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It was another one of those times when the cupboards began to look like Ol' Mother Hubbard's pantry. It seemed like a time to worry. However, Jesus reminded me in Matthew 6 how "He takes care of the birds of the air...and not to worry about tomorrow." So I had to come up with a plan or so I thought. No work locally. But God had a better purpose. For the same chapter sez "to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these thing will be given to you as well." So my wonderful wife...
Perhaps you've heard the expression, "Born once, die twice" or "Born twice, die once." These are both references to the verse in the book of John where Jesus explains to Nicodemus what it means to be "Born again. Jesus explains the first birth is a physical birth, and the second is a spiritual birth, or awakening. Paul explains in Romans 6:4, "We were therefore buried with him through baptism unto death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the father, we too...
I read a story about a frequent airline traveler who commented about observing exemplary service on a regular flight. On this occasion, the flight attendants were absolutely fantastic. The traveler noted that the flight crew was the most attentive, responsive flight crew he had ever seen. So, toward the end of the flight, he stopped one of the flight crew members and said, "Excuse me, I don't mean to bother you, but I fly a lot and I have never seen a flight crew like this. You are the most...
On a blue gray day in 1517, a German Augustinian monk, pastor and university professor nailed a document on the castle church door in Wittenberg, Saxony. The day was Oct. 31. The occasion was the eve of All Saint's. The Nov. 1 celebration was a community event. Town's people would gather at St. Mary's church, where the pastor preached, to remember and celebrate the lives of the Christian martyrs who died confessing their faith. University professors and students would gather to celebrate at the...
"Pure Truth, Pure Doctrine, and Pure Revelation" - President Russell M. Nelson. The pure doctrine of Christ is powerful. It changes the life of everyone who understands it and seeks to implement it in his or her life. The doctrine of Christ helps us find and stay on the covenant path. Staying on that narrow but well-defined path will ultimately qualify us to receive all that God has. Nothing could be worth more than all our Father has! Finally, pure revelation for the questions in your heart wil...
We are in the middle of autumn here in the Swan Valley. The leaf trees are just getting past their peak color and the larch needles are just starting to turn yellow. Thinking about the process of leaves (and needles) changing colors, it is a bit ironic that the process that brings out the beauty, is also the one that leads to their ultimate demise. The color change happens as the life-giving green chlorophyll breaks down and disappears. This reveals other often brilliant colors that are in the leaves as well. However, inevitably, the leaves fal...
(Catholics worship God only and honor the Blessed Virgin Mary.) What is the Rosary? In cooperation with the Holy Spirit, the Rosary is a recited prayerful meditation on Christ's life through His joyful, sorrowful, glorious and expanded luminous mysteries (meaning things hidden in God until He reveals them). We were commanded to pray the Rosary for peace in the world and for the conversion of souls by Church-approved Marian apparitions (supernatural appearances of the Blessed Virgin Mary). *Read...
9 “Therefore, let all Israel know beyond question that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 When the crowd heard this, they were deeply troubled. They said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” (Acts 2:36-37) While the global pandemic of COVID-19 has revealed the brokenness of so much of our society, one very ugly bit has emerged in my world: blatant Christian nationalism. I saw it in stars-and-stripes banners claiming Jesus as Lord, held by angry violent people storming the Capital...
The world around us is obsessed with the pursuit of happiness. But what if I told you I had no interest in the pursuit of happiness but am instead more interested in the pursuit of joy? Let me explain. Happiness is a fleeting momentary circumstantial emotion whereas joy is a more permanent state of being. When we receive good news we may be happy, but this happiness can be quickly dashed by bad news. Because joy is a permanent state of being, I and many others choose to find joy in Christ. This...
Romans 8:7,8: “Because the mind/though life of the flesh is enmity towards Elohim, for it does not subject itself to the Torah/word of Elohim, neither indeed is it able,” v.8 “and those who are in the flesh are unable to please Elohim.” The flesh/self-life thrives/operates on the law/Torah of diminishing return. That is, it needs more and more and more. It will eventually not be satisfied by truth/Word of Elohim and will develop a lust for traditions, inherited doctrines of men, legends, fantasies and fables that are unheard of in the Scriptu...
I remember a man who stopped me once after a church service to tell me some of his troubles. He was not happy with some of the developments in his life and seemed to believe that telling at least one more person how he felt would give him some satisfaction. I listened for some time as he described some decisions he had made that resulted in pain and difficulty. Eventually I got a word in and asked if he felt anyone had pressured him to make those decisions. "No," he replied. "It was actually...
Often I find that our human nature is at war with our spiritual nature (God's plans and desires for us). Galatians 5 beginning in verse 17, offers a picture of that struggle. In Romans 12:2 Paul says, "Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will." All too often, I find Christians try to replace the Word of God with some reasoning of their own...
In order to teach us how to pray, Jesus gave us the Lord's Prayer to serve as an outline to guide our own prayers. Not only does the Lord's Prayer teach us elements of prayer to incorporate, we also see a Biblical worldview to change our thinking. Within a Biblical worldview, there are only the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God. The arrival of Jesus into our world inaugurated the spiritual Kingdom of God with Jesus as king. We choose the kingdom of God when Jesus is ruler over our...
"For they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous." Psalm 14:5 ESV Sadly, we live in a time of terror. For a generation, the defining event is 9/11. For my generation, flying will never be the same. I wonder if in some ways, we have become accustomed to the threat of terrorism. With the Olympics beginning, I remember the events of Munich in 1972 when terror struck the games. No doubt the Olympic organizers have planned for such an event. Terror is a most unpleasant...
Before we were born on earth, we all lived with Heavenly Father as His spirit children. He presented a plan to help His children learn and grow. Through His plan, we can become more like Him and be worthy to enjoy eternal life. This plan is possible because God’s Son Jesus Christ came to earth to suffer for our sins, a sacrifice called the Atonement. God sent us to earth, where we could have a physical body (see Genesis 1:26–27). We needed bodies to help us experience life on earth. God knew that we would not feel happy all the time. We exp...
“This is the day the Lord has made …” (Psalm 118:24) For some of us, this season of COVID has felt a bit like the movie Groundhog Day. Have you seen it? In the movie, Bill Murray plays a cynical TV weatherman who finds himself reliving the same day, over and over again, when he goes on location to Punxsutawney to report about their annual Groundhog Day. His predicament just about drives him crazy until he sees a different way of looking at it. Is that what the psalmist meant when he wrote, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice...
Reasons many oppose Jesus' one, true Faith: • Free will....whoever does not gather with Me scatters" (Luke 11:14-[23]). Without remaining with Jesus in His sacraments, whereby we obey His commandments, "we can do nothing" fruitful in His eyes (John 15:1-[5]-27). • Unbelief. Why would Jesus establish one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, where He would always be with us in His sacraments, if He didn't intend that we join Him there, see Matthew 28:16-[20]? Our participation is commanded by Je...
“5 Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. 7 Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:5-7, CEB) Over the years I have noticed how entangled anxiety and defensiveness are. Some of the most highly defensive people I have encountered are also the m...
As we approach the Fourth of July, I cannot help but think of where we as a country have received the blessings that we have. Actually, not from where, but from Whom. The “whys and wherefores” are an ongoing debate for some but one thing that is irrefutable is the singular prominence of faith and dependence upon God and His Word with which the majority of the Founding Fathers based virtually everything they did, not only in their personal lives but also inveterately within their framing of this new nation. As but one quote of many, John Adams w...
Mid-June is smack dab in the middle between two patriotic holidays: Memorial Day and Independence Day. Both of these commemorate past times and heroes of our country, as well as the ongoing freedoms enjoyed and ongoing sacrifices made for those freedoms. Recently, Israel has been in the news over a serious, violent conflict with their neighbors in the Gaza Strip as well as violent rioting and conflict on their own streets between Jews and Palestinians. Considering the situation in the Middle East, and our life here in the United States, I have...
If you wanted to go on a trip to Seattle today, would you be able to drop everything and make it there and back okay? Before going, you would have to check to make sure you have fuel, money, a decent car, and food and water along the way. This is called counting the cost. To count the cost is to see if you can finish something before you start it. This journey of following Christ is no different. Before committing to Christ and picking up your cross are you able to complete it through to the...
1 Peter 4:1-2, “Therefore, since Messiah suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so that he no longer lives the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men but according to the desire/will of Elohim.” You would not have any chance for redemption if Yeshua had ignored Torah the way that most ignore Torah/The Will of Elohim. The Messiah and the few will be set apart to do the will of the Father. Whereas the many will be locked up in great religious darknes...
The thought of a revival has been heavy on my heart for a long time. I have read a lot about different revivals that have taken place here in the USA, like "The Great Awakening" in the 1730s and 1740s, that swept through the New England and Middle Colonies. Ministers called for "a new birth," a return to the strong faith of earlier days. One such minister was Jonathan Edwards of Massachusetts, who gave powerful sermons for people to return to the Bible. George Whitefield, a minister from...
In the 1985 movie version of "Anne of Green Gables," as an orphan, young Anne is mistakenly placed with Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. Marilla is a kind, but stern lady, but also has a deep faith in the Lord. Young Anne has no Christian upbringing, which is of great concern to Marilla. So the first night Anne is taught to pray. She gives it a try: "I'll do my best. Dear gracious heavenly Father, I thank you for everything. As for the things I especially want, they're so numerous it would take a...
I grew up in the 50's and one of my favorite TV programs was the Lone Ranger. One of the benefits of cable TV is that I can watch the Lone Ranger again. As a boy I would straddle my stick horse, six-shooter strapped to my side and cowboy hat slighted tilted. I watched the TV screen intensely as the Masked Man and his faithful companion Tonto righted wrongs and brought justice to the land. At the end of every program, the Lone Ranger and Tonto, having done justice (Micah 6:8), would bid farewell...
