Blog

11/9/2025 1 Comment

What Destroys Our Character?

Why is it so hard for Christians to finish well? Reading that question perhaps reminds you of someone who crashed and burned. It does not take much accounting to realize that many followers of Jesus who start well or accomplish great things somehow stumble at the finish line or simply quit running.

King Uzziah had it all. He had a brilliant military mind that conceptualized building devices that shot arrows and catapulted large stones from towers. These were crucial in defending Judah’s cities (26:15). God gave him success against his enemies, whom he defeated in battle, as long as he listened to the advice of Zechariah the priest.

1 Comment

10/26/2025 4 Comments

Praying God's Will

Barbie with Ron

Recently, I traveled to central Florida with my sister, Barbie, to spend time with Dad, who was not doing well and, according to our brother, Nate, might not live much longer. Once again, Dad surprised us. He snapped out of his comatose state, recognized us, and was able to briefly converse and display the joy that permeates his life. While Dad slept most of the time, the three of us siblings were able to catch up and share meaningful conversations. During one of those discussions, Nate shared something that challenged my thinking, and I want to share it with you, hoping it might encourage you as it did me.

4 Comments

10/20/2025 1 Comment

Obsessed

When I mention the word obsessed does anyone come to mind? I immediately think of many types of people I observe on social media. The first group frequently posts critical messages about the political leader or party they detest. No matter what the leader or party does or says, they find fault. They are unreasonable. Other people fanatically follow their favorite athletes or sports teams. They are seasonable. Some are passionate about sharing or reliving photos and stories of their personal or family accomplishments and adventures. They are personable. The fourth type shares spiritual experiences or uplifting messages. They are inspirable. The fifth group regularly shares food recipes, health, weight, or exercise tips, and accomplishments. They are coachable. And then there are the super-obsessed folks who weigh in with all or most of the above, clearly living on social platforms. They are formidable

1 Comment

10/7/2025 1 Comment

Gullible

An Idaho seventh grader won first place at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair for his project.[1] The purpose of his study was to determine how many people would outlaw a hazardous chemical if only supplied with partial information regarding its characteristics. Fifty participants were asked to sign a petition that demanded stringent control of dihydrogen monoxide. Six reasons were provided to support the elimination of this chemical.

1 Comment

10/3/2025 1 Comment

Treasure in Hand

CBS News carried a heartwarming story about nine-year-old Jameson, the young Philadelphia Phillies fan whose dream was to catch or acquire a big league baseball. His parents bought tickets for seats positioned along the third base line, where the ball girl routinely tossed foul balls on the field up to fans in the stands. Sure enough, in the fifth inning, Jameson got a ball. Later, while watching the game, he overheard a woman ask the ball girl if she could get a ball for her mother, Donna, who was at the game to celebrate her 80th birthday. As you can imagine, youth are the priority, and the chances of Donna getting a ball were remote. So Jameson had his prize, but several innings later, he did something astounding for a boy with treasure in hand.

1 Comment

9/27/2025 1 Comment

Afraid to Ask

Have you ever had a time in your life when the Holy Spirit or God’s Word spoke to you, but the truth of the message did not make sense? The prophet Daniel, aware of God’s judgment over Israel and having received terrifying visions regarding future events, called out to Him and shared his concerns (Daniel 9). God sent an angel to minister to him. “He said, ‘Don’t be afraid, you who are treasured by God. Peace to you; be very strong!’ As he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, ‘Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me’” (10:19).

1 Comment

9/20/2025 1 Comment

Understanding Hate

The topic of hate is quite prevalent in our society. I decided to do a study on the word and see what Scripture has to say about it. First, though, let’s define the term. Whether used as a verb or a noun, hate basically means “to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest.”[1]

In the Old Testament, there are two Hebrew words: śānē’ and śin’āh, used a total of 148 and 17 times respectively, with the English words hate and its variation 107 times, combining both words. The other English words used are foes, enemies, malice, adversaries, dislike, enemy, unloved, abhor, am not loved, shunned, detest, hostile, malicious, not loved, not, refuses, and a total of three untranslated words.[2] In the New Testament, the Greek words apostygeō and miseō are translated as hate 39 of 40 times and once as detestable.

1 Comment

9/10/2025 0 Comments

Tender

Meditation
2 Kings 22:18-20--Say this to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord: This is what the Lord God of Israel says: As for the words that you heard, because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and because you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I Myself have heard you—this is the Lord’s declaration—therefore, I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster that I am bringing on this place.’”

0 Comments

9/2/2025 0 Comments

A Phony Request

God is a heart reader. Imagine Jeff goes to his God-fearing sister and says, “Julie, I’ve got to make a decision. I need to either move to Montana for a new job opportunity so I can escape the toxic work environment I’m in or stay put and trust God to help me get through it. I’m not sure what to do. Will you pray and ask God to reveal His will?” So Julie prays for Jeff, and God impresses on her that he is to stay in Vermont in his current job and trust Him. God is going to turn what is a current mess into a blessing. But if he moves, it will not go well.

Julie reveals to Jeff God’s message, and he gets mad at her. He says he was better off when he trusted his gut. He accuses her of trying to manipulate him to stay in Vermont. “I’m moving to Montana, you are lying, and I know it will be better there than here.”

0 Comments

8/26/2025 0 Comments

Intentional

God is holy and intentional; He does nothing unintentionally. Paul wrote in Romans 2:4, “Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” Can you imagine what life would be like if God discarded His holy and kind nature and became unintentional, capricious, unpredictable, a decision-maker whose will was based on whim? We would have no hope of redemption, an eternal relationship based on love, because His word would be open at any time to change, dependent upon the state of His nature.

0 Comments

8/18/2025 1 Comment

Ignorance on Fire

Pastor Brett Williams

Pastor Brett Williams made a statement that caught my attention while teaching at Agape Church on Sunday morning. “Ignorance on fire is better than knowledge on ice.” Now that is an arresting statement that deserves scrutiny.

1 Comment

8/5/2025 0 Comments

Rescuers

I was reading in my quiet time Jeremiah 22, and I was struck by how David’s message praising God’s actions in Psalm 146 was like what God, through His prophet Jeremiah, called the king of Judah, his officials, and the people to do.

0 Comments

7/30/2025 1 Comment

Restraint

Jeff [1] works in a start-up company that meets in a new office complex in Seattle. He is a bright, creative young man who would have a fantastic future except for one glaring character flaw—his inability to keep his words and emotions in check. When Jeff joined four other young entrepreneurs to launch Still Waters, a meta platform that focuses on AI research, his team was excited about his experience and skills utilizing AI. But after six months of working together, the team found several frustrating traits about him.

1 Comment

7/18/2025 1 Comment

Leadership: Weak Versus Strong

The Biblical book of 2 Samuel, chapters 15-19, provides a clear contrast between a weak leader (Absalom) and a strong leader (David). Recently, I shared what I learned from this study with a group of leaders who meet weekly to encourage one another in their faith. As it is self-explanatory, I have included it below for your reference with minimal comments. Notice that both weak and strong leaders sin and make mistakes.

1 Comment

7/12/2025 0 Comments

Breakfast at Banning's

Herb and Craig began meeting for breakfast in Tigard, Oregon, in 1992, weekly on Tuesdays. Later, they shifted their meetings to Friday mornings. Other friends have joined them periodically over the years, but it is these two men who have met together for 33 years and counting. It takes incredible commitment, faithfulness, love, and enjoyment to maintain such a longstanding tradition. Very rarely do friends have such a sustained track record.

0 Comments

7/1/2025 0 Comments

What Matters

Angel serves as an elder at Waymaker, a church that began thirty years ago. He is one of the most faithful donors. If there is a men’s breakfast, count on him to be there. If the church needs workers for onsite repairs, he helps. Often, the pastor calls on him to pray over the offering. He leads the security team at the church, but his team has a high turnover rate.

0 Comments

6/24/2025 1 Comment

As Good as Dead

October 7, 2023 Survivor

In Genesis 18:11, it states that Abraham’s wife, Sarah, had passed the age of childbearing. Yet the Lord told them that she would give birth to a son. Sarah laughed at the absurdity, but the Lord said to her, “Is anything impossible for the LORD?” (vs. 14). Years before, God promised Abraham “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them. Your offspring will be that numerous” (15:5). Despite his age, Abraham believed God and it was “credited to him as righteousness” (15:6). He was 100 years old, and Sarah was 90 when Isaac was born (17:7, 21:5). Through Isaac and his descendants came the nation of Israel, the very country whose survival is threatened by those who would annihilate them.

1 Comment

6/17/2025 1 Comment

There is no God

An older woman was bent over by the side of the road, working on a cross and flower arrangement on the corner of Colerain and Douglas Drive. Her black Toyota was parked on the grass just off the road, and Stacy thought it would be a good idea to see if she was okay. So I dropped her off and then executed a U-turn to park behind them.

1 Comment

6/12/2025 0 Comments

He Couldn't Handle Success

Have you ever known someone who had the traits of likeability, kindness, and concern for others until they were promoted or achieved some recognized measure of success? The person you thought you knew is now impatient, less approachable, defensive, self-absorbed, and uninterested in your life and the lives of others. You try to imagine what happened to make this person so different.

0 Comments

6/5/2025 0 Comments

Understanding Protection

In the war of the colonists against Great Britain, Benjamin Franklin wrote:
In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor . . . And have we now forgotten this powerful friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?

0 Comments