Author Archives: salooper57

About salooper57

Husband, father, pastor, follower. I am a disciple of Jesus, learning how to do life from him. I read, write, walk, play a little guitar, enjoy my family.

Do Not Judge Me by the Enemies I Have Made

Posted on September 25, 2021 by salooper57

Franklin Delano Roosevelt famously said, “I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made.” He may have drawn on the Arabian adage, “Judge a man by the reputation of his enemies.” It seems people have long defined … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Theology, Worldview and Culture | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Uniquely His: The White Stone of the Revelation

Posted on September 22, 2021 by salooper57

What do people call you? A name, nickname, or maybe just, “Hey, you!” Or maybe “Mom” or “Grandma.” What will God call you – sinner or saint? What other people call you matters little. What God calls you matters a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Theology | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Identity Issues: Growing Up in the Adam’s Family

Posted on September 18, 2021 by salooper57

Everyone carries baggage from their growing up years. No family is perfect, some are hideous, and all have their oddities. It’s like everyone grows up in the Addams family. For some people I have known, the Addams family would have … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Family, Marriage and Family, relationships, Spiritual life | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Spiritual Life: Running on All Cylinders

Posted on September 15, 2021 by salooper57

Years ago, I had a van with over 200,000 miles and it was running really rough. It was backfiring and stalling. I thought we would have to make an appointment for a tune-up. But before I did that, I opened the hood and there, right in front of me, was a spark plug wire hanging loose. The engine was running on only five of its six cylinders. As soon as I put the wire back on, it ran fine (or as fine as a van with about a quarter million miles can be expected to run)

If you lack spiritual life, you are running on only one of two cylinders. Continue reading →

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I Would Have Given You Even More: David and Bathsheba

Posted on September 12, 2021 by salooper57

What might that phrase, “I would have given you even more,” include? What did David miss out on that would have been his? What joys, what adventures, what honors, what insights and raptures might have been David’s, had he not forfeited them by his disastrous choices?

Look at what God says he had given David. An anointing: He anointed him king when he was still a teenager and an unknown. Deliverance: he delivered him from ruin and death at the hands of Saul. Authority: He had given him his master’s house with all its symbols of power. People: He had given him Israel and Judah: their admiration and love, as well as their obedience and submission.

What about us? Has God given us anything? Continue reading →

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Digging Bunkers: The Misuse of Knowledge

Posted on September 11, 2021 by salooper57

If you and I were to type in the same search term or phrase on Google, we would likely get different results. Let’s say we search for “Fun things to do.” Our Google search will be personalized by our location … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Lifestyle, relationships | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Good Shepherd: That They Might Have Life

Posted on September 10, 2021 by salooper57

In John 10, Jesus used a figure of speech while he was teaching and, verse six, people did not get it. That is a comfort to me, a preacher, for there have been times when I was speaking that I … Continue reading →

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The Good Shepherd

Posted on September 9, 2021 by salooper57

Back in the 1980s, a congressional panel, led by Claude Pepper, revealed that thousands of Americans might be receiving treatment from doctors who lied on their medical school loan applications, and then used the money not to go to school … Continue reading →

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An Alphabet of Praise

Posted on September 8, 2021 by salooper57

For years, I went to sleep repeating the alphabet and finding a characteristic of God for each letter. Sometimes it is a stretch – especially at 2 am! Many times, I have used the same exercise on a half-day of … Continue reading →

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God The Builder (2 Samuel 7)

Posted on September 6, 2021 by salooper57

2 Samuel 7 has been called “one of the most important chapters in the Bible.” Here we explore its importance to the biblical story of Jesus and to our lives.

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