Blog
I got a year older today. January 1 marks my 76th year. On my 65th birthday, I joked with Jan and said that we had now become old. She shot back and said, “We aren’t old yet!” On my 70th birthday, I asked the same question and received the same response. Last...
I used to hike, doing what is called “bush-wacking.” I hiked for miles across trail-less terrain using a topographical map whose imagery revealed the various elevations of a mountain range and the locations of deep, dead-end canyons. Following that map saved me a lot...
Our faith is a connection with the hope of God found only in Christ. That connection remains secure over time, even when our disappointments and failures make us think it has been severed. This is especially true for the prodigal sons and daughters in our lives...
Two choices will protect us in times of trouble: integrity and honesty. Holding onto what we know is true and right will place the outcome of our lives in God’s hands. It will be our place of safety. David wrote about those things when his life and reputation...
Our weather service just warned our area that a strong storm is coming. They predict extensive rain and flash floods. In the Spirit, storms are also coming that will arrive in seasons where we would not expect their appearance. It is just a bit after 4:00 a.m., and I...
“The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us’” (Matthew 1:23). Immanuel is a word used frequently during Christmas. His presence is larger than a theological concept or definition. It...
I remember the first time I heard a car backfire. The loud and piercing sound broke through the normal sounds of life and got my attention. The backfire was the sound of something coming to life. No matter the depths of evil being planned and expressed in our world,...
After a recent windstorm, I was hiking along a familiar trail past where a prominent old dead tree once stood. I’ve passed by that old tree for years. Under the wind's influence, the tree was sheared off, causing the tree to fall. When I saw the fallen tree, the Lord...
Jesus told His disciples, “You will all fall away, for it is written 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered'” (Mark 14: 27). Falling away requires a situation when we are in danger and our life is on the line. Imagine if you were told to kneel...
When the end of this age occurs, it will be a very troubling time. Even families will be divided over Jesus. The Lord told His disciples that the rejection of Jesus would be widespread, and as a result, “Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands...
The country singer, Alan Jackson, sings a song titled, “The Older I Get.” In the song, there is one line that says if he found the Fountain of Youth, he wouldn’t drink a drop. He went on to sing that he is thankful for the life he has been given and in that good life,...
When a police officer responds to a “hot” call, emotions are high as the officer makes their way to the crime scene. This emotional response multiplies when other officers also respond to the same incident. It was always a problem when one of the responding officers,...
All of us are living in a time of transition, both in the Church and within culture. This time of transition is not our destination. Knowing that reality will prepare us for what is coming. https://www.facebook.com/1442665059/videos/1102804481011705
We have entered the Christmas season, and we all celebrate family traditions. The Elkins home has family traditions as well. There is nothing wrong with our traditions if they are not linked to our salvation. That linkage is dangerous. Those religious traditions are...
When Jesus returned to Nazareth, His hometown, He was not accepted. The residents had known Jesus and his family. When Jesus spoke, the people of Nazareth were amazed and asked, “Where did He get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles” (Mark...