age, time seems to rush by faster & faster each year. Surely, we all need to be very aware that are days are numbered here in this temporary existence. And, Christians should most assuredly fix their eyes toward Heaven and hold fast to God’s promise that after we depart this earth, we will live eternally in Heaven with our Savior Jesus Christ. In the beginning when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin then filled the w...
By and large, humans are innately self-centered. We are consumed with the pursuit of pleasing ourselves, doing what we want and getting what we want. So often our priority in life is SELF-LOVE. We are self-focused, self-indulgent, self-centered, self-absorbed, self-important, self-promoting, etc. Our perspective is inward, and we exude a single-mindedness toward self-satisfaction. Let’s face it, even if we don’t say it out loud, we all generally think “life revolves around me!” With the explosion of technology and social media, particularly wit...
More than 45 years ago when I served in the Air Force, there was nothing I looked forward to more than going home. The little house I grew up in, the small town near where I lived, the people I had known for all of my short life, were all very familiar and special to me and I certainly missed it all. There were trails through my favorite woods, my favorite swimming holes and fishing holes and that section of river that my friends and I loved to float in inner tubes on hot summer days. The Old Saying claims that you can never go home again. And...
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him.” Romans 15:13 Planning for upcoming holiday festivities often puts folks in a dither. Minds whirl with all that needs to be done; stress levels spike. The list of holiday preparations looms long and daunting with self-imposed deadlines. Where’s the peace that should envelope us at this time of year as we reflect on the hope and love God gave us in His Son Jesus Christ? God’s merciful gift of joy and peace was made available to all of us when Jesus was born. God is the...
Psalm 39:4 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is.” We have no guarantee of life tomorrow--let alone of living a long life. At some time, either death will come to us or Jesus will return to bring an end to life on this earth as we know it. God has numbered our days but has not revealed that time to us. Your life could be over at any time. We need to be ready to meet our Maker (Amos 4:12). Friend, please take heed. None of us is assured of even one more hour of life...
Winter . . . one of my top four seasons! In our neck of the woods, winter pleasures us each year with the awesome beauty of fresh white snow, a striking allusion to the covering that God offers over our sin-stained lives. As the delightful days of autumn linger, I know winter is just around the corner, right on schedule as God’s plan for the rotation of the Seasons marches on. With winter, God brings new delight to earth as the snows begin to fall gracefully and peacefully, covering our surroundings. And, after the snows, when the sunlight b...
It has been said of our country that we are a Christian nation. Do we, then, stand strong together to honor God in all we do? In our Pledge of Allegiance, the words “one nation under God” mean we should all be united, allowing God to be our Guide. Sadly, our nation has fallen away from its Christian foundation and principles. Sin blankets our nation today. Therefore, it is crucial now that believers stand together for God’s truths and promises, return to Him and seek His will. God’s blessings will not be given to our nation without our obedienc...
In the gloom of all the tragedies in the world; the injustices and corruption in our government and country; the dysfunctional families and abuses; the addictions and life-threatening diseases; the starving and the homeless; the prejudices and the hate; the immorality and the fascination with evil and darkness; the self-centeredness and the greed; and the inevitable certainty of our death, there is still hope! We live in a fallen world where no one is without sin. Romans 3:23 states, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of G...
