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In the past three days I have once again been reminded about the fragility and uncertainty of life. Last Thursday my brother-in-law Kurt texted me that a nephew of his had died unexpectedly from a heart attack. This man was on a detail with the company he worked for and had unusual chest pains. He went to the hospital on Wednesday evening and died Thursday. No prior heart issues. Now his wife, children and family are left with a huge, unexpected void in their lives. Early this morning I received a message from a dear friend who lives on a...
Celebrations can be great fun. I know that most of us today are celebrating the founding of our country. July 4, 1776, is one of the greatest days in man’s history in my opinion. The best one was the day Jesus came out of the tomb and guaranteed victory for all who believe in Him! The second-best day of celebration for me was the day in the spring of 1971 that I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. I must say it took several decades for me to truly appreciate the value that is to me. I still am learning what a great thing it is to be a C...
Over the past several months, I have been very blessed by God and from many of my friends. I even was blown away by Jerry Iamurri, the executive director of our mission’s organization, InFaith-The American Missionary Fellowship. Much of this “blessing” involves various outreaches and ministry work that my wife Lisa and I can do thanks to God’s empowerment. First, I would like to thank God for the 20 kids that were faithful in coming to the after-school Bible clubs in Elliston and Wolf Creek. Those kids were able to learn about God’s wonderful...
Time, they say, eases the heartache and disappointments of life. I would add to that it also diminishes the highlights, the wonderful things of life. By that I think of the many championships my children won playing baseball, basketball and softball, and even myself as a young guy. At the time the victory is sweet, I mean it is always better to win a championship game than lose it right? But the fame and exultation soon fade, and life goes on. As young adults, married with kids (most of them) they are busy working and raising their families, an...
This coming weekend is supposed to be dedicated to the honoring of, remembering of the soldiers who have died in defense of the country. It is supposed to be a somber time, a time of reflection on sacrifice. For a soldier and their family, to suffer death on the battlefield is truly the ultimate sacrifice. I have had people in my life whose families had lost uncles, fathers, brothers, cousins and friends in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, during special operations in the 1980s-90s, and the endless war on terrorism since 2001. It is for sure a lif...
Many of you have been hearing about ballot initiative 14, some of you perhaps not. This is one political item that you do not want to ignore. What is it you ask? It is a proposal written by Planned Parenthood (national group) that if enough signatures are gathered by June, will place on the fall ballot a proposal to enshrine unlimited abortion in our state constitution. As you read this many paid for, out-of-state proponents of abortion are canvassing our towns and cities asking people to sign the petition to get this on the fall ballot. It is...
I imagine that many who read these articles would call themselves “Christian”. But I am not so naive as to think everyone who reads them would be, as Jesus says, “born-again”. There are many religious souls who feel they are right with God, when in fact they are not. So many strive for “victory”, over finances, sinful habits, work situations, etc. We think our striving and efforts will give us “victory” in the spiritual realm because it works in the physical realm. But with God, victory usually comes after we have been defeated. What...
In a few days the world will be celebrating Easter. The first Easter was the day in which the disciples and enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ discovered that the tomb in which Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus had laid the body of Jesus was empty. The disciples of Jesus were perplexed and sorrowful over the empty tomb. Even though Jesus had been telling them for months, and even years that He would be rejected, crucified (he used the term “lifted up”) and then rise from the dead after three days, in their sorrow and confusion they did not und...
If you have not read chapter 3 of the Gospel of John lately, I hope you will read the entire chapter today. I want to draw your attention to a few things about this wonderful teaching from Scripture. You may know it covers the talk Jesus and the Pharisee Nicodemus had at night, and a few things John the Batist had to say about Jesus. Here is that discussion as given in the New International Version of the Bible, John 3: 1-21. Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at...
Though still a month away, my thoughts this morning are on the celebration of Easter. The event that forever changed the world. The event that impacts every soul that has ever lived. The first Easter was the day the disciples and enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ discovered that the tomb in which Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus had laid the body of Jesus was empty. The disciples of Jesus were perplexed and sorrowful over the empty tomb. Even though Jesus had been telling them for months, that He would be rejected, crucified (he used the term...
This Musing will be the final one dealing with the theme of your phone book of life. I hope these have been useful for you. You must read the scripture to benefit from the wisdom they contain. Even if you are not a Christian, you can benefit from the guidance and timeless truths the Bible has, as you navigate life. Here are several more “emergency numbers” to add to your phone book of life. Psalm 91 is a portion of Scripture that has been carried into battle by many soldiers over the years. It is often called the Soldiers Psalm. When the act...
I want to share with you some more great numbers to call when life throws you a curve. As I mentioned last time, to go out unprepared in severe winter weather, or life, is to invite disaster. The journey we call life and death requires a person to have things in order, if it is to be satisfying and successful. The Bible has some emergency numbers that are the best resource to turn to when you encounter difficulties on your journey. Here are several more to add to your phone book of life. Over the years I have worked with, ministered to and befr...
Last weekend was a real Montana winter event, wasn’t it? It is amazing to be bundled up and outside when the temperatures are 30 below and the wind is blowing. But, when I do go out in that cold, I am equipped for it. To go out unprepared is to invite disaster. Driving in those conditions will reveal what systems in your car need attention. Extremely cold (and hot days) will let you know if all systems in your car are functioning properly. Good maintenance will ensure you arrive at your destination. If you break down then it’s a call to a fri...
The following is an article I wrote for the January 8, 2015, paper. Although the names of some politicians may have changed, the deficit number and pork spending has sky-rocketed, and my main points are still valid I think. I hope that the people of this country will wake up and step up to the plate at the voting booth, and many will run for office. We are being led to slaughter by these lifetime politicians. A new year is upon us, and I hope that for you and your family it will be a good year. I hope you will grow closer together. I hope your...
This fall we have had some wonderful weather in my opinion. I guess we could have had a bit more snow, it definitely helps for hunting. But these warmer days have been quite enjoyable. Not having to drive in icy and wintery conditions is good. But we know the time is coming when winter will settle in and we will be shoveling, plowing and slipping on the ice! Winter is inevitable. It will come and we will survive. We really are guaranteed to have it due to where we live. It is a result of our decision to live in western Montana. In getting...
Anyone who thinks that the foreign policy of the current administration, which is really Obama Policy part 3, is working for the American people and the world at large, must have a different definition of success than I do. In fact, their definition of success cannot possibly align with the hundreds of millions of people living in Muslim controlled countries. I am not even thinking about the horrific border /immigration policies of Comrade Biden. In 2018, an estimated 11.39 million unauthorized immigrants lived in the United States. This is an...
My last Musing ended with the following statement, “There are many documented, non-biblical historical references to the life of Christ, but that must wait until next time! Jesus really lived, died by crucifixion, and was resurrected.” Today we will briefly look at several of the main reinterpretations of the historical Jesus. The first is the “Swoon Theory”. This theory postulates that Jesus survived death on the cross, thus denying the resurrection of Jesus. No resurrection, no atonement for sin, he is not the incarnate Son of God. This st...
My last Musing ended with the following paragraph. “It is imperative that a person takes a real, honest and historically accurate look at the person of Jesus of Nazareth. What does the data tell us about him? Is there non-Christian material that one may look at? When did he live, what did he teach and how and when did he die are facts of history one must know to truly understand who this Son of Man really was. I hope over the next couple of months to delve into this subject. I hope you and I will learn from it. For now, my question to you i...
In Matthew 16:13 Jesus asked his disciples a very simple question. The question was, “Who do the people say the Son of Man is?” This was and is a very interesting question. First, it tells me Jesus is concerned about how people view or maybe understand him. He knows better than anyone how important it is for a person to correctly know who Jesus is. The disciples answered that people think you are John the Baptist raised to life, or maybe another Old Testament prophet. In verse 15 Jesus said, “But what about you? Who do you say that I am?” Simon...
The theme of our vacation Bible Schools this summer was “The Chain of God’s Promises”. The lessons covered some of promises made by God to mankind from the first sin by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to the return of Christ at what is called the Rapture of the Church. We had 17 kids attend in Elliston and 23 in Wolf Creek. One young student in Wolf Creek asked Jesus to be her Savior. That was the best part of two very good weeks teaching God’s timeless truths and promises to these 40 kids. Of course, we had excellent help and support...
Since May of this year, I have started a new chapter in life as pastor of the Wolf Creek Baptist Church. Lisa and I am very excited about that! But then again, we are all excited about new things, new relationships, and the newness that each season brings to our lives. But with new things there is change, and we often do not like change. Change causes us some feeling of discomfort, doesn’t it? But to grow and adapt in life, one must learn how to change. We are not designed to stay the same. A baby grows into a toddler, then a young child, a pre...
One thing that keeps many people away from going to a Bible believing church is that they fail to see any tangible, real world value in going. They may be confused about why they or others should go. Afterall if I “do the best I can” in life that should get my ticket to heaven punched many think, that is if heaven is a real place. I believe that the number one reason to go is to learn about Jesus Christ and his purpose for living and dying on the cross. What benefits a person can gain from accepting that Jesus died for “their” sins, to pay the...
Have you or a good friend, or a loved one, ever struggled with the question of purpose? By that I mean asking yourself, “Why do I exist?” This question has to do with purpose. The Westminster Shorter Catechism states it like this; “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” Many very successful people never seem to be at peace with the answer they get when pondering this question. They may be the most powerful attorney in the state of Florida, a leader of a multinational corporation, or a well-known professional athlete,...
June 6, 1944 was a remarkable day. A Day of Valor, courage, cowardice, death, injury fear and faith. It was of course much more than that! For Nazi Germany it was the beginning of the end. There are some days which are forever seared in the memory of us all. June 6, 2023 has become such a day for me. It was the day when I and my sister Marilyn and members of her family and mine watched our mom, their grandma, take her last breath. It was a sad, yet joyful moment filled with relief and sorrow. My Mom had been in declining health for several...
I have done a fair amount of vehicle maintenance in my life. I started learning how to change the oil and filters in our cars from my Uncle Bill. He showed me how to do front disc brakes, changing the clutch and transmission soon followed. Along the way I learned about rebuilding carburetors, fixing radiators, thawing frozen gas lines, wiring and the agony of points, condensers’, timing, regulators, and alternators. Then it was on to swapping engines, welding and bodywork and painting. Now I cannot claim to be an expert in this work, but I h...
