Snapshots and Synapses

I mentioned in the  first part  of this blog series that there is a purpose to church and that God tells us we need church. So why do we need church and what is its purpose?  I claimed to have an answer that many pastors do not, which is admittedly a pretty bold statement, but I trust what my friend has told me when he has challenged pastors with this question. Still, there is no scientific poll surveying clergy that I’ve investigated, but I am going to assume it's true based on the lack of real depth I've seen in biblical teachings that could easily be mistaken as a TED Talk. But if I assume good intentions, I would say that most pastors see an inherent value in church and admire a beauty in it. However, when asked the question “What is the purpose of church?”, it's possible that they could be caught off-guard. Similar to a child asking a parent “Why is the sky blue?”, they know the sky is a beautiful blue and enjoy gazing upon it without ever wondering the source of it’...

Why should anyone go to church? Isn't it enough to love God and love others? And aren’t so many churches filled with hypocrites and money-grabbers? I get more from reading my Bible than hearing someone speak a dumbed down or hyped up sermon spattered with a few Bible verses, so why should I waste my time in a church service? Besides, I have been hurt and betrayed by church people. Why subject myself to further pain? Around this time of year over 20 years ago I was given a series of visions that showed how many people would leave church. That doesn’t seem so strange now, but even when I wrote why  I don’t want to go to church , it was a new phenomenon. Re-reading my post, it rings more true today. I can give you the bottom line:  We go to church because God says we need it.  My walk with Him is stronger today because I listened, albeit reluctantly, and I understand the purpose of church as a result. There are pastors who can’t make that claim. I know that for a fact becaus...

 Rather than writing something new, I thought it better to revisit a post from 2021:

When I met my wife, I was recently separated from the Navy and she was an intern for a congressman. Within a year, I proposed, and 6 months later, we were married. There was so much that we didn’t know, that we were trying to figure out. We had both recommitted our lives to Jesus shortly before meeting, and although I had a bachelor’s degree and experience as a naval officer, finances were tight. I was trying to figure out a vocational path and praying for God’s leading. He led me, but didn’t give me the answer I wanted to hear. I clearly heard Him tell me that it didn’t matter what I did vocationally so long as I took Him with me. I asked my spiritual mentors at the time if that sounded right, and they all affirmed it. On one hand it was freeing and on the other hand it was frustrating. I wanted a clear answer, and instead I was given freedom and along with it: responsibility. At that time, Dr. James Dobson, a christian psychologist, had a radio ministry called Focus on the Family, an...

There’s a story in the Book of Acts about an Ethiopian man who is reading from the Book of Isaiah. The man was a court official, representing Queen Candace, so he would have been both intelligent and educated, considered competent to represent his kingdom, but he was unable to understand the Scripture until God sent Philip to explain it to him. Phillip, led by the Holy Spirit, approached the man and asked: “Do you understand what you are reading?”. The man replied: “How can I, unless someone guides me?” We can often feel that way, and people can blindly accept the teachings of a so-called Bible expert, looking for someone like Philip to explain things to them. In the process, we can lose sight of Who should be our Teacher. Now I’m not saying to disregard what others have to teach us; Proverbs tells us to seek many counselors  in the pursuit of wisdome. However, I’ve spoken with more than one person who sounded like that Ethiopian man, not knowing how to understand because they hea...

Death passes over Resurrection life revealed Future Hosanna One of my favorite story-tellers is also one of my lease favorite poets: J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord Of the Rings (LOTR) trilogy. As I understand it, Tolkien longed to be a poet, but when I read the LOTR years ago, I learned to skim over the stanzas of embedded poetry, wishing the author had only written in prose. Yet here I am writing a haiku to summarize the poetry of Passover Palm Sunday. Today is that day. April 13, 2025 is both Passover and Palm Sunday, and to some small degree I can appreciate the artistry of the Ultimate Poet, Who is Sovereign and for Whom nothing is merely coincidental. The Author of our lives has carefully chosen each of us to live at this time in history, and He reminds us that the feast days of Hebrew Scriptures shall be the feast days of Jesus’ Millennial reign.   You see, Passover is a celebration of Yahweh’s protection for God’s people in Egypt; the blood of a lamb caused the Angel of ...

A summary of Ecclesiastes, written by King Solomon, the wisest man of all time, reflecting upon man, the world and life’s meaning.   What benefit do people get from all the effort which they exert on earth? Of all that has ever been accomplished, what has been truly worthwhile? So I decided to look at all options and discern for myself what was worth pursuing in life, in the limited years man has on this world.  Should I seek wisdom and knowledge? Should I pursue self-indulgent pleasure or material wealth?  I realize that wisdom is preferable to folly, but just as one dead fly in perfume ointment gives off of a rancid stench, so a little folly can outweigh much wisdom. I have come to understand that pursuing carnal pleasure or possessions is ultimately folly.  If an iron ax head is blunt, and a workman does not sharpen its edge. He must exert a great deal of effort; so wisdom has the advantage of giving success. For wisdom provides protection, just as money provides ...