RUMINATIONS OF A REVEREND

Don Postema wrote, "I used to write in my daily calendar '7-7:30 a.m.: Prayer.' But many times I passed that up. It was one more thing to pass by that day. Now I write '7-7:30 a.m.: God.' Somehow that's a little harder to neglect." http://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/search.html?type=keyword&query=%22Fear%20of%20God%22&start=41 I thought about that and the idea of an 'appointment with God'. Oh sure, I've heard the phrase used many times, but I'm afraid I've glossed over the significance of that phrase in the past. I have meetings and appointments with people weekly. Someone may have an issue they want to discuss, so I'll set up an appointment to meet with that person at such and such a time. When I have an appointment, I try and make sure I keep it unless an emergency arises. Let's say that someone stops by to simply chat, but I have an appointment in fifteen minutes. I will usually cut that time of casual chatti...

That question has been around since the day God’s curse fell upon the earth because of sin. Suffering has multiplied over the years through famines, diseases, wars, and the wickedness of man. Children are abused and die of starvation. Women are raped and forced into prostitution. Men are beaten and made slaves in some parts of the world and terrorists kill their fellow humans in brutal fashion simply to make a point. Tragically, Keenan Cooper (the son of a friend) lost his life on account of such evil. Then there is the slow, miserable death that cancer inflicts upon its victims. My wife’s aunt battled with cancer for years, as we slowly watched her waste away and eventually succumb to that evil disease. Recently, a dearly loved resident in our town also lost her battle with cancer. In both instances, people were praying and trusting in Jesus to heal, yet the healing people looked for never came. How can we as Christians shout, “God is good all the time!” when we see the tremendous suf...

Fortunately, in my ministry career thus far, there hasn't yet been a Sunday where I was the only one that showed up at church. I have had some Sunday's that came pretty close, but I have never had to preach only to myself on a Sunday morning. However, there have been many times when I realized that I was preaching to myself along with preaching to the rest of the congregation. The Sunday of our men's fishing retreat at Lake of the Woods was just such an occasion. The LORD used my own mouth to convict me. I shared about Andrew and Peter's calling to discipleship and how Jesus transformed them into fishers of men. That is one of those passages you have to consider from the culture of the day versus the American culture. Most people in America think of fishing as a hobby or recreational past time. We fish because we enjoy it, not because our livelihood depends on it. Andrew and Peter, however, were fishermen by trade. They provided for themselves and their families throug...