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God had covenantally promised property, posterity and prosperity to the children of Abraham (see Genesis 12:1-3) if they were loyal to Him. At Mount Sinai, God revealed the covenantal instructions for loyalty through Moses to the Israelites. Insofar as the Israelites were loyal to God by keeping the commandments, they experienced the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant. And insofar as they were disloyal to God by purposefully breaking the commandments and refusing to heed God's loving...
Maybe I have a weird sense of humor but an old bluegrass song with the title “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven, But Nobody Wants to Die” came to my mind as this pandemic was starting to really hit here in the United States. The last part of that for sure rings true in the times we’re in. At least as far as I can tell, the author of the song is unknown. We cannot ask about their intended meaning for the song, but like art does, the song can get us to think about it. Although the title generally does ring true, it is a bit exaggerated. There are t...
Synopsis: God made us to know, love and serve Him and to gain eternal happiness with Him in heaven. God’s grace saves us through faith, when we do His will. With sin we disobey and offend God. God sent His dearly beloved Son, Jesus, who founded His universal/Catholic Church. Jesus’ willing sacrifice on the cross paid the price for our sins and restored our right relationship with God; Jesus’ resurrection restored our life. By God’s justice, through His Sacraments and Masses, everyone owes a grave debt of worship and thanksgiving to Him. Pa...
Everyone is on a Journey. How we live out our personal journey will determine our eternal destination. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and while there seems to be many different and sincere opinions, on the day of reckoning there will only be one! What will be your destination of your journey? There is only one “opinion:” The word of Elohim, made flesh that will judge righteously according to what man has done in the body. See 2 Corinthians 5:10. While in the judgment seat, you will need reliable witnesses – let Yahuah be found true....
Have you ever been lost in the woods? For those who have, the first thought is how to find your way to safety. The number one danger is usually not the elements, lack of water, etc. It is panic. For those who do not survive, in most cases it was overwhelming fear that led to a bad situation becoming worse. What is needed in such situations is a fixed, known and visible reference point...a focus. One of the most obvious of those is the night sky. Throughout the ages, people realized that focusing on the most prominent star they saw was not...
Well, this is a new one. At least, it is for me, and for the vast majority of you who read this, and the vast majority of Americans. We are undergoing an historic event that will likely alter the world we know going forward and we are being required to stay at home, except for essential activities. This event has taught me a few lessons, with more to come I expect. Let me share a few. First, life is uncertain. We do not know the future and no matter what anyone tells you is going to happen, we do not know if it will happen until it does. This...
The COVID-19 virus is causing panic and fear and no one likes the uncertainty. So, we all scream for some peace and stability in this chaotic world. We wrestle with trust and not having control. However, this struggle is universal and comes with living in a fallen world. Believers in Jesus Christ know that God is in total control. Those who deny God's existence or who do not turn to Him in their lives, deny themselves the greatest treatment for fear, anxiety, worry and doubt. Our God offers us s...
Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye. (Matthew 7:3-5 NRSV) I heard recently that many Americans have lost their capacity to be surprised. The person surmised three primary cultural shifts have given...
As I advance in years, I find there is a temptation to want to just sit back and rest on my accomplishments. It is tempting to just say, "I've worked hard, I've done my work and it's time for someone else to pick up the burden." And yet as I examine scripture, I see that this is clearly not God's plan. In 1st Thessalonians 3:6 I read: "Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the...
Years ago, the movie Castaway came out, in which Tom Hanks played a FedEx worker whose company plane went down, stranding him on a desert island for years. Not long after that FedEx ran a Super Bowl commercial that spoofed the movie "Castaway." Looking like a man who had been stranded on an island, the FedEx employee in the commercial goes up to the door of a suburban home, package in hand. When the lady comes to the door he explains that he survived five years on a desert island and during that...
Have you been to New Orleans for Mardi Gras? I have not but I am, like most of us, certainly aware of the annual event. Mardi Gras Day is Feb. 25. This day is also called Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday is that last day of the Carnival season and it always falls the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent which, this year, is Feb. 26. You can learn more about this year's Mardi Gras 2020 at its official website www.mardigrasneworleans.com. People party hardy on Fat Tuesday because Ash Wednesday,...
There is the story of a shipwreck on a dark and tempestuous night, when not even a star was visible. A ship was approaching the harbor of Cleveland, with a pilot on board. The captain, noticing only one light as they drew near - that from the lighthouse -asked the pilot if he was quite sure that it was Cleveland harbor, as other lights should have been burning at the harbor mouth. The pilot replied that he was quite sure, whereupon the captain enquired: “Where are the lower lights?” “Gone out, sir,” replied the pilot. “Can you make the harbo...
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...
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;…” (2 Timothy 3:10-17). For proper biblical understanding, supportive scriptural context is often required. Consider this: “...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:1-[9]-21). By expressing faith in Jesus, we act upon faith to manifest faith; we obey all of God commands; we believe everything revealed by God. With fait...
Everyone possesses one of two spirits, that of the world or that of Yahuah. The spirit of the world sees that which is of the flesh and no eyes to see that which is of obedience unto everlasting life. “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Yeshua, who is the image of Yahuah, should shine unto them.” 2 Corinthians 4:3,4. No one can do this without divine assistance. “But we have this treasure in earth...
"But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or upon the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 Today, the most sought-after (and most expensive) violins in the world are those crafted by Guaneri del Gesu and Antonio Stradivari, going for prices reaching millions of dollars. What is it that makes them so valuable? The short answer is that...
As most of you probably know, on New Year’s Day, tragedy struck our valley in the form of the death of two snowmobilers buried in an avalanche. This is not the only tragedy so far this year but is one that hits fairly close to me. I am an avid snowmobiler and also had the privilege of being part of the group who assisted in the recovery. It is a struggle for me to know what to say about the incident and how to organize my thoughts in a logical way, so I am going to just share a couple of things on my mind relevant to that incident. 1. I say it...
My beautiful wife was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1985. MS is an auto-immune disease that causes debilitating issues between the brain and the body. Its effect causes parts of the external and internal body to not work as the brain is telling the body to work. In January 2015 my wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia that causes the brain and the body to not work in harmony. There is no cure for either disease. Both of these diseases cause the body to be disconnected from the head...
We're going to look back a little bit in order to look forward. Christmas is all about celebrating the Incarnation. For followers of Christ, this is really an everyday kind of thing. So often, the whole "God-with-us" reality of the Incarnation gets lost amidst our tendency to focus on gifts, parties and the like. Incarnation means "being made flesh" from the Latin root. This activity in the past has on-going meaning and action in the present and on into the future. That's what the birth of...
I'm gett'n long in the tooth now. But look'n back so many decades when I was a lad and Shep was a pup, there was those Christmas that always seemed like 20-30 below. The new cabin wasn't too far from the little Catholic Church. "Don't be late sez mom as she hurried me out the door, it'll be warm at the Church." I remember the crunch of the snow under foot as I walked to practice the Christmas hymns. Mrs. Ver Schnider would be there to play the organ. Mom didn't always practice 'cause she knew th...
If you like to dance, you know how awkward it can be if both partners are trying to lead. If you recall what happened with Moses when he was still a young man and decided God needed his help looking out for the Israelites. The story is recorded in Exodus chapter 2 beginning in verse 11, "Moses...went out unto his brethren, and looked to their burdens." Needless to say, Moses's efforts, apart from God, did not go well. Sometimes we, like Moses, get out in front of God. Whether because of...
The place of King Herod within the Christmas story is intertwined with the history of the Magi. The Lord used the Magi to reveal the birth of Jesus to outsiders from a faraway place. The response of the Magi was then authentic worship of Jesus as King and Messiah. Matthew 2:7-8 (NIV) "Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to...
Have you picked up your new 2020 calendar? Can you believe it? 2020! Our favorite venders have calendars waiting for us to pick up. In our home we have calendars all over the place - on the kitchen refrigerator, in the car, in the office. Calendars give us useful information. Mostly however, we really like the pictures. Nevertheless, one calendar on the refrigerator is the "Advent" calendar. Our family tradition is to read the passage of scripture which lies behind a little door for each of the...
The aim of all gospel learning and teaching is to deepen our conversion and help us become more like Jesus Christ. For this reason, when we study the gospel, we’re not just looking for new information; we want to become a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This means relying on Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to help us change our hearts, our views, our actions and our very natures. But the kind of gospel learning that strengthens our faith and leads to the miracle of conversion doesn’t happen all at once. It extends beyond a classro...
In the past, God has always provided the subject well in advance when I write an article for the Pathfinder. This time He waited until it was nearly due and it came in the form of an email from an old friend. In my US Air Force days I was stationed in Japan for about three years in the early 1970s at which time I attended the base chapel and taught adult Bible classes. My wife and I became close friends with another couple by the name of Tom and Cathy. I have maintained occasional contact with them over the years and it was from Tom that I rece...
