"Honor me before the people." Oh, we'd never say that, it would be audacious and we're too polite. Honor? Who wants to be noticed anyway? The desire for honor has been around since the beginning of time. Man has an inborn desire to be noticed or to be someone or something. The above quote was... Continue Reading →
Intellect & Deception
By in large man lives by his intellect. God gave him the ability to think and reason. He gave man the power of choice, so he is capable of making both wise and unwise choices, to believe in God or not believe in Him. It also means he can become misled and deceived, mistaking untruth... Continue Reading →
Requisite For Answered Prayer
As I was praying the other night, I began to think about all the prayers God has answered for me. I am very thankful. It also is amazing how prayer changes things. Then the thought came to me, “What if we could figure out a formula to get our prayers answered?” I know that’s not... Continue Reading →
Default Settings
Most electronic devices have what they call “default settings.” This is set in the factory and should there be a malfunction in their internal software, you have the option of resetting them, which will in many cases fix most of the problems. Humans do not have a simple reset capability, but they do have default... Continue Reading →
The Broken Vessel
(An Allegory) The broken vessel lay at the Master’s feet, dirty, discarded by life. Too far gone, too many years it had been used and misused, and now lay alone and broken. The Master bent, concern on His face, to see how this beautiful vessel had become so broken. He noticed the chips and cracks,... Continue Reading →
Emotional Scars
The song says, “The scars remain to remind me.”* As a boy it seemed I was prone to all manner of cuts and scrapes. From my pocket knives, to other cuts and gashes that a boy collects growing up on a farm. Today, I see them, now faded with a few years of wear, and... Continue Reading →
Emotional – Mental Encouragement
In the last number of years there has been an increasing awareness of how mental health plays a part in our Christian lives. Care must be taken to keep the balance of the power of God to heal, and the need for other methods of help. As we seek the Lord in this matter with... Continue Reading →
The Altar of Unpolluted Stones
In the Old Testament, they built altars to burn sacrifices on to worship God. Today, Christians do not offer literal sacrifices, but we offer the sacrifice of our hearts and lives in a spiritual sense to God. There are parallels from the Old Testament, which we can apply to our hearts today. Many of the... Continue Reading →
Morning Musings
I have been working in my chicken houses this morning, getting ready for several thousands of baby chicks. Tomorrow afternoon we should see a sea of yellow with their deafening cheep, cheeping, while happily sipping water and munching feed. While working, I’ve been thinking about those of you who have slipped in here to read.... Continue Reading →
Sure Foundation
2 Timothy 2:19 KJV Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psa 11:3 KJV The Bible often uses the example of a... Continue Reading →
The Temptation to Think Negative Thoughts
Is it really just a temptation? This could be a controversial discussion. Sometimes the feelings of negativity roll in like a flood, drowning our courage, blotting out the sun, cutting off our oxygen, or so it seems. Are we ever forced to think negative thoughts or are they just presented to us? Ok, so some... Continue Reading →
Embracing Brokenness
The other night while my wife was clearing the supper table, she happened to topple one of her glass cups on the table, shattering it to bits and pieces. My little girl commented that it wasn't the first one that broke, while my wife gathered the pieces, and discarded them in the trash. She purchased... Continue Reading →
Willpower alone is not sufficient to execute spiritual change. The man that says, "Tomorrow will be different," likely will repeat that every day for the rest of his life unless he makes a covenant with God. Effective change will take determination and commitment, and yet that is not enough to free us from ourselves and... Continue Reading →
Covenant
A Drop of Faith, a Bucket of Courage.
How many times like me, have you asked the Lord to give you more faith? We seem to think that faith is the main ingredient of power. With more faith, we tend to think it should be easier to believe, easier to overcome temptations, easier to make big decisions in life, as well as a... Continue Reading →
Happy 2023
We pause upon the threshold of this New Year, contemplating what it will hold. It stretches out before us as an open road, a blank sheet of paper, a story untold. We cannot stay here, soon we will be traveling along its corridors experiencing the newness of each passing moment, each new day. Not that... Continue Reading →
Let It Go
When you are tempted to get hurt and offended over what someone says, Let it go. When you feel like life has given you more than you can bear, Let it go. When you feel like your children are not accepted of others, Let it go. When you feel like your life does not measure... Continue Reading →
The Small Bottle
Here is another one of my young childhood stories that has made an impression on me. Without a little divine intervention, things could have turned out quite differently for this little boy. “What have you done with this?” my dad demanded. The look of concern was clearly visible on his face. He had been cleaning... Continue Reading →
Boys, Rope, Tractors
As an adult who grew up on a farm, it is not difficult to understand why farming has such a high accident rate. The experience I relate here, proves to me, thirty some years later the providence of God. As boys, my brother and I would build ramps for our bikes and ramp them. It... Continue Reading →
The Flight
Everyone has incidents in life that leave lasting impressions; as we reflect, we know that it was obviously the hand of God who protected us from inevitable harm or death. We do things every day that with just one mishap could mean injury or the end of our life. Every time we drive on the... Continue Reading →
The Gospel
As the sailor turns his ship to the sea, the harbor and coastline slip from view. The gentle swell of the water rises and falls peacefully against the sides of his vessel, as the prow cuts through the waves. His heart and mind are on those he left behind and the lands he will see... Continue Reading →
Rest & Peace
The day wains and the evening shadows lengthen, the day’s work and play are done. Father puts his tools away and mother calls the children in from their play. The setting sun paints the sky with red, blue, and violet, while the shadows in the forest sink to deeper shades of inky darkness. The breeze... Continue Reading →
And so the Writer Writes
And so, I write. Not with beautiful pen and prose, but in frank honesty the truth of the scripture and narrow way. Some may be called to write large volumes expounding on subjects of great value, while others may write whimsical quotes, tidbits of encouragement. Yet I write on to express the inspiration of my... Continue Reading →
The Narrow Way
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:13-14 How narrow is... Continue Reading →
Messenger & Light
The words, "Messenger" and "Light," may seem sort of random, but there is a similarity in the realm of faith. The Word of God is the truth; the Bible is the Word of God and a standard of truth. Anything we do that takes away or adds to, diminishes or distorts it. The same thing... Continue Reading →
At Evening Time, it Shall be Light
We live in unprecedented times, times like never before. Today we live with war, the threat of nuclear war, food shortages and hunger, as well as escalating fuel prices and living expenses. Political unrest fills the news headlines, while crime and immorality have become common. Depression, mental illness, and suicide are common, even in children.... Continue Reading →
Chasing Shadows
Lessons from a farm dog. We have heard the term, “life happens.” Unfortunately, there no exceptions to the rule, sooner or later it happens to all of us. So if you are living and breathing, here’s a lesson from a farm dog. Earlier this year I had the misfortune of accidentally running over our aging,... Continue Reading →
Chosen
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. John 15:16 Chosen, chosen by Him, how amazing is that. It should... Continue Reading →
Lord I’ve Been Thinking…
You know Lord, I was thinking about you this morning, as well as about us as your human creation. When you created man, what care and thought you put into him. He was to be the crowning touch of your creation. Not only that, but you gave him the part of you, above all other... Continue Reading →
Biblical Perspective
Our Sunday school lesson for tomorrow is about the patriarch Abraham who is known as the father of faith. A quote from the introduction of the lesson reads: " We love to read about Abraham and his faith; it inspires, challenges, and beckons us to follow his example deeper into the will of God." I... Continue Reading →
God Is Good
Just a quick thought for the day, one that I know in my heart, and have to remind myself. In mornings when I wake up and the outlook seems gray, I will strive to remember, even when the world seems otherwise, and yes, you may need to remind me as well, "God is good!" Yes,... Continue Reading →
Half Full or Half Empty
Do I count my blessings or what I wish I had? Do I see the cup half full or half empty? This question is worthy to ask about our personal lives, religious life, our country, and our finances. If we live our lives constantly pining for the things we do not have, we will always... Continue Reading →
The Way of Holiness
And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall... Continue Reading →
You Think You’re Independent?
What do you have which was not given to you? If you are tempted to feel entitled to life, consider this: You did not ask to be born. In fact, for the first several months, you could not walk, talk, or even roll over. You had no self-awareness for the first months, perhaps years of... Continue Reading →
The Gap and Somewhere in Between
Initially I thought to write this as something like, “Welcome to America!” However, in true fashion, the Lord had a lesson in it for me. There is no intention of disrespect in my heart to any social class in this writing. These are simply observations of a day of traveling. So, here goes. My wife... Continue Reading →
The Security of Blame
The other morning my tractor would not start. Okay, so it would turn over, but not quite fast enough to start. So, if the battery was not so old or the alternator would charge it better, then possibly it would have not been depleted so far by leaving the key on. Now, this tractor may... Continue Reading →
The Image
The image was tall, it was huge, standing over the people gathered below, the sun glinting off the bronze metal. There was a general hushed murmur of the crowd as they squinted their eyes from the reflection, to behold the magnificent figure standing before them. The immense statue towered over them it's austere, solemn face,... Continue Reading →
Who Knows?
The bespectacled man was sitting there next to the building. His reddish beard, and green shirt making it difficult to determine at a passing glance, if he was rich, poor, or homeless. His talent, may have been self-taught, who knows. His posture gave the impression he was sitting on the ground. It was his perfect... Continue Reading →
Change versus Drift
What is the difference between change and drift in a spiritual sense? Change is inevitable, however when change becomes a compromise of Biblical, moral or spiritual standards, it becomes a drift. As a boat without an anchor will drift without one noticing it, so will a person drift away from the truth unless one holds... Continue Reading →
The Church
The church was quiet as we stepped into the back. A worshipper was sitting in one of the back pews, quietly meditating and having prayer. We had been walking the walking street, not that the street was walking, but we were walking on the street. I am always interested in stepping a church if the... Continue Reading →
Fathers of Faith
This is a broad topic and time, and space would constrain us to talk about all the men of old which we refer to as, “Fathers of Faith”. In the book of Hebrews chapter 11 we can read of those fathers of faith from the previous era, "who loved not their lives unto death." When... Continue Reading →
A Pastor’s Letter
Dear young folks I prayed for some of you this morning, as there has been a burden on my heart for you. You see I was also young once and took my own way, following the crowd of pressure rather than standing for the Lord. You may think me old fashioned, like a policeman possibly,... Continue Reading →
Sunday evening observations.
It was Sunday night, after all and our little girl's friend's family were going to Dairy Queen after church. Nothing strange about that, after church trips to town for snackies are quite a common practice in our household, after all dad needed the gas cans filled for gas for the truck. She and dad stopped... Continue Reading →
True Greatness
As a boy, I don't remember ever aspiring to be a rich or famous person. Like most young boys I imagine I wanted to be like dad. After all, he was the smartest, the strongest, and knew everything. Surely dad must have grown weary of my many questions, though I have no recollection that he... Continue Reading →
Hero’s of Faith
Great men of old were great because of what God was able to accomplish with their lack of greatness. Men of faith who God used to work his will. At times we think we are not good enough, wise enough, lacking ability to live for God. And yet, throughout time God has used ordinary people... Continue Reading →
