Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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The Gospel of Matthew is only 28 rather short chapters long, and it ends with Christ instructing the disciples, and us, as we follow along, to go and make believers of “all nations.” It is a direct conclusion, and for centuries it has been called “The Great Commission.” Beyond the point of Salvation, however, Christ matures us in our faith if we take him at his word. Jesus was purposeful in everything while here on earth. Thirty-three years is a brief span, so He had to be intentional. We understand the big picture of Christ teaches that He...
At a traffic stop, during rush hour, did some bozo behind you honk his horn when you didn't jump immediately at the change to green? We will forgive him or her. But under some circumstances, I wish to point out that things are clear. Green is the main color for “Go.” Did you know Jesus gave Christians the “green light” to train disciples and share the Gospel with others? Yup. “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to t...
On a road I travel most days, I have seen a house pop up in a short time span. Concrete footings are a sturdy foundation. Likewise, a word of advice to those returning to church or starting a completely new beginning: I cannot emphasize the Bible enough. These are unsettling times. If the Christian is to be grounded, then he or she must live committed to Biblical truth. The world is always shifting. Cultural trends come and go, and morals change like the wind. Modern sociologists argue that the human family’s ability to adapt is its greatest st...
The “church” has existed since approximately 33AD, following Christ’s resurrection on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in the book of Acts. Here we are 2000 years later, and the church is now worldwide and growing, fulfilling Christ’s words, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18). Many are accustomed to referring to the “church” as a building or place of worship; however, the longer I have been a pastor, the more convicted I am that Jesus' love requires more. The church must be better understo...
Currently, there are approximately 8 billion people on planet Earth, and approximately 159 nations. But at the micro level, humans seem wired to think everything revolves around them. Seriously, it is laughable. Self-absorption is a common human condition; however, we Americans must learn to BEHAVE differently. Some days it would be better for us to have a memo stapled to our head that reads, “The world doesn’t revolve around me.” Considering the first century and time and again in church circles, Israel is understood to be a favored natio...
“Jesus is way too restrictive.” I’ve heard it too often. True, invariably each person develops his or her own opinion. It is a basic freedom. However, when it comes to following Jesus and being His disciple, the Bible never presents this decision as “fun.” Discipleship requires self-sacrifice, setting our ambitions aside, and making Jesus our number one priority. Great joy is fulfilled being Christ’s disciple. Pastor Shane Pruitt says, “It’s an adventure to know Jesus and make Him known. He lives, and there is no one like Him.” First, if...
I really enjoy watching movies and football with my feet kicked up in the recliner. Some of us are “Lazy Boys.” How about you? Do you have a comfy chair? We Montanans have comfort options in wide variety, don’t we? Comfort food, instant communication, wide entertainment choices, cozy clothing, wide open spaces, and quiet. You get the picture. Like other American Christians in general, we have developed a viewpoint expecting life to be full of fun times and avoiding personal cost. It is as if we treat Jesus as our personal drive-up-window savio...
Negative emotions can crush a person. With experience, however, we learn to endure trials, sometimes great trials. In fact, we sometimes grow the most through sorrow, even heaping sorrow. I have heard with my own ears from other mature Christians say that in grief Jesus Christ became most evident. Up and down the Jefferson Valley, the old Sugar Beet Factory stands as a landmark. From great distances it appears small, but the closer you approach the stack, the larger it appears. It is a matter of perspective. Our bout with loneliness and/or...
Assumptions occur in life, and because they are imperfect, some are dangerously deceptive. A widely held assumption, at least in the American West, is that everyone goes to heaven. The topic of spending eternity in heaven is certainly sensitive, but clear Biblical instructions and teachings from Jesus must shape our theology, not an assumption. “I’m a good person…I do good things for others…I attend church…I pray,” and more justify some to believe that these are all Christ asks. The Bible explains that we are all sinners in need of a Savior, a...
Dear reader, the resounding question over many years seems to be, “Are we to judge people or refrain from judging them?” One of the most debated and misunderstood Bible passages occurs at the start of the Gospel of Matthew chapter seven. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” When reading the Bible, we must always stay in context. Here, Jesus is warning against hypocritical condemnation of others. He continues, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say...
If, like me, you were born between 1965 and 1980, you might recall vividly some scenes from I Dream of Jeannie, which starred Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman. As a comedy half-hour sitcom, Hagman, as a befuddled astronaut, finds a bottle on a beach and, lo and behold, becomes the “master” of the Genie in it, Barbara, who creates all kinds of trouble for him. As reruns go, it is still available on the internet. Has our culture in recent years turned Jesus into a personal genie? One trend has even been given a name: the Prosperity Gospel, whi...
Seven hundred years before Paul walked this earth, Isaiah compared God to a potter (cf. Isaiah 29:16). As Paul brought Christ’s message to the Roman Empire, he presented Jesus in an intimate way, in the same tradition. In the United States, this “God with us” has held until the current generation. The second book of Timothy shocks me: “But mark this, there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, is obedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, u...
The return to self-control and godliness is perhaps in the air. For example, the latest Pew Research poll showed that the young subset of scientists, approximately aged 25 to 40, were 1/3 rd more likely to believe in God than older scientists. Is it the exploding national debt? Are people who have lost all faith in the fairness of national media again looking to God? Pastors and congregants are to work together to fulfill the mandate that Jesus left us. Institutional breakdowns are all around us: marriage, family, government, naming the big...
Have you ever been on the road and suddenly a yellow display light alerts you, “Maintenance Required?” Quite often it is merely a timed alarm indicating a needed oil change; however, there are trouble codes that can indicate serious problems, and in those cases, your trip (or vacation getaway) turns into a headache. Just last week, my alternator was failing, but with some help from a friend and tools in the truck, the problem was resolved. Acts 2:44 reads, “All the believers were together and had everything in common.” This raises the questio...
Terminology is always an interesting ball of wax, so some added clarity is of great importance. In America, people often refer to the Church only as a building. Let us not make that mistake. If you read through the early chapters of Acts, you will get a different idea of “Church.” Add to that any of the Gospel writers, and the picture of the church becomes much clearer. In Greek, ecclesiae is the plural term for church, meaning a gathering of people. So, the church is a community of people learning what it entails to follow Christ; we are mob...
Societies have long deemed money and possessions to be the mark of success. A fancy house, a brand new Ford F-350, or the false security of a swollen bank account- these seem to be “The American Dream.” Jesus addressed the topic of money a lot. Throughout the Bible, we find advice and instruction on how to live a balanced life, including wise management of our possessions and valuing our relationships as our top priority. Since money and possessions vary amongst us, one common denominator we have is time. Last I checked, we all share 24 hou...
As human beings, we all long to be known and loved; we are hardwired in this fashion from conception. From time to time in life, this desire for acceptance may lead us to put on a false front. Think of a time when you tried to impress someone, you know, showing off your best side? If we take that to the extreme and be overtly impressive, we demean ourselves. Author and pastor Ben Mandrell challenges us to let our guard down. He says, “When we find a group to which you can take off the mask, you find the ability to be the real you.” In fact, Jes...
Perhaps it is the country directness of the parishioners of Southwest Montana, but people tell me they feel welcome at our church. Perhaps it is the honesty and caring nature of our team. I appreciate how Pastor Ben Mandrell, author of the Together series, emphasizes Biblical principles to address loneliness within churches. Mandrell says, “We’re not strong when we walk alone.” The Christian life is healthier when we walk alongside other believers in family-like relationships. The honest truth is the choices we sometimes make bring on our o...
Jesus Christ’s bold love for people warms our hearts and thoughts, making us a better church. Prayer, forgiveness, fellowship, teaching, and their relationship have been the focus of my meditation for today’s article. Author and Pastor Ben Mandrell, in his Together series, emphasizes these pillars, comparing them to a four-legged stool, each complementing one another. The first leg is Teaching. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” teaches Romans in chapter 12. “Then you will be able t...
Invented in 1842, a cyanotype was a photographic process that produced an early blueprint for builders, architects, and engineers. In our time, the proliferation of powerful computers has enabled CAD systems that make the process available to multiple workers and teams almost effortlessly. Digital versions on tablets are the norm on the jobsite. Despite these changes, the concept of “blueprints” still exists. From the concrete footings all the way to the roof top, measurements need to align correctly. Can you imagine purchasing a brand-new hom...
Samuel Sewell reported in 1680 to the English-speaking world how some North American Indian tribes declared peace by burying a tomahawk, and as other colonists repeated the account, both sides of the Atlantic used the story by the end of the nineteenth century to describe peacemaking. We continue to use it to indicate the initiation of peace. I’ll antedate the expression and relate it to Paul’s behavior in Philemon. Paul practiced “burying the hatchet” in his personal life and encouraged other Christians to do the same. The Book of Philemo...
I admit to liking the Book of Philemon, and I think it might be because it is so concise. It is direct that forgiveness is very often a two-way street. Onesimus wronged Philemon, but that is not where the story ends; it is the beginning of something profound. Philemon took Paul’s advice and welcomed Onesimus back with forgiveness on the basis of love; he also freed him from servitude. Numerous resources in church history state that Onesimus went on to become a pastor, and therefore, many other lives were changed as people came to salvation i...
“Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people,” Paul says to Philemon in his shortest letter of all. He was under house arrest, and somehow, he and Onesimus crossed paths. We gain three lessons. Onesimus, whom Paul had learned had escaped as a slave of Philemon’s, whom Paul knew well and trusted. Paul knew him from Colossae, well enough to call him a friend. “I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, (Philemon) because I hear about your love for all his h...
The Christian tradition in which my heart and mind find solace is the beauty of the Scriptures we have been studying. You know this if you read this column often. Respect for life, healthy relationships, love of family, together with civil order, law, and justice run deep in American society. Partnership in the context of the local church is vital. The Greek term in the New Testament is koinonia, often translated as partnership, fellowship, or sharing; it occurs at least 19 times. In the church, unity, shared labor, and mutual support are the...
One aspect of studying and understanding the numerous New Testament books of the Bible is recognizing that they are indeed letters. Written communication in the 1st Century was much less common than it is today. A much smaller percentage of individuals could read and write in comparison. Paul wrote 13 in total; two to Timothy, one to Titus, and one to Philemon, the remaining were written to churches. As Colossians concludes, Paul leans into his final teaching. To key leaders, he expresses his gratitude. “ Devote yourselves to prayer, being watc...
