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One week into December and we are right in the middle of the Christmas season. I love Christmas, I always have. My memories of Christmas down through the years were always very positive. The ancient beginnings of Christmas are controversial for many. Some hold that Christmas originated out of pagan beliefs and practice. Yet others affirm that Christmas, from the very beginning, was designed to honor the birth of our Savior sent to rescue mankind. Frankly I don’t lose any sleep over these c...
As you read this, we will have experienced yet another Thanksgiving holiday and it sure seems to me they come around quicker each year! Hopefully your Thanksgiving was a day filled with family, friends, good food (love that turkey and dressing) and peace. But are we truly grateful for what we have and do we give any thought to the source of our good fortune? A few years ago I attended a meeting where a husband and wife had recently returned from a service mission in western Africa and were reporting on their experiences. One of the...
Its turkey time again! If you are like most people a big meal with family or friends is the big cause for celebration on this national holiday. With a full stomach we settle on the couch to watch a football game or two and hopefully stay awake the whole time. But are we missing the point of the day of celebration? Probably so. Reflecting on the original words of the 1863 Proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln we read: “It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart a...
Perhaps the hardest thing for us as Christians is to remember that we serve a sovereign God. This is especially true when people or circumstances seem to us to be out of control. It is at these times that we tend to try seizing control, forget all of God’s promises and try to find reason where only chaos exists. We forget, or simply fail to call to mind, the reminder, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in...
The city was surrounded...besieged by an army in order of magnitudes bigger than its own paltry defense. Below the city walls, the top general of Sennacharib’s conquering Assyrian army shouted at...and taunted...the king’s three emissaries above. This was the last city standing in all the country. Heretofore this king had been everything one would hope for. He was a humble yet strong man with an innate faith in God and His morality and righteousness. The people and kings before him had chosen a different path and upon his ascendance to the thr...
I started writing this in a hotel room near the end of a trip to a predominantly Muslim country. I thought I would share a few musings about our experience in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This was not the first time we have visited a Muslim country, but it is the first time we have spent more than a day in such a country. I have to admit, it has been a wonderful experience! The country is very modern, with infrastructure in some ways better than ours. The people are very friendly, the feeling is safe, and my wife has never felt like she was...
“What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest.” (Ecclesiastes 2:22-23) Some of us are a bit reluctant to slow down. We know that when we do, we may notice something we are trying to avoid – a difficult conversation with a friend, an upcoming appointment with a doctor. Whatever it is, we usually do not want to face the reality that some things are beyond our control. We have no control over how a friend...
There have always been times throughout history when people have been apprehensive about the future of the nation and world. We are quickly approaching the next presidential election. This is a season of giving great consideration to who to vote for to be the next president. At times like this I am reminded, or must be reminded, that God is not only in control of my life but also within rulers and authorities. God has divine control over everything that happens in the world…we understand this a...
The greatest sermon ever given was short, simple and revolutionary. Almost 2000 years ago, on a mount in Galilee, Jesus Christ taught a new way to live. A new path for all of us to follow. In Matthew chapters 5-7, Christ teaches what is now known as the Beatitudes. He tells us we will be blessed if we possess these attributes and tells us what blessings we will receive. “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Being “poor in spirit” means to be humble, not to be prideful. This means that we recognize and give Go...
The election season is upon us as we head down the final month until the election. Although the presidential election always seems to be divisive, this time it is perhaps worse than ever. I cannot say I follow politics that closely but it seems that this election for many voters is as much about not wanting the other candidate as it is about actually wanting the candidate they will ultimately vote for. In their October issue, Christianity Today published a series of articles where arguments were made for Clinton, Trump, and neither, so it...
Living in a valley, as we do here in Seeley Lake, one comes to appreciate both the beautiful scenery of the surrounding mountains and the shelter from the high winds that are so often a part of life on the plains. And as in life, the mountain top experiences (beautiful views and far off vistas) are often ones we would like to hold on to. Yet we are called to return to the valley floor to spend the bulk of our time and existence. God often gives his missions to his people during these “mountain top experiences.” Such was the case with Moses at...
Technology - 1. the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science and pure science. 2. the application of this knowledge for practical ends. 3. the terminology of an art, science, etc.; technical nomenclature. 4. a scientific or industrial process, invention, method or the like. 5. the sum of the ways in which social groups provide themselves with the material objects of their...
Words have power. Words are a primary method of communication. They can change the destiny of nations, causing war or peace. When spoken, they can stick in our memories for our entire lives, and even beyond as we pass them on to others. When written down, they can survive for centuries and millennia. The Bible is composed of words. It is God’s message to humans, penned by men, inspired by God Himself, written down, surviving for millennia. And the Bible itself shows the power of words. In the third verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:3, God spoke the...
Then God said, “Let us make humanity in our image to resemble us so that they may take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and all the crawling things on earth.” God created humanity in God’s own image, in the divine image God created them, male and female God created them. (Genesis 1:26-27 Common English Bible) Questions of identity - Who am I? Why am I here? - have often plagued the minds of philosophers and theologians. Since the Enlightenment, we have received various attempts to answer these q...
One of my favorite slogans is, “Ask a teenager now…while they still know everything.” We’ve all been on both sides of this. It is common for youth to feel certain that they possess a firm understanding of life. Yet, with age, comes a humble understanding that is shaped by wisdom and life experience. In my articles I have been taking a look at attributes of God, the many different terms that describe how wonderful God is. The attributes of God describe for us the beauty and truth of God that di...
One year during our family Easter egg hunt, I set out to trap one of our kids. Oh the joys of being a father! I planned it with meticulous care and feeling confident, I put the most beautiful egg inside a small mouth canning jar and buried it securely in the ground. It worked perfectly! Right out the door, Easter basket in hand, our little Kelsey spied the egg and reached in and grabbed hold of it. I bet you can guess what happened. That’s right, her little hand fit in the jar perfectly but grasping that nice round egg, it wouldn’t. Ini...
Recently I was watching the movie “The Last Samurai” starring Tom Cruise. In the movie, Cruise’s character finds himself among the Samurai, training in their ancient warfare practices. At one point he states, “I have never seen such discipline.” In the scene that follows, Cruise is shown training but is struggling to learn the ancient art. A young man runs out to him after he is knocked to the ground by his opponent, telling Cruise, “Too many minds!” Cruise is puzzled by this statement so the young man explains that he is thinking of t...
In this current age we hear time and again a litany of rights. As individuals we sometimes insist on being right. We tell ourselves that others agree with us and therefore we are in the right and thus justified in our actions. But where does right begin and where does it end? In Matthew Chapter 5, Jesus draws a distinction between man’s law and God’s law. He points out that though we may be right in man’s eyes we may be wrong in God’s eyes. He points out, “Verily I say to thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the...
If you’re looking for a model of what the church is supposed to look like – look no further than a local Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting. Alcoholism runs rampant in my family (I’m lucky to not have the disease), but some very close people in my life do. I spent some time this week talking with those that battle the bottle. Listening to my friends describe the comradery and transparency at AA made me almost jealous! The stories went like this… “When you walk into AA for the first time, it’s usually because you have just hit rock bottom. You...
As a builder, I have the opportunity to look at a lot of plans for all kinds of various projects. For the most part, I enjoy it - there is such a variety of building styles and types out there with every project being unique in some way or another that I enjoy looking at the plans. And of course, it is an indispensible part of my job. Those plans are my guide for what to build and how to build it, and without them, I generally could not do the project or even give a price for doing the project. Over the years I have noticed that I have yet to...
In my previous articles I have focused on an attribute of God. An attribute is a description of who God is and how God relates to us. Understanding the attributes of God are important to know the beauty of who God is and the truth of how the Lord acts toward people. Every attribute of God points us to how God provides for us and protects. I want to look at the character of God as being just and fair. The idea of just is an action or behavior that is morally right and fair. When we speak of...
Bilbo Baggins was a simple hobbit who wanted nothing more than to sit in front of his fire and eat his soup but life had other plans for Bilbo! It took him on a wonderful journey filled with wizards and dwarfs. His adventures weren’t always fun (or safe!) but they shaped and molded his character in ways that would never have been possible otherwise. I believe life is like this, a series of journeys that we might not always want to take but never-the-less do. Along the way, the Lord shapes and molds us into the people He needs us to be. I...
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...
As I watch the news in these troubled times, I realize just how confused our nation has become. Many, for instance, mistake the right or left of political issues with the right or wrong of moral issues. Moral issues like abortion and homosexuality, which are individual moral choices, have become political issues. The result has been to further add to the divisions that exist in our country today. I doubt that our country has been this divided since the Civil War. I am by no means suggesting that we should ignore moral issues but rather that...
“...be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:18-20 Of the many gifts given to mankind, the ability to create is arguably one of the most beautiful. Music, among the panoply of these, can be evocative, inspirational, comforting or driving to multitudinous ends. For example, classical music has been repeatedly shown to have positive eff...
