Posts by Deane
“All” is Hard
Jesus was a fly in the religious ointment of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law. As hard as they tried, they could not trap Him or prove Him wrong in anything He said. So, the week of His crucifixion when Jesus was in the temple being bombarded by these…
Read MoreHedging a Bet
From late spring through early fall, our family farm is a popular place for gatherings, reunions, campouts, and weekend chillouts. About 65 years ago, my father built a cabin on the creek running through the property that has served as the centerpiece of these events. There’s just one problem: it…
Read MoreSitting in Judgement
Pigpen, a character in the “Peanuts” cartoon strip by Charles Schultz, is characterized by a cloud of dust and dirt following him around. At times in the raising of our boys, I felt as if Pigpen lived in our home. But in recent years that dust cloud has come to…
Read MoreThe Mystery of Wisdom
In the 1999 movie, “The Matrix,” Morpheus speaks to Neo who is searching for answers. “The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth — that you were born into a prison for…
Read MoreWho’s In Charge?
My seventh-grade class was unusual in that the principal of the school was also our homeroom teacher. He commanded great respect, but when he was out of the classroom attending to school business, the class erupted into a free-for-all. Occasionally we would get so loud that a teacher from another…
Read MoreProblems with the Messenger
“Don’t kill the messenger!” That saying likely came from the account of David putting to death the messenger who assisted in King Saul’s demise, then brought the “good” news to David that he could now become King of Israel. While that messenger was not from God, the Lord used many…
Read MoreAmazing Grace
Grace is defined as the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God; a virtue or excellence of divine origin. Most older people are surprised by the practice of grace because we have been raised to believe we must earn what we receive. Many of the younger generation are thought…
Read MoreJust Testing
Proverbs 17:3 reads, “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.” Solomon is saying in this proverb that everything of value must be tested to uphold that value. In the case of precious metals, the testing is heat, fire. But because man often…
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