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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FOR SALE: One grave – slightly used – just like new. Here is an advertisement that you will probably never see in this newspaper or hear on our local radio station. That’s because graves and tombs are not normally used for just a brief amount of time. However, this advertisement could have appeared in the “Jerusalem Sun-Telegraph” two thousand years ago. The crucified body of the Lord Jesus Christ had been buried in a tomb just outside of Jerusalem, but his body was there for only three days. And even though a rumor had been started which acc...
He is risen! He is risen, indeed! That is the triumphant shout we will hear in churches around the world on Easter Sunday Morning. Yes, we have a lot to shout about...the resurrection of our Lord! God revealed his strong love for us in his son, Jesus Christ, Who died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and life eternal. "For God so loved the world that He gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 Often we focus so much on the las...
Currently we are well into the Season of Lent. The word "Lent" means "springtime." Specifically, it refers to a springtime for the Church. It is a time when we seek to know the new life that is rooted in the dying and rising of the Lord Jesus. The season of Lent is marked by a 40 day period before the Celebration of the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday. The number "40" is very symbolic since it signals a time of preparation. The Israelites spent 40 years in the desert being tested before...
This article is being written to appear on the Friday, three weeks before Easter Sunday as it appears on the Gregorian or civil calendar, which is the calendar most of the world uses these days. But for those Christian churches which still adhere to the Julian Calendar, Easter Sunday will not be until May 1. But that isn't the important fact of this, the greatest and holiest day of the year. No matter which date we celebrate, what we are celebrating is the most important fact. We are celebrating...
Who was Babe Ruth? George Herman Ruth Jr. was a troubled child who lacked parental supervision. George's problem became so rugged that his parents could not control him and he was in constant trouble. His parents, because of his discipline problems, enrolled him in Saint Mary's Industrial School for boys. It was there where he developed his vocational skills and a passion for baseball. He was determined and very focused on learning how to play baseball. One day, Baltimore Orioles owner Jack Dunn...
Not too long ago the Super Bowl was the main topic of conversation. There was a lot of conversation about the shortcomings of the Broncos. As I listened to the criticism of the team, I was reminded of this definition from football coach Church Mills: “A spectator is a person who sits 40 rows up in the stands and wonders why a 17 year old kid can’t hit another 17 year old kid with a football from 40 yards away...and then goes out to the parking lot and can’t find his car.” We love to complain. Although the weather forecasters tell us that th...
Well, we made it through January. How are your new year’s resolutions coming along? Yea, I feel your pain. There’s just something about making changes in my lifestyle that seems like a lonely project. Is there any help out there? Why don’t we consider the radical idea of making a NEW new year’s resolution this February? I resolve to make Jesus my personal shepherd and want to experience all of the benefits he provides for my living in 2016. With Jesus as our personal shepherd, there is assurance, peace of mind and great confidence. The 23rd Ps...
It was spring and four young graduates decided that before they would settle down into life’s new adventure, they would tour the country. Their goal was to interview people as to their values on life itself. They discovered an RV that suited their needs and off they went looking, each one of them for a story that would inspire, excite or ignite their passion for what the future would hold for them. They were determined that this would be their adventure of a lifetime before they would go and make their fortune and their mark in life. Fifteen t...
We all have those lists - you know, resolutions, what I want to accomplish in the new year: lose weight, keep on track, community involvement, volunteer more, take a vacation, spiritual growth - you get the idea. This is a time for personal reflection and spiritual preparation for the new year. It offers a structured opportunity to examine what is holding us back from being who we really want to be. If we use the new year to take concrete steps towards becoming advocates for change, together we can make a difference! - Begin with prayer: Going...
The Holy Scriptures reveal that God in heaven wants you have a happy new year. Look at the kind of “happy newness” he offers us both now and forever if we put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ…” - 2 Corinthians 5:17-18. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and m...
We are about to come to the end of an exciting time in the church year…Advent. Many Christian churches celebrate Advent four Sundays and weeks before Christmas. Advent means “coming” in Latin. This refers to the coming of Jesus into the world. Christians use the four Sundays and weeks of Advent to prepare and remember the real meaning of Christmas. In a day or two, Advent will be over and Christmas will be here! With much excitement, we will welcome the birth of our savior, “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the governm...
A short time ago, the world was shocked by the horrendous attacks in Paris, France, and in Mali on the African continent as well as uncovering a plot for a similar attack in Brussels. These atrocities were planned and committed in the name of a religion. That religion is Islam, a religion of the Middle East. But these events, as we all know, have little or no basis in Islam. Over the years I have known a goodly number of people from the Middle East, Muslims as well as Christians, and none of them that I have known would have ever perpetrated...
It was Christmas Eve in “No man’s land!” “No Man’s Land” is a phrase used for turf that hasn’t been taken over by an opposing army or troupe. It is usually deemed necessary to be occupied by those in authority in order to keep the enemy away from your own camp or headquarter’s tent. The time was World War I. A most unusual and wonderful thing happened on a battlefield where no one had taken control. Battle weary men in their trenches began to sing: “Silent Night, Holy Night, All is calm, all is bright.” As they concluded their harmonious so...
“Then Jesus asked, ‘Were there not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God…”- Luke 17:17-18a Have you ever noticed that “thank you” has become a way to end transactions and conversations? At the store the cashier says “thank you, come again” and we reply “okay, thanks.” In conversations or phone calls we might end with a “well, thanks a lot.” This can also be true when it comes to saying “thanks” on Thanksgiving. We offer a perfunctory “thank you” to God so that we can ge...
I carry my phone everywhere. Sometimes I use it to make calls, but mostly I use its other features. I have a Bible on it, and I appreciate having the scriptures with me all the time. But mostly I live by the calendar. Lately the phone has been trying to be helpful, telling me that I should leave for my next event, and that “Traffic is light.” I live by many calendars. My tax year runs from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. The programs in my church go from September to May. I go to the stores, and I see what the next “shopping” holiday is, from Halloween to ...
Some years ago, following fellowship dinner at church, the folks would gather together and have a good old fashioned testimony service with singing, sharing of blessings and telling what the Lord has done in their lives. The experience was like the words of the old song, “Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings, see what God hath done.” Singing for Jesus is all about the powerful sharing of our personal testimony, letting people know what the Lord has done or is doing in our life. I believe it would do us all wel...
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” – James 1:2-3 (NKJV) As the weather turns cooler and the leaves fall off the trees, I am reminded of a family story from just a few short years ago. I took my family to a tree farm for our annual tradition of cutting down a Christmas tree. After searching diligently for the perfect tree, cutting it down and getting it tied to the top of our van, we headed down the road towards home. We were all feeling good as we were...
My wife and I just recently received our annual fall flu shot, and it got me to thinking about how the vaccine and immunization program has played an important role in avoiding many harmful diseases. I would like to use the vaccination process as a spiritual illustration of God’s plan of salvation. As we all know, the Panhandle of Nebraska is well known for its cows and ranching. Who knew that cows would save the lives of countless people? In 1796, a physician named Edward Jenner decided to prove a theory that had been circulating for some t...
I’m Lutheran, and we Lutherans often get ourselves tied up in knots over the use of the law in the life of faith. I believe, as Luther did, that Scripture reveals Christ through both Law and Gospel. Law, for Lutherans, is whatever convicts us of our sin and our need for Christ. Another use of the Law, and a hotly disputed one at least in Lutheran circles, is what the reformers knew as the “third use of the Law.” Here the Law serves not only as a mirror for our sinful nature and its desires, but as a guide for proper conduct. That’s where w...
The change to fall reminds me of an excerpt from Henry Ward Beecher’s Novel “Norwood:” Once upon a time a little leaf was heard to sigh and cry, as leaves often do when a gentle wind is about. And the twig said, “What is the matter, little leaf?” And the leaf said, “The wind just told me that one day it would pull me off and throw me down to die on the ground!” The twig told it to the branch on which it grew, and the branch told it to the tree. And when the tree heard it, it rustled all over, and sent back word to the leaf, “Do not be afraid....
As all of us are aware, our U.S. Supreme Court ruled last June that same sex couples can now be legally married throughout our country. The court claimed that it was an issue of equality, dignity and civil rights granted by the Constitution. In this opinion, five Supreme Court justices essentially redefined marriage for all Americans. However, those who claim to be Christians should continue to let God define marriage for us based on the unchanging truths of the Holy Scriptures. It is a very simple description of marriage given to us by God at...
As you read this, the official start of fall is just around the corner. The first frost, brisk winds and the crunch of autumn leaves beneath our feet can’t be far behind. As a young mother, I always felt the maternal instinct to gather my “little chicks” close to me as the days grew shorter and colder, to keep them safe beneath my wings. As a grandmother and great grandmother, this instinct remains within me. However, as any parent or grandparent knows, the time comes when you can no longer keep your “brood” close to you. That is as it should b...
Many years ago, I remember sitting on a bench in my grandparents’ backyard and listening to him talking to a friend who had stopped by for a visit. I overheard him say, “August is a good month to get work done. There are no holidays in August.” Of course, this wasn’t important to a child of 10 or 11 but, a year or so later when I was an altar boy in our church, I realized that there were two special days in August: two Holy Days – Aug. 6, the Transfiguration, and Aug. 15, the Dormition, also called the Assumption of Mary. Later when I joined...
“Greatness isn’t a decision. Greatness comes as a result of making good decisions or producing good results over time.” – Justin Lathrop You may or may not have heard the well-known quote from Jim Collins, “Good is the enemy of great.” Although I get the point that Jim is bringing to our attention, I want to explore it a little deeper. When we go after good things in pursuit of great things, we set ourselves up to be disappointed. You can’t get to great without first being good. You no doubt can’t jump over or pass up important steps along the...
The apostles gathered around Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” (Mark 6:30-31 ). Vacation! We, Americans, love our vacations. Many of us work hard at our vacations and say, “I need a vacation from my vacation.” Vacations are a break from the routine. Jesus knew the value of stepping away from the routine. In the Gospel according to Mark, after the 12 followers of Jesus return from their first attempts at ministry, Jesus says it is time fo...
