Because He Loves Us Press

12/16/2024

Check out the latest blog: Christmas in a Nutshell at becausewelovehim.blog

http://becausewelovehim.blog/2024/12/16/christmas-in-a-nutshell/

Dear Friends, If someone asked you to give them the true meaning of Christmas in a nutshell, what would you say? Usually, people think about Mary and Joseph, the baby in a manger, the shepherds, an…

12/03/2024

Last Sunday many churches began the celebration of Advent by lighting the first of five candles in the Advent wreath. In researching Advent, I discovered that the wreath is traditionally made of evergreens, symbolizing eternal life. The circle reminds us of the eternity of God and of his unending love, and the red berries in the wreath remind us it was Jesus sacrifice on the cross that provided the way to eternal life....

Last Sunday many churches began the celebration of Advent by lighting the first of five candles in the Advent wreath. In researching Advent, I discovered that the wreath is traditionally made of ev…

11/25/2024

It has been a while since I added to the blog. What happened yesterday at the golf course was just too meaningful to ignore.

I spent a good portion of the morning working on the melody for a new song. Deciding that I needed a break, I threw my golf clubs in the car and headed to the Highlands golf course in beautiful Bel…

08/13/2024

Let me offer a glimpse of history from a different perspective. Growing up in Washington, D.C. during the 50s and 60s, I saw prejudice from both sides of the fence, and I want to say at the outset that stereotypes that govern our fears are wrong and have been and continue to be wrongly exploited to keep us separate. In 1954, the Supreme Court, in Brown versus the Board of Education, ruled that separate, but equal schools were not equal, and therefore unconstitutional....

Let me offer a glimpse of history from a different perspective. Growing up in Washington, D.C. during the 50s and 60s, I saw prejudice from both sides of the fence, and I want to say at the outset …

07/08/2024

Growing up in the Church of the Epiphany in Washington, D.C., serving as an acolyte may be part of the reason for my bad knees. Even when the Book of Common Prayer indicated congregants could either stand or kneel, Rector Kane opted for kneeling. In fairness, I must admit that soccer, tennis, and football deserve most of the blame for my bad knees....

Growing up in the Church of the Epiphany in Washington, D.C., serving as an acolyte may be part of the reason for my bad knees. Even when the Book of Common Prayer indicated congregants could eithe…

06/25/2024

This was an unusual weekend. I decided to drive by Tanyard Creek to see if anyone from Village Bible Church was handing out Bible tracts. I had joined two other church members in this evangelical effort last weekend—something way out of my comfort zone—but something I found to be unusually rewarding. If the team needed reinforcements, I was willing to help....

This was an unusual weekend. I decided to drive by Tanyard Creek to see if anyone from Village Bible Church was handing out Bible tracts. I had joined two other church members in this evangelical e…

06/16/2024

The story is told about a kindergartener, who changed schools in the middle of the school year. He was having difficulty making friends, so he came up with the idea of giving Valentine’s Day cards to the kids in his class. His mother helped him prepare thirty-two hand-made cards, one for each child and a special one for his teacher. The day came, and he went off to school carrying a bag full of cards....

The story is told about a kindergartener, who changed schools in the middle of the school year. He was having difficulty making friends, so he came up with the idea of giving Valentine’s Day cards …

05/07/2024

Recently I lost my Wife Bonnie. On the way to her Celebration of Life, I wrote a poem that expressed my feelings at that point. I don't know what God's plans are for me; I just know I miss my sweetheart and feel as if a part of me has been ripped out. Why Did You Leave MeHow do you say goodbye to someone who is so much a part of you that your heart finds it hard to beat, and your lungs demand answers before they allow you to breathe?...

Recently I lost my Wife Bonnie. On the way to her Celebration of Life, I wrote a poem that expressed my feelings at that point. I don’t know what God’s plans are for me; I just know I m…

04/09/2024

Where is Everyone?
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NLT)
My son John lives in Avon Park, a small community in central Florida. When he heard that I planned to spend Easter weekend with him, he went online to see just how far we would have to travel to find a special Easter service. Don’t get me wrong, every service that exalts our Lord and Savior is special. John and I are just spoiled from years of attending mega-churches.
John decided that we should attend the 9 AM service at Grace Bible Church in Sebring, Florida. He arrived at my motel which was just about a mile from the church at 9:40. We were in the church parking lot by 9:45.
The problem was there were no other cars. There were no other people, and there was no sign on the door to explain what was up.
“John, I said, “The rapture happened, and we missed it!”
I paused to consider the frightening consequences of being left behind. John interrupted my cogitation with an explanation: the Easter service had been moved to a coliseum on the other side of town. It was only a ten-minute drive, so we were in our seats before the service began. The music was familiar, there were baptisms, and the pastor gave a memorable message in which he started with Genesis and touched on all the books of the Bible, giving a short explanation of how all 66 of them point to Jesus.
As we left the service I thought about my comment, “The rapture happened, and we missed it.” Of course, we didn’t. But what if it happens tomorrow, or the next day? Am I ready? Are you ready? Is anyone ready?
The Bible tells us there is a way to be sure we are ready:
If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
The message from Romans is, “Don’t be bashful about your faith. Better to be embarrassed, criticized, mocked, or condemned than to one day find yourself standing in an empty parking lot wondering where all the Christians went.

11/13/2021

My latest misadventure is being part of the church choir at Laguna Country Methodist Church in Laguna Hills, California. I can’t claim to have a good voice, but when Howard, one of the members of the choir asked me to jo...