Opinion / Passages
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Our daily bread
In his book, "Praying the Lord's Prayer," author Elmer Towns tells the story of a salesman who attended one of his Bible classes. The salesman worked in the appliance section of the local department...
Who am I?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor in Nazi Germany, was a staunch critic of Hitler and a resistor of Hitler's euthanasia program and genocidal persecution of the Jews. In April 1943, he was arrest...
The creation
We should care for the earth, be wise stewards over it and preserve it for future generations. And we are to love and care for one another. We are to build families and be sealed in holy temples. We...
Peering through the mist
“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) The Message paraphrases that verse this way – “We don’t yet see...
"We love because God first loved us," 1 John 4:19
Do we love with mere sentimentality repeating words such as "I love you," saying to a person in need "I wish you well," or listening to or reading God's Holy Word all without further action? Apostle...
Finding rest and hope in the darkness
At this time of year, when daylight is in short supply, I am reminded of the restorative blessing of darkness. My chickens first alerted me to the necessity of the dark. As daylight fades in the...
Immanuel with us
“In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” John 1:4-5 There is an old analogy that goes as follows: Imagine a room with no windows or outside light coming in. In...
What is truth?
It seems like we are regularly bombarded with conflicting truth claims. From advertising (who makes the best truck/dishwasher/phone) to politics (which candidate or issue should we support) to sports to religion and other everyday conversations, we...
From beginning to beginning
"In the beginning..." You might be thinking the next words in this quote are: "...God created the heavens and the earth." But today we will be finishing the quote in the gospel of John. Often, when...
A journey without end
1 Corinthians 10:21 “You are not able to drink the cup of the Master and the cup of demons. You are not able to partake of the table of the Master and the table of demons.” Our journey takes us past two cups and two tables. We can choose one cup...
Giving thanks
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 love...
Growing in Christ
It was another one of those times when the cupboards began to look like Ol' Mother Hubbard's pantry. It seemed like a time to worry. However, Jesus reminded me in Matthew 6 how "He takes care of the...
Have you had your "white" funeral?
Perhaps you've heard the expression, "Born once, die twice" or "Born twice, die once." These are both references to the verse in the book of John where Jesus explains to Nicodemus what it means to be...
"Thy will be done"
I read a story about a frequent airline traveler who commented about observing exemplary service on a regular flight. On this occasion, the flight attendants were absolutely fantastic. The traveler...
The grace offered through Reformation
On a blue gray day in 1517, a German Augustinian monk, pastor and university professor nailed a document on the castle church door in Wittenberg, Saxony. The day was Oct. 31. The occasion was the eve...
Quotes to help live by and come closer to Jesus Christ
"Pure Truth, Pure Doctrine, and Pure Revelation" - President Russell M. Nelson. The pure doctrine of Christ is powerful. It changes the life of everyone who understands it and seeks to implement it...
Colors of fall
We are in the middle of autumn here in the Swan Valley. The leaf trees are just getting past their peak color and the larch needles are just starting to turn yellow. Thinking about the process of leaves (and needles) changing colors, it is a bit iron...
"Pray the Rosary every day..." Our Lady of Fatima, 1917
(Catholics worship God only and honor the Blessed Virgin Mary.) What is the Rosary? In cooperation with the Holy Spirit, the Rosary is a recited prayerful meditation on Christ's life through His...
Jesus is Lord
36 “Therefore, let all Israel know beyond question that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 When the crowd heard this, they were deeply troubled. They said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what sh...
The pursuit of joy
The world around us is obsessed with the pursuit of happiness. But what if I told you I had no interest in the pursuit of happiness but am instead more interested in the pursuit of joy? Let me...
On a journey without end
Romans 8:7,8: “Because the mind/though life of the flesh is enmity towards Elohim, for it does not subject itself to the Torah/word of Elohim, neither indeed is it able,” v.8 “and those who are in the flesh are unable to please Elohim.” The...
Lord, help us to listen
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...
Mind over what matters
Often I find that our human nature is at war with our spiritual nature (God's plans and desires for us). Galatians 5 beginning in verse 17, offers a picture of that struggle. In Romans 12:2 Paul...
Thy Kingdom come
In order to teach us how to pray, Jesus gave us the Lord's Prayer to serve as an outline to guide our own prayers. Not only does the Lord's Prayer teach us elements of prayer to incorporate, we also...
Turn terror into joy
"For they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous." Psalm 14:5 ESV Sadly, we live in a time of terror. For a generation, the defining event is 9/11. For my generation,...
