Pastor’s Blog (Page 30)

Dear Woodland Hills Family, As you may know, I’ve been journeying recently through the book of beginnings (Genesis). With Thanksgiving upon us, I found myself wondering how often Genesis records occasions of thanksgiving. I found 22 separate instances of worship, offering, or thanksgiving! Beyond this there are even moreallusions to worship and thanksgiving. Reading…

The reign of death in Genesis 5 is punctuated with the story of Enoch. Each life before and after Enoch is summarized with, “and he died.” In sharp contrast, “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” In case we missed it, the book of Hebrews spells it out: Enoch did not die. “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found…

Cain and his sons and grandsons kept themselves busy with notable advances to civilization: city-building, animal husbandry, music, and metallurgy. But Cain’s brother Seth took a different tack. Genesis 4:25-26 paints asharp contrast between the two families. * When Cain had a son he built a city and named it after him. At Seth’s birth, however, his parents readily saw…

Need a little humor on this gloomy, rainy day? Did you hear about the family that got lost in a corn maze?  No kidding.  They became corn-fused. After they couldn’t find their way out of a maze of maize, Dad used his cell phone to dial 911.  “Help!  We’re stuck in a maze!”  Within 9 minutes of entering the maze, rescuers found dad, mom, and their two children.  No…

Adah and Zillah, Listen to my voice, You wives of Lamech, Give heed to my speech, For I have killed a man for wounding me; And a boy for striking me; If Cain is avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold. ~ Genesis 4:23, 24 I picture Lamech swaggering a bit, sword in hand, as he ascends a small mound to recite his verse. And why not? He’s got twowives! His son…

It was the woman You gave me who gave me the fruit…(Genesis 3:8) First he hid in the trees.  Now he hides behind someone else’s actions.  And Eve was quick to follow suit:  “It was the serpent.  He deceived me…” Thanks to lots of practice down through the centuries, we’ve turned hiding behind someone else’s actions into an art…