We live in an angry, hostile culture.  Recently I was teaching about Joseph of Genesis in a local halfway house.  I was talking about how Joseph forgave his brothers even though they sold him into slavery.  This forgiveness goes against our natural inclinations.  To forgive is to “give mercy instead of judgment, to give kindness instead of retaliation, to give pardon instead of punishment” (U...

       In our American culture Jesus Christ is generally respected, even beloved.  Unfortunately, it’s usually some silly putty form of Jesus.  A Jesus that we try to squish into the image we want.  Silly Putty Jesus is always kind, tolerates every lifestyle no matter how sinful, and always votes the way we would. In contrast, the Biblical Jesus towers above us making claims that are shocking.  In...

This week I attended the General Membership Luncheon put on by the Chamber of Commerce, it included a dessert auction for the United Way of the Tanana Valley Annual Giving Campaign.  It’s a fun event that happens each year.  People donate remarkably, delicious desserts and the crowd bids on them.  Some cakes went for over $1,000!  I’m told $11,025 was raised for the campaign.  That money goes to t...

A fascinating little book in the Bible is from the prophet Habakkuk. He lived at atime of great wickedness in the Jewish southern kingdom of Judah. He lookedaround and saw all the injustice and oppression that was occurring among hisbeloved people. He cried out to God to do something. I am not sure what answerHabakkuk expected, but I do know that God’s answer was a surprise. God told theprophet th...

      This week I have been studying the short book of Haggai.  This little-known prophet Haggai was called to prod the Jewish people who had returned from exile in Babylon to restart their project to rebuild the temple of God.  They were commanded to rebuild a physical temple, the central worship center for Israel. Most of us are called to rebuild something in our lives.  Is there an area of your...