Year: 2017

East Meets West 

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Pete Garcia 21st century Americans don’t give much thought to Columbus Day anymore. For many, it’s just another federal holiday. Others as of late are highly offended by something that happened 525 years ago and yet, are only here to complain about it because of being direct beneficiaries of it. On March 31st of 1492, the Catholic monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain issued the now infamous Alhambra Decree. This decree (also called the decree of expulsion) set July of 1492 as the no-later-than date for Jews to be gone from Spain. Angered by false (albeit forced) conversions and centuries of Muslim domination …

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What is man?

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Ephesians 5:8 – For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light: What is man? Is he anything? Wading into a sea of discontent, There is but an ocean of emptiness. Wandering in a wilderness of loneliness, Ascending the mountain of sorrow. Where will he go? There is nothing. There is no one. The rain of suffering falls, Pounding him into submission. Where can he go? What can he do To escape this horrifying deluge Of doubt and despair? Is there anyone out there? Seeking, searching, groping In the darkness of …

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How are you doing at handling your loneliness?

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I don’t have to ask you whether you are lonely. Single or married, you know what this hollow feeling is like. It’s an inescapable part of being human, but trying to escape it rarely works. It just pushes it under the surface for a while, to pop up again later. One of the misbeliefs is that this ache can be eliminated. It can’t be. But you can lessen its effects. You can deal with it in constructive ways that make it less painful and less frequent, but if you think that a romantic relationship will make it go away completely, …

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Making Him Known

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Acts 17:16-33 16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. 17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. 18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. 19 And they took him, and …

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Speaking Through Sickness

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Acts 9:1-9 9 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, …

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Futile Searches

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Scriptures: Job 10:1–22 Job is still struggling. Eliphaz left him cold. He has received neither comfort nor insight from Bildad. He has no mediator to present his case; therefore, he is very candid. Matter of fact, he’s returning to questions he asked earlier. He has every right to ask them. He’s confused. He still doesn’t get it. So, understandably, he asks: Why then have You brought me out of the womb? Would that I had died and no eye had seen me! I should have been as though I had not been, Carried from womb to tomb. Would he not …

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WHEN THE ODDS ARE AGAINST YOU

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Judges 7:1-7 (KJV) 7 Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. 3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, …

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Wrestling With God

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Reflections Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. (Gen. 32:24) Jacob was promised his inheritance from God. But he did not abandon himself to God and allow God to bring it to pass. He represents ourselves – and the efforts of religious flesh – not to directly rebel against God – but to try to wrestle from God what God has already promised to freely give. God has made many promises in His Word. It is good and right for us to believe Him. But if we are continually trying …

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Speaking Through Tragedy

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Numbers 21:4-9 4 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 6 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the …

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