Much recent news has been about money: stocks, bonds, the Dow, market failure, foreclosures, and bankruptcies. Few have avoided the aftereffects of the financial news. The times make Ecclesiastes 10:19 seem truer than ever: “Money answers everything.” Money is not particular about which master it serves, answering the call of both good and bad. It…
The first presidential election I remember was Eisenhower. Everyone in my family was a yellow-dog Democrat and Ike was a Republican, promising change. It was an appropriate promise since Ike’s predecessor, Harry Truman, had the lowest approval rating of any president in sixty years. I remember chaos and confusion. But Ike won and years later…
With the kind of friends Job had, he probably needed no additional enemies. When these three friends heard of Satan’s attack on Job’s character, property, children, and health, they made a visit to him. The first week of the visit was most interesting. “They sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven…
Everyone who knows the Bible knows that Job had a truck load of problems. He also asked a few good questions. “Who is the almighty, that we should serve Him and what profit do we have if we pray to Him? (Job 21:15)” I think you know who the almighty is and why we should…
The Apostle Paul said he had learned that in whatever circumstance he found himself to be “content” (Phil. 4:11). He didn’t say “satisfied.” There is a difference. Had Paul been willing to accept all his surroundings, positive as well as negative, he might have used the word “satisfied”, meaning, “happy, gratified, pleased.” Makes me wonder…
Last Monday, smarting from heavy loses to my retirement funds caused by a dropping market, I wrote on waiting to worry. Quite honestly, I did a poor job of waiting. The only waiting I really did was waiting to get to sleep each night. Many friends and readers, some I don’t even know personally sent…
Like many of you I lost money in the last few weeks as the stock market dropped. To be quite honest, I lost a lot of retirement money. In fact, I lost so much, I may need to un-retire. In the midst of my depression, God gave me a passage of scripture from the Sermon…
I attended my college reunion last weekend. Psychologist Joyce Brothers says, “Ninety-nine and nine-tenths of people have some anxiety about going to a reunion. The rest are people who are so secure and have done so well they have no intention of going back.” I guess I fit the majority. There are several things you…
The old spiritual says, “Nobody knows the trouble I see . . .” While that may be true on a human level, it is not true when it comes to one’s relationship with God. The Psalmist proclaimed, “O Lord, you have searched me and known me” (Ps. 139:1). It is impossible to hide our weaknesses,…
As you read this, I will be participating in the Pastor’s Masters Golf Conference at Glorieta, New Mexico. It’s basically an excuse for Pastor’s to gather in the beautiful Sangre de Cristo mountains for what is advertized as a time of “fellowship, spiritual encouragement, and improving your golf game.” Since I find myself in need…