Pastor's Blog (Page 19)

Picture the disciples rowing across the Lake of Galilee to their destination on the other side, a distance of maybe 6 or 7 miles. They had started out before dark in the late afternoon, and normally this might have taken about 2 or 3 hours. But the winds turned against them, and several hours later when it was evening they had only made it half way. By the fourth watch of…

Church sign theology. Sometimes it’s right on, sometimes not by a mile.  What do you think of the message of this sign? Driving by, I thought I must have misread it. I had to turn around and go back to be sure. I can’t find a single verse of Scripture that supports this statement. First of all, the Holy Spirit is given to those who repent of their sins,…

We are a divided people. About politics, economics, ethics, or the environment——you name it. Can you remember a time when our nation was more polarized? And everyone feels compelled to speak his mind. Seems we’ll fight at the drop of a hat. Rage lurks just beneath the surface, looking for just about any occasion to erupt. We are an unwell…

My people have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and murdered Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they’re trying to kill me, too. 1 Kings 19:14 Do you groan with Elijah as you survey the spiritual landscape of our day? I do. For our countrymen have not only abandoned the Lord, they rage against Him. We who are devoted to…

This is not who we are! How many times in the last 12 months have you heard people say about the rage-filled protests, violence, arson, and killings, “This is not who we are”? They seem to imply that such behaviors are extraordinarily rare and in no way characteristic of us. But do you know something? The more I hear that statement, the more it has struck me:…

Let’s give some thought to that last phrase: He will save His people from their sins. Often the Bible mentions our “sin” in a singular, collective sense, gathering them all into one giant mass. But here the angel uses that great plural “sins.” Every variety, every kind, yes, every single sin is included: thoughts, words, deeds,…