It has been said that a person can live about 40 days without food, three days without water, eight minutes without air; but only for one second without hope. Well, probably for more than one second– but you get the point. And it’s true; we need hope to live. There have been many […]
1551) With or Without Hope (a) Read More »
(…continued) Jesus final words at the end of the book of Revelation are “I am coming soon.” Soon, he said. And that is followed by this urgent prayer: “Amen. Come Lord Jesus.” Now, 2000 years later, the world is still suspended between Christ’s first coming as that baby in the manger, and this second
1528) What Are You Waiting For? (b) Read More »
Waiting is a big part of many Bible stories. Abraham waited for the birth of a child. The Israelites waited centuries for deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Moses waited four decades for the call to lead them, and then four more decades for a promised land that he would
1527) What Are You Waiting For? (a) Read More »
God’s offer of eternal life changes everything for those who believe, even in this life. Eternal life is not just something that gets tacked on at the end. It is, as Jesus said, the way to have an abundant life right now (John 10). This eternal promise gives us the hope and the
1508) “She is on Her Way to You, Jesus” Read More »
From Randy Alcorn’s devotional 60 Days of Happiness (www.epm.org) —————————– “Wherever you go, there you are.” We bring ourselves to every situation, every encounter, and every relationship. The unhappy person who leaves North Dakota in search of happiness in California will find more sunshine and less snow, but not more happiness. The happy
1454) Castles in the Sand Read More »
Above painting: The Death of Socrates, 1787, Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) ************************ All of the wisdom of this world is but a tiny raft upon which we must set sail when we leave this earth. If only there was a firmer foundation upon which to sail—perhaps some divine word. –Socrates —————– This thought is
1431) Socrates, Jesus, and Paul Read More »
By Lutheran pastor Ruben A. Pederson I served as a pastor to the congregation at the Mkalama leper colony in Tanzania, where we had services in a small chapel. At a communion service one day I had an remarkable experience. One of the worshipers, seated on the bench near the back, slid from the
1395) Serving God With Whatever is Left Read More »
Two quotes from The Key Next Door, 1959, by Leslie Weatherhead (1893-1976), Anglican pastor of City Temple in London. —————- Can we really hope to understand all that our heavenly Father does? Can a toddler, whose father is a surgeon, understand that his father must make people unconscious, lay them on a table, and
1334) Not Understanding… Yet Read More »
FROM A FUNERAL SERMON: When Ralph told me about his mother’s last few months, during which she knew she was dying, I thought of the Latin phrase “ars moriendi.” The phrase means ‘the art of dying,’ and it comes from some books by that name written in the 1400’s. These books offered Biblical
1317) Ars Moriendi Read More »
Based on my sermon October 16, 2016: (…continued) In John chapter 16, Jesus is spending his last evening with his disciples before his crucifixion. The disciples don’t know yet what is coming, but Jesus is helping preparing them for a huge disappointment. Jesus said to them, “In a little while, you will see
1288) Hoping for Help (part three of three) Read More »
