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Leon Kauffman, Condon Community Church We live in a world that seems increasingly contentious. In today’s world, it would seem that enemies are everywhere to be had. Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount makes it clear that for believer there is a high bar in the attitude toward those who might be enemies. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:43-44) Jesus goes on to give a reason for this command saying in verse 45...
"Rejoice in the Lord, always. Again, I say rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4) What is the point of our existence? People often wrestle with this kind of question or something like it. The Westminster Confession, one of the official Confessions of my denomination (written in the 1640s) opens with this question: What is the chief end of man? In more contemporary language we might ask: What is the ultimate purpose, goal or hope of humanity? The answer from Westminster: to glorify God and enjoy God...
What does it mean to serve without expecting anything in return? As we call ourselves Christians, literally "little Christ," we should be modeling the behavior of Christ. We see in Mark 10:45 just what Jesus had to say about service, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." Jesus left his heavenly throne to serve us and that is mind-boggling. But that he served us even to the point of dying on the cross for us is nearly...
Back when I was a lad and my hound dog was a pup, Saturday mornings usually found me walk'n up that dirt road that led to the only TV in the neighborhood. Don't ya see it was there in that old homestead owned by one of the best neighbors on the planet word has it they were good Catholic folks. Anyway, several of us young'uns would invade their hospitality just in time to see Roy Rogers and Trigger get the bad guys. Sometimes his wife Dale joined in the chase on Buttermilk the buckskin. As I...
For those of us that would call ourselves "Christian" we must reconcile ourselves to sin. Now I understand that there are "Christians" that do not believe in the "inerrancy of Scripture." The problem with that is that if Scripture is not inerrant, we are left with no solid truths or guidelines for our lives. We are free to pick and to choose those things from God's Word which best match up with our own thinking. There are consequences to this line of reasoning as pointed out in the book of...
1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” You are in one of two jurisdictions, whether you know it or not, there is only one of two choices - the power of darkness/deception or the marvelous Light. The one sits over his kingdom and indeed is a professional puppet master. He, the evil one, is so good at pulling strings that the puppet does not even know that he is a puppet wit...
Each article I have been walking through the Lord's Prayer phrase by phrase. Rather than a rote prayer, the Lord's Prayer is an outline of how we can learn how to pray, on our own, following the example of Jesus Christ. Anytime you visit the ocean, there are always warning signs before entering the beach. Especially on the West coast there are signs warning against what are called "sneaker waves." A sneaker wave is one that is unusually larger or more powerful than the normal surf that is...
It’s mid-summer and peak vacation time in the scenic and majestic Seeley-Swan Valley. Every summer there’s a mass migration of visitors and adventurers on the highway, on the trails and in the local shops. Even when gas prices are high and lodging costs exorbitant, people are vacationing across the land. And why, one might wonder, is that? Certainly, relief from COVID travel restraints is part of it. But it’s not new, the yearning to travel, to break away from routine, to be free and spontaneous, to discover new places, people, things and t...
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints prepares to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Pioneer Day July 24 this year. We need to recognize that in addition to the sacrifices of the early pioneers (Ancestors), there are many modern-day pioneers around the globe who have built the Church in their nations or in their families. We need to recognize and remember the love and sacrifices that the present-day pioneers have done and are doing to help all of us live Christ's law. The law of love...
As I set to compose this article, I am also considering the devastating news from a dear beloved friend who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. One of the most difficult questions any pastor can be asked is, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” I still remember the phone call from my niece to inform me that my only sister had been called home due to ALS. I recall the agony in her voice when she said, “Uncle Bruce you are a pastor. Please tell me why God allowed my mother to suffer this way?” There are theological answers,...
The Source and Summit of the Catholic Faith is the Holy Eucharist from Scripture on the Lord's Supper when Jesus blessed and broke the bread and said, "...eat. This is my body." Taking the chalice Jesus said, "Drink....this is my blood..." (Matthew 26:26-30). Jesus said, "...my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink" (John 6:22-[55]-71). In John 6:66, many disciples thought Jesus' saying was hard, so they walked no more with Him. Salvation is a gift for those with faith who cooperate...
“Disaster comes upon disaster; rumor follows rumor; they shall keep seeking a vision from the prophet; instruction shall perish from the priest and counsel from the elders.” (Ezekiel 7:26) During a recent Bible study, someone shared a rumor about me that was going around among church people in the community. As one can imagine, all sorts of feelings came forth: hurt, anger, sadness, desire for vindication and truth, as this sort of rumor could be damaging to one’s credibility. Ultimately, the m...
“Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you.” John 15:3 In William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” Lady Macbeth, being accomplice to the murder of King Duncan, soon begins to feel the repercussions of her deeds. After washing the blood from her hands, she begins to imagine that it stains her hands still, crying not only her famous curse against its spot, but also, “... Here’s the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” An oft overlooked but very telling line by her physician arguably spe...
Have you ever had these moments in your life where you find yourself pleading and begging to understand why you are downcast? Well the Psalmist who wrote Psalms 42 definitely has. I often find myself in seasons of my life where I become downcast and heavy laden but as a believer in Christ, shouldn't I be filled with this overwhelming joy all the time? Yes! And no...Allow me to explain why. Joy is a long-term expression of gratitude and elation. The presence of despair and downcast is not somethi...
“I say then: walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another so that you are not to do the things that you wish.” Galatians 5:16-17. There’s the flesh/old man and the Spirit/new man. The old man is of great hindrance to our journey/walk. No matter how much sincere energy he spends improving the old man, he is still enmity against Yahuah. The lust of the flesh/old man will seek the easy way and becomes an exper...
Have you ever thought that mediocrity disturbs God? Mediocre, according to Webster’s dictionary, is derived from a Latin word meaning literally “halfway to the top.” So, we only are going halfway when we had planned to go all the way. I am afraid that most of us are content with mediocre obedience to God in our daily lives. We are satisfied merely to keep our nose clean and passively avoid the “greater sins” of the world (there is no difference in sins to God). So, not much effort goes into our obedience to God on a daily basis. God doesn’t i...
Perhaps some of you remember Aleksandr Solzenitsyn the Christian writer from Russia who was stuck in prison for years for speaking out against the evil Soviet system? They finally took away his citizenship and he came to America. Although late in life, in spite of the corrupt Soviet system, he still loved his homeland. He became friends with Putin and returned to Moscow, Russia and died there. In 1978 Harvard gave him an honorary degree in literature. He gave the commencement address--not...
Before attempting to serve God, we must first know whose ministry it is. By this I mean we must examine our motive for service. We must ask the question, am I doing this service for personal recognition, that people might say, "What a devoted servant he (she) is!" or am I serving because God has called me to serve Him in some way? The call of God is essentially expressive of His nature; service is the outcome of what is fitted to my nature. Service becomes a snare if it is based on self-will....
In each article, I have been walking through the Lord's Prayer phrase by phrase. Rather than a rote prayer, the Lord's Prayer is an outline of how we can learn how to pray, on our own, following the example of Jesus Christ. Matthew 6:12 directs us to our need for forgiveness and our need to forgive others, "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." Prayer flows out of a relationship with our Father in heaven. This relationship has been established because of Jesus Christ, and...
"After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he showed himself this way" John 21:1. We are in the time between Easter and Pentecost (Acts 2). Jesus is, as it were, making his rounds. For 40 days, Jesus will appear, interact with individuals and then be on his way. One of the most famous post resurrection appearances is his appearance to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. (Luke 24:13-32). Often it is difficult for those who encounter the...
Easter is the Christian holiday celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. After Christ died on the cross, His body was placed in a sepulcher, where it remained, separated from His spirit, until His Resurrection, when His spirit and His body were reunited. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints affirm and testify that Jesus Christ was resurrected and lives today with a glorified and perfected body of flesh and bone. Following His Resurrection, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene...
From the Bible in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, the apostle Paul writes, “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to Scripture, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to Scripture.” Looking closer at this Scripture, we...
...have mercy on us and on the whole world" (Divine Mercy Chaplet). Genesis, Fall of Man: God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil but the serpent/Satan deceived Eve who ate, then gave some to Adam who ate, disobeying God, causing Original Sin, which we inherited, breaking the God/human relationship, closing heaven for millennia. AD 30-33 Divine Mercy Chronology: Jesus said, "Amen, amen,...Except you eat [my] flesh...you shall not have life in you. He that...
Dear Mary of Magdala, I hear your voice sometimes, softly, almost like a whisper in a dream. Straining to hear you I close my eyes, try to block out all the other voices that want to tell me you're just a whore, therefore easily dismissed. Whore or not, you were there at the cross, when so many others fled. You were there in the garden seeking your teacher and friend. You were there in the Upper Room, I am sure of it, praying, united with the other women, the disciples, and with his mother, who...
One of the most popular movies in the last several decades is “The Shawshank Redemption.” For those who have not seen it, the basic plot is about a man named Andy who has been wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. However, after a number of years, he is able to escape. The main focus is mostly between ostensible criminal Andy and the Warden, who presents himself as a godly man. The dichotomy here is that each man’s true actions are the opposite of what they are purported to be outwardly. The Warden, for example, is anyth...
