Temptation is so subtle… Have you ever noticed how wonderful – even wholesome, good things can quickly turn into bad? John Calvin said that our hearts are “idol factories” meaning that we turn anything into an object of misplaced worship. Let me illustrate. Along with most everyone else who is honest enough to admit it, IRead more
It’s been a while (almost 2 months) since I’ve blogged so I guess an update is in order. Well, a lot has happened. It seems like just yesterday that I was reviewing my schedule for November and December. Although the small group Bible study I lead two times a month was postponed in November, IRead more
Today marks the anniversary of our wedding! That is, 45 years ago, Judy and I exchanged wedding vows before our family and friends and in the presence of God. In that ceremony, we completely committed ourselves to one another. We promised in the name of God, to love and cherish one another – to honorRead more
Several years ago, being a relative novice to the pastoral ministry, I was enmeshed in a particularly demanding project with many challenging tasks. The pressure was great and I was determined. Things had to be done. It seemed up to me to do them. There was no way that I could even think of takingRead more
“The LORD is my shepherd, but I do want. That’s my problem: I want… I want… I want…” So says my reader honestly echoing the thoughts of many of us. We want the LORD to be our shepherd – that is, to give us all that we think we need AND we want to dictateRead more
I didn’t have time to tell you something very important. Last time, we were considering Psalm 23.1: The LORD is my Shepherd. We briefly considered the name and character of the LORD. We also thought about the idea of Shepherd in the Bible, especially Jesus as “the good Shepherd.” What I didn’t tell youRead more
Only seconds after being thrown from a bicycle and landing in a deep ditch, I realized I was unable to move and paralyzed from my shoulders down. All kinds of doubts and threats invaded my consciousness. Along with this uncertainty came a calming assurance. I remember thinking, “God is my strength and refuge, an everRead more
You can learn a lot about a person by the company that he or she keeps. That is, those with whom you associate speak volumes about who you are. This is not only true of people but also of words. For instance, I looked up a word in the dictionary – crook. Several definitionsRead more
FB Post: “Claiming that someone else’s marriage is against your religion is like being angry at someone for eating a doughnut because you’re on a diet.” My Initial Response: This statement is that it might easily be taken out of context. However, the accompanying photo and our cultural context encourage one to think that theRead more
What would you do? The Old Testament records an account of one of God’s spokesman named Elijah. Following a direct confrontation with a wicked king Elijah receives further instructions from the Lord. “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink fromRead more