Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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I received a letter the other day from a reader who wanted to know more about praying for miracles and how long a person should keep asking. My first response is to ask, “Just how serious are you about receiving your request?” I realize the subject of faith is actually more complex than it seems and one that I have attempted to address in my new book, “Convictions and Considerations” which will be released this summer. There are many people including myself who are seeking and waiting on mira...
Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. — Exodus 15:20 God had done some incredible, amazing, mighty deeds to free God’s people from their life of slavery to the Egyptians. And now God had done another mighty deed by opening the Red Sea to the people of Israel— and then entombing Pharaoh’s warriors within it. Freedom was won; a land of promise was ahead. It was an event never to be forgotten. Miriam could not, would not, let the moment go...
There are certain spiritual laws similar to the natural law of gravity that may be difficult to understand yet they are true and important keys to victorious living. The power of words fall under this category and are an excellent addition of knowledge and wisdom to our spiritual life. We can learn that words are much more than simple communication and when spoken in accordance with God’s desires they actually carry the power to motivate, inspire and change circumstances. Even though the name i...
In the tradition to which I belong, a typical Easter greeting might be something like this: “Christ is risen! Christ is risen, indeed! Alleluia!” I think it is wonderful to remind one another of this central, foundational fact upon which Christianity is built, especially on Easter. Jesus Christ is risen and we, too, will be raised from the dead. This is great news! As I reflect on one of the resurrection accounts in the Bible, I’m struck that Mary Magdalene came to Jesus’ tomb “early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark” (John...
The cross is one of the most recognizable symbols in the world and rightly so; it represents mankind’s hope for eternal life. Does this sound religiously dogmatic? Maybe so, but how could any sincere Christian give reverence to Holy Week without referring to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Billy Graham is quoted as saying, “God proved his love on the cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the entire world, I love you.” To go a step further, the follo...
Many people believe it’s their mission in life to tell everyone what to do and how to believe and I’m sure there have been times when we have been guilty of something similar. There are situations when we feel that individuals need sound advice and this might be true, but it’s also common to forget that everyone has a right to think and live however they want. Christians do not intend to be insulting, but sometimes their message can be offensive and in rare cases, some end up living in isola...
This past Sunday, we at First Lutheran celebrated Palm Sunday. In our celebration we reenacted the events of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem by having our children lead the procession of palms. As I reflect on the excitement and enthusiasm of our children, I wonder about those pilgrims who entered the holy city with Jesus, shouting their praises and waving their palms. In the gospel we call Luke we read that a “whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had see...
“Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing” (Isaiah 43:18-19a). The prophet Isaiah proclaimed this message from God to God’s people who were now in exile in Babylon. As exiles, all of their identity, power, and glory has been stripped from them. The Jerusalem temple (the sign of God’s presence for them) is now in ruins. Their hope is barely a flicker. In this time of desperation for God’s people, God wants the people to remember that God has delivered them in the past. “Thus says the Lord, wh...
I cannot imagine a more optimistic and exciting thought than going to heaven and spending an eternity with God. For those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, this divine promise is a wellspring of joy which confirms that our trials cannot be compared to the glory that awaits us. We should be inspired to fasten this covenant vow to our bathroom mirror so that every morning we can be reminded of God’s love and rejoice for the opportunity to not only know him in this life, but to w...
These results caught my eye the other day and got me wondering. Once again, Finland has won and the United States has come in a sorry 19th place. Finland is, officially, the happiest country in the world. Denmark is the second happiest. Norway is third, Iceland fourth, and the Netherlands is fifth. Go figure, huh? And these countries are all known for their cold winters and the kind of activities that go with the cold, like ice skating and cross-country skiing. Me, I would have figured that the tropical countries would be the really happy...
When we hold a tiny baby in our arms, do we consider how devoted they will be to God, or do we just see the natural and physical possibilities? As Christians, we have the opportunity to become as close to God and spiritually sensitive as we desire with the potential to discern wisdom that is hidden from our earthly understanding. An important question is how many people, including all those tiny babies, will make the most important decision to follow this type of lifestyle? I realize it’s a s...
If anyone knows anything about the military than you know that military families tend to move a lot. My dad was career army and as a result we moved a lot. If I remember correctly, I attended 10 schools in 12 years. After high school I found myself feeling the itch to move every couple of years. I met my wife Charleen at Trinity Bible College in Ellendale, N.D., where we both attended. She was raised on a farm north of Grace City and had only moved once in her life. I used to want to move from place to place because I enjoyed meeting new...
One my favorite passages in scripture to read is Hebrews Chapter 11. It’s often referred to as the “faith” chapter and I have generally referred to it as the “hall of faith.” If you take the time to read it you will see that it references many of the big names of the Old Testament. The writer references many examples of men and women who not only had faith in regards to belief, but they had a faith that was lived out. Hebrews 11:1-2 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancient...
In 1977, country singer Johnny Paycheck recorded the hit single “Take This Job and Shove It.” The chorus of that song began and ended with these well-known words: “Take this job and shove it, I ain’t working here no more.” Apparently, that song really struck a nerve with people, becoming his best-selling record, with over 2 million copies sold and inspiring a movie with the same title. Attitudes towards our work certainly haven’t changed for the better since then. Americans are growing increasingly unhappy with their jobs. Today, less than h...
There is a beautiful passage found in John chapter 20 that is a wonderful example of how much God loves us and wants to encourage us. The friends and family of Christ were gathered together after his horrific crucifixion and were still grieving over his death when all of a sudden, he appears in their midst! Even though they remembered how he had promised to return I’m sure they were still awestruck. Jesus stretches out his hands and reveals his wounds, and of course, they are overjoyed to see h...
As I considered what to write for this week’s sermonette, I came across the prayer I read at the Eddy County Ministerial Thanksgiving Service this year. As I read it once again, my mind began to think of how fitting it would be to share it now in light of the long winter months and the tendency for us to focus on the negatives of what we are facing instead of the goodness of God. My prayer is that you and I would to keep a heart of thanksgiving no matter what we face. Philippians 4:4 (NIV) “Rejoice in the Lord Always. I will say it again: Rej...
Our destiny is the core of our purpose and constantly urges and drives our responsibility to make sure we are doing everything we can to accomplish our mission. This divine calling fuels our thoughts and imaginations as we ask God to help keep us going forward and to never give up. Once we discover our vision our goal will not be easy. Dreams and faith go hand in hand. May we also consider that working a temporary job might be necessary in order to support our family while we are developing our...
First Lutheran Church of New Rockford and Tiffany 4-H Club youth paired to make valentines for veterans. Each year the women of First Lutheran Church gather together to hand-make valentines for veterans. This year the group combined their efforts with the youth of the Tiffany 4-H Club and others, for a total of seven youth and nine women putting their talents to work on card stock. Their goal this year was to prepare 100 valentines. Snacks were provided and after about an hour of work, the...
Is God always happy? Well, let me see, this is an unusual question but I would say probably not. Since he is not made of flesh we assume that he does not have emotions like us. But, on the other hand, we read about his demonstrations of compassion and anger, so I guess this is still up for debate. It is my opinion that some things please him and others cause him disappointment and most of it is associated with the way people live. So, what do you think makes him happy? Well, again we have the sc...
We have learned since childhood about the blessings of being protected. Remember when wewere in the arms of our mom and dad, it seemed the dangers of the world could not reach us. Now that we are grown, we appreciate our home that gives us shelter from the elements and provides us security against whatever that might want to harm us? But of all the things in this world that can provide a sense of safety and defense, there is nothing that can compare to the power and authority of God. Psalm 23:4...
This time of year, snow covers the ground. Everything is white and beautiful, and the whole of nature seems to be in deep peace. If it’s not windy. But I know what my yard looked like a couple months ago, that the white flakes have covered fallen brown leaves, withered grass and plants. It’s all there, but it won’t be seen now as long as winter lasts. Winter is hard for me, my mood, my energy level, all of it. Without winter, spring and summer wouldn’t be what they are. There are seasons in our lives too. And we often have difficulties in unde...
Difficult times are not something we enjoy going through, in fact, we usually try to avoid even talking about them. When trouble comes, the first thing we ask is why is this happening and if we are not cautious, we can easily be drawn into a full-blown mental, emotional and spiritual breakdown. You would think as many of these storms that we have experienced, we would be learning how to handle them, but for the most part, we are just as shocked and confused as all the times before....
ALERT! Quarantine mode: separate toothbrushes, separate blankets, Lysol doorknobs and light switches every morning, noon and before bed. Gatorade...check, BRAT diet...check. Constant laundry. “Don’t go near him! In fact, don’t even look at him.” Batten down the hatches. Please God, don’t let me catch this. See, not only do we have the stomach virus, we’re also on vacation. It’s 65 degrees outside. There’s a heated pool out there. And palm trees. Heck, I may even enjoy some exercise in this weather. Maybe. But instead, I’m fixated on a youn...
Life is filled with thoughts and ideas. Many spend their time trying to keep busy because they do not want to think about what God expects from them. The strategy is to live in a state of distraction so their conscience will never have the occasion to pause and ponder about the true meaning of life. Everyone is unique and that's what makes life interesting, but I was thinking the other day about how many are always on the go and never sit still for a moment unless they are forced to stop. Somewh...
I need to exercise more. No doubt. I know this. Our town (and the internet!) has resources to help me carve out time for exercise. Exercise lengthens lives, and increases quality of life. It helps our brains and our mental health. So why don’t I do it? Maybe, for you, it’s not exercise. Maybe you’re good at exercise. But you have something. You have something you wish was better in your life. You have something you know would be good for you, but you still don’t do enough. Prayer and/or meditation? Morning devotions? Don’t floss enough? D...
