Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.” – Exodus 23:20 (NIV) Scripture is story after story of ordinary people being led by God and their response to that leading. God speaks to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land, a land filled with both promise and peril. He assures them that He will send an angel ahead of them, guiding and protecting them on their journey. This angel would not just be a passive observer, but an active guide, preparing the way an...
A couple of weeks ago, I was studying my way through John when I came across a detail that I had never pondered before. For those with Bibles, it concerns the healing story recorded in John 5:1-15. Basically, the story goes that a man had been lame for 38 years when Jesus strolls up and heals him. Now, when I preached this passage, I focused upon the exact command Jesus gave the man: “Get up, take your mat, and walk”; which was very striking, considering the man was lame and it was Sunday. However, unrelated to Jesus’ command, I was struc...
Where are you in your life during this Christmas Season? How do you feel? Where does it hurt? Many times, especially during important holidays like Christmas, instead of feeling joyful, we feel sad, alone and abandoned. We believe everyone else appears happy and question, why not me? People around us have had expectations for us that we simply did not meet. We have left them disappointed. They in turn have shut us out. We are not invited to participate in activities, events, friendship or life with others. This can take place in many ways....
Joy To The World, The Lord Has Come! The author of this story is unknown and it has been told by many people throughout the years. The gentleman to whom I'm going to introduce you was not a Scrooge, but a kind, generous man who loved his family and was upright in his dealings with other people. He could not understand how or why Jesus came to earth to save us from our sins. It did not make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. "I'm truly sorry to distress you," he told his wife,...
Where in your life are you going the wrong way? The Advent Season allows us to reflect on this question more consciously as we await the Redeemer of the World, Jesus Christ, on Christmas Day. A good place to start is to identify: Which of the Seven Deadly Sins are you struggling with the most at this point in your life? Is it pride, anger, gluttony, lust, envy, greed or sloth? By means of you being human, you are struggling with one or more of them. Where are you most in need of God's mercy? Recently, my wife and I watched the old 1980s movie,...
Things are not always the way they seem For many years I’ve had the privilege to visit those in jails, prisons, hospitals, recovery centers and nursing homes, as I truly enjoy spending time with all people. In nursing homes, I sing, teach Bible studies, and appreciate hearing about their former lives. The Lord has allowed me to make some precious friendships, and I want to share with you about a lovely lady who after a devastating stroke was no longer independent and is now in a comfortable s...
There is something amazing currently happening in North Dakota. However, very few people are aware of it. Whether you are Catholic or non-Catholic, believer or non-believer, you can be inspired by this. On November 1, 2022, Bishop David Kagan, the bishop of Bismarck, recommended for further study the process toward canonization of the Servant of God, Michelle Duppong. What does this all mean? After 2,000-plus years since Jesus Christ founded the Catholic Church, North Dakota may possibly find one of its own named as a saint. Michelle's story...
A cure for the soul that is ailing When we are truly in love with someone, nothing can keep us from them or at least thinking about them. It sounds like the beginning of a beautiful romantic love story, doesn’t it? Actually, it is. It’s between a divine creator who sent His Son Jesus to save those who were lost. Christ gave His life so that all who place their faith in God can spend time with Him, listen to His voice, and fall deeply in love with Him. His words are life-changing as they con...
Making the decision to live God’s way Many are convinced that this life has been given to them to do whatever they want, and technically it’s true that God has given every human a free will to choose. Most will agree this is one of the greatest gifts mankind has been given, but the problem is that our carnal human nature does not want what God wants. You see, the Lord desires to use us exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or imagine, but the only way we can truly please Him is to do...
What is the good news? God loves you just because of who you are. He made you in His image and likeness. There is nothing you can do to make Him love you more or less. His love is unconditional. Let us just let that concept sink in. It is easy for us to simply dismiss this. It is easy for us to simply say, "I have heard that before. So what?" However, let us ponder for awhile the implications. When you are doing virtuous acts and displaying great works of charity and everyone is telling you what a good person you are, God loves you. When you...
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In my personal Bible reading, apart from what is required for Sunday worship services, I’ve been reading Matthew lately. I normally concentrate on the letters of the Apostle Paul but decided to switch to one of the Gospels this time and chose Matthew. I have found that reading for content is much different than reading just a short bit of scripture looking for something on which to write a sermon. Matthew includes a lot of Jesus’ preaching in his book. The sermon on the mount covers an incredibly wide range...
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Prayer. A simple word. Yet, O such a powerful word. The dictionary definition of the word prayer is “a humble request to God.” For us, it doesn't have to be a request to be considered a prayer, although I think that might be the most common usage. I have started out more than one prayer with, “God, it seems like I'm always asking you for something.” Each week when I get to the office I ask for God's help in writing my sermon. I ask for help in discerning what He is telling us in our Holy Scriptures. I ask f...
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, There is an old saying that goes, “The only thing that never changes is that things always change.” Well, we are now in a season of change; quite significant changes at that. The most prominent change that will affect every one of us is the weather. In the month of November, we go from the tolerable temperatures of fall to the very cold temperatures of winter. The farmers finish up their harvest and the flower and vegetable gardens are done producing. The hours of daylight get less and less each day. For...
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Those of you who are roughly the same age as I, will remember the days of Trading Stamps. Grocery stores, gas stations and other retail outlets gave away these stamps with each purchase. The more merchandise you purchased, the more stamps you received in return. The two major stamps that I recall are Gold Bond Stamps and Green Stamps. The stamps had an adhesive backing and as you received the stamps, you licked them and put them in books that you received at no cost from the retailer. There were a couple of...
Some of the most difficult parts of Scripture deal with enemies, the wicked, judgment, and our own sin. It’s uncomfortable, but for each human in all of history, suffering and heartache are real, everyday experiences. I’m thankful that the God who experienced suffering allows us to lament in our own. From Psalm 139:19-24: 19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! Yes, Lord God. We want those who hurt us, those who want ill for us, those who misunderstand us to go away. We want you to remove them fro...
To be honest, I do not like politics, but at the same time I believe it’s my duty and opportunity to vote not the way a party says, but according to what God says. My thoughts about elections, especially presidential, is that it’s not one person governing the country. A president is a front person with thousands of power players in the background putting out fires and avoiding problems. The corrupt deals, kickbacks and cover-ups that include lobbyists are filled with compromises and broken pro...
Last week, we pondered the Northern Lights, and the wonder of the earth and seasons and nature. Today, David zooms in to the wonder of the creation of a human. Can you look at a newborn without awe? Psalm 139:13–18 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. Loving God, you are with us in the vulnerability and beauty of our mother’s womb. None of your creation is here without it. We thank you for your care, for your intricate work on each of our mitochondria, each of our muscle fibers, each of our brain synap...
Last Sunday, I was asked to bring the morning sermon for a wonderful church in the country called Mt. Lebanon Methodist. I had a dream recently about delivering a message and when I awoke, I went I into my office and asked God to please not let it dissipate before I could write down as much of it as I could remember. Dreams are like the morning fog that fades when the sun comes out. I was noticeably rattled and was typing feverishly. How many know when God gives you a word it’s not a s...
Our neighbors had a spontaneous gathering under the Northern Lights the other night. What wonder this world contains!! Dancing lights, rainbow colors, streaks of awe. We couldn’t look away. Harkens God’s ever-presence. We continue with praying through Psalm 139:7-12: Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? Sometimes it feels vulnerable, God, that you know, see, hear and perceive everything, things we don’t even know about ourselves. Past, present and future. To be known like that can feel like a tearing open,...
Praying through the Psalms has been a wonderful and surprising way to discern and dream and be challenged and comforted by what God might be up to through these ancient and holy words. Psalm 139 just happens to be my favorite. I’ll never forget the early 1990s poster by the mirror at Bible camp – “where can I flee from your presence?” Because at the very heart of life on this earth is God’s presence. God's radical, unwavering, dwell-among-us presence. So for the month of October, let us pray together: Psalm 139. 1 You have searched me, Lord,...
In the book "Blue like Jazz," the author points something out that I had never thought about. He made a comment to the extent that it is ridiculous that we consider Noah a children’s story. The fact that thousands and thousands of people drowned is central to the whole story, and yet, we teach the story to children. Even in the Hollywood flop “Noah” movie, there is at least one shot where the people notice the flood waters and rush to Noah’s boat, only to be turned away. I imagine that “as the rains came down and the floods came up” there...
Some time ago, as a I prepared an Easter sermon, I learned something new. Well, to be fair to my college professors, I actually relearned something that I had forgotten since my college days. As I worked through John 20, I realized that there were funny notations connected with many of the verbs in the chapter. I looked into it, and discovered that this was the translator’s way of conveying that while the verbs translate accurately into the English past tense, in the Greek they are actually in a rare tense called "historical present tense." T...
I love dogs. Someone doesn’t have to spend much time around me to realize that not only am I a dog person as opposed to a cat person, but I simply enjoy being around dogs. I’ve appreciated just about every dog I’ve ever met. I prefer big, furry hunting dogs, but little dogs are amusing to me also. A few years ago, I had a 50 lb coonhound/terrier cross named Ed. He looked quite a bit like a skinny Labrador retriever, but relates to people completely differently. I found this out when I was training him as a puppy. See, Ed proved to be difficult...
Some time ago, the New Rockford Evangelical Free Church was working its way through the gospel of John. Eventually, we arrived at arguably the most famous verse of the Bible: John 3:16. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16 NIV In my experience, this verse is the most memorized and well-known verse of 21st century American Christianity. From camp, to Sunday School, to bible studies, it seems everybody who has ever been in a church has thi...
As a freelance faith columnist and Christian author, I’m honored to have the opportunity to provide thoughts and ideas to relay to others. I’m sure all Bible teachers and pastors feel they are God’s messengers. What I do is nothing more special than how millions of other Christians serve Him, and I humbly acknowledge that most are more talented and effective. God’s people are important pieces of a large puzzle, stones in His wall, and a voice among many who represent the one who created everythi...
