Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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Peace. We use that word quite often. My first encounter with that word came about as I was growing up. This was in the 1960s. We were indeed in turbulent times. The conflict in Vietnam was going strong with no signs of letting up and the number of casualties were growing. It was during this time, and I have no idea exactly when or where it came about, but giving the “peace sign” to others came to be the thing to do. We did this by making what looked like the letter V with our index and middle fingers. As I recall, and admittedly my memory isn...
Greetings dear friends in Christ. This story is well known. Joseph is his father's favorite. He is spoiled and rubs it in to his older brothers. They are working with the family flocks while Joseph wears fancy clothes and jewelry, gifts from his father. Naturally they are resentful and as things progress, they at first choose to kill him but end up opting to sell him into slavery to a passing caravan on its way to Egypt. There, Joseph climbs the ladder of success and becomes a trusted employee of the Pharoah. He was second in command with only...
Kentucky is having amazingly warm weather for February and actually broke records the other day. My grass is turning green and soon everything will be budding and we will be out mowing. Kentucky has also been in the news about having a spiritual revival at the Asbury College campus for the last several weeks. We are encouraged to see that many revivals are now happening around the nation. I’ve written a couple of columns recently about spiritual awakenings, and that we do not need to wait for s...
Matthew 3:13 – “The sower went out to sow.” When we run across a familiar parable, a story we’ve heard many times over our lives, it’s fun to switch it up a bit. We always think of God as the sower. And this most definitely is true; God sows seeds in front of us and around us and behind us and in our hard hearts and where we least expect to see Him. Might it also be true, at the same time, that we are sowers of seed? Teachers, parents and people who know and love small children certainly understand our role as sowers. They find joy and hope...
At the very end of Jesus’ sermon on the mount, he wraps up with a familiar image: two houses, two very different foundations. One is built on sand, the other built on rock. Matthew 7:24-27: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into pra...
a prayer by George Washington, the first U.S. President ALMIGHTY GOD: We make our earnest prayer that thou wilt keep the United States in thy holy protection; and cultivate a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, without a...
Just after the Beatitudes, where Jesus turns the normal, run-of-the-mill, follow-all-these-rules-and-you’ll-be-saved idea on its head, he shocks the listeners with this metaphor: “You are the salt of the earth.” Matthew 5:13. Salt was vital and life-giving in the ancient world. It was used for healing, cleansing wounds and preserving. Covenants entered were called “salt covenants,” agreements that were well-preserved, unbreakable. Jesus says – YOU are the salt of the earth. YOU are vital and life-giving. YOU are used for healing and cleansi...
Have you ever wondered what is the purpose of television, games, movies, and social media? Many will say it was created to entertain and inform us, but what we may not have noticed, is that when we are constantly focused on these things, we are usually not listening to what God is saying. To understand what He wants us to do, we must give Him our undivided attention. This is accomplished when we find a quiet place where we can pray, worship, and be still before Him. To those who are not...
Humans have a tendency to follow, whether we like to admit it or not: “Follow me,” says every anti-aging ad campaign. “Follow me,” says the intentionally-curated algorithms of your social media accounts. “Follow me,” says the diet and exercise plan that is guaranteed to work. Jesus says “follow me” to his first disciples (Matthew 4). These fishermen knew all there was to know about fishing. They knew this demanding and difficult life. They worked hard in a volatile political climate, not always secure that what they earned would be given...
“Hold my mule” is a figurative expression from the American South that means when a person is leading a mule and they need to go somewhere, or do something very important they will ask someone to hold their mule. Sometimes it meant they were going to enter into a confrontation be it a verbal or physical one, but in church settings where the members were not embarrassed to express their emotions, the phrase meant they were getting happy and praising the Lord or spending time at the altar cry...
In Romans 12:1-2, the Apostle Paul writes, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” These verses call us to a deeper understanding of our role as Christians in the world and how we are to live out our faith. The first thing that Paul...
“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father kn...
“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your F...
“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Fat...
Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against p...
We are at the end of another year and it always brings thoughts of starting fresh and having hope for the future. Most of us have watched the ball drop on New Year’s Eve which officially declares, “out with the old and in with the new.” At midnight, people from all over the world will celebrate the turning of the next page of their lives. Over the years, the “time-ball” has undergone several changes in design, and the most recent was created for the Millennial celebration in the year 2000 by W...
This Christmas, “Where are you?” Recall that after the fall of Man, when both Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, this was the same question God posed to them. It is a reminder that God continues to pursue us even if we reject Him. He does allow us, in our folly, to try to live our lives without Him. Either we come to our senses and return back to Him or He pursues us because we have drifted so far away that we need Him to come after us like a stray sheep needing to be found by the Good Shepherd. This is the good news we are...
What does Christmas mean to you? I’ve read articles over the years about how Christmas is a combination of Christian and pagan symbolism along with some folklore traditions and for the most part, this is true. I also realize that most people do not want to hear about such things. Beyond the bah-humbug, I will admit that even though Christmas is not as much fun now as it was when I was a kid or when our children were young, I still enjoy the season. I remember laying under the tree and how I w...
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail Most people have read or at least heard of a man named Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882). He was a literary giant in his lifetime and is still known today in many circles as “The Children’s Poet” and several schools around our nation are named in his honor. You may remember some of His original works which include, “Paul Revere’s Ride,” “The Song Of Hiawatha,” and “Evangeline,” and was the first American to completely translate Dante Alighieri’s Come...
During Advent, as we await the coming of the Messiah anew, it is a worthwhile exercise to reflect on the contrast between John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Saint Augustine in one of his sermons does a remarkable job of developing the difference between the voice and the Word. The voice has a temporary nature to it, while the Word is permanent. When one utters with their voice, once the sound ceases the role of the voice is done. However, the Word that was conveyed by the voice is still there. In much the same way, John the Baptist p...
Since before the world was made God has known you and loved you. He has never taken His eyes away or ignored you. If you were to write down all the blessings and victories He has given to you, they would prove He has called you, has been guiding you, and has many wonderful things planned for your future. Do you believe this today? Is your life heading in a direction that you are excited about, or are you downcast? At this time of year, it’s common for many people to be filled with a mixture o...
What event occurred in the Americas that was a key reason for the conversion to Christianity of over 8 million native people in just seven years? What piece of art that shows no signs of human origin is still on display today almost 500 years after its creation? What religious feast day is considered the most important after Christmas and Easter to Hispanic people in the Americas? The answer to all three questions have a connection to Our Lady of Guadalupe. During the 16th century, a native person named Juan Diego, who had converted to Christia...
Where are you in your life as we begin this Advent liturgical season? Does your life resemble more the Three Wise Men seeking the Lord because they recognize that they are lacking something in their lives that only Jesus can fulfill? Or maybe King Herod, who viewed the coming of Christ as such a threat to his comfortable existence that he used all means at his disposal to eliminate Jesus? The key difference is dependent upon whether you seek Jesus as your Savior or as an obstacle in your life. During this time of the year, we are given the oppo...
Thanksgiving Proclamation New York, 3 October 1789 by the President of the United States of America Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God esp...
The opportunity to know God is the greatest invitation that has ever been given in the history of mankind. For those that have a passion to learn about Him and serve Him, we will never be able to tell Him enough how much we love and appreciate His love, grace, and endless mercy. There are supposedly over two billion people on our planet that claim to be associated with the Christian faith and you would think that every person within this family would be united in their love for God and one...
