Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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In Genesis 25, it tells the story of Esau and Jacob, brothers as different as night and day, who had fought with one another even in their mother’s womb. Though they were twins, Esau was the firstborn and had the right to certain privileges. The firstborn was entitled to a double inheritance and would someday take his father’s place as the head of the family business. What is more, he also would be expected to take on the spiritual leadership of his clan. But Esau never got to...
Just as I was beginning this article on communication, I received a text message! I don't need to tell you the many forms of communication that are part of our world today, such as text messaging, email, social media, phones (cell and landlines), etc. Of course, actually having a face-to-face conversation is still the best form of communication. Good communication is critical for many things, but is especially critical for good relationships. Whenever I do premarital counseling, one of the first topics I discuss with engaged...
To the editor: I am writing this as a concerned citizen of Shafter, as well as a former employee and former Board member of the Richland School District. On July 20, 2023, an article appeared in the Shafter Press concerning school districts spending of federal covid relief funds. It was stated, “Numerous attempts to contact Superintendent Rosa Romero have gone unanswered, as well as calls to Richland Finance Director Martin Rodriguez” as to how the Richland School District had spent their allotted $11.1 million of fun...
Should faith be a public or a private matter? That question comes up in several contexts, but the basic answer is that faith must be both. We can illustrate that point from the practice of the Lord’s Supper. Since there are only two sacraments, the Lord invested each one with an astonishing depth and richness of meaning. In the instructions given by Paul about the Lord's Supper, it's clear that there is a strongly individual element. Each one is supposed to examine himself (...
There were once two brothers, one a shepherd and the other a farmer. One day they gave gifts to their father. The shepherd son gave the best sheep of his flock, while the farmer son thoughtlessly gave low-quality vegetables. The father was delighted with the best sheep but was displeased with the poor produce. The farmer’s son was very angry at his brother for one-upping his gift. These feelings boiled over into rage, and one day the angry son murdered his brother! This is a retelling of Cain’s anger and murder of Abel (Ge...
If you were to do a search for movie titles that contain the word "kingdom," you'd end up with well over 1,000 to choose from! I believe that everyone is looking for something or someone greater than themselves to believe in and to follow. As I'm beginning a study through the Gospel of Matthew, I've entitled the series "The Kingdom" for good reasons. The greatest and longest-lasting kingdom is the Kingdom of God, found through faith in Jesus Christ. Let me offer just few highlights from the Gospel of Matthew regarding the...
In life, we all face times of abandonment and loneliness. Sometimes it may feel like the whole world is against you. In 2nd Timothy 4:17, Paul said, “The Lord stood with me, and he strengthened me.”Paul had been done much evil by a man known as Alexander the coppersmith. Alexander had made a shipwreck of his faith and became an enemy of the Gospel. It seems like Alexander intimidated many of Paul’s hearers as he tried to disrupt the ministry of Paul. The spirit of this world...
For the last month, parents have been bombarded with ads with back-to-school must-haves. Each one encourages us to start their school year off right by purchasing everything from clothes and school supplies to electronics. But getting kids off to a good start in life, as well as in school, is something that cannot be purchased and which needs to be addressed long before that panicked, last-minute trip to the store. Many have the idea that our schools are totally responsible...
The old saying goes, “Everyone’s a critic!” How true this is in a world where all of us are sinners with keen eyes to find faults in others. Critics quickly pounce on other’s flaws and point out failures. A lesson more valuable than gold is how to handle criticism. “He that refuses instruction hates himself: but he who listens to reproof acquires understanding.” (Proverbs 15:32). There is a difference between constructive criticism and destructive criticism. Destructive criticism notices the faults and failures of others a...
There’s an old song that says Heaven will surely be worth it all. The first verse of that song says, “Often I’m hindered on my way, burden so heavy I almost fall, then I hear Jesus sweetly say, Heaven will surely be worth it all.” Heaven will be worth all the hurt.[Down here we have sorrow and suffering, but Heaven will be worth it all. In life we face many discouragements. Psalms. 42:5 says, ”Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted in me? Hope in God an...
Bible trivia enthusiasts likely know that the shortest verse in the Bible contains just two words: “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35). There are several references in the Bible to Jesus crying or weeping. The one just mentioned was at the graveside of a friend — a friend named Lazarus – whom Jesus was about to raise from the dead (John 11:1–44). This shows a Jesus accessible to human emotion, sharing the grief of others, experiencing the tragedy of death even as he was a conqueror over it. It’s a helpful reminder to all believers in...
We live in a world full of trials, troubles, struggles, hardships, frustrations and disappointments. Adversities happen unexpectedly and are out of our control. Loss of a job, an opportunity, money, health, or a loved one. "Man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upwards" (Job 5:7). The wise Christian expects troubles in our fallen world. God's Word reveals a wise perspective to understand adversity and to make a righteous plan to face it when it inevitably arrives. Adversity turns you to God. Adversity is used by God to turn...
Father’s Day, like many holidays, gives rise to a lot of mixed emotions. For many, the lack of a loving and involved father or father figure brings a deep sense of loss and insecurity. I stand on the precipice of being fatherless – my precious dad just received a terminal diagnosis, yet I count myself blessed because of his love, support and wise advice over many years. My heart breaks, not for my coming loss, but for the orphaned generations, who hunger for the security of...
Every church is flawed. People have bad experiences, of one kind or another, even at healthy churches. Churches are made up of people, so this isn't a big surprise. It can be a big disappointment, or an obstacle to going back, but it shouldn't be a shock when churches have problems. A major source of problems is people. That's too big a subject for one article, though, so I'll narrow the focus substantially. Some of the difficulties churches have, and some of the bad experiences people have in churches, arise from a lack of...
If you desire to live in a world without conflict, then you are living in the wrong world. The sinful nature of humanity will lead to conflicts, disagreements, and divisions. “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident … hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions …”(Galatians 5:19-20). Conflict is a serious disagreement over a difference in opinion, purpose, or preference. Conflict may be caused by misunderstandings, poor communication, different values, goals, priorities, expecta...
I was on the streets of Shafter to get answers for a survey that we were conducting. I was getting frustrated because I had been turned down by residents who did not want to take part in any survey. It was on about the seventh or eighth person in a row that I had been turned down when I saw a couple of ladies coming out of a market on Central Avenue. I really didn’t want to try again, but something told me to give them a shot. I started talking to them and her friend turned t...
May is one of those months that sees the weather get warmer, the end of the school year get closer, and we celebrate Mother's Day! Although not all of us are moms, we certainly all had one at some point in our lives. I know that many of you have lost your moms or realize the days you have together are far less than what have already passed. Let's also admit that we can sometimes take our moms for granted, so perhaps having at least one day per year to honor them, reminds us to do that more often! Let me suggest a few ways to...
Many people are at least vaguely familiar with the Ten Commandments. And quite a few people know the story behind them — that God gave them to Moses on the top of Mt. Sinai. But much less familiar is the story [BEGIN ITAL]inside[END ITAL] the Ten Commandments, a story about God. Several of the commandments have backup information included in them. In other words, there’s whatever God tells us to do or not to do, but then there’s also an explanation for it. And those explanatio...
In Philippians 3:14, the Apostle Paul writes, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Any athlete knows it takes clear goals and consistent hard work to win an Olympic gold medal. Successful entrepreneurs are those who stay focused on their objectives and labor daily to achieve them. Dreams may inspire but are only transformed from mere hopeful fantasies when they are defined by measurable goals with a clear plan or at least some specific starting steps and a com...
Most of us every day want to put on fresh clothes. After one day, we want to take off the old and put on the new. This same picture is used for Christians putting off the old fleshly qualities we lived in before putting on our new righteous character qualities in Christ (Ephesians 4:20-24). Biblical wisdom is tied to Christlike character qualities that transform the heart and character. Biblical wisdom is characterized by truth, purity, gentleness, peacefulness, reasonableness, mercy and sincerity as Christians are a...
To the editor: The CALI Wasco Youth Coalition has been advocating for a safer tobacco-free community for the past five years. Our coalition is part of the non-California Health Collaborative, Unidos Por Salud Project- a regional tobacco prevention program serving youth, young adults and the Latinx community in seven counties. Our current coalition is joined by Wasco and Lost Hills high school youth who have hosted youth events, engaged in outreach during school resource fairs, and educated local and state elected officials on...
I probably don't need to tell you that Easter was celebrated this year on April 9. Sanctuaries were decorated, choirs practiced, meals were planned and served for family gatherings, and some of you may have even gone shopping for a new outfit just for that special day! Most importantly, of course, was the opportunity to gather with other believers and celebrate the living hope we have in Jesus! Periodically, I'm asked the question, "How do we know it's true?" In the world of Biblical studies, that would fall into the...
Thank God for the resurrected life. We are not what we once were, but we have been set free by the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:1 says, "...and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins." Let's look at some marks of the resurrected life in a Christian. 1st Peter 1:3 says, "We now have a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead." There is a living hope inside the Christian and it's actively alive in every situation that we may...
To the editor: The Wasco VFW Post 6742 has been around for over 75 years. My uncle, James Greer, was a member when I was a small kid. He would wear his green garrison cap with lots of little pins and medals to his once-a-month evening meetings. He had lots of friends who were there at the meetings. They would tell old stories, compare experiences at the same overseas locations and give each other much respect around town. He would point out to me someone we would run across downtown and comment, "That guy over there sitting a...
God's word often exposes the sins of God's people. In that way, the Bible is a tremendously honest and forthright book. Even in the case of heroes and giants in the faith, the reality of failure or unfortunate behavior is recorded. I'm thinking specifically here of Paul and Barnabas. They were old friends – Barnabas brought Paul into the church in Jerusalem (Acts 9:27). They worked together in the church in Antioch (Acts 11:25–26). They had been companions in missionary lab...
