Roots by the River

Bessie’s mother died when she was five years old. Her father got a job in Calgary, and his children did not want to go with him, so they stayed and raised Bessie. Bessie had a friend named Dorothy Diehl (later Flaxman). Mrs. Diehl acted as a mother to Bessie. Bessie did not want to call her “Mrs. Diehl,” nor did she think she should call her “Mom,” so she called her “Mrs. Mother.” That’s how I knew her. All her children knew that Bessie called her “Mrs. Mother.” Mrs. Mother’s maiden name was Armstrong. Mrs. Mother and her brothers and sisters called their mother Ole Mama. Mrs. Armstrong was very much a matriarch. Everyone did what she said. In January 1935, Ole Mama made a pronouncement to the clan. “We have all lived for the devil long enough. We're going down to the revival to get saved.” Bessie went with Dorothy and the entire Armstrong clan to the Christian Missionary Alliance revival. She and Dorothy were acting up. They were going to be asked to leave. At the invitation, ...

I have always enjoyed eating. Bessie was a great meat-and-potatoes cook, as well as mac and cheese. My daughters-in-law are gourmet cooks, so I have been blessed. My mother made navy bean soup. She let the beans soak all night. She made homemade bread. The loaves were enormous. The bread was cut an inch thick, and the slice would cover a dinner plate. We would cover the bread with soup, then cover that with ketchup. It was great stuff. For my 90th birthday party, my descendants sent for Mom’s navy bean soup recipe from my brother Ken. The others had bowls for soup with bread on the side, but I had mine on a plate with the soup spooned over the bread. It was very, very good. When Mom baked bread, she would take extra dough, fry it in bacon grease, and coat with sugar. It was called fried bread. It was great, too. This morning I was eating a very good crispy, juicy Golden Delicious apple, and, as my custom has been for the last eighty years, I ate everything but the stem. I can onl...

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Phil. 4:9) Paul said something similar to the Corinthians: I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church…Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law ...

In recent days, I have been struck again by the partial repentance of the kings of Israel and the partial repentance of the kings of Judah. Here are two examples from many. Israel: “Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit” (2 Kings 10:31). The last sentence was said of every king of Israel. Judah: “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash. The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there” (2 Kings 14:3-4). This last sentence was said of Amaziah and his son, grandson, and great-grandson. Amaziah was one of the good kings of Judah. Hezekiah, his great-great-grandson, turned things around. “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He removed the...

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit—I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. (Rom. 9:1-5) Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. (Rom...

At this time of year, the flu is often in the news. Many people are hospitalized, and some die. We are encouraged to get our flu shots. There is still time. I get one every year. However, there is another disease that is pandemic. Without the cure, it is extremely deadly—in fact, it has a 100% mortality rate. It is malignant. There is no serum and none on the way. There are no vaccinations for it, and there is no immunity. This disease is called sin. Here are a few of its symptoms: Coveting Adultery Stealing Lying Murder Sex outside of marriage (heterosexual or homosexual) Stealing Idolatry Blasphemy Dirty talking Do you have any of these symptoms? There is a cure! It is found in the New Testament. Read it.

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. (1 Cor. 2:1-5) Paul’s resolution caused him to feel weak and afraid when he was proclaiming Christ. But the result was a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. It would have been easy for Paul to trust in his own eloquence and superior wisdom to bring men to Christ. But his converts would have been the result of man’s wisdom, not of God’s power. That may be one of our problems today. We get converts based on man’s wisdom. A simple resolution might make the difference: “to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ ...

You know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you would know my Father as well.” (John 14:4-6) Thomas said they did not know where, so they could not know the way. Jesus said they knew both. Jesus said He was going to the Father and that He Himself was the way. If you know Jesus, you know the Father. People today do not know where to go, and they do not know the way. Where is the Father. The way is Jesus. Are you willing to tell people the where and the way? Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations." (Matt. 28:18-19) Are you willing to obey Him?

“But in those days, following that distress, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens” (Mark 13:24-27). Notice the great distress and the great power and glory. Men will see the Son of Man coming. “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

Jesus told many stories during His ministry here. Some were parables: the lost sheep and the lost coin, Luke 15:1-10; the tenants in Luke 20; the ten minas in Luke 19. Some were true stories: the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 and the prodigal son in Luke 15. We have also been given stories of real encounters with Jesus: Nicodemus in John 3, the rich young ruler in Mark 10, and the woman at the well in John 4. Let’s look at one of the true stories: There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, "Father Abraham, have pity on me ...

He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. (Psalm 147:4-5) This is just one of numerous passages which speak in a limited way of God’s unlimited power and knowledge. Here are a few more: By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.... For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. (Psalm 33:6, 9) He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Matt. 8:26-27) God commands the inanimate. There are no ears to hear, no will to decide, no mind to consider, and yet the stars, the wind, and the waves obey.

There are sins in the Bible that required the death penalty. The death penalty was based on the civil law. The sacrificial law provided forgiveness for sins. The civil law was transferred to the civil government (Romans 13, 1 Peter 2, Titus 3). The sacrificial system was fulfilled in the death of Jesus Christ, and forgiveness for sins was provided. Vengeance was prohibited in the Old Testament, and it is prohibited in the New Testament. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom. 12:17...

“Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:3-8) The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. (...

Here are some thoughts on the character of God. By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. (Heb. 11:11-12) They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation"…The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Pet. 3:4, 9) The first verse has to do with God’s promise to Abraham, which was fulfilled when he was 100 years old, because Abraham knew that God was faithful and would keep his promise. God kept his promise! The second passage has to do with the promise of Jesus to return to Earth. He...

This is a biblical thought on gratitude written by one of my sons. It is very true. The issue of gratitude is related to one of the basic truths of Scripture. In the first chapter of Romans, the apostle Paul tells us that the fundamental problem of sinful man is that he does not want to honor God as God, and does not want to render thanks to Him. There is something about "thanks to God" that the unbelieving heart does not want to accept. Those of us who have been forgiven so much, and then given so much, need to maintain the contrast between the way we live and the way non-believers do. "Always and for everything giving thanks," we are told. And so we do.

Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (Psalm 90:1-2) But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children. (Psalm 103:17) God’s everlastingness has been extended to us who believe. It includes everlasting joy and everlasting kindness. “His love endures forever.” Thank God!

When I was a young Christian, I was out at sea in the Navy. I wanted to grow in the Lord, but I did not know how. There were no strong Christians on my ship whom I could observe and learn from. Then I realized that I could learn from Christians who were not present - through books. I have been reading and giving away books ever since. You may know Elisabeth Elliot’s books . Did you know that her father, her grandfather, and her great-grandfather were all editors of The Sunday School Times ? The Sunday School Times was the leading Christian magazine the first half of the 20th century. Her grandfather, Charles Trumbull, wrote Victory in Christ . It is a great book. His father, Henry Clay Trumbull, was an evangelist in the Civil War. He was the author of Hints on Child Training . It was first published in 1890, and it is still in print. The Kindle version is available for only $0.99.

Here are two verses that have a close relationship with each other: Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. (Rom. 15:2) Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Eph. 4:29) Do you see the common thread? Building others up. What we do and what we say should benefit other Christians. Here are similar thoughts on evangelism. Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have beco...

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Cor. 9:8) Notice the “alls” in the sentence: all grace, all things, all times, all that you need. Pay attention also that all grace abounds and that you will abound in every good work. This is either true or false. If it is true, then thank God! Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine , according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21) We cannot write a check on God’s bank account that he cannot cover. His checks do not bounce.

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips. (Rom. 1:29) Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal. 5:19-21) I am picking on envy for several reasons. First, envy is listed with murder and other gross sins. The Bible says that people who do these things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Another reason is that people do not think of it as evil, just an unpleasant fact of life. They envy others and don't call it sin. It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. (Phil. 1:15) If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound ins...