Serving the community since 1970
Serving the community since 1970
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In the busyness and stress of daily life, we often fall into a rut, just battling to get through each day as it comes. We survive, but do we thrive? From time to time, we lift up our heads for a moment and wonder if things will ever improve, before the next task drags us back into our mindless routine. We dream about a life that is joyous and purpose-driven, but our reality remains the same. As 2023 comes to a close, let’s take a moment to not only dream of a better 2024, but to plan and prepare in practical ways. God is a planner! He had alrea...
As the holiday season approaches, students across the country are wrapping up their papers and exams for a long holiday break. For many, it is a time to rest, recharge and catch up with friends and family. It can also be an important opportunity for the adults in students' lives to check in about their mental health and wellness. In college, our kids' lives are full of new experiences; while exciting for many, navigating academic pressures and a growing independence can also bring about mental...
What is the true meaning of Christmas? Is it about Christmas trees, lights and presents? Or is it about good food and reunions? Yes. But it goes much further than that. It's about God sending us a gift that we can enjoy forever. In Isaiah 45:22, the Lord said, "Look unto me and be saved, all the ends of the earth." The question is, saved from what? In Isaiah 59:1-2, the Lord says, "The hand of the Lord is not short that he cannot save you, neither is ear closed that he cannot hear you, but your sins have separated between you and your God." In...
I'm sure you'd agree that it doesn't seem possible that another Christmas Day is drawing near! All of the preparations of shopping for gifts, purchasing and cooking meals, planning the day with family or friends, and that's not to mention attending Advent services leading up to Christmas Day. Have you ever wondered what you'd do if it wasn't true? What if Jesus was nothing more than an invented figure to rally the people of his day? For bestselling author and former investigative reporter Lee Strobel, those are the kinds of questions he asks an...
We would be in terrible trouble if our God was made by man out of wood or gold. Psalm 115:5-7 says, [BEGIN ITAL]”The false golds have mouths but cannot speak, they have eyes but they cannot see. They have ears and they hear not, they have noses and they cannot smell. They have hands but they handle not, they have feet but they cannot walk and they cannot speak.”[END ITAL] Our God is not made by man, but He has always existed. He is the Potter, and we are the clay. He reigns over all. Psalm 50:21 says, [BEGIN ITAL]”You thought that I was altog...
More than 96 million Americans live with a potentially life-altering condition – yet many of them are unaware they even have it. That condition is prediabetes, which in up to 70% of cases develops into diabetes. Today, more than 37 million Americans already live with diabetes, which, if left untreated, can contribute to a host of health issues. In California, 9.9% of adults over age 18 have been diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes alters the body's ability to create energy from the food you eat and can develop in several forms. Type 1 diabetes o...
These days, we know little about leprosy, the disease that is both referenced more times than any other in the Bible and was the illness most frequently healed by Jesus. In Bible times, it was a terrifying diagnosis because it not only meant an incurable sickness, apart from a divine touch, but also a life sentence to solitude. Sufferers had to live away from the rest of society and could never again live in their own homes or experience the touch of a loved one. So, it may be surprising that people who lived such a painful reality can be...
Four times in Psalms 107 we are urged to praise the Lord. Verses 8, 15, 21 and verse 31 tells us to “praise him for his goodness and for his works." Psalms 52:1 says, “The goodness of God endureth continually." Psalms 119:68 says, “Thou art good and doest good." The song says, “All my life you have been faithful, and all my life you have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God." Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness. He satisfies our longing soul and fills our soul with goodnes...
We have a lot to be thankful for. The specifics will be different for you than for me, but we live in a world that contains many wonderful things to enjoy, and blessings abound. If you take a moment to review problems you've survived and good things you enjoyed this week, I have no doubt there will be a good list of things for which you could give thanks. In [BEGIN ITAL]A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich[END ITAL] Alexander Solzhenitsyn takes the unusual tack of telling us about a good day in the gulag – a Russian prison. It's a very e...
In Genesis 25, it tells the story of Esau and Jacob, brothers as different as night and day, who had fought with one another even in their mother’s womb. Though they were twins, Esau was the firstborn and had the right to certain privileges. The firstborn was entitled to a double inheritance and would someday take his father’s place as the head of the family business. What is more, he also would be expected to take on the spiritual leadership of his clan. But Esau never got to exercise those privileges. He returned desperately hungry from a har...
To the editor: I am writing this as a concerned citizen of Shafter, as well as a former employee and former Board member of the Richland School District. On July 20, 2023, an article appeared in the Shafter Press concerning school districts spending of federal covid relief funds. It was stated, “Numerous attempts to contact Superintendent Rosa Romero have gone unanswered, as well as calls to Richland Finance Director Martin Rodriguez” as to how the Richland School District had spent their allotted $11.1 million of funding. On Aug. 24, 202...
Just as I was beginning this article on communication, I received a text message! I don't need to tell you the many forms of communication that are part of our world today, such as text messaging, email, social media, phones (cell and landlines), etc. Of course, actually having a face-to-face conversation is still the best form of communication. Good communication is critical for many things, but is especially critical for good relationships. Whenever I do premarital counseling, one of the first topics I discuss with engaged couples is...
Should faith be a public or a private matter? That question comes up in several contexts, but the basic answer is that faith must be both. We can illustrate that point from the practice of the Lord’s Supper. Since there are only two sacraments, the Lord invested each one with an astonishing depth and richness of meaning. In the instructions given by Paul about the Lord's Supper, it's clear that there is a strongly individual element. Each one is supposed to examine himself (1 Corinthians 11:28). The Table draws each believing participant i...
There were once two brothers, one a shepherd and the other a farmer. One day they gave gifts to their father. The shepherd son gave the best sheep of his flock, while the farmer son thoughtlessly gave low-quality vegetables. The father was delighted with the best sheep but was displeased with the poor produce. The farmer’s son was very angry at his brother for one-upping his gift. These feelings boiled over into rage, and one day the angry son murdered his brother! This is a retelling of Cain’s anger and murder of Abel (Genesis 4:1-8). It sho...
If you were to do a search for movie titles that contain the word "kingdom," you'd end up with well over 1,000 to choose from! I believe that everyone is looking for something or someone greater than themselves to believe in and to follow. As I'm beginning a study through the Gospel of Matthew, I've entitled the series "The Kingdom" for good reasons. The greatest and longest-lasting kingdom is the Kingdom of God, found through faith in Jesus Christ. Let me offer just few highlights from the Gospel of Matthew regarding the Kingdom: • We...
In life, we all face times of abandonment and loneliness. Sometimes it may feel like the whole world is against you. In 2nd Timothy 4:17, Paul said, “The Lord stood with me, and he strengthened me.”Paul had been done much evil by a man known as Alexander the coppersmith. Alexander had made a shipwreck of his faith and became an enemy of the Gospel. It seems like Alexander intimidated many of Paul’s hearers as he tried to disrupt the ministry of Paul. The spirit of this world will never embrace the teachings of Jesus Christ, and it will fight...
For the last month, parents have been bombarded with ads with back-to-school must-haves. Each one encourages us to start their school year off right by purchasing everything from clothes and school supplies to electronics. But getting kids off to a good start in life, as well as in school, is something that cannot be purchased and which needs to be addressed long before that panicked, last-minute trip to the store. Many have the idea that our schools are totally responsible for the education of our kids, not just for imparting knowledge of...
The old saying goes, “Everyone’s a critic!” How true this is in a world where all of us are sinners with keen eyes to find faults in others. Critics quickly pounce on other’s flaws and point out failures. A lesson more valuable than gold is how to handle criticism. “He that refuses instruction hates himself: but he who listens to reproof acquires understanding.” (Proverbs 15:32). There is a difference between constructive criticism and destructive criticism. Destructive criticism notices the faults and failures of others and seeks to tear the...
There’s an old song that says Heaven will surely be worth it all. The first verse of that song says, “Often I’m hindered on my way, burden so heavy I almost fall, then I hear Jesus sweetly say, Heaven will surely be worth it all.” Heaven will be worth all the hurt.[Down here we have sorrow and suffering, but Heaven will be worth it all. In life we face many discouragements. Psalms. 42:5 says, ”Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted in me? Hope in God and praise him for his help.” Elijah faced discouragement as he sat unde...
Bible trivia enthusiasts likely know that the shortest verse in the Bible contains just two words: “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35). There are several references in the Bible to Jesus crying or weeping. The one just mentioned was at the graveside of a friend — a friend named Lazarus – whom Jesus was about to raise from the dead (John 11:1–44). This shows a Jesus accessible to human emotion, sharing the grief of others, experiencing the tragedy of death even as he was a conqueror over it. It’s a helpful reminder to all believers in loss and grief that...
We live in a world full of trials, troubles, struggles, hardships, frustrations and disappointments. Adversities happen unexpectedly and are out of our control. Loss of a job, an opportunity, money, health, or a loved one. "Man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upwards" (Job 5:7). The wise Christian expects troubles in our fallen world. God's Word reveals a wise perspective to understand adversity and to make a righteous plan to face it when it inevitably arrives. Adversity turns you to God. Adversity is used by God to turn us back to Him and...
Father’s Day, like many holidays, gives rise to a lot of mixed emotions. For many, the lack of a loving and involved father or father figure brings a deep sense of loss and insecurity. I stand on the precipice of being fatherless – my precious dad just received a terminal diagnosis, yet I count myself blessed because of his love, support and wise advice over many years. My heart breaks, not for my coming loss, but for the orphaned generations, who hunger for the security of a caring father. Frequently, even those who have a father phy...
Every church is flawed. People have bad experiences, of one kind or another, even at healthy churches. Churches are made up of people, so this isn't a big surprise. It can be a big disappointment, or an obstacle to going back, but it shouldn't be a shock when churches have problems. A major source of problems is people. That's too big a subject for one article, though, so I'll narrow the focus substantially. Some of the difficulties churches have, and some of the bad experiences people have in churches, arise from a lack of purity. What I mean...
I was on the streets of Shafter to get answers for a survey that we were conducting. I was getting frustrated because I had been turned down by residents who did not want to take part in any survey. It was on about the seventh or eighth person in a row that I had been turned down when I saw a couple of ladies coming out of a market on Central Avenue. I really didn’t want to try again, but something told me to give them a shot. I started talking to them and her friend turned to the other lady a...
If you desire to live in a world without conflict, then you are living in the wrong world. The sinful nature of humanity will lead to conflicts, disagreements, and divisions. “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident … hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions …”(Galatians 5:19-20). Conflict is a serious disagreement over a difference in opinion, purpose, or preference. Conflict may be caused by misunderstandings, poor communication, different values, goals, priorities, expectations, interes...
