κήρυξον τὸν λόγον

The reign of the heavens is like a treasure which was concealed in a field. Then when a man finds it, he hides it, and in his joy he goes and sells everything that he has and buys that field. 3. There is Jesus treasure out there. So here’s what you need to do.  First, Go find it . Y’all are smart enough. Y’all are energetic enough. Y’all know how to read. So if you dig deep enough, work hard enough, read long enough ... all that treasure will be yours. Second, when you do find it , make sure you express joy about finding it. Say Hallelujah and Amen so that everyone can hear you. I know you Lutherans like to sit on your hands and zip your lips ... but if you aren’t overjoyed, if you aren’t telling the world about the Jesus treasure you’ve found, I’m going to doubt your sincerity.  Third, sell everything you have . And I mean everything ... your tractors, your cows, your pastures, your houses, your stuff. When you give everything to God, you’ll really see good things happening...

YHWH your God is with you wherever you go. Is there anything that God can’t do?  Have you ever asked this question? ... I’ll confess that I have. I don’t think this question is not asked all that often by skeptics who are trying to tear down the faith. I think it’s more likely to be asked by Christians who have too much time on their hands. Maybe you heard this question phrased another way.  Could God create a boulder that is so big that even he himself couldn’t move it? The answer is simple.  Is there anything God can’t do? Absolutely!  There are a lot of things that God can’t do! And this is all great news for all of you! God cannot lie (Num 23:19) ... God cannot be tempted (Jas 1:13) ... God cannot be unfaithful. God cannot deny himself (2 Tm 2:13). God cannot forget a covenant (Deut 7:9). God cannot reject a blameless man (Job 8:20). God he cannot do evil . He cannot call evil good or good evil (Job 34:12). God cannot change (Mal 3:6).  And today ... ...

Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. Parables are hard. Of all the things I learned from my service in the Marine Corps, no principle has been as valuable to my day-to-day life as following the “KISS method.”  You’ve heard of the KISS method, haven’t you? Given that we are in a family setting, I’ll translate it this way ... Keep It Simple, Sherlock. Don’t make it hard. OK, the Marine Corps never used such kind words. But simply put, no matter what you do, now matter how you do it, you should always apply the KISS method. Keep it simple. If you want folks to understand what you’re telling them, keep it simple. We should not have to hire Sherlock to decipher what we are trying to say. It seems strange, then, that Jesus would use parables to teach the crowd. Parables do not conform to the KISS method. Parables are hard to understand; they are confusing. Parables are puzzles; they are not simple. Parables always force us to ask the All-Knowing One what the...

Because of the blood of your covenant, I will dismiss your captives from the waterless pit. You DO NOT have the right to remain silent. Did you catch that? You do not!  So please repeat loudly after me ... Praise the Lord! Hallelu-Yah! Glory to God in the Highest! He is risen! Amen! For many Christians, saying any of those short phrases of praise is awkward or embarrassing ... not only here in church but out in the real world. For more than 200 million believers around the world, it is downright dangerous. They are not free to worship without fear. They are not free to speak of Jesus. That’s 1 in 8 believers, worldwide, who live in real fear of persecution, violence, murder. They have real fear of not remaining silent.  So given that the Fourth of July was yesterday ... today is a good day for us to pause, to ponder, and not to remain silent, praising Yah ... that is, YHWH ... as in Hallelujah ... for the immense divine blessings that he has bestowed and continues to bestow up...