Posts by SFNAZ Devotional Team

Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.  ~ Hebrews 9:28  As a young child, I had a very difficult time waiting for Christmas morning. How many of those presents under the tree were for me? Do they make a noise when shaken? How heavy are they? What could be wrapped in that fancy paper,…

As we enter into Thanksgiving week, I have been reflecting how little “thanks” there seems to be in Thanksgiving.  Looking at my own life I realize that in many ways it has become the gateway between fall and Christmas.  I must confess that I hung our Christmas lights in October (won’t turn them on until Thanksgiving) and made an appointment to cut down our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving.  Kathy has already taken down her fall decorations in anticipation…

To be honest, I have struggled to write what I feel God has placed on my heart.  Recently I have been reminded of the evil that is so prevalent in our culture. God is a God of Justice, and these things must break His heart. Certainly, God is grieved with the killing of innocent life. God is grieved when care is not given to the widow, the orphan, and the “least of these”. Certainly, God is grieved when Christians are…

I grew up in the Presbyterian Church.  I can recall as a young boy being scared that if I didn’t pray each night for the forgiveness of my sins, I might go to hell.  What if I failed to confess all my sins?  What if I had sinned and didn’t know it?  What if I sinned and died in a car accident?  I lived in constant fear of going to hell if I failed to constantly ask God for forgiveness…

“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:13-14) The past two months have been filled with nostalgia.  In early August my son and I flew to San Diego to watch a couple of baseball games.  While we were there, I showed…

Recently my wife and I traveled to Europe where we experienced 5 different countries, slept in 16 different beds, and walked over 100 miles. This was not a resort vacation but an expedition. There were two experiences in our travels that were emotional for me.  One was visiting the American Cemetery in France. So many young lives were lost in the battles for the beaches of Normandy on D-day. So many gravesites and so many names of real young men…

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness. When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.” ~ Matthew 9:35-38 I recently returned…

When I was a young boy, I found out that my father had a brother named John.  My father described him as a “hobo”.  When he was 16 years old, he had been involved in a farming accident that cost his best friend his legs.  He climbed into a bottle to ease his emotional pain and never came out of it.  He was an interesting character.  He spent time in a Santa Fe, NM prison for cattle rustling.  I don’t…

Recently we celebrated Pentecost, the day that we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit as described in Acts chapter 2. Acts 2:2 “They (the believers) were filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”  What an incredible experience that must have been. Everyone gathered in Jerusalem heard the gospel in their own language and over 3000 people were saved. This wonderful event is often overshadowed by the discussion of the…

I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a morning person, but I do love watching the sun come up.  It doesn’t matter if it’s watching the sunrise through the pine trees on a camping trip, watching it crest over the African savannah or seeing the dawn of a new day at the end of a long night of work, there’s something special about sitting quietly and watching the sunlight break through the darkness, little by little, until that first beam of light…

Eph. 6:10-17   I recently had the opportunity to attend the NW District Assembly and heard some amazing preaching.  One sermon that hit home was preached by our District Superintendent, David Mowry.  It dealt with withstanding the pressures of the world (my summary and meaning).  In his sermon he mentioned the forces of gravity which really struck home for me. In college I was enrolled in the Air Reserve Officer Training Corps, preparing for commissioning as a Second Lieutenant.  In…

Matthew 28  2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just…