Faith

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ON ABORICULTURE AND ARMEGEDDON

Sixteenth Century Protestant reformer Martin Luther is commonly believed to have said once: “If I knew that tomorrow was the end of the world, I would plant an apple tree today!” I’ve read different parts of Luther’s Works, and this remark sounds like something he “might” have said in the book “Table Talk” if he said it at all. But it does not appear there (or anywhere in his writings, apparently.) So, whether he actually said those words or not...

The River

THE RIVER

British musical artist Cliff Richards once recorded a song called “The Water is Wide.” I understand that the song was actually based on an ancient ballad, but I cannot personally vouch for that. Yet, it is a very lovely, even haunting song which presents this Christian singer at his very best. The song opens with the lyrics: “The water is wide I can’t cross over And neither have I got wings to fly Give me a boat that can carry...

Point of no return

THE POINT OF NO RETURN

A small portion of the border between Canada and the United States involves the Niagara River. People from around the world have heard not only about the Niagara River, but more importantly, the Niagara Falls. This post will deal with the point of no return as one approaches the falls as well as metaphorical uses of the same phrase. The speed of the Niagara River varies from location to location as it flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario according...

Watching for Jesus

WATCHING FOR JESUS

We’ve all seen them. Cats who spend hours on hours day after day, year after year haunched on a window sill, peering at the world beyond. Why do they do this? Well, sure, they do it for the warmth of the sun, perhaps out of curiosity, perhaps because windows are elevated and heigth to a cat is a sign of dominance. Or, maybe they are just bored. But those aren’t the only reasons, perhaps not even the main reason. Watching...

Best practices

BEST PRACTICES

I was in a webinar yesterday that was open to the public and which featured Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO. As you might imagine, the focus was on the Ukraine and Russia’s intentions on the eve of what might mean war. A catastrophic war. It didn’t take long for me to realize that Secretary General Stoltenberg is precisely the sort of leader that NATO needs as the West seeks to understand and confront this threat to the sovereignty...

Lamentations

LAMENTATIONS

The world we live in is a dangerous world. Sudden death is possible from nature when cars (or houses) fall into sinkholes that appear out of nowhere and ships are tossed by rogue waves. More commonly, tornados tear through homes with impunity and people are killed by their fellow man in drive-by shootings. Sometimes, death is not quick, as in the case of chronic diseases. Too often, unborn babies are, in the words of Shakespeare, “from their mother’s womb untimely...

The Queen of Sheba and Q

THE QUEEN OF SHEBA AND Q

Multiple newspaper reports here and here this morning describe an hundred or more followers of Q, many with Donald Trump banners or other alt right symbols, loitering around Dealey Plaza in Dallas where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in November 1963. They are waiting for the miraculous reappearance of his son John Jr. who died in a plane crash in July 1999. They expect an imminent announcement that Donald Trump will run for reelection with...

Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again

THOUGH THEY SINK THROUGH THE SEA THEY SHALL RISE AGAIN

The late Irish poet Dylan Thomas once crafted a poem called “And Death Shall Have No Dominion” based on Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. I’m not sure how many Christians are fond of Dylan Thomas, though they may have been exposed to him in college. Part of the poem reads: Though they go mad they shall be sane, Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again; Though lovers be lost love shall not; And death shall have no...

Asleep at the Switch. The careless Christian

ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH

The point of this post is to illustrate that each of us plays an important role in advancing the Kingdom of God whether we realize it or not. God gives us our “marching orders” in His Word by providing us with “leadings” to call so and so, visit such and such a place, pray for this or that, etc. It is important that we respond immediately and obediently to these prompts, whether they make sense to us or not or...

The Last Roundup

THIS COULD BE THE LAST ROUNDUP PARDNER!

In Genesis 6:3, Scripture recalls “And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man . . .” There may be several possible interpretations to this passage, but there are two points that seem to favor the argument that it should be taken at face value and literally. First of all, the verses that follow in Genesis 6 speak of a judgment, where Noah builds his ark and then the doors of the ark are shut. At that point, it...

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