The lack of a clear chain of command often frequently emerges in the aftermath of calamitous events. This scenario leads to the question, “Who’s in charge here?” This question is often spoken in real-time situations as well. It is spoken on the lips of characters in countless television shows and movies. It may be a policeman, lawyer, military officer, parent, or even an educator!We all want to kn...  Read More

“Excuses are merely nails to build a house of failure,” according to an old American proverb. Our passage in Haggai today illustrates the truth of the maxim. The prophet Haggai writes at low tide for the nation of Judah. The people likely had no king and were living under Persian rule at this time. To make matters worse, they had returned from Babylonian captivity with fresh zeal to restore the ho...  Read More

Billy Graham once said, “No matter how dark and hopeless a situation might seem, never stop praying.” Dr. Graham hit the nail squarely on the head. Keep praying when all seems hopeless— especially when we have sinned and are experiencing the consequences. If you are like me, then you will feel drawn to this psalm the moment that you begin to read it. It provides us with hope today. Let’s look clos...  Read More

We use an expression, “It’s a zoo out there,” to refer to circumstances that are out of control. We seek order amid disorder! Ezekiel decried the “zoo” in his day and comes to the rescue today for our weary hearts. Israel had a Wild West morality, but God knew that the fullness of blessings in the land of such wealth would require adherence to His rule of law. Really? Some may wonder, “Why shouldn...  Read More

The Lord takes the darkest moment in your darkest day and causes the sun to rise upon it, so trust Him. The passages that we have before us today cover the climax to a time in Judah’s history where their hopes were dashed and their lives were forever altered. Nevertheless, God mercifully began the building process for Israel’s future from those dismal days, and He used the poorest of the poor to d...  Read More

If one takes the A10 road north from London, and drives through Stoke Newington, Stamford Hall, and Seven Sisters, one will come next to Tottenham, which was a tiny village in the late 18th century and home to the Williams family. John was born in June of 1796 to parents devoted to God. He was a good student in grade-school and, in 1810 at fourteen years old, was apprenticed for seven years to Eno...  Read More

“To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instructions in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth”Proverbs 1-4, ESV A curious phenomenon occurred recently when I was shopping at a Walmart big-box store. Those locations have quite a reputation for odd dress and behavior, so nothing I ...  Read More

"And the Lord turned to him and said, 'Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do I not send you?'"Judges 6:13-14, ESV Hurricane Dorian, a category 5 storm with winds in excess of 180 mph, slammed into the Bahamas in 2019 and left inestimable damage in its wake. Property loss ranked in the billions of dollars and seventy-four people perished in the storm. More than two h...  Read More

“My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you."Proverbs 3:1, ESV The horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, has caused our nation, and the world, to convulse, yet again, with wave upon wave of grief. There have been fourteen mass school shootings and 169 killed in the United States since the 1999...  Read More

The wagon creaked slowly, trundling its way through an East Texas pine forest in the summer of 1859. Overhead, the towering trees swayed in the light breeze and provided dappling shade from the oppressive sun. The twenty- six year-old, Tennessee-born-pastor, Robert Cooke Buckner (1833-1919), did not mind the heat. He and his soul-mate wife, Vienna, and their two little girls, were headed west in s...  Read More

Torrential rains and flash flooding inundated our state in recent days. People were overwhelmed by rising water and emergency responders raced to rescue people and lead them to refuge. You may not be drowning in a literal flood, but you may be terrified by an onslaught of evil people.Picture your most desperate cry for help in a moment of crisis, the words that you used to express your despair, a...  Read More

The late Billy Graham, who enjoyed remarkable effectiveness throughout his nearly eight decades of ministry, once said, “The Christian life is not a constant high. I have moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, ‘O God forgive me,’ or ‘Help me.’” The beginning to the end of Psalm 143 is a continuous appeal to God. The psalmist’s lament signals h...  Read More