By grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone
Two weeks ago, our health insurance provider informed our family of some “enhanced benefits” under our plan. They explained: “Under the Affordable Care Act [Obamacare], your policy will now include coverage for the preventive care services described in the enclosed document at 100%. You will not have to pay a copayment, coinsurance or deductable for […]
It took awhile, but our funerals have caught up with our worship services; there now all about us, too. This past week I attended the funeral of a very fine man. I had looked forward to honoring his memory, being consoled by the Word of God, glorying in the certainty of the resurrection, and thanking […]
Others aren’t always as they seem. That shouldn’t surprise us we aren’t either. A smile, for instance, doesn’t mean all is well. In the latter half of 1 Timothy 5, Paul is speaking to Timothy about elders. He advises his young protégé not to ordain too hastily. In verses 24 he says why: “The sins […]
Have you read Leo Tolstoy’s (1825-1910) short story How Much Land Does a Man Need? It’s about a peasant farmer not satisfied with his lot in life. He wanted more of everything. One day he receives an amazing offer. For 1,000 rubles, he could buy all the land he could walk around in a day. […]
It’s the time of year for graduation speeches. Hopeful words from podiums across the land about following dreams and reaching for the sky and stuff like that. How many grads know that most dreams don’t come true and the sky is generally higher than they imagine? I don’t want to be a sourpuss or throw […]
I certainly am no John Bunyan (The Pilgrim’s Progress), but I also have a dream and a story to tell: For as I lay down in that place to sleep, I slept and dreamed a dream… And I stood before the Great White Throne. The Ancient of Days’ gaze was upon me. I turned and […]
He was the strongest man in the world; only if he had the spiritual wisdom and discernment to match. Samson is a favorite in Sunday school classes—especially for younger boys. The book of Judges chronicles his exploits. He tore apart a lion with his bare hands (14:6). He caught 300 foxes and tied them tail […]
The U.S. Religion Census just came out with their once-every-ten-year numbers trekking religious involvement state by state. A decade ago, the state of Washington placed 49th (one position ahead of Oregon—we can’t beat them in football but we can beat them to the pew on Sunday morning). In 2000, 33% of our population claimed religious […]
“Lord Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years?” (Zechariah 1:12). It may surprise you, but the Angel of the Lord asks this question, doing so in the Prophet Zechariah’s night vision. Israel had been exiled some 70 years […]
I still remember “liver and onion” night as a child. We probably didn’t eat it that often but it seemed like it showed up at dinner every few weeks. I can still remember the “tub” it came in from the store. I can still remember looking at the reddish-brown “blob” as it was thrown into […]
I was so excited to get my first check, after all, I didn’t even own a bed. Rent was $525. When you divide that by the other five (all of us buddies who had just graduated from Pacific Lutheran University) each share was just $87.50 per month. But when you were just starting out, every […]
I enjoy reading our paper’s “Letters to the Editor.” It provides a snapshot of what’s going on out there—a window into society’s soul. But one of this morning’s editorials (TNT, 2-29) provided a window into the soul of a local, mainline church. And I, for one, did not enjoy the view. The editorial was entitled: […]