FIRST PRESBYTERIAN

“But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish.” Jonah 1:3 Sandwiched between Obadiah and Micah, the Book of Jonah centers on the big fish that swallowed the disobedient prophet living in the northern kingdom of Israel. Stuck in its belly for three days, he had conversations with God, repented, was spit out and went to the grand capital of the Assyrian Empire. As instructed, he announced, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” To his shocking surpr

“For you have exalted above all things your name and your word.” Psalm 138:2b The average morning in many households is probably hectic. Kids need to be readied for school and if the carpool driver has to honk, the gulped-down granola feeds guilt more than the belly. The lucky person working from home is free to sip coffee, but skips traditional “quiet time with the Lord” for a devotional quick fix on YouTube. Great if a big name like Max Lucado or David Jeremiah pops u

“I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.” Hosea 2:14 Let’s face it, “allure” is not a normal word in today’s culture. The consummate fisherman uses his most trusted bait to “lure” the fish. They are not being allured by a frying pan to go sizzle in it. To be fair, the dictionary weighs in with this, “Allure is generally a quality, charm, or mysterious power of attraction.” That may still make us want to tear out our

“None of those condemned things shall be found in your hands, so that the Lord will turn from his fierce anger…” Deuteronomy 13:17 “Stuff” in the Bible? To my young granddaughter Kelly, “stupid” was the ultimate BAD word. Her Grami and sister Keri explained that people do stupid things, but only saying it to their face would not be good. Besides, “stupid” is in the Bible, as is “stuff.” We have a love/hate relationship with ours. Small things go into a junk drawer, bi

“The Nephilim were on the earth those days”…”for you created all things and by your will they were created….” Genesis 6:4a; Revelation 4:11b The long and short of it is that Genesis 6:1-4 is thought by analysts to be more muddling than all 22 chapters of Revelation. The most bookish of the apostles who changed his name from Saul as in “Asked for” to Paul, meaning “little,” would have us heed his big advice to Timothy, “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid argum

“There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names…This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY – BABYLON THE GREAT – THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OFTHE EARTH.” Revelation 17:3; 5 Technically, it replicated the ziggurat of ancient Mesopotamia, known as “Gate of God.” Particularized in Genesis 11:1-9, God’s people by now just as heathenish, built a great city with a tower that would reach the sky. In Hebrew the na

“”You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Genesis 216 The woman graciously directed by God to drive me places these days, just wants to go by the name “Uber Driver.” Riding with her to medical appointments is always a riot. If the one comes up where the U.S. Capitol was stormed and the Vice President’s wife targeted for sudden widowhood, we don’t make

“For the good that I wish I do not do…There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 7:19; 8:1 If there is room for puzzlement in our mind, we can safely assume that not even the Apostle famous for his keen mind, could discern a connection between title and text. No tent he ever made had a complicated inside. However, the complexity of his discourse known as THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS vastly differs. Dictated by him to Tertius in

“Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley…” Ezekiel 37:7 Quite suddenly as well, I may be stirred from deep sleep by the strong rattling of my upstairs bedroom window. A jet headed for landing at nearby Van Nuys airport, is flying unusually low. Family nerves were rattled after a jet intentionally crashed into New York’s twin towers and in the wake of the 911 disaster, all air traffic across our nation was halted for one week. The abnormal sil

“I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” Matthew 25:43 In 1973 an outstanding human being and innovative leader joined Hollywood First Pres as Associate Pastor. Don Buteyn organized a tour of rehabilitation facilities that served patients freshly released from the hospital. Our group of would-be visitors cringed at a mere whiff of urine, but liked Briar Oaks. Our experienced leader called it the “Cadillac” of skilled nursing places in Hollywood.

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:34 ‘”An elephant never forgets!” Riva, the pill-pushing pachyderm mascot in the “Neuriva” commercial, clearly favors pharmaceuticals over prophets. That’s why she triggered my wicked sense of humor, since her wonder drug appears to be mostly caffeine with “cherry extract.” That reddish substance is seen on the coffee beans while they ripen on trees in countries where tea is perhaps th

“Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 22:13 Thanks to my affinity for legal thrillers, I used to buy the newest bestseller by John Grisham the moment I saw it on Amazon. When I spotted “The Widow” by chance while looking for dry-eye relief, I automatically scanned the reviews. One who gave it five stars, claimed it was Grisham’s best ever. The lone grump complained that he had to read

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” 1 Corinthians 1:10 The motto in quotation marks in the title above popped up perfectly timed in a rerun of “Chicago Fire.” While searching for the perfect Scripture, Paul’s “famous” appeal for unity stood out. Yet much to my own surprise, I found

“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble.” 2 Peter 1:10 The midterms are mercifully behind us, leaving some feeling elated and some deflated enough to relocate to Groanland. That’s not how the Danes spell it, but proper English is not a prerequisite in current politics. After the groaning Israelites escaped the tyranny of Egypt, the unruly lot were ruled by Judges. A woman

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?’” John 11:25 The theologian in me is chomping at the bit to dive into the kind of story where sane people artlessly mumble, “You can’t make up this kind of stuff.” The flaky earthling in me hears a kind soul say, “You look great today,” and instantly I conclude that most days I look nea

“…giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.” Ephesians 5:20-21 Most popular translations substitute the word “reverence” for “fear,” which sounds too forbidding for modern ears. Don’t tell that to the loving, former school principal whose recent birthday card to me read, “You’re the Birthday Queen today. You should be Honored, Worshipped & just a little Feared.” Lest I put on air

‘’Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.” Acts 2:2 I, however, found myself walking in the inner city, also in suburbia, and in the adjoining countryside, yet wherever I looked in amazement, there was water. No flood had occurred, no people were seen, and no anxiety was triggered. It was as if pristine, spring fed mountain lakes had merged to create images of sparkling beauty in places far be

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:6 NIV Is it safe to say that prayer is both a matter of routine and mystery? I cheat some at breakfast when I borrow from “Daily Meditations for Mealtime” by Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), England’s “Prince of Preachers.” Today’s selection read, “Lord Jesus, be our holy guest, our morning joy, o

Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep nor shall your tears run down. Ezekiel 24:16 The day of August 14, 586 B.C. may have started pleasantly for Ezekiel’s wife. Perhaps she busied herself with chores best done in the cool of the morning, but briefly looked in on her husband to give him a kiss. “I’m writing a Cooking Pot parable,” he might have said with a smile. Was there a look on his fac

Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep nor shall your tears run down. Ezekiel 24:16 “Son of man, behold….” Son of man is the biblical emphatic form of “man,” meaning human being, and occurs 93 times in the Book of Ezekiel. When we yearn to pray differently – in order to make the difference Jesus desires on behalf of His Father’s glory – we first learn to unlearn former prayer habits. Forget