Category Archives: Crumbs

Tuesday, July 19 It’s been a long time since I wrote a blog. I apologize  to you who have looked in vain for my blogs.  The joy and satisfaction in writing a blog has become an intolerable burden due to … Continue reading →

Monday, May 30                                                                          One of the most awesome events in human history is God becoming man, i.e. the incarnation.  There are multiple O.T. prophecies about the incarnation, including Isaiah’s account of the virgin birth.   Therefore the Lord himself … Continue reading →

Unceasing Giving Thursday, May 26                          God gives gifts, including salvation, and he gives rewards for serving him.  But there’s much more.  He gives us opportunities to serve him, including spreading the gospel throughout the world (Mt. 28: 19).     He gives … Continue reading →

Friday, May 20                   Salvation comes at an enormous cost, the cruel death of the Son of God on a cross and a moment of unparalled anguish as the Father abandoned his Son because he was carrying the sins of the … Continue reading →

Friday, May 13 A human being can be classified as a giver or a taker.  Actually, all of us are a blend of the two, but God is a giver.   Annie Johnson Flint beautifully expresses this in the hymn “He … Continue reading →

Monday, May 9                                   I’m intrigued with Isaiah 6, Isaiah’s account of his calling.  First, why did he write five chapters of prophecy before describing his calling?  Commentaries suggest a few possible answers, none of which satisfied me.  I don’t have … Continue reading →

Friday, April 22                                               Jesus ministered in Galilee and Judea before going to Perea.  All this territory was part of the Promised Land and was heavily populated by Jews.  As part of the Roman Empire, it was also heavily populated … Continue reading →

Tuesday, April 12                             Sad times can be glad times.  Elizabeth and I recently experienced this.  Two of our former co-workers in Bolivia passed away within five weeks.  Both women were suffering and didn’t have long to live.  Those were … Continue reading →

Wednesday, March 30                                                                                                 The book of Proverbs is a very practical book.  Each proverb is full of truths that can and should shape our lives.  I tend to read an entire chapter of proverbs—and fail to discover how … Continue reading →

Thursday, March 24  Fast forward from the 16th century Protestant Reformation to 19th century England.  Charles Spurgeon grew up in a Christian environment.  His father and grandfather were pastors.  His grandfather took special interest in him, teaching him, challenging him, … Continue reading →

Wednesday, March 23            Martin Luther was a devoted Roman Catholic monk in Germany in the early 16th century. He was a model monk, highly respected by his superiors, but distraught and frustrated inside.  He was trying to live a … Continue reading →

Monday, March 21     I wonder how many of my readers caught the gross error in my last blog.  It was not deliberate; I was eager to finish the blog and got careless.  It’s the last sentence: [We need to “make … Continue reading →

Friday, March 18 John 13:34: “A new command I give you: Love one another.”  Loving one another is not a new command.  Among many other similar passages is Lev. 19:18: “. . . love your neighbor as yourself. . . .”  … Continue reading →

Tuesday, March 8 A passage that some Bible scholars relate to the unpardonable sin is 1 John 5:16-17.  “If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will … Continue reading →

Friday, March 4                            The unpardonable sin has been the source of debate for centuries.  In Mt. 12:31-32 Jesus said “. . . every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be … Continue reading →

Friday, February 25   Pastor Russ’s recent message on hypocrisy was both interesting and pertinent.  It made me search my own heart.  Four terse statements more or less sum up the sermon. 1. Some people don’t go to church because of … Continue reading →

Thursday, February 24              I wrote a short blog (Feb, 10), focusing on 2 Peter 1:10, but there’s much more in this passage, 2 Peter 1:3-11.  His concern is for believers who are uncertain of their salvation.  God has provided … Continue reading →

Friday, February 11              For some reason I got to thinking about the wonders of the human body.  We eat all kinds of food and our body extracts and uses what the body needs and eliminates the rest.  God … Continue reading →

Thursday, February 10 2 Peter 1:10 revisited.   “ . . . make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble.”   The calling is the call to salvation.    Peter was addressing … Continue reading →

Becoming Holy 2 Peter 1:3-7 paints a glorious picture of the Christian life following conversion, but it’s not always like that—as Peter makes clear in v. 9.  Justification and sanctification are two different things.  We are justified when we repent … Continue reading →

Tuesday, February 1                        Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:3 that God has given us everything we need to live a godly life.  Underline those words “God has given.”  We already have God’s power to live a godly life.  … Continue reading →

Salutations I’ve gotten into the habit of skipping over the salutation part of New Testament epistles.  For some reason I took an interest in the salutation of 2 Peter and was amazed at what I found in the first verse. … Continue reading →

Friday, January 28                                                         James 1:9. “Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.”  James is reminding Christians that have little of this world’s goods that they possess something of far more value:  chosen by God … Continue reading →

Wednesday, January 26 James 1:19-20.  “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”  James is making a distinction between human anger and godly … Continue reading →

Monday, January 24                                                        Evidence is the key factor in all court cases.  Detectives are always looking for evidence.  Some evidence can be overlooked or misinterpreted.  And some evidence can be deliberately ignored.  This fact caught the expert cold-case detective, Warner … Continue reading →

Thursday, January 20                  I don’t want to leave this farewell scenario without commenting on a phrase in Acts 20:27, “the whole counsel of God.”  Other versions read “the whole will of God” or “the whole plan of God.”  All … Continue reading →

Wednesday, January 19          Paul called the Ephesian elders to meet him in Miletus to bid them farewell (Acts 20:17-38).  It was a heart-wrenching meeting.  But Paul never passed up an opportunity to advance God’s agenda.  From the time the … Continue reading →

Tuesday, January 18                                Paul took the gospel to Ephesus in about 50 A.D.  This was his third missionary trip and it would be another life-threatening experience.  Ephesus was the second largest city in the world with 250,000 people, second … Continue reading →

Wednesday, January 12                               Mt. 5:48.  “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  I have trouble with this statement, but there must be a good explanation for it.  It seems to be an egregious error, yet it’s used … Continue reading →

Tuesday, January 11                       Pastor David Jeremiah said “God has never called a person to sit on the bench.”  Good analogy.  Every Christian has been given an assignment and should be busily engaged in it.  The writer of Hebrews also … Continue reading →

Monday, January 10                                One of my favorite classes in seminary was Hermeneutics, the principles of interpretation. The etymology of the word is interesting.  Hermeneutics comes from Hermes, a Greek god.  I think God delights in using Satan’s work … Continue reading →

Thursday, January 6                        Middle of the night meditation can be exhilarating and fruitful, but it’s also rare.  A more common way is to choose to meditate.  The Bible tells us to medicate.  To make meditation more effective, we can choose … Continue reading →

 Standing on the Promises Wednesday, January 5                         Let me tell you what prompted me to write yesterday’s blog.  A few days ago in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep, an old hymn that I hadn’t sung … Continue reading →

Wednesday, January 5                         Let me tell you what prompted me to write yesterday’s blog.  A few days ago in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep, an old hymn that I hadn’t sung in years came to … Continue reading →

Tuesday, January 4                                                                 Meditating is a common trait among human beings.  When our brains are released from assigned tasks such as preparing supper, studying for a test, or watching a movie, the mind keeps on working.   Free to … Continue reading →

Friday, December 31                                 Biblical Hope This year will soon pass away.  When an old man passes away he will be eulogized.  His failures and his weaknesses will be “forgotten,” and his good traits and his accomplishments will be … Continue reading →

Thursday, December 30                                    James 1:22 is a concise statement of a common church problem, hearers who are not doers.  The verses that follow (23-27) reveal how and why this problem exists.  James (the author) starts with an analogy … Continue reading →

Tuesday, December 28                                                  James 1:22. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”  As usual, James doesn’t pull any punches.  But how does listening to (or reading) the word deceive a … Continue reading →

Monday, December 27                Confucius taught that we should not do to others what we don’t want done to us.  His teaching led to what is called passive resistance.  Sit-down strikes, marches, and speeches, reinforced by chanting crowds carrying home-made signs, … Continue reading →

Friday, December 24                               We have much to be thankful for as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.   God became a human being while maintaining his divinity.  He called people to repent and prepared people for the Church age.  He … Continue reading →

Thursday, December 23                               Christmas Christmas is a wonderful time of the year for most of us.  Children eagerly look forward to the gifts they will get.  Adults will be more interested in getting a day or two off work and … Continue reading →

Wednesday, December 22                       Some conservative and evangelistic churches believe that a Christian can lose his salvation.  Certainly, there are Scriptures that seem to support that view.  I grew up with that teaching, but when I got serious about serving … Continue reading →

Tuesday, December 21                             I’ve become a fan of R. C. Sproul.  His doctrine was sound. He lived his entire life combatting the liberal movement in American churches.  He wrote more than 100 books and countless articles.  He preached eloquent … Continue reading →

All Christians accept the fact of God’s holiness, but most of us don’t think about its ramifications.  God’s holiness is proclaimed throughout the Bible and is at the core of redemption, yet we rarely study it or meditate on it.  … Continue reading →

Thursday, December 16                            Being made in the image of God is an awesome thing.  I have a sense of morality.  I know right from wrong. I know I should choose to do what’s right, and I feel guilty when … Continue reading →

Wednesday, December 15                         God at Work My recent blogs have focused more on Gideon than on God, so let’s take a closer look at this series of events from God’s point of view.  First, he initiated the contact with Gideon.  … Continue reading →

Monday, December 13                                  The recent blogs about Gideon were written to emphasize God’s creativity in achieving his goals in a sinful world.  From man’s point of view, he did some weird things.  It’s fascinating and entertaining, but is that why … Continue reading →

Wednesday, December 8                          The Rout Back with his 300-man army, Gideon armed his men with trumpets and clay pots with torches inside.  He divided his men into three companies, and gave them their instructions.  They quietly surrounded the Midianites on … Continue reading →

Tuesday, December 7                        After a crash course in trusting God (Judges 6), the “mighty warrior” was ready to fight.  Untrained Gideon and his 32,000 untrained volunteer army was camped on Mt. Gilead, just south of the Jezreel Valley where … Continue reading →

Thursday, December 2                     Gideon’s Gaffe So, Gideon was now available to God—or was he?  The Spirit of the Lord came on him (Judges 6:34), and he began to recruit an army to fight the Midianites.  Good start, but then Gideon … Continue reading →