Monday, October 20, 2025

Fruit Inspectors

In today's world, it seems that it's getting harder and harder to tell the good guys from the bad guys. Often, we find ourselves having to choose between the lesser of two evils.

What are we to do, then? Sometimes we sit and shake our heads, and we bemoan the current state of affairs that we find ourselves in. 

Jesus told us not to judge others. Some commentators that I have read interpret that to mean that we shouldn't pass sentence on others or condemn them out of self-righteousness. Jesus himself provided the answer: 

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-20 ESV) 

It is by a person's actions, and the outcomes of those actions, that we may know whether a person's motives are good or evil. We are not required to suspend all critical thinking or discernment.  We can choose whether to associate with a person socially, do business with them, enter into marriage with them, or to defend against them. (2Corinthians 6:14)  However, it is for the Lord to decide whether people have served God or the Devil. 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV) 

How can we usurp the prerogative of Christ by judging others to the point of condemnation?  We must not.  Some people may appear to escape justice now, but we must trust in God’s justice.  We must remember that we all have fallen short of God’s righteous standard.  Those who are saved escape God’s just punishment for our sins because Jesus paid “a debt He did not owe by paying a price we could not pay,” and our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (Revelation 20:11-15) That is why with hearts filled with love for Him, in the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we do the things He has planned in advance for us to do. 

“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.  You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.  All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)  For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.  So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. 

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:1-10 NLT)

 

 

 

Acknowledgement:  The Bible verses shown were copied from https://biblehub.com/

 

Sunday, October 19, 2025

Life Through the Holy Spirit

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.  And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.  The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature.  So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.  He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. 

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.  So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.  For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.  That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. 

But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)   And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.  The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. 

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.  For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”  For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. (Romans 8:1-16 NLT) [1]

 

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Happy Hunting

Hunting season is here again.  To my fellow hunters, I wish you good hunting and pray that God will protect you and keep you safe. 

As with any sport, it is useful to review the basics from time to time.  Here are a few suggestions that will help you have a safe and successful season. 

Review the information published by your state’s Game and Fish department.  Familiarize yourself with the laws and regulations that apply to hunting in your state.  Make sure that you follow all laws and regulations. 

Some states do not require blaze orange clothing.  Wear it anyway, whether it is required or not.  You may live longer, and the deer will see it as gray. 

Hunt ethically.  Good hunters respect their game and follow the principles of fair chase. 

Be sure that any shot you take will result in a clean kill if you hit the target.  If you think you missed, go to the place where your game was when you shot at it.  Conduct a thorough search of the area to be sure that you didn’t accidentally wound it.  Remember that animals may run for quite a distance, even though they are fatally wounded. 

Obtain permission from the landowner before you hunt on private property.  Ask the landowner how they want you to leave any gates you may pass through.  Don’t shoot near their residence or outbuildings.  Be careful not to disturb or harm their livestock. 

Stay current with weather forecasts for the area where you are hunting.  Take tire chains and cold weather clothing.  The Forrest Service, Bureau of Land Management, County Sheriff's Department, and others have better things to do, and don’t need to spend their limited resources extracting you and your vehicle if you get stuck in bad weather.  Getting towed out by a recovery vehicle can cost you a lot of money.  If the weather goes bad, everything else can get bad in a big hurry.  Take enough gas, food, and water to last a few days longer than you intend to stay. 

The same thing is true about getting lost.  Be familiar with your hunt area.  Get some good maps.  Remember, you may not have cell phone coverage.  Take a polished metal signal mirror and an emergency whistle with you.  A tourniquet and emergency first aid supplies are a good thing, too. 

If you are in rugged terrain, be sure you have an exit strategy before you climb steep, precipitous slopes, boulders, cliffs, rockslides, ice and snow fields, and the like.  Others will have to risk their necks to recover you, whether you are alive, broken, or dead. 

Make sure you put your fires dead out. 

Always obey the rules of gun safety.  Treat every gun as if it were loaded.  Always unload your gun before setting it aside or storing it.  Never carry a loaded gun in your vehicle.  Never point any weapon at anything you do not wish to destroy.  Be sure of your target before you shoot.  Be sure that the round will not kill another animal after it passes through your intended kill.  Never shoot without a backstop.  Always be sure the area around your target is clear before you shoot.  Don’t shoot across roadways.  Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to discharge a round.  Do not use alcohol and drugs when handling guns and other weapons.  Leave your distracting thoughts and worries behind and concentrate on using your weapon safely.  Always keep your weapon pointed in a safe direction.  Clear your firearm before handing it to someone else or field dressing your game.  If you shoot someone accidentally, you will wish to be able to undo it over and over again for the rest of your life, but you can’t. 

Call home when you can.  Your loved one will be worried about you.  Keep someone at home informed of the area where you will be hunting and your vehicle license plate number and description. 

Leave God’s country the way you found it.  Pack out your trash.  Pack out the trash others have left behind if you can.  Please don’t rut out wet, muddy roads with your vehicle.  You don’t need to get to that promising hunting spot so bad that you contribute to erosion and ruin the roads for everybody else. 

The anti-hunters are going to complain about us anyway. Please don’t give them additional material to slander us with.  Hunting has a prominent place in the management of wildlife, the economy, and conservation.  We can hold our heads high if we hunt the right way.  Let’s all do our best to mentor and encourage new hunters. 

If I missed anything, do that, too. 

Good luck.  God Bless.

 

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Why do Terrorists Take Hostages?

On October 7, 2023, Hamas loosed armed insurgents into Israel from the Gaza Strip.  They murdered about 1,200 Israelis and others in the most brutal ways imaginable.  The dead were mostly civilians, and they included men, women, children, infants, and the elderly.  During the attacks, Hamas took 251 persons of various nationalities hostage. [1] 

Why do terrorists take hostages?  There may be any number of reasons.  These present themselves to be obvious to any observer with a brain that works.

Terrorists take hostages to use as a bargaining chip.  The families of the hostages are desperate.  They want their loved ones released at any cost.  Humanitarian groups, the press, the UN, organized protest groups – you name it – all pressure Israel to agree to anything in order to bring about the release of the hostages.  While the desire to bring the hostages home is understandable, giving in to the demands of the terrorists only plays into their hands.  It motivates the terrorists to take more hostages in the future. 

Terrorists like Hamas commit atrocities and take hostages to terrorize their enemies.  It is what they do.  They are TERRORISTS.  Now that some of the hostages have been released, we are learning that Hamas brutalized them while they were in captivity. 

The BBC reports that the female hostages were starved, intimidated, kept in underground tunnels without outside contact, and used as forced labor. [2] 

CBS states that medical examination of the released hostages found that they were suffering from PTSD, kept from knowing about their loved ones who were also being held hostage, starved, physically abused, psychologically abused, sexually abused, denied medical care, branded, and kept in restraints. [3] 

Reuters relates that the hostages, including minors, were burned and branded.  Female hostages were sexually abused. The hostages were tortured, physically and psychologically abused, starved and medically neglected. [4] 

The knowledge that the hostages are being mistreated and dying in captivity increases the pressure to agree to concessions to obtain their immediate release – regardless of the long-term adverse consequences to the safety of the Israeli people.  Hamas mistreats their prisoners because terrorists are vile, immoral criminals. 

Hamas is a terrorist organization.  They want to divide and discourage Israel.  They want to make Israel’s government appear to be heartlessly ignoring the plight of the hostages and their families.  They want to do everything they can to turn the nations of the world against Israel. 

They are TERRORISTS. It is what they do.  They know they don’t stand a chance in a stand-up fight with the IDF, so they hit below the belt – in ways that are the epitome of evil. 

The charter of Hamas calls for the destruction of Israel.  It is their ultimate goal, and they will not stop – will not stop – until they have achieved it.  Or, until they die trying. 

It is a humanitarian tragedy, for the Palestinian people, for Israel, and for the entire world.  We support President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to end this mess.  Let us pray that he can get it done without allowing Hamas to continue in its terrible barbarity. 

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Why Read the Bible?

We read the Bible so we can find the power of God’s word, and the way to God through Christ Jesus the Lord. 

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12-13 ESV) 

If God sees every single thing we do, good and bad, how can anyone stand before Him without guilt.  We can stand before Him only because Jesus paid the price for our redemption, and God will see Jesus’ righteousness instead of our inability to live according to God’s holy standards. (Philippians 3:9; 2Corinthians 5:17-19, 21; 1Corinthians 1:30-31; Romans 10:13) 

“By this the love of God was revealed in us, that God has sent His only Son into the world so that we may live through Him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us.  By this we know that we remain in Him and He in us, because He has given to us of His Spirit.  We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. 

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God.  We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.  By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, we also are in this world.  There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.  We love, because He first loved us.” (1John 4:9-19 NAS) 

It is because of the righteousness of Christ that we can stand before God without fear. 

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV) 

Because we believe in Jesus that our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and we will escape the judgement reserved for unregenerate sinners. (Revelation 20:11-15)  

Watch out, however, because the precious Grace of God is not an excuse to continue in a sinful style of living. 

“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!  Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?  But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.  You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 

I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.  When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.  What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!  But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:15-23 NIV) [1]

 

 

 

Monday, September 15, 2025

The Truth About the Trinity

There are those who deny the Trinity of God.  Some of them say that the Trinity is not taught in the Bible because the word Trinity does not appear in it. 

There are many verses or passages in the Bible that describe One God in Three Persons.  However, none are clearer that this one: 

“And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.

For there are three that bear witness in heaven:

the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit;

and these three are one.”

(1John 5:6-7 NKJV) [1]

Note:

Many Bible scholars point out that much of 1John 5:6-7 does not appear in the earliest manuscripts or in early translations from the original Greek into other ancient languages.  I would point out that 1John 5:6-7 has been included in translations of the Bible since the 16th Century and may be accepted as Biblical instruction.  Readers requiring further proof that God is indeed One God in Three Persons are referred to my post dated 7 November 2019.  The verses quoted in that post include:

Deuteronomy 6:4-7
Matthew 28:19
2Corinthians 13:14
1Peter 1:2
1Corinthians 12:4-6
Ephesians 4:4-6

The Trinity is proclaimed in many other Bible verses as well.

Sunday, September 14, 2025

She is Gone

When a Christian dies, the part of them that is not of the physical body, goes to be with Jesus. (Philippians 1:21-23)  It is far better to be “at home with the Lord” than it is to remain here.  Our earthly life is filled with good and bad experiences alike, but when we leave we go to be with Jesus in heaven (2Corinthians 5:1), “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4 ESV) 

My wife died one month ago after suffering a long time with Alzheimer’s disease.  God blessed us with wonderful help from enhabit Hospice, which made it possible for me to care for her in our home.  My sister also stayed with my wife once or twice a week to provide me with the opportunity to run errands or take an afternoon off.  I will never forget the help she gave us. 

Christians who must stay here for a while longer grieve when our saved, born again loved ones die in the Lord, but we do not grieve in the way those who do not believe, those who have no hope, grieve. (1Thessalonians 4:13)   For we have the blessed hope, the confident expectation, of spending eternity in the glory of God’s presence forever. 

Nevertheless, it has been month of sadness.  The Lord has been my strength.  His strength has revealed itself in my weakness. (2Corinthians 12:9-10) All the credit belongs to Him.  The praise, honor, and glory are His.  Amen. 

Now, please join with me to echo the Apostle Paul and declare:

 

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

(1Corinthians 15:54-55 ESV)