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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...
To wear a mask or not to wear a mask, that is the question. Based on the title and the question you might think that I am going to write about the issue we have been dealing with since Spring of 2020. But this article is not about the mask mandates or the ever-changing rules by our government officials or the science of whether wearing a paper or cloth mask is effective in stopping an airborne virus. This article deals with people wearing different type of masks as they walk through this life....
The apostle Paul writes, "in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thess. 5:18). As Christians celebrate Thanksgiving each year and enjoy time with loved ones, we hope they will continue to display the same kind of gratefulness to God for our many freedoms and blessings in the sincerity exemplified by our courageous forefathers. Every Thanksgiving season I sit down and write a list and then meditate about all the blessings I have been provided from...
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...
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...
Do you desire more faith? We can have it by developing a loving relationship with our Lord. It is a personal connection with someone of good character that causes us to have faith. Well, our heavenly Father has perfect character and He already loves us. Does it not make sense to exercise the "measure of faith" that we already have and let it grow? Faith, like a muscle, grows when it is exercised. As faith grows, the more of God's love we receive. This is expressed in one sentence in Galatians...
The Scriptures frequently speak about the "Christian Walk" as a description of a believers' behavior. For example, we are told to walk as children of light, walk in truth, walk according to the Spirit and walk in love. Colossians 2:6 uses this expression to give us an important command, "Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him." The question we must ask is: What does it mean to "Walk in Christ?" Here the word in does not have a literal usage, like "the hammer is in...
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...
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...
The COVID-19 virus is causing panic and fear and no one likes the uncertainty. So, we all scream for some peace and stability in this chaotic world. We wrestle with trust and not having control. However, this struggle is universal and comes with living in a fallen world. Believers in Jesus Christ know that God is in total control. Those who deny God's existence or who do not turn to Him in their lives, deny themselves the greatest treatment for fear, anxiety, worry and doubt. Our God offers us s...
