Pastor's Blog (Page 34)

Taxes! Christmas is only four days away and our Congress and President are locked in an impasse over taxes. Our taxes! Funny how things stay the same, isn’t it? Two thousand Christmases ago everyone was in an uproar over taxes, too. Same song, different verse. The emperor then was Caesar Augustus, a brilliant man and formidable ruler of a vast empire. So highly…

Good News 10 Lakini malaika akawatuliza akisema: “Msiogope! Nawaletea habari njema ya furaha kubwa, na habari hii ni kwa faida ya watu wote! 11 Kwa maana leo katika mji wa Bethlehemu, amezaliwa Mwokozi ambaye ndiye Kristo Bwana.    (Swahili Bible) 10 Thiên s? li?n tr?n an, “??ng s?. Tôi báo cho các anh m?t tin m?ng, s? là ni?m vui l?n cho toàn dân. 11 Hôm nay…

This past Sunday my talk from Philippians was entitled 5 Safeguards Regarding Money, Gifts, and “Stuff.” Safeguard #3 was: Resolve that your money and “stuff” will be first & foremost an instrument for gospel advancement. Well, Richard Peters told me that he and his wife Jo did some hard thinking about their “stuff.” Are we really…

In just 10 generations from creation the debauchery and degeneration of Adam’s race rose clear to heaven. Genesis 6:5 records, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” There’s no dressing it up: “every intent… only evil……

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…