Sometimes I miss my days in seminary. Sometimes not. I started out at Asbury Seminary in Wilmore, KY, but transferred to a smaller seminary in central Indiana affiliated with the church tradition I was raised in. There, in Anderson, Indiana, I had a great little attic apartment . . . right across the street from both the seminary and a cemetery! 

If you didn’t grow up in a church with a checklist, you really missed out. I went to a fundamentalist church as a child and a fundamentalist high school, and they both had lists of things we, as Christians, should not do (notice the word “not”).

This summer has been a challenge – in more ways than one! I’ve had some personal challenges, including helping to care for an old friend . . . but all that should be over now, and I really do appreciate your prayers and understanding during this . . . well, challenging time.

And then there was Revelation! 

I’ve had two conversations recently that began with a question like, “can you tell me something good to make me believe the USA isn’t on fire and going to hell in a hand basket?” 

And my answer? “As a matter of fact, I can. The church is still the church, planting little colonies of heaven wherever they live. That’s the good news.” 

Fill in the blank: 

“I am stuck on Band-Aid brand ‘cause ________.” 
“Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce, ___________.” 
“Nationwide is ______.”
“Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh _________.”
“My baloney has a first name, it’s _______.”

I guarantee if you’re of a certain age, you could answer every one of those – and I purposely chose jingles from decades ago, because once they’re in your brain, you NEVER forget them. 

The book of Revelation has been interpreted at cross purposes with the writer’s original intent more than any other book of the Bible. John’s purpose in writing revelation was to bring hope to the  persecuted people of God. The opening verses state that the book’s purpose is not to cause fear, but to be a source of blessing:  “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it . . .” What’s the repeated word? Terrified? Intimidated? No. Blessed. 

Hexakosioihexakontahexaphobia - do you have it?? It’s the (irrational) fear of the number 666.

I’m here to give you the cure. 

The four Horsemen of the apocalypse riding out onto the world's stage is one of the most famous images in the book of Revelation. But what do they represent? What is their purpose? And what does it have to do with us in the 21st-century?

Now I know Revelation is not everyone’s cup of tea. 

But the problem is, if we don’t talk about it, someone else will. And with the situation in the Middle East, there are a lot of people talking! On social media, too many folks claim to be experts, but actually they know little to nothing about what God is saying to the church through the book of Revelation. 

This past Sunday, when I was preaching about the way believers in places like Syria and Nigeria read the book of Revelation, I didn’t know that I could have used them as recent object lessons for my sermon.  I didn’t know that in the early hours of Friday, June 13, 2025, more than 200 Christian villagers were slaughtered by Islamic Jihadists. I’ve seen     NOTHING in the news about it. 

One of the most fascinating places I’ve ever visited is the ruins of Ephesus on the west coast of Turkey. When you enter the harbor side of the city, you wander down the old harbor road, past the marketplace where Paul sold tents and where Demetrius the silversmith sold images of Artemis. Turning right onto the marble street takes you past the great theater which featured in Acts 19, past smaller temples, the great library, the bathhouses, civic buildings, until you reach: 

When I think of summer, I think of peaches, watermelon, homemade ice cream, cookouts, vacations and (maybe because it includes all those things) camp meetings! 

I was raised in a church that  practiced — strictly practiced — full immersion. When baptized, we went completely under the water. I remember the first time I immersed someone. We were baptizing several youth who came to Christ at youth camp. I baptized a couple of middle-school boys, and that was no problem. 

For years I was hung up on baptism.

I was immersed (dunked) when I was 8 years old. It was my choice. I was absolutely sincere in my faith and in my intention to follow Jesus. But… 

During Holy Week, I went to North Carolina to do a service with Josh Bruce, a young pastor who grew up in my first congregation. While he was showing me his town, I noticed a lot of homeless people. I asked if there were any ministries to the homeless, and he said as far as he knew there were not. 

“I believe” are two of the most important words we can utter. Why? Because what we truly believe determines how we live. As a camp meeting preacher once proclaimed, “The reason some of you don’t live anything is because you don’t believe anything!” 

t’s kinda sad to see the chocolate bunnies, eggs and marshmallow peeps in the Publix discount bins. Like the folks who take their Christmas trees down on December 26, the “fun stuff” goes away a long time before the celebration’s over! 

Well, it’s Sunday morning when I’m writing this, and we’re at Tralee in the southwest of Ireland. The trip is going well, but I really miss you all this morning. 

Yes, I do mean that! 

We’ve seen some magnificent scenery (sheep, rock walls, ruined castles and abbeys,  gorse and grass)  and have eaten some really great food (that is, if you like lamb and blood pudding — which I do). 

I’ll be out of town this weekend, but if I were in town, I would be preaching from John 20:19–31, a passage about “Doubting Thomas.” Since I won’t be here, I thought I’d share a few thoughts.  

Well, I missed it this year! Since 1975, I’ve caught at least part of The Ten Commandments on television during its annual showing. Normally, it’s broadcast on Easter weekend, but this year, because Passover was last Saturday, they showed it a week early! 

And I missed it.