Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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Tendencies to overly focus on key words in the Bible without understanding the culture or context are flat-out dangerous. “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands as you do to the Lord,” from the book we are studying, Ephesians 5:22, is my case in point, and I suspect it is as controversial as ever. In this weekly reminder, I’ll tackle the context for the word “submission,” since it seems central to the problem. Paul, the author, was writing to Romans, Greeks, and Jews who came to follow Christ in Ephesus, where men had significant power ove...
Whole passages within the Bible demonstrate greater insights into diverse cultures than do others. The provincial capital of Ephesus brings about such clarity in Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. Paul’s teaching to this metro community did not sugarcoat Christ’s message. In the First century, Ephesus was widely known for the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Sounds amazing. Well, think again, because this temple, dedicated to the Roman goddess Diana, was a place for sacred prostitution and dark practices. This “wonder” was...
As light overcomes darkness, truth overcomes evil. In the middle of the fourth chapter of Ephesians, Paul addressed Gentile Christians as well as Jews. His goal was to encourage them in their newfound faith in Jesus Christ. The Jewish people believed deeply in the Ten Commandments given to them through Moses; however, Gentiles (non-Jewish) people in Ephesus had literally no Scriptural background. Paul helped unite Jews and Gentiles. “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futili...
For over 2000 years now, God’s grace in Jesus Christ has pointed all of Christianity —well, almost all of Christianity —toward grace, and it has been interactive, even throughout the United States’ history. That theme is “communicate well with each other.” Paul focuses on this often. For the Christian, “grace manners” are for each of us, either in public or private. We try hard to be the same person every day and hour of the week. If God’s grace has saved us and kept us, then throughout our lives, transformation is a continuous proces...
Throughout the New Testament, we see the connection of individual faith in Jesus and the Bible as our source for truth and life. This is what sets Christianity apart from other world religions—the personal connection. Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, entered the world as a child, lived sinlessly, and gave His life for each one of us! Our job is to grow in gratitude and love: it is personal! Paul shares a very personal prayer in Ephesians chapter three that I see as needed in our broken world. We, too, rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and n...
What do Jim Rockford, Colombo, Inspector Gadget, Inspector Clouseau, Nancy Drew, and Sherlock Holmes have in common? They all remind us that solving mysteries is fun. And while the Bible also captures our attention, authors, TV and cable personalities, and Internet personalities “unlock” secret mysteries —sometimes in a fun way —my approach is as sober as can be. The sacred word of God offers salvation like no other. The Bible is actually clear and consistent. When specific Bible texts are a little vague, we need not read between the lines;...
Dear Editor, With the upcoming election for Whitehall mayor, I would like to encourage residents to get involved in local government. I appreciate both Linda Jung and Kathleen Fike answering various questions in a recent edition of the Whitehall Ledger. Why is involvement vital for Whitehall? First, getting involved in various forms of local government by inquiring about a wide range of committees. Many people are not aware that the three wards can have multiple town council representatives, and...
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, otherwise known as gentiles (those outside of Judaism), cautions against being mediocre. We must keep in mind the context of the first-century church and its blending of cultures. For previous centuries, the Jewish people considered themselves “the people of God,” but with the accomplished work of the resurrected Jesus and the expansion of his church, nations were being grafted into God’s plan of salvation. Jesus came for the entire world. Especially for Jewish leaders, it brought about a decline for this mi...
Paul, a most enthusiastic follower of Christ, sacrificed his life and devoted himself fully, encouraging others to believe. In Ephesians Chapter 2, Paul describes what it means to be brought back from death. To us, he seems a bit metaphorical. He is passionately earnest: “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, g...
Paul had a deep passion for the Christian experience and church life; after all, he is the author of the majority of the New Testament. Paul was suffering for Christ; John the Baptist had already been beheaded for his faith. We are examining the Book of Ephesians, where Paul provides instruction, correction, encouragement, wisdom, and much more. Under confinement for two years, Paul penned a letter to the Ephesians, focusing on church unity and the supremacy of Jesus Christ. Now, during this incarceration, Paul was able to have visitors, many...
Standing out in Bible passages about Jesus' teachings for the whole world is Ephesians 1:4-6, which inspires our study of Paul, who wrote while a prisoner in Rome. “For (God) chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to son-ship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” In short, from established scholars to youth, it has been a contentious point since...
Incarcerated but Free: Four New Testament Books for Today I’ll call him Bob. We traveled for not a few years on business, and when he was the driver, he would get into the zone and could talk. We could go twenty miles, and he could talk the whole time. I’d sit quietly for those miles, and he would just jabber away. Talk about “talking a person’s ears off.” I was his captive, no foul. This gives us our title for this new series: Life Behind Bars. We will study four Epistles, otherwise known as the “Prison Epistles.” We will examine the b...
Most people ponder if there is life after death. Poetry, song, books, and columns explore this subject that has been on the minds of individuals for centuries. As Christians, we base our beliefs, hopes, and aspirations on the Bible, which has endured ridicule and history itself. I like other clergy members, scholars, and fellow Christians see the Bible as the consistent source for truth, without those fundamental teachings presented in the pages of Scripture our faith is meaningless. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 establishes, “All Scripture is G...
Generally, our assumption regarding “justice” is linked to societal wrongs, and while that may be true in some cases. Please allow me to broaden the scope with a Biblical foundation. Throughout the Bible, justice is often closely tied to love, which involves demonstrating kindness and mercy to others. One of the most prominent texts in the scriptures is Luke 10, where Jesus uses the Parable of the Good Samaritan to make a direct point: Christians who claim to love God should demonstrate love in action towards anyone they encounter. His...
It is true “work” is a four-letter word; however, the nature and design of work is God orchestrated and valuable for life. Is it just me, or has our society begun to lose sight of the importance of a good work ethic? In part, yes! Could this be attributed to the “entitlement” generation that has slowly developed, where individuals demand support? Another factor could be that throughout history, affluent nations tend to create this type of scenario, abundance and luxury lend to comfortable excess. When this occurs, underwork becomes normati...
Living in rural communities all my life, and especially in Montana, I’ve grown to love the sky that is often breathtaking. There is something special about driving in the dark of night and noticing just beyond the horizon bright lights of one of the “larger” cities. In perfect weather conditions, there are many nights here in Whitehall where a person can see the glowing lights of Butte, mixed with the array of stars. Jesus used a familiar description, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasone...
As Christians, we share doctrinal views that include core Biblical truths, such as salvation through Christ by repentance. Then there are secondary teachings that we can hold varying degrees of thought on, such as the method of water baptism or the timing of the rapture, which are not salvation issues. One subject that is often debated or possibly neglected includes the Christian and being part of a local faith community or the church. I’ve often said, “You can be a Christian and not go to church.” A person can repent of their sin and choos...
History has always been a great teacher. We can either learn lessons from history or fail to listen to history. In our modern age, I believe there is a tendency among Christians to somehow hold a view that we are morally above early Jewish believers. For example, when reading about Moses and the Israelites during the period when the 10 Commandments were given, many today think, “How could the Israelites be so blind to their idolatry?” The worship of golden calves is blatantly obvious as an idol. There is danger in picking apart the Isr...
Has your family walked through the dynamics of settling a late relative’s estate? Neither my wife nor I have experienced this yet, as our parents are still living, for which we are grateful. Over the years, I’ve known other families who have gone through some very difficult circumstances settling estate matters, all the daunting legal details, and sadly, unhealthy expectations within the family where possessions are contested. I’m reminded of the parable Jesus discussed in Luke 15, which is often referred to as the parable of the prodi...
The late pastor, Timothy Keller, gave an insightful overview of the exiles in Jeremiah 29 regarding their purpose in the teaching series Gospel in Life. This specific group of priests, elders, prophets, and citizens was held in captivity for 70 years. Jeremiah wasn’t always respected by many of these leaders; in fact, many of these influential leaders tried to kill him. When King Nebuchadnezzar exiled them to Babylon. Jeremiah was challenging them to turn away from their rebellion against God and trust again in His faithfulness, even while t...
For the most part, my life has been centered around “church” life, from crawling under the pews as an infant in diapers to being taught and trained by incredible servants, and now serving in leadership as an adult. I’m grateful for all the years of spiritual development opportunities that continue to this day. In the past five decades, I've encountered several statements and theological assertions that warrant reexamination to ensure their validity and proper Biblical application. One of which includes “Every promise of the book is mine,...
In the business world, decisions are made constantly based on the “bottom line,” which is often referred to as net income or profit. We also use this phrase to refer to what matters most or in making a final decision regarding various aspects of life. For the follower of Jesus, the bottom line is that we should strive to live unoffendable and be free from anger. Brant Hansen says, “Being unoffendable involves constantly reminding ourselves that we don’t deserve God’s forgiveness- and yet God has chosen to forgive us anyway.” Living by this pers...
I’m a “Jack-of-all-trades guy,” or at least attempt to fix or take on projects often, sometimes out of the wish to save money, or even to assist other people. One of my favorite resources is YouTube, where you can find a “how-to” tutorial on almost anything. Sometimes these videos are beneficial, and other times I learn little; it just depends on the presenter. At other times, I rely on instructions, but I’ll admit that there are days when I skip over reading them, dive into the task, fail to understand how something works, and then return...
We’ve grown accustomed to a litany of cries for injustice, some for honorable causes and others not so honorable. How can a person delineate a true cry for injustice? Does it come down to the colors of the political parties, red or blue? Honestly, I don’t think that’s the proper litmus test. In recent weeks, some so-called “peaceful” protests turned quickly into destruction, anarchy, and chaos. Fortunately, here in Montana, movements were much tamer, but this question of injustice is certainly on people’s minds. Interestingly, the timing of a...
The effects of anger are overwhelmingly negative, creating physical, emotional, and spiritual issues. I’ve appreciated sitting with other Christians for several weeks to discuss the myth of righteous anger. We’ve mistakenly bought into this idea that somehow anger is good. Ultimately, discovering that God or Jesus is the only one who can have righteous anger. Too many people go through life holding onto anger and, in return, suffer, often having a domino effect on their personal lives and the relationships surrounding them. What happens whe...
