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To quote the inspired words of Forrest Gump is to call to mind the simple fact that often we are the cause of our own troubles. “Our own worst enemy,” as my father used to say. How this happens is often a process. A process of thought or, to be more specific, wrong thought. Several verses of Scripture can point us to the genesis of that wrong thinking. The book of Judges recalls a time when, “Each man did what was right in his own eyes,” yet Proverbs 21:2 reminds us, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord ponders the heart...
The commonly recognized symbol for the medical and health professions is a staff with two snakes entwined about it, known as the “Caduceus.” This actually derives from modern misunderstandings that confused this symbol of the mythical Greek god Hermes with the original “Rod of Asclepius”, of the Greek god Asclepius, who was worshiped in his form of a serpent entwined around a staff. Devotees associated him with divine healing and medicine, establishing healing temples wherein patients would sleep on the floor of the sanctuary and numbers...
It was 24 years ago March 11 that a beautiful young lady flew to Anchorage, Alaska, to meet me to embark on the wonderful life-long journey together that we call marriage. I believe my wife Missy is the best gift God has given to me outside of life itself and the gift of eternal life through the forgiveness of sins offered by His Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. I thank God every day for the gift of a godly wife who I can call my best friend, companion, lover and mother of my kids! And I thank Missy for being willing to love me in spite of my...
Last time (Jan. 19, 2017) I invited you to join me on a quest, a quest to find “church” for those who are skeptical, cynical, or suspicious of churches, of religious organizations in a broad sense - what I am referring to as the “Groucho Marx” folks. Picking up where we left off then, the working definition of “church” that shapes this quest is “a group of people who come together, who form relationships and connections with those gathered, who share a common hope and desire for a deep life.” Let me also say – I am curious about a church th...
We live in an era when it is easier and easier to get what we need, when we want it. Yet, we are still limited by availability. There can be occasions when we have to wait to see the dentist or arrive at a store before closing time. Often there are people we need to meet with who may not be available for a long time. As I continue to write about the attributes of God, what is certain is that God is never closed for business. An attribute of God describes the Lord’s character, His nature, and w...
During New Testament times the day was divided into 12 hours beginning at six o’clock in the morning. The sixth hour would be noon, the eleventh hour would be five o’clock in the evening, although we think of the “eleventh hour” as before midnight. Beginning with six o’clock in the evening, the night was divided into four “watches” each three hours long. The second watch was nine until midnight, the third watch midnight to three and the fourth watch from three in the morning until six, about sunrise. When the storm came upon the disciples who...
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...
We live in a time in America, though certainly not the only time in America, where much of the country seems to be polarized between differing political viewpoints. And this polarization seems to show up most after an election, with some of those who did not get their way in the election acting out in very poor manners. Living here in Seeley Lake, I would like to think that maybe we get along with each other in spite of differing ideologies, and certainly I am thankful to not be aware of any protesting or rioting going on in our area....
“You gave me these emotions, but didn’t tell me how to use them....What of my soul? Do I have one?...Who are these people of which I am comprised? Good people...bad people? Did you know that I could play this (flute)? Does this knowledge reside in these hands...in this mind...in this heart? Who am I?” Usually when we hear the name “Frankenstein”, we think of a B movie and creature. Eighteen-year-old Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel spoke of far deeper things, intimated in the original subtitle: “or, The Modern Prometheus.” The 1994 cinema adaptati...
Imagine you’re facing an assassin, an assassin who has been hired to kill you. Now imagine handing him the weapon to kill you with. I know this is difficult to imagine and yet that is exactly what pride is like. Satan, the great deceiver, comes to “destroy both body and soul” (Matthew 10:28). We give him the tool of destruction when we willfully become prideful. Scripture records the following words, “I hate pride and arrogance” (Proverbs 8:13), “Pride goeth before the fall” (Proverbs 16:18) and “those who walk in pride he is able to humble....
It could have been any day, I do not remember exactly, but the conversation was not new in its content. I was visiting with a person about the value of participating in the life of a church. Various reasons were given for not doing so: lightning might strike, the walls might fall in, too many hypocrites (“I know what they’re like when they’re not at church.”), etc. I quoted Jesus’ response to the Pharisees and legal experts who complained about his eating and drinking with sinners and tax collectors: “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but s...
We are on the other side of another Christmas season. Many are working on thank-you notes to extend appreciation for gifts received. For most, the desire to give a gift to another person is an expression of love and kindness. We desire to show goodness and thoughtfulness to others. An attribute of God is His Goodness, which is wrapped up in God’s character. God’s goodness is His understanding of what is in our best interest and God’s loving desire to provide what is good for us. God’s underst...
Have you ever had “one of those days?” You know the kind. No matter what you set out to do it seems that everything goes wrong. I know I have. Sometimes, it seems they come in bunches – like bananas! My Dad was a great example to me during those times. For him, the glass was always at least half full, rather than half empty. In fact, for him it seemed the glass was always completely full. As a child of the 1960’s and 70’s however, I was not so sure. I bought in to the rhetoric of the time and always seemed to be having one of those days. Seeing...
For nearly fifteen years, I have worked with kids in a faith-based setting. I was a bible camp counselor for two summers. I volunteered 2-5 hours a week all throughout college at my church to help kids. I worked at my home-church for eight years as a youth director. I then worked on a local college campus for 18 months with young people. And in that time, I learned that kids are totally dumb. Note – kids are not stupid. Stupid shows a lack of intelligence. Being dumb (at least my definition) is more about being ignorant…naïve…and gullib...
It is a mere few days from one of the greatest celebrations of the year. This will be our 24th year celebrating the Christmas season in Seeley Lake. And though a few times we have spent Christmas with family elsewhere, we still have been in Seeley Lake during the Christmas season, and continue to enjoy many of the things our small town has to offer. From the friendly faces and voices at every business we go to, to the wonderful opportunity to hunt for a Christmas tree out in the forest, to the guaranteed white covering on the ground, to the...
1Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you… 4-6 I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith e...
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...
