With all the pandemonium and turmoil, no worse time can come for a holy birth. Think of the upheaval a census will cause throughout the Roman world. Every person not living in his ancestral town now needs to pack up and move, no matter the distance. Many are upset and outraged, for Rome doesn’t cover […]
The Surprises in Jesus’ Genealogy: Ruth
December 13, 2018 by
Now, we reach the midpoint of the five women Matthew includes in Jesus’ ancestry. The first, Tamar, lived during the period of the patriarchs. The second, Rahab, in the time when Israel reconquered their land. The third, Ruth, lived when the judges ruled. The genealogy mentions her in this way, “Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth” […]
Advent Series: The Surprises in Jesus’ Genealogy: Rahab
December 12, 2018 by
Like Tamar last week, the second woman in Matthew’s ancestry of Jesus will also raise some eyebrows. Here is how Matthew introduces her, “Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab” (Matthew 1:5). For us, her story begins during a reconnaissance mission. The exodus of Israel is now 40 years past, and they are trying the reclaim their […]
Advent Series: The Surprises in Jesus’ Genealogy: Tamar
December 12, 2018 by
An account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. From Abraham to David: Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers, Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar. So read the first three verses of Matthew’s Gospel. The statement about Tamar is straightforward enough. […]
The Theology of Suffering (Bad Things Happening to Good People)
December 1, 2018 by
This is the Sunday School Lesson for Dec 2, 2018, changed because of events in the life of our congregation. The only difference from this and the lesson used is this one lacks the graphics. The Theology of Glory versus the Theology of the Cross Before we look into suffering, we need to look […]
A “Onesie” Sunday School Lesson on Bad Things Happening to Good People
December 1, 2018 by
Early Saturday morning, a tree fell in our pastor’s yard, only a few feet away from crushing him and part of his house. a minute later, our church building suffered significant damage. The question that always pops into our heads is, “Why does God allow this to happen?” This will be the topic of the lesson, […]
Church to meet in the multipurpose building on December 2
December 1, 2018 by
Because of wind damage, Church will meet in the multipurpose building on Dec 2. The older structure of our facility is still declared unsafe. All are to enter through the side entrances, not the main front entrance. Both Sunday School and Service times are unaffected. The inside of our sanctuary is almost completely unscathed. We […]
Psalm 103: Thanksgiving
November 21, 2018 by
My soul, bless the Lord; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord and do not forget all His benefits. Oh, if only, if every wish of my heart, bone, and being, thought and breath, contained the strength to esteem our Lord! How impossible! For when I tell my being not to […]
All Saints: Tobit 3:7-8, 7:10-12; Revelation 7:9-17; Matthew 22:23-29: Who’s Doing the Counting?
November 4, 2018 by
All the counting in Scripture. On its first page, the words, “In the beginning” ring out, commencing the count. So tabulate the days as they unfold. “The evening came and morning followed—the first day” all the way to “the seventh day” when the Creator “finished his work” (Genesis 1:5, 2:2). Much later, after recounting so […]
Making Sense of God when Our World Doesn’t
October 29, 2018 by
This is our pastor’s newsletter for November 2018. In our grief, we sigh, “Why, Lord?” Such words formed in my mouth when Dean Webb died, with Sandy, his wife, a short time later. Today, as I write this article, I still am grappling with losing them both. Though I am a pastor, God sends […]
