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Dreams of Heaven - Rock on! (Daniel 2, Genesis 41)

A few hundred years before Daniel and in a different country, Joseph had a similar experience to his. I find it interesting that Joseph interprets his dream in Egypt just before Israel (Israel is Joseph’s dad) becomes a country in the narrative (a few hundred years in chronology) and Daniel interprets his dream in Babylon (607 BCE) just before Israel/Judah ceases to exist as a country (586 BCE). These dreams are like book ends for the existence, the story of the country of Israel/Judah.   Reading from Gensis 41:14-36 (NIV): 14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.” 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the ba...
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New Life's Resolutions! (Ephesians 4:1-32)

We had New Year’s when we were away. New Year’s is often a time of reviews or quizzes. Today I have a Bible memory quiz for us. I am going to read or recite a verse, and you tell me the reference. Let’s see how we do: 1.      For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (Jn 3:16) 2.      In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) 3.      But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33) 4.      For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Ro 6:23) 5.      In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) 6.      The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Ps 23:1) 7. ...
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Resolutions (Ephesians 4:2-3)

  New Year’s Day. This is often a time of resolutions. Did anyone make any resolutions this year? I had one friend who said that they would give up drinking for January – and then they thought about it a while and declared that they would give up drinking on Wednesdays in January.  This year I resolve to keep up my Bible readings (as I have done for many years) and my exercises – mostly stretches. The older I get the more I need to stretch. I was injured during covid and walked with a limp for well over a year and it was through my exercises that God made it so that I could walk without a limp again. It is the same with exercising our spiritual disciplines like prayer and Bible study. They strengthen us so that we do not get injured spiritually.    If any of us are looking for resolutions for a New Year, a New Life, Paul in Chapter 4 of Ephesians has some good suggestions.  He says, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the c...
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Isaiah and the Messiah on Christmas (Isaiah 6:1-3, 9:6-7, 11:1-9)

  This has been a busy Christmas season – as are all Christmas seasons at The Salvation Army, We have had a few rookies this year- Dave, our Community Resources Director (food bank and Christmas Hampers) was brand new and so was Adam, our Kettle Coordinator, and others. Karyn, our intake worker, has had some serious health issues. The team did great pitching in, helping each other out. The need was up this year, like it seems to be every year and, of course, we have had a lot of other things to deal with this year as well   The beginning of the Christmas Season seemed a little bit like a Hallmark Christmas movie with all the drama involved: the Temporary Use Permit was a real show. We were led to believe that the area would be re-zoned and that the renewing the TUP was just ‘a matter of marching’, as the expression says.   Of course, we now know that that wasn’t true. Like on a Christmas special, it appeared that there was at least one ‘evil’ city councilor who was workin...
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Luke 2 Christmas Letter

December 2025 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.    While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: Yo...
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Luke 2:1-20: Walking to Cobble Hill While Pregnant...

Among other roles I fill, I am a Christian pastor. We are entering the Christmas season. We know how the first Christmas went… What happened?   There is this couple – Mary and Joseph – they aren’t married. They want to be. Mary anyway is probably a teenager. She’s pregnant- very pregnant – and they have to go pay their taxes or something similar. In order to do this, they need to leave their town and travel to the capital city (or a suburb thereof). It was about the same distance as between here and Cobble Hill or Duncan. They didn’t have a car. They had to walk. It would be at least a two day walk.   They get there and, of course, it is time for Mary to have the baby. The water breaks or contractions start or something. They have to find a place to stay – but they don’t have a hotel room and there is no shelter. There is no hostel. Hospitals as we know them don’t exist and Mary is about to give birth. A business owner lets them use his barn and their baby is born.   Now,...
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