Pastor's Blog (Page 14)

Nine times in Genesis 5 we read, “and he died.” Adam, Seth, Enosh. Kenan… each of these lived some nine hundred years! But in every case their story closes with, “and he died.” The last person in Genesis 5 is Noah, whose final epitaph is delayed until 9:29—“and he died.” Why did the author stress so pointedly that each one died? Perhaps it was so that Enoch’s story would…

One Saturday way back when I took my 5- or 6-year-old son to the flea market. While we were there he spotted a kids’ carpentry tool kit that he just had to have. He used to watch admiringly when I did carpentry work, and here was his chance to have his own tools! The problem was they were very poorly constructed. I doubted the tools would even be usable. And I was sure…

I’m sure you’ve wondered… Why do we have hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters? Why are there wasps, snakes, and other harmful creatures? Why do our bodies suffer with disease, disfigurement, and ultimately death? Some observe the chaos, pain, and dying and conclude along these lines: The total amount of suffering per year in the natural world is beyond all…

We have one of those invisible pet fences to keep our dog in our yard. In case you’re not familiar with the concept, the dog wears a collar with a radio receiver in it. The radio picks up on a signal broadcast from a transmitter in our home that defines the dog’s boundary in our yard. If he gets too close to the boundary, the collar signals him with beeping and—if he…

On pages 1, 2, and 3 in my Bible everything is humming along splendidly. What a wonderful, beautiful, glorious creation! But just a mere page-turn away is the Great Tragedy. Enter decay, disease, drudgery, deformity, dissension, disorder… and death. “For in the day that you eat of it…” The curse was (and is) dreadful. Yet in God’s mercy that was not the end of the story.…

Chapter 4 of Genesis is one of the most disheartening chapters in the entire Bible. The first homicide. And no apparent remorse by the murderer. Then another killing. And this murderer brags about it and dares anyone to touch him. Here we also find the first instance of polygamy. And for the first time we read that a person left the LORD’s presence. But at the close of…