Healing Prayer
So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” John 6:67-69 I love reading about the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. Most involve healing, and usually people in a hopeless situation. As I get older, I feel like I am surrounded by friends, relatives and acquaintances that need healing. These include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, mental health, and more. As a Christian, I’ve been...
Read MoreWhere Do We Put Our Hope?
A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. . . Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love . . Psalm 33:16, 18 RSV Where do we put our hope? I love America! I am proud to be an American. I am grateful to have won the lottery and been born here. I am grateful for the freedoms I enjoy – religious, economic, political, social. I vote. I have political leanings. I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve had because I live here. I appreciate the service of our men and women in uniform. I...
Read MoreTwo Are Better Than One
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor . . . A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9, 12b NIV For better or worse, I am hardwired to do things by myself. Asking for help is a sign of weakness. You never saw John Wayne asking for help. I grew up resonating with Henry Clay’s “the self-made man.” I connected with sayings like “pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps.” (Of course, I never really thought that through. It would be embarrassing if I really tried it. Especially at my age.) There are other sayings: “the...
Read MoreWhat have I learned from COVID?
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But, resist him, firm in your faith. 1 Peter 5:8 NASB During a discussion about travel and the current roadblocks to it, someone quite sincerely asked, “What have we learned from COVID?” I can’t speak for others, but I have learned a tremendous amount. I remember the news reports of the virus in Wuhan, China, in the winter of 2019. At the time, I thought, “This will be just like SARS, bird flu and all the other epidemics. It will stay over there.” When it...
Read MoreNot Intuitive
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. Romans 6:22 NIV I love oxymorons. Learned professor. Military intelligence. Jumbo shrimp. Small crowd. Old news. Open secret. Deafening silence. Pretty ugly. Awfully good. Free slave. Freedom by submission. Wait a minute. Where did that last come from? Freedom by submission? You may know what I’m talking about. This is one of our distinctively Christian oxymorons. The way of freedom comes through submitting to Christ and...
Read MoreSomething About Grace
Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Matthew 7:1-3 NASB For months, Carol had planned a family vacation to Mexico, the whole family including husbands and grandkids, fifteen of us. The day before we were to leave, we learned that one of the kid’s passports had expired. I felt angry and went into a slow burn. “How irresponsible! How inconsiderate! This...
Read MoreTomato Guy
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 NASB A few weeks back, Cindy asked for volunteers to help at Jubilee Reach. They needed to pot a lot of tomato plants to give away. “Are you interested?” Carol asked. “No,” I said. Potting tomatoes is not at the top of my triangle. I do not have a green thumb. Not in my comfort zone. Yes, I get it – Cindy thought my dozen words...
Read MoreChurch Work Day
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV) Several weeks ago, Carol and I signed up for Church Community Service Day. Or rather, Carol asked me if I wanted to sign up with her. She was not being manipulative. She just wanted to know if I wanted to go. Well, of course I didn’t. But guilt and shame overwhelmed me, and I agreed to do it. In his sermon, Mark shared the...
Read MoreGod is My Help
“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” (Psalms 54:4 NIV) Growing up and getting older, I’ve watched many friends and relatives go through the stress and anguish of having their parents get older and need to make the transition to additional care. It often started with children taking the car away from them. Then they had to leave their home for assisted care or even a nursing home. I would hear about the resentment, anger and resistance to any change. I would see the heartache, pain and stress in the family having to deal with it. I tried to empathize, but it was...
Read MoreLike Fallen Leaves
One Sunday, during a cold snap, I was sweeping leaves from the corridor between the sanctuary and the education building. Within moments, all the leaves I swept away were blown back over the walkway. In fact, there were more than when I arrived. I gave up. A few minutes later, I mentioned it to Dick Mason. We both laughed. Later, he mentioned it to Jani James and Linda Sakamoto. They were heading toward the prayer time before the service, and suddenly the leaves became a sermon illustration for sins and failings. I try my best to sweep them away, and I usually try to do it alone and with my...
Read More