Faith

January 18, 2026

Do Not Hinder the Children

“Jesus said, ‘Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ ” Matthew 19:14 (NASB) I can remember when a certain woman came to me. She was very distraught. She told me that her grandson had just been born, and she had been told to go find a priest to baptize her grandson, or else he would go to hell. I told her that, as a pastor, I don’t do water baptisms for babies. I told her what I do is called a “dedication” to the […]
January 17, 2026

Pontius Pilate Stands His Ground

“The chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, the Roman Governor, ‘Do not write, “The King of the Jews,” but, “He said I am the King of the Jews.” ’ Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written.’ ” John 19:21-22 (NKJV) When asked, “Why do you believe in the white man’s God?” by those who reject Christianity, many if not most Native/Indigenous Christians may feel a level of discomfort. The long history of mistreatment of Native peoples by Euro-Americans on many levels speaks for itself, and many still feel the psychological lashes of that brutal and unfortunate […]
January 16, 2026

The God We Serve

“Hear me, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.” Psalm 86:1 (NIV) “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Galatians 6:7 (NKJV) The God of the Bible is a God of love, mercy and justice. I gave up trying to understand God a long time ago because His ways are far higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). Both my wife and I came to know Christ in 1979 as a result of a terrible tragedy in my brother and sister-in law’s lives. Their five-year-old son drowned in […]
January 15, 2026

Never Saw It Coming

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV) When my father passed away in 2019, it was the first time in my parents’ 57 years of marriage that my mother would be alone. We had assured my father not to worry, that my four brothers and one sister and I would take care of her. We were all taught that in the first year we should let the grieving grieve. So, we let our mother do that and, like we promised […]
January 13, 2026

Trophies

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21 (NIV) “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 (NIV) We once had trophies lined up in our house from accomplishments, and we were especially recognized and known for the sport of volleyball. One day, as I was sitting there looking at those trophies, I realized that I, as a father, was missing the whole point if I was raising my children to base their lives only on who they are and what they […]
January 12, 2026

Being an Example

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (ESV) Our Ladies Bible study is really bolstering my faith and how I see myself as a born-again believer. I admit the enemy was gaining in holding me down. It has been difficult these past two years as I age, and physical problems persist. Yet I remember all that Jesus endured before His death on the cross and I say, “Why not me? Jesus, you went through so much more, […]
January 9, 2026

Running from God

“But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.” Jonah 1:3 (NKJV) A few years ago at our Kikino Family Bible Camp, one of our dogs was sniffing in a small white garbage bag, and his head got caught in the handle. He took off running for his life, as the bag was following him wherever he went! He was scared and […]
January 7, 2026

Living Out God’s Promises

“Honor thy father and mother; which is the fi rst commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” Ephesians 6:2-3 (KJV) The Bible is full of God’s wonderful promises for us to obey and reap His blessings. Exodus 20:12 is another scripture that instructs us to honor our parents—with a similar promise. For the most part, it was natural for me to love and honor my parents. But there was a time in my life I struggled, as I wanted to go my own way. It began when I left […]
January 6, 2026

Growing in the Lord

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18 (KJV) I remember when I fi rst came to Jesus. I was 16 years old and didn’t have a clue of how to follow the Lord! Over the years I learned many things about living for Jesus. I want to share with you the three biggest things that have helped me grow in my walk. (1) Getting into God’s Word. At fi rst l didn’t know much about the Bible and wasn’t too […]