Christmas, Tradition and Love

One of the things I enjoy about Christmas is tradition. The church I attend has several traditions. Some of these traditions go back many years. For example, a traditional gift among people who share my heritage is “The Christmas Sack”. This is a simple brown paper bag containing an apple, an orange and a few pieces of candy. My parents always gave me this gift every Christmas when I was a boy. I am not certain how many generations back this tradition goes. My church continues this tradition as well. Every year my church...

Giving Them My Best

I think everyone gets busier the closer we get to Christmas. I certainly do. One of the things that makes me busier is our annual Christmas Program. The last few of these have seen me become an active participant. There are lines to learn. There are rehearsals. As always, there are also the general preparations. To be honest, I really don’t mind the extra work this creates for me. This is certainly an opportunity for me to thank God for sending His Son into the world. Christmas marks the beginning of Christ’s journey among us. A journey that began in a stable, A...

Country Road

There is an old country road I traveled many times in the past. I hardly ever use it anymore. It passes alongside farms, fields, horses and other livestock. It also passes alongside an old country church that is still in use. Just beyond that, the road comes to a T shaped intersection leaving you with two options. You can turn left, or you can turn right. Sometimes we would turn to the left and go to the home of my uncle and aunt. Sometimes we would turn to the right and visit the home of some dear family friends. Whichever way we went, we would always take that same...

Miscommunication

Technology is great… when it works. One of the most frustrating technical problems is a device that has trouble communicating. Perhaps it is a telephone that misses calls. Maybe it is a computer that has trouble sending or receiving email. It might be a tablet that loses connection with the Internet. Even if the device is otherwise perfect functional, a communications problem can push our patience to the limit. Speaking from experience, these problems are often the most difficult to diagnose. Even when we manage to correct the problem, there are no guarantees that it will...

Discomfort, Change, Growth

There is a growing tendency these days to want to ban things which make us uncomfortable. I recently read where some libraries are banning a literary classic because of a single word. The reason given is that this word might make people feel uncomfortable. This is nothing new. History tells us of other times when books were banned. In some cases, they were even burned. There have even been times when people banned and burned the Bible. Even churches are not immune to this kind of thinking. Some churches have made a conscious decision not to display the cross. The...

Choosing Life in a Fallen World

To say that the world is in a mess right now is an understatement. A review of recent headlines bears this out. But is this necessarily a new development? No. For example, millions of people died in the last world war. The best estimates put the number of dead somewhere between 50 million and 80 million. During that same period genocide was attempted. Members of one race tried to completely kill off another. New and fearsome technology led to weapons capable of killing thousands in a single stroke. Today, others are developing similar weapons and threaten us with...

In the Small Things

There are a great many things going on in the world right now. The leader of one nation is developing both nuclear weapons and ways to deliver them. Leaders of other nations challenge with harsh rhetoric of their own. Still other nations claim sanctions must and will be invoked. That’s not all. There have been multiple hurricanes in existence at the same time. These have resulted in the loss of life, injury and the destruction of property. Flooding has occurred in different hemispheres. Meanwhile other areas suffered a combination of drought and wildfire. Still another...

Sold Out

The state in which I live just got hit by a hurricane. The first communities to be hit were devastated by high winds. There was more to come. The storm then dropped record rainfall amounts on a major city and surrounding areas. Lives were lost. There was also a great deal of good. Ordinary people pitched in to help those less fortunate. Shelters opened their doors to take in those displaced by the storm. Supplies began to pour in from far away. Volunteers came in to offer their assistance. Some traveled many miles to just assist the less fortunate. But not everything...

A Good Word

Church, first and foremost, must be about worship. Beyond that, it is also a place where we become refreshed and renewed. It is when we leave church that the work really begins. After all, the “Great Commission” is still in effect. Matthew 28:18-20 (NET) - Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the...

God with Us

Genesis 12:1 (NET) - “Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household to the land that I will show you. . God told Abraham to leave the familiar and step into the unknown. God did not even say exactly where this was. Rather, God said that He would “show” him. Abraham was no longer a young man when God gave him these instructions. How did Abraham respond? Genesis 12:4-5 (NET) - So Abram left, just as the Lord had told him to do, and Lot went with him. (Now Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Haran.)...

Kindness

The other day I found myself behind schedule. When it came time for lunch I opted to go to the corner store for something quick. I was in hurry but my plans changed when I arrived. As I walked from my car to the store entrance I glanced over at the gas pumps. Something caught my eye. I saw an older lady standing at the one of the pumps. She had the pump handle in one hand and her credit card in the other. She also had a look of confusion on her face. I walked over to her and asked if she needed help. She said she needed to put gas in her car but was not at all sure how...

The Interests of Others

Not long ago, I took my vehicle in for some routine maintenance. I gave the crew my information and my key and went to the waiting room where it was cool. A gentleman was already seated there when I took my seat. A quick glance told me several things about him. It is summer where I live and the outside temperature was hovering around 100 F. I could tell by his tan that he worked outdoors. By his physique I could tell that his work was physically demanding. I also noticed that this man looked like he might be feeling ill. I asked him if he was okay, He confirmed that...

The Money Box

One thing that can be said about teaching Sunday school is that you never know what questions will arise. Last Sunday we were discussing the Beatitudes and how in particular they applied to the disciples. A question arose as to what Jesus and His followers did for money. Scripture tells us that Jesus and his followers possessed a money box to help the poor. It also tells us that Judas was the keeper of the box and that he helped himself to that money. John 12:6 (NET) - Now Judas said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the...

Say What?

People do not always mean what they say. Politicians promise us things to gain our support. Often those promises are unkept after they are elected. This is just one example. A restaurant might have the words “Home Cooking” on their sign. Yet when we taste the food it may fall well short of the food we ate growing up. A hotel might advertise its “luxury” accommodations. Its rooms, however, might be anything but luxurious. Even place names can be misleading using words like “view” or “vista”. Once we get there, we may discover that there is not much of a view at all. Even...

Inspection

I recently had my car inspected. The inspector checks things like the lights, the reflectors and the brakes. He also checks things like the horn, the tires and the wipers. There are standards for each item inspected. Now these things are the driver’s responsibility to maintain. Unfortunately, when it comes to vehicles, we usually just hop in our cars and drive off. That is why the state makes this annual inspection mandatory for all vehicles. It hopes to cut down on the number of unsafe vehicles on the road. Our lives are a bit like that. We go through our daily routines...

The Beginning Is Near

We see them in comic strips and in the movies. Bearded men wearing robes and carrying signs that proclaiming “The End Is Near”. Whether it is or not is a matter of speculation. The problem with this message is twofold. First, scripture is very clear on who really knows when the end will occur. Matthew 24:36 (NET) - But as for that day and hour no one knows it—not even the angels in heaven—except the Father alone. Second, not many will take this message seriously. Day after day, channel after channel offer up programming about the coming end. They warn us about climate...

Who Is Jesus?

That is a good question. Who is Jesus? His followers called Him Rabbi. Those who sought His knowledge and wisdom called Him a teacher. Those who were sick called Him a healer. Some called Him the Nazarene. Some called him the Son of David. Some referred to Him as the King of the Jews. His critics referred to Him as one who “incites the people”. The prophet Isaiah referred to Him as Emmanuel. Jesus has been called many things by many people. Even today, some try to minimize Jesus and say He was a good man with good ideas. In Mark 8, Jesus asked His disciples...

Beyond Dead

I was looking forward to hearing someone speak on Ezekiel 37 and John 11. The first speaks of Ezekiel and his experiences in the valley of dry bones. The second speaks of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Unfortunately, the weather in the area turned quite severe and this was cancelled. How I would have loved to hear this man speak on these powerful chapters. Instead, I had to ponder them for myself. Ezekiel tells us that the Lord had His hand upon him and led him into a valley filled with bones. Ezekiel did not merely see these bones from a distance. The Lord made...

Damage Control

Romans 3:10-18 (NET) - just as it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one, there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves, they deceive with their tongues, the poison of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood, ruin and misery are in their paths, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” These words from...