Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
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The end of the school year is rapidly approaching, and once again many of our children will be receiving school related awards. Students of various ages will be rewarded for their accomplishments in academics, as well as in music, sports, and a variety of other extra curricular activities. They will be acknowledged and commended for their hard work and overall commitment to excellence. This kind of recognition is appropriate and important in the life of our children. However, there are other kinds of award recognition that are also important....
Do you pray in generalities or do you “zero in” on a specific concern? Do you sometimes pray the wrong prayer? Are there times when you don’t know for what to pray? A few years ago, I fell and broke my hip. I vividly remember the prayer I prayed as I was falling. “Lord, please don’t let me fall!” It was a little late to pray that prayer…I was already falling! … and, yes, it was in slow motion. I should have been praying, “Lord, please don’t let me break anything”!!!! Many times short prayers are better than a few long ones. It is often the...
Grandma used to tell me “ the devil rides on an idle horse”, and it’s true, but as I walk in this Christian life, it is clear, he also delights in the “ busy Christian.” In fact, that is one of the most common statements for Christians these days. I am too busy. “ I would like to spend more time with God, but I can’t find the time.” This isn’t new however, Jesus addressed this very issue in Luke 10:38-42. In the text, Jesus goes to Martha’s home and is teaching. Martha is so distracted with serving and taking care of everything else, th...
I believe it was Benjamin Franklin, who, after signing the Constitution of the United States, touted the phrase, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” With the usual tax deadline being tomorrow, April 15, this part of the quote hits home for sure. But what about death? Is death an absolute and sure thing? We just ended our Easter Season with an emphasis on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. So, is death as certain as taxes, or is there a hope of a future resurrection? In my personal study of God...
We live in a world that seems angry and confusing, and without GOD it is exactly that, without GOD there is no hope. GOD has and is the answer to all of that anger and confusion. Philippians 4:4-9, speaks about looking to GOD and trusting GOD, and HE will give you peace. This scripture give you direction for your life, it give you HOW you can have peace in a world full of turmoil and confusion. It may sound to good to be true, but GOD didn’t make it hard to find the answers we are looking for. In Psalms 23, the WORD of GOD speaks about about G...
There’s a 1988 song by the Christian rock group, Petra called “First Love.” Let me quote you the lyrics: 1) Sometimes I feel I’m pulled in so many wrong directions Sometimes I feel the world seducing my affections It’s not that I don’t know the way It’s just a heart that’s prone to stray But with my weaknesses admitted You will keep all that I’ve committed So I commit my heart to You, my First Love 2) It’s taken me some time to try to comprehend A love that doesn’t change - a love without an end A love that keeps forgiving A love of s...
This coming Sunday is known as Palm Sunday to Christians around the world. It is a day when we remember and celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ into the city of Jerusalem the week before his death and resurrection. It is also referred to as his “triumphal entry” as he was officially presented to the nation of Israel as their Messiah. It was a day of public celebration and excitement about the future as Christ was welcomed by great crowds of people. We remember their shouts of: “Hosanna… Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord… B...
Have you ever noticed how once March rolls around, we begin to look for signs of Spring? Even though we know we probably will have more snow storms ahead, we are ready for warmer weather. The beautiful weather this last weekend made Spring even more of a reality, reminding us that the official day of the beginning of Spring is just around the corner. However, I am afraid another snow storm is, also. I always watch my flower bed and when I see my daffodils poking their little heads out of the soil, I know that God is in his heaven and Spring is...
There was a man who made a permanent move into a retirement home. It wasn’t long before he made friends with a special lady. They spent a lot of time together and finally one evening he proposed, asking her to marry him. The next morning he woke up remembering his proposal, but couldn’t remember her answer. So, he went to her and said, “I’m really embarrassed. I know I proposed to you last night, but I can’t remember if you said ‘yes’ or ‘no’.” “Oh, thank goodness!” she exclaimed. “I remember saying ‘yes’ but I couldn’t remember who asked m...
The Body of Christ is the Church. We may belong to different Denominations but we serve the same savior. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 says we are neither Jew nor Greek, slave or free. We are noe, as the body has many but they all belong to one body, so the church (Body of Christ) should come together to work for one common good. It’s not about which church or denomination you belong to. It’s about who you KNOW and CHOOSE to serve. The Body of Christ is here to reach a lost and dying world, and bring them to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We are...
I’ve never been much of an athlete. I did play baseball for most of my growin’ up years, and I bowled for a while in Jr. High and High School. I dabbled in Track & Field for 1 year, but was never really serious about it; likewise, with football and basketball, they were never really my “thing.” In the 8-9 years I played baseball, I distinctly remember how strict my dad was about game day. He didn’t talk much about what I ate that day, but his real pet-peeve was swimming on game day – THAT was absolutely forbidden because swimming takes so mu...
Last Sunday was another Super Bowl Sunday, and once again millions of Americans watched he big game. They saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers crowned the World Champions of professional football. The victorious players and coaches are now famous, and will enjoy the financial rewards of winning it all. The new champions will also receive those coveted Super Bowl Rings which will always identify them as being among the best of the best. The Super Bowl champs have reached their highest goal in the world of professional sports. However, in just a few...
It has been practically a year since we were confronted with the global health crisis which has sent shock waves throughout the world. Whether we know it or not, everyone and everything is just a little bit different, if not a lot different. It is good for us to assess exactly how our lives have changed, for better or for worse. Initially, many of us were held in disbelief as to the significance and the seriousness of such a pandemic. Many questions arose. In fact, many questions continue to rise. Questioning such a challenge helps us to...
Recently, I saw a post on Facebook that made me take notice. The post read: “You are allowed to be a masterpiece AND a work in progress”. I have always known I was a child of God and a real work in progress, but where does “masterpiece” fit in!? The dictionary defines masterpiece as a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement and is always connected to a master. I had never thought of myself as a masterpiece, but it felt pretty good. It felt especially good when I read the following scripture, revealing Who the Master of our masterp...
Testing of Your Faith 2 Count it all joy, my brothers,[b] when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not...
As we have learned from the Covid-19 crisis, there’s no guarantee for tomorrow in this game of life and death. So, it makes good sense to examine ourselves today in 2021 and make the most of the opportunities we do have. Paul says in 2 Cor. 6:2, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” Jesus knows our script for life, and our point of no return. He is not willing to lose any of us and will do whatever it takes to save us. Theme thought: “The one that would not, could not, but whosoever will, can.” • Lucifer bec...
The events of this past year have been challenging at the least, With the Covid Pandemic, and the Presidential election, life isn’t always what we expect. The Government would have you believe they have all the authority, but the word of GOD says GOD put rulers in their roles, and he takes rulers and authorities out of the role of Leaders, Jesus told Pontius Pilate that he did not have any Authority of Him (Jesus) except that which was given by Heaven. I personally don’t agree with a lot of what happened in our country, this past year, But the...
The gospels all give different accounts of what happened to Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus AFTER Jesus was born in a borrowed stable… MATTHEW tells us of the frantic flight of the family down to Egypt, the return home 2 years later, and then nothing until John the Baptizer. MARK tells us nothing of Jesus’ birth – he starts with John the Baptizer. LUKE tells us the story of Simeon and Anna and the Temple prophecies over the baby Jesus, the story of the 12-year-old Jesus when He stays behind in the Temple, and then Luke falls silent until John...
As I sit down to write this, I am still filled with the awe of seeing the Christmas Star shining brightly in the December sky. For the first time since medieval times, Jupiter and Saturn became so close to each other that they appeared as a bright “double planet”, which we see as a bright star. It is the closest great conjunction of the planets since 1623 and the first to be easily observable since 1226. It became visible to us on December 21, 2020, the darkest day of the year, the Winter Solstice. The wonders of God never cease! Was the Star o...
The beauty of Christmas is a beauty celebrated like no other time throughout the calendar year. Christmas decorations, Christmas lights, Christmas gifts, Christmas gatherings all speak of joy and peace. Christmas is in the air. It is good we together come to know this unique and this profound mark Christmas offers us, for it is the birth of the Savior in which we truly find our joy and our peace. This Christmas is, of course, a little different to say the least. The global health crisis with which we are confronted and its accompanying economic...
I believe that God has always had His wise ones in every age of this earth’s history. God has given wisdom to Judges, Kings and Prophets so that His people would understand the times in which they lived and know what to do. Surely, in today’s time of uncertainty, we need God’s wisdom, instruction and providential guidance. In the Christmas Story, God gave wisdom to His wise ones from Persia to come searching for the Savior, so they could worship Him. Does God have His wise ones in our day? So, what is involved in being a wise one for God?...
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! 2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. Final Exhortations 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all....
Call to mind the parable Jesus told about a wealthy man who gave three of his servants a sum of money, a “talent,” and then left on a trip, expecting the servants to do something with the money. When he got back, he had them come to him for a report. He told the five-talent and the two-talent servants, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” But when he got to the one-talent servant – he used words like “wicked” and “lazy” and “good for nothing.” He was angry with the servant who didn’t even try, and the consequences were pretty rough! I th...
As we all know, 2020 has been a very difficult year for people in Sidney and Cheyenne County, as well as the rest of the world. Here in the United States, the Covid pandemic, along with economic loss, social upheaval and political chaos have caused great distress. Many people are dealing with discouragement and even depression. However, in times like these, Christians are still encouraged by the Scriptures to give thanks to the God who loves us and never leaves us. In the New Testament the Apostle Paul reminded us to “be joyful always; pray c...
Enough! Enough already!!! That seems to be the cry of people across our country. We are seeing more anxiety as thoughts and conversations seem to turn to the Covid- 19 virus, the 2020 election, fires, droughts, hurricanes, loss of jobs, loneliness, concern for family and friends and tragic loss of lives. Even people who are usually optimistic are having a hard time overcoming the hardships and negativity that surround us. During trying times, my grandmother would always say, “This, too, will pass”. That always helped me through my tough tim...
