Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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The sin of Achan found in Joshua 6:17-19 is a powerful example of how one person committing evil in private can negatively affect their family, church congregation or place of employment. “Now brother, what people do is their own business and it has nothing to do with me. If people want to cheat others, or lie, curse and steal, or watch porn, what’s that to me?” I can tell you what God’s word says about it. Being dedicated to others through the bond of our word, and especially if we are a spirit...
Today, I want to delve into the wondrous and awe-inspiring event known as the Annunciation – a moment that forever changed the course of history and brought forth the Savior of the world. The Annunciation is a powerful testament to the mysterious and beautiful ways in which God works in our lives. In the Gospel of Luke, we find the account of the angel Gabriel appearing to the young virgin named Mary, announcing that she would conceive and bear the Son of God. The angel's words, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God." (...
Most of us have heard the 1969 song, “More Today than Yesterday” by the band Spiral Staircase. The chorus says, “I love you more today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow.” I had not heard it for a while, but I’m sensitive to music and often a song will trigger my emotions and then I start asking the Lord about what is the hidden message within the music. It’s a catchy tune that has a happy bounce to it, much like what someone feels when they are in love. However, despite this song being...
Beloved Community of God, Pastor Amy writing to you today about community! I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means for all of us to be a community together, and also reflecting on how much this community has truly become my home over these last years. In 1 Peter 4:8–11, Peter explores the profound significance and transformative power of community in our Christian journey. 1 Peter 4:8: "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." In this verse, Peter implores us to place love at the for...
We just celebrated Veterans Day and we are so thankful for being able to live in a country where we are not being held under the terror of a dictator. Our son is a Marine and we have always been very proud of him. He was injured in the service and has suffered every day since, but he keeps pressing forward and does the best he can. My family has personally suffered loss from war and has a deep appreciation for the sacrifice these men and women have made to protect our country. My uncle, Kenny...
As we approach the season of Thanksgiving, it's a perfect time for us to reflect on the profound message found in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." In this short but powerful verse, the Apostle Paul provides us with a timeless truth that transcends the boundaries of time and culture. "Give thanks in all circumstances" may seem like a challenging command, especially when faced with trials, hardships or uncertainties. However, embedded in these words is a profound...
I’ve watched Kentucky basketball since I was a kid and I admit that sometimes I do get a little carried away. I was reading an article a few years ago and was intrigued by a comment from the father of one of the players, who by the way was a top 10 NBA draft pick. He was asked about the first time he recognized that his son was going to be a special player, and he explained that it had a lot to do with the way he held the ball even at an early age. He went on to say his son’s body language rev...
"And don’t be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God’s place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there." – 1 Corinthians 7:17 Attributed to Augustine of Hippo, a fourth-century father of the faith: “There is a God-shaped void in every human heart.” Each human knows how this feels. Life is full of disappointments. We wish our job was better; we wish our marriage was better; we wish our kids would do as we say; we wish we’d stick to our workout plan! Enhanced by social media algorithms,...
Recently, I spoke about a wonderful man who is a member of our church, and if you recall he just turned 95 years young. His name is Charlie and since then I’ve had the privilege to spend some time with him. I listened intently as he shared his amazing testimony about what has been going on with him for the last couple of years. He said throughout his life he had been a person of few words, a quiet person who just minded his own business and kept his thoughts to himself. He believed his l...
It’s never too late to learn something new Growing older is not an excuse to stop advancing in our faith and our prayers. Confess that you have energy and stamina, a sound mind, spiritual discernment and a desire to live an active life. If you have worries, give them over to God and trust that His promises to protect and take care of you are true. If you feel you’ve lost your sense of purpose, God can help you get back in the race and find personal fulfillment that can restore confidence and feelings of self-worth. When we lose our fer...
The Apostle Paul loved the church in Corinth. It was arguably his favorite group of people he led to faith. He opened a church there, with high hopes of their leadership in passing on the faith. Corinth was a rich mixture of Greek, Hellenistic and Roman influences. Not only culturally diverse, but geographically in a location that connected mainland Greece with the Peloponnese. Many different cultures and people of different religious backgrounds lived there, as Corinth was a hub of commerce and innovation. The gospel Paul brought there was...
I dedicate much of my writing to providing positive and encouraging words of hope and inspiration, but I also must be truthful, we are growing older. I apologize for reminding us about that, but instead of all the negative attributes of aging, we should embrace it more like we are a fine wine that is becoming more delightful and appreciated. Those of us who are noticing a few gray hairs and aching joints, relax and count your blessings. It is God that has allowed you and I to be at this place...
This week as I was reading 2 Timothy, I came across a strange passage. For those who don’t know, this book and its companion 1 Timothy are letters from Paul to young Timothy and a must-read for all young pastors. As I read 2 Timothy 1, I arrived at verse 5: “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” This verse struck a chord in me because it hits a very dangerous and emotional issue in rural America today: our youth are leavi...
I wrote this sermonette years ago; but in memory of Gary Mackrill who passed away last week, I’m sharing it again. This week I was reading 2 Corinthians 5:11-21. For those who don’t have this passage memorized, this is where Paul talks about Christians having the "ministry of reconciliation." Now I won’t lie, I was a bit intimidated by this phrase. It sounds extremely burdensome and religious. "Ministry of reconciliation." Then, I look at the passage, and that didn’t help my fear. The passage is a mess. Paul’s words spin around, and back and...
The other day I was speaking with a person I’ve known most of my life, and he asked me if I could go back in time and live my life again, what would change. You would think this would be a question from someone who has maybe suffered and now contemplates how much better life would have been if different decisions had been made. However, this person has been very blessed with a nice family, decent health and more wealth than they will ever be able to spend. It’s true that many people are jus...
E-Free Church How big is your faith? This is the question I feel like Jesus has asked every last human in their heart of hearts. How big is your faith? Is it big enough to believe in Jesus? Is it big enough to move mountains? Is it big enough to believe in the Twins this year? (Just kidding.) This is “the” question of all existence that even the people of the Bible had to face. Often times, I feel like the only reason some people are even mentioned in the Bible is to show how they responded to this question. One of these sorts of cha...
Greetings dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Wow. The summer is just about over. The kids are back in school, all the way from kindergarten to college. Locally, baseball is done and football and volleyball are the sports of the season. The family summer vacations are just memories now, though I imagine there are still a few weeks left for those who have lake cabins. I'm writing this on Monday to make sure it gets to the Transcript in time to make this edition. The weatherman says the temperature may get into the 90's a few days this week. My...
Some of you might keep a close watch on the news, and others may listen occasionally or not at all, but whatever the case, you’ve heard enough to realize that it’s common for worldly information to be relayed from a biased perspective. Worldviews and convictions dictate which side of the fence individuals are on, however; for the Christian, we are realizing that social politics has become a confusing puppet show that distracts us from what God is saying. We should know and trust that He is the...
Greetings dear brothers and sisters in Christ. This won't come as very much of a surprise to those who know me but I enjoy sports. I enjoy watching them at almost every level. One of my favorite sports is college football. When I lived in Colorado, I had season tickets to University of Colorado football. Never missed a game. If there was no home game, I watched them on television. Basketball also, although it wasn't very often, they were televised. I really enjoy watching our local students play. I enjoy going to the volleyball matches and...
I hear from time to time that surely, with all the strife currently happening, the world must soon be coming to an end. There have been, from time to time, people who have predicted the actual day the world was ending. Judgment Day! Christ's second coming! Yep, they knew the actual day it was going to happen. Well, those days have come and gone and we are still here. Our earth has not ceased to exist. Early on when the coronavirus was spreading like wildfire, I had an acquaintance tell me that this pandemic was predicted in the book of Revelati...
I remarked the other day that when I was young, I would hear “old” people talk about how fast time went the older they got. I thought that was pretty silly. Time was time, it didn't change speed. Now, being that I am included in that “old fogy” group, I do indeed understand that time goes by more quickly the older I get. Now here we are nearing the end of summer. How did that happen so quickly? Seems like just last week seed was going in the ground and now it is time for harvest. Teams involved in fall sports are practicing and the summer...
Being honest with God and ourselves In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is the perception of contradictory information and the mental toll of it. Relevant items of information include a person’s actions, feelings, ideas, beliefs, values, convictions and things that are going on all around us. Cognitive dissonance is typically experienced as mental and emotional stress when an individual participates in an action that goes against what they know is right. According to this theory, w...
Acts 2 If I were to say the word "church," what would you think? I’m guessing you might think of big brick buildings. Maybe some preaching. I think many of us would probably imagine an organ or piano. When we hear the word "church," we think about popes and pastors, dressed up people and the dreaded offering plates. We think about hymns and singing, Sunday mornings, and potlucks. The word "church" is an extremely loaded term, connected to dozens of thoughts, memories and feelings. Some of these are good, but many of them are at best not h...
Darkness can never overcome God’s light There is a lot of talk today about the reality of a global system of organized evil that controls the governments and social politics of the world. There are many different attitudes, from thinking this is silly, to being consumed with anxiety and stress. Those who pay little attention to the news have learned that ignoring negativity makes them more calm. However, just because someone puts their head in the sand does not mean the problems are not real. F...
Tom Shanklin, an evangelist and author, will be the guest minister for revival meetings at Webster Chapel and Westminster Presbyterian Church in Devils Lake on Sunday through Tuesday, July 30-August 1. The meetings will focus on forgiveness, healing and spiritual refreshing. On Sunday, July 30 at 9 a.m., Tom Shanklin will speak at Webster Chapel, Corner of Robert and 3rd Ave., Webster, ND and 11 a.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 501 5th St., Devils Lake, N.D. Meetings will continue Sunday-Tuesday, July 30-August 1, at 6:30 p.m. nightly...
