The new year 2022 is off to a wild start with more national political division, pending Supreme Court decisions, more Coronavirus, increasingly uncertain economics, and wars and rumors of wars. The days are stressful and anxiety-producing, so we all want both perspective and assurance to help us navigate and not sin under pressure. Praise our…
If you are even a slight fan of the cinema industry and its historical films chances are the term “Baby Steps” conjures up in you the image of Bill Murray and his dealings with psychiatrist Dr. Leo Marvin. In this 1991 comedy Bob (Bill Murray) desperately seeks help from Dr. Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss) for learning…
As many of you know I had a couple of surgeries on my spinal column last spring. One was on my cervical vertebrae, and the other was on my lumbar vertebrae. I lightly refer to the cervical surgery as my “bonus surgery,” because I did not have any symptoms, nor any realization that this was…
“And he brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked, behold, there was a hole in the wall.” (Ezekiel 8:7). In 586 B.C. the city of Jerusalem was razed and the Jewish Temple destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. The book of Jeremiah, chapter 39 describes this event. Yet years before…
When I was younger I wanted to be a magician. I was fascinated by Magicians like David Copperfield, Doug Henning, and Siegfried and Roy. In elementary school, I purchased a paperback book during the Scholastic Book Fair called Spooky Magic. The book had a variety of “magic” tricks, using sewing thread, fishing line, memorizing cards,…
Life can be a fickle thing. There are ups and there are downs. There are moments of surpassing joy, happiness, and contentment. There are also moments of doubt, discouragement, and pain. I think if we all were honest, we’d admit that in our heart of hearts, each of us hope that the ups outnumber the…
Apart from my personal feelings about the recent U.S. presidential election—whether it was stolen or not; or whether the media coverage was scandalously biased or not; or now whether or not the philosophies of the new administration will prove untenable for Christians—one simple fact is undeniable. Donald Trump is no longer the President of the…
I’m picking up again on Sunday’s sermon, last week going into this week on living by what is normally considered to be an impossible standard. At the end of Matthew 5, in a verse, Jesus summarizes what it means to follow him in terms of what he has prescribed. You therefore must be perfect, as…
Beginning in September 1940, the German Luftwaffe initiated an aerial bombing campaign against the United Kingdom. The goal of this punishing bombardment was part demoralization, part strategic preparation for what was assumed on both sides to be the inevitable invasion of the British isles. The bombings, which occurred virtually every night, lasted for over a year. They…
