Hope Springs Eternal Misery!?

Where are you placing your hope? Right now, many are placing their hope in the start of a new year. We are at the place of new beginnings. It must be true. We saw the ball drop.

Okay, okay, let's get our heads on straight. Remember where many people put their hope at the beginning of last year (2020)? OH! That's right! They put their hope in the new year!!! How did that turn out?

Might I suggest a better place to put our hope. The prophet tells us, i...

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A Sabbath Week

The week between Christmas and New Years has always been like a Sabbath rest for me, even before I really knew Christ. Since we are now in a relationship, He has made this time even more meaningful.

This is not a biblical/theological Sabbath week. It is simply an agreed upon vacation with my Lord. Together we reflect on the year just past, our relationship, our struggles, our blessings, how we grew, and many other aspects of our life together. By "our life to...

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Christmas Eve Service Online

This is Pastor Wayne. I have already created the online event for our Christmas Eve Service. It will be via Facebook Live at 6:30 PM MST on Thursday.  You can join us on Facebook Live even if you are not a member of Facebook. I have included the direct link to the Live service HERE. If you are a Facebook member and would like a Live reminder, go to the ...
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He's Coming!!!

Are You Ready?

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Turning Off the River

We are in south central New Mexico in the United States. The Rio Grande (Big River) flows right through the middle of town. Wildlife, especially waterfowl, depends upon the river. Farmers and ranchers depend upon the river, especially the chile farmers in Hatch, New Mexico. Even the tourist industry depends on the Rio Grande for visitors to be able to float the river in their tubes. The river continues to flow south to El Paso, Texas, and then on to Mexico and down to t...

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God Questions #3 by our Families Pastor - Karla Martin

When I started this series of God teaching us with questions, I

was focusing on questions God asked people, He is the original

Socratic teacher, the Original Teacher. But last time I cheated

and used an implied question--what would Adam call the

animals brought to him. This time I seem even more off-topic.

Instead of a question God asks someone, this is a question

someone asked about God.

“Did God really say, ‘You mu...

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God Questions #2 by our Families Pastor - Karla Martin

The first question recorded of God is in Genesis 3, way back in the Garden of Eden, when He asks Adam where he’s hiding. But we notice a subtle, indirect teaching question before that even! 

 

In Genesis chapter 2, after God had created the world, and man, and put man in the Garden, and after He had given the first “Thou shalt not,” we find God teaching man to think. But notice,  “Thou shalt not,” that rule, is pu...

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God Questions #1 by our Families Pastor - Karla Martin

When God Questions:

Socrates did not invent the Socratic method, the method of

teaching someone to think by asking questions. God did. Do not

be surprised. He created the brain, thinking, mankind, and He is

not just a good teacher, but the Good Teacher. Knowing all

things and being outside of time--well, except in the

incarnation, when the Word became flesh, when the Creator was

born a baby entering time and invading history; ma...

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So Far Behind!

Wow! It is amazing how far one can get in the proverbial work hole while away on a short vacation. My wife and I took a needed break the week before last. We didn't go far, didn't even leave the state. We weren't gone long, a total of eleven days. However, I have been back home for a little over a week and still feel like I am two weeks behind! How does that even work?

In my morning devotions, I was reading about the children of Israel, God's ancie...

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DS Devotional Day 5

Day 5: Crafting a New Identity

In the first chapter of Galatians, Paul tells a bit of personal history that is not revealed in any of the other stories about him.  He says that after his conversion experience, he went “into Arabia”(vs 17) before consulting with the Apostles or anyone else about his new-found faith.

I’m not sure that anyone has exactly interpreted what Paul was talking about with this reference to Arabia, but it seems t...

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DS Devotional Day 4

Day 4: Purposeful Wilderness

Matthew tells us that Jesus was actually led by the Spirit into the wilderness (4:1).  It was immediately after his baptism.  It must have been quite a moment for Jesus.  John the Baptist recognized him as the coming one, the Spirit of God descended upon him like a dove, and God, Himself, spoke from heaven to confirmed, “This is my Son, whom I love.”  What an incredible personal moment for Jesus!  H...

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DS Devotional Day 3

Day 3, Life-changing InsightThroughout these days of social isolation and exile from our churches, camp ground, and families, the wilderness experience of the prophet Ezekiel has captured my imagination. Ezekiel was experiencing exile in Babylon. He says he was out alone by the Kebar river when God appeared to him in a new way.

You are probably familiar with the image of four living creatures with four faces and wings, each with their “chariot”&mda...

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DS Devotional Day 2

Day 2: I Hear You Calling

I suppose the most famous wilderness wanderer in scripture is Moses.  With the exception of his first 40 years of life, Moses’ entire life was spent in the wilderness.  In the wilderness, Moses had countless encounters with God—life changing encounters.  The one that started it all, though, happened when eighty-year-old-shepherd-Moses stopped to see a bush that was on fire, yet not consumed.

What happened ...

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DS Devotional Day 1

This devotional was for our online camp meeting. I found it when the Superintendent for the NM District of the Church of the Nazarene posted it on Facebook. Enjoy!

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In case you missed it, the following article was written for our Family Camp virtual Bugle last week.  I will post each day's devotional this week.

Day 1: Walk Like an Aramean

The very first camp meeting in America can be traced back to North Carolina in 1794 and it too...

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ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

This coming Sunday, August 2, 2020, we will be doing worship just a little bit differently. We will still have you join us at 10:30 AM Mountain Time on Facebook Live. Then, you will get to join us as we join the NM District for a special worship service. We will also provide you a link in the comments that will allow you to watch the w...

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