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We are having quite a week. Tuesday the election, last Saturday Halloween. In both cases COVID has again proven quite disruptive. But then disruption is becoming the norm. But Halloween wasn't the only event of October 31st. Another quite disruptive event took place. On that date in 1517, Martin Luther a mendicant Augustinian monk and university professor posted on the Wittenberg Castle Door 95 thesis for debate. The church door was where you posted public announcements so as those citizens who...
President Russell M. Nelson issued the challenge to “think deeply and often about this key question: How do you hear Him?” He then promised, “When we seek to hear—truly hear—His Son, we will be guided to know what to do in any circumstance.” The scriptures preserve the precious words of God to His children. In the past His faithful saints heard Him and recorded His truths. Now in our day we can hear Him again as we read and ponder the scriptures, listen to and follow modern day prophets, and keep our spirits open to regular inspiration from hea...
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...
While Catholics worship God only, we are devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Why? • We honor Mary (and the saints) because they modeled virtuous, holy lives. • “The knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. What the virgin Eve had bound in unbelief, the Virgin Mary loosed through faith” –Saint Irenaeus (~125-202). • Jesus comes to us through Mary’s obedience and faith. • Because Mary humbly said ‘Yes’ to the Father when told she will conceive by the Holy Spirit and bear the Son of God, Jesus never denies His Mother any...
God does not make sin nor does God cause sin to happen. God created the world and is still creating the whole universe good. God blesses it all, breathing life into the whole creation, so that life, abundant life, would grow exponentially-so that blessing would extend beyond anything we could ever imagine. This is still God's way-God's modus operandi: To bless, to give life, that all of creation may experience blessing and thrive. To bring healing, wholeness and restoration. To bring truth,...
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope.” Romans 5: 3-4 Pastor Richard Wurmbrand was a Lutheran pastor from Romania. Prior to that, however, he was raised as a staunch atheist, orphaned at an early age. As an adolescent, he was noticed early on for his academic prowess by the local Communist officials, and sent to study Marxism in Moscow, to eventually become a paid Comintern agent back in his home country of Romania. After his marriage in...
My wife and I moved to Seeley Lake in August of 1993. Wayne and his wife Sandee were among the first people we met here in Seeley Lake. In fact, during our first Sunday worship service at Mission Bible Fellowship, back when service was still held upstairs, I believe we literally met everyone who attended that morning, and it seemed to me most of them had the last name of Cahoon! There was Melvin and his family, John and his family, Ralph and his family, and Wayne, Sandee, David and Chelsea (Christian and Joshua had not yet been born). Wayne...
To examine the Messiah’s journey is always a good check and to see the suffering of the One “Who created all things in the heavens and that are in the earth – all have been created through Him and for Him.” Colossians 1:16. Let’s go to John 7 where He endured the wrath of the people while on His time on earth. Verse 7 - The world hates Me. Verse 12 - There was much grumbling about Him. Also, verse 12 - He is leading the crowd into deception. Verse 15 - How He is un-learned. Verses 19 - Why do you seek to kill Me? Verse 20 -You have a demon. Ve...
Have you ever found yourself wide awake in the middle of the night with thoughts that just seem to tumble around in your head? I found myself in that situation about 3 a.m. one morning a few weeks ago. My mind seemed to be taking inventory of the events of the past year. The past year's challenges occupied most of my thoughts. The transition from a full-time student in Los Angeles California to a full-time pastor in Seeley Lake, Montana. The change in location was a blessing to me but becoming...
Many moons ago there was a big burn over in Orchard country central Washington. Up in the mountains it fried most all the pine. There we were, crawl'n around try'n to salvage the timber. While look'n for a place to stay I heard about an old bunkhouse that was owned by a Apple Grove man. The fire crews used it, also, the apple pickers in the fall. Well, I figured if it was good enough for migrant workers it was good enough for me, see'n I was quite migratory myself. Another cutter on the job was...
Someone once said, if you're not worried you're not paying attention. The apostle John recorded in his gospel, these words: "In this world you will have trouble." John 16:33. And anyone that's paying attention has certainly noticed the world seemingly crumbling before our very eyes. How then are we to find peace in a world of chaos? First, let's take a look at the words Jesus used preceding His pronouncement that we would find trouble in this world. His warning, "you will have troubles" is prece...
Within our culture is a wide range of sources that claim to give wisdom, guidance and instruction. Many sadly choose to look to daily horoscopes to give insight into what might happen that day and wisdom for how to live. I read an article a while back that states: "NASA reveals you've had the wrong Zodiac sign all your life." Apparently, NASA quietly reminded the world that there are in fact 13 constellations in the original zodiac and not 12. The article actually blames the ancient...
When I was in graduate school at Gonzaga University a few years ago, I was asked to read a book by sociologist Zugmunt Bauman called "Liquid Times: Living in an Age of Uncertainty." He wrote a series of books over 10 years using the term "liquid" to describe the risk, fear and uncertainty of current global actions and confrontations. As I re-read the small book, I was struck with his observation of how institutions and social forms are decomposing faster than it takes to cast them. This...
What Is Wisdom Literature? In the Bible, there is a set of writings called “Wisdom Literature.” These books include Proverbs, Psalms, Job, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. The purpose of wisdom literature is to preserve wise sayings of a righteous parent or leader to a young and growing child. The righteous and wise parent delivers instructions to the child on how to live a happy, prosperous life by putting God first and keeping the commandments. We see this in Proverbs 7:1-3, “My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee....
“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 I watched a scene on the news recently that made me wince; the reporter was standing there with no one within hundreds of yards, yet he had a face mask on. Even the cameraman was a dozen yards away with a long microphone “boom” bridging the space between them. I could barely understand his words. It felt iconic of the moment, as he stood there isolated, and of the space opening...
“Such as I love, I rebuke and chastise.” Revelation 3:14-22 “…unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:1-5 Punishments in families and in society such as time-outs and arrests can change bad behavior to good behavior to keep the moral order. Similarly, God chastises, or punishes, us who sin and serve other gods or idols, which are things that are more important to us than God, for example: ourselves, others, activities, beliefs, things, sins, etc. 1st Commandment: “I am the LORD thy God,…You shall not have strange gods before m...
Galatians 5:13: “You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only don’t let this freedom be an opportunity to indulge your selfish impulses, but serve each other through love. All the Law has been fulfilled in a single statement: love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour each other, be careful that you don’t get eaten up by each other!” Freedom is a tricky concept in western democratic societies. Most of us think we know what it means. Or at least, we certainly react when we believe our personal freedoms are being t...
Imagine that you have never owned a home, but one day someone offers to sell you theirs (with ample property) for pennies on the dollar. There is only one catch...your country has just been invaded and that property lies within what is now enemy territory. To make matters worse, you are in the one city still left standing, with the enemy literally crashing the city walls, and you know for a fact that very soon everything will be destroyed, and the majority of your people will shortly either be executed or taken captive to a foreign land. Would...
We once more have arrived at the great celebration day of our nation’s adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Blood, sweat and tears were shed so that we can enjoy benefits such as free speech, life, liberty, independence, freedom of religion, the right to bear arms, etc. This year is unique from all other Fourth of July’s in my lifetime, in that many events have been canceled due to COVID-19. That does not mean that we cannot celebrate in different ways. I thank God for the sacrifices made so that we have something substantial to celebra...
Everyone’s life journey fulfills prophecy (Scripture) in one place or another, in or out. The great concern should be in what location? John/Yohanan 17:21 “So that they all might be one, as You, Father, are in me, and I in You…” What an in: Father, you in me and me in you. OH how good we have it. FATHER, can we make it that way for all of them that you gave me, they that keep your word? V: 6. I in them and you in me – that would be perfectly yoked. V:23 “I in them, and you in me, so that they might be perfected into one, so that the world k...
Our nation is reeling from the COVID-19 virus and the rioting and looting that is occurring across this nation. People's lives are void of true peace and quiet moments and that is one of our greatest dangers. Mr. Charles E. Hummel wrote an article titled "The Tyranny of the Urgent" for Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship in 1967. In this article he related a conversation he had with a cotton mill manager who told him, "Your greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out the important." I...
I recently went to the hospital for a small procedure. As I entered, two gals checked my temperature and gave me a mask. I consider myself a reasonable person and thought this makes sense in this situation. But I won't spend what few years I have left look'n like Jesse James ready to rob the bank at Northfield, Minn. Then you have big outfits like Walmart and others open with a lot of folks close together while small independent shops are forced to stay closed and are going bankrupt, losing a...
If you're like my wife you're probably asking what is "unconscious unreality?" It's a phrase I picked up while reading Oswald Chambers, one of my favorite authors. Chambers made the statement that, "The deadliest Pharasaism today is not hypocrisy but unconscious Unreality. What he was getting at is our ability to (without even being conscious of it) commit sin and then justify it to ourselves. Let me give you an example: If you've ever been guilty of being angry with someone and then justified i...
My favorite online used bookstore recently shared about the all kinds of treasures that have been found left inside used books. Over the years, as they have sorted and cataloged used books, they have discovered a wide variety of items left hidden in the pages of used books. The biggest treasure was a bundle of 40 $1,000 bills. Also found was a Mickey Mantle rookie baseball card, a marriage certificate from 1879, a diamond ring and a baby's tooth. None of these interesting and valuable objects...
“Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 Fear is dangerous. On the one hand, it can get us to act and bypass our thought process. On the other hand, it can get us to act and bypass our thought process. Sometimes that is good, sometimes that is not so good. How do we know? Should I be afraid? Shouldn’t I be afraid? Fear and reason don’t play well together. They make for a very difficult emotional experie...
