Ecclesiastes 12:10

    When Paul started preaching in Iconium, things seemed to be going well. In Acts 14 we read, “ a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks .” Yet the momentum didn’t last as “ Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren .”  So how did Paul change the tide?   Well, he didn’t, at least not immediately. In verse three it tells us “ Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord ” Those folks that had been disillusioned by the opposition took time to convince. Even after the prolonged effort, they didn’t convince everyone. As we read in verse 4 “ But the people of the city were divided; and some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles ”.     I am afraid that many forget these lessons. When we put our hand to the plow, we oftentimes expect quick and easy results. If those don’t come or problems muster, we are quick to give up and proc...

     The old adage was ‘seeing is believing’ but photoshop and deepfakes, seeing isn’t all that accurate anymore. It’s easy to get fooled by fake news and internet hoaxes yet that isn’t the biggest deception we face. Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.   But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:12-13      Here the Hebrew writer warns us about the deceitfulness of sin. Sin fools us into not seeing what is right in front of us. It always explains itself away, hides behind false motives, and covers over its shortcomings. Al the while it corroding our hearts taking us away from God.   So how can we see thru the lies?   With one another. With encouragement. With a daily dose of accountability from other brethren. That is why God didn’t make ...

    In 1840, the Whig party needed a candidate to unseat Martin Van Buren. So, they created one. They took a Virginia aristocrat by the name of William Henry Harrison and transformed into a ‘ hard cider–swillin’, log cabin–livin’ everyman’ . Harrison wasn’t known for much outside of his victory in the rather obscure battle of Tippecanoe and that exactly what the Whigs wanted. All he had to do during the campaign against Van Buren, was to avoid any controversial issues and keep his mouth shut.  The campaign was a success.   So, his Inauguration Day was really the first chance Harrison had to speak his mind. And boy did he. His speech still holds the record for the longest ever at over two hours. It was described as the “ longest, most excruciatingly boring Inaugural Address ever delivered ’. It was an ordeal for the audiences not just because of the speech but also because the temperatures were below freezing.   That didn’t faze Harrison. Even without a co...

     Alfred Packer was a man made infamous by his peculiar crime; cannibalism.   The fact Packer had murdered and eaten five hunting companions during a Colorado blizzard in 1873 was horrifying. Hardly anyone could think of a worse crime, well except for one person. The judge at the trial M. B. Gerry was quoted to have said to Packer at his sentencing, “ There were seven Democrats in Hinsdale County, but you ate five of them. I sentence you to be hanged by the neck until you’re dead, dead, dead, as a warning against reducing the Democratic population of the state. ”   I wish I could say we have moved beyond that thinking. Yet today, it seems politics still play a huge role in most folks thinking, more maybe than it should. Issues of right and wrong are now blurred by the political implications. All sides seem far too willing to accept evil as long as that evil benefits their political constituency. Rhetoric has replaced reason. Victory is more important princi...

   The Hebrews writer doesn’t hold back in his assessment of Esau ; “ That there be no immoral or godless person like Esau ” (Hebrew 12:16) . Immoral, a word that indicates a total lack of principle. Godless, a term used to describe mankind at his worst. So, what did Esau do to earn this scorn?   It says  ” sold his own birthright for a single meal . ”   We all get grumpy when we are hungry. A starving man will do just about anything to get his fill. So why is Esau so vilified for his action?   Well, if we examine the story in Genesis 25:29-34 we see it wasn’t a life-or-death decision, even though Esau thought it was that way. His stomach was driving his decisions. He sold out his entire future for a moment of carnal satisfaction. That’s why it tells us he despised his birthright. He couldn’t have appreciated it much if he gives up something so valuable for something so mundane. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even wee...

    How would you like to go to the amusement park and not be allowed to ride the latest and greatest ride? How would you feel if you went to the Louvre and they told you that you can’t go in a see the Mona Lisa? What if you went to the theater to see the new blockbuster and they said you won’t be allowed in? Not that the ride was under repair or the section was closed but YOU personally couldn’t go in.   That seems unfair. You would probably demand to know why?   What did I do?   As we think about that scenario, let’s read Hebrews 12:14: “ Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord .”   Here two aspects are commanded to follow, peace with men and sanctification. One might say peace and purity. But notice the important addition, without which no one will see the Lord.   Now let go back to our setup. If the answer was, “ Well you said you were going to try to damage the painting ”, or “ You violated the ...

   It's almost Valentine’s Day. Fellows, if you are just now realizing this you are in trouble. What could you possibly get at this moment that would be an appreciated gift?   Maybe this could help…   In a 2014 study dubbed “The iPhone Effect,” researchers paired up 200 participants and invited them to sit down in a coffee shop and chat with each other for about ten minutes. Research assistants observed the conversations from a distance and paid special attention to whether a mobile device was used, touched, or placed on the table during the conversation. When the time was up, participants were asked to respond to a series of questions designed to measure feelings of connection, empathic concern, and the like. These included, “To what extent did your conversation partner make an effort to understand your thoughts and feelings?” and “I felt I could really trust my conversation partner.” The results? If either participant pulled their phone out or placed ...