Posts by Rev. Paul C. Ziemer

“However, Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father’s household, and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho, and she lives in Israel to this day.” Joshua 6:25 It’s a false dream that suggests humans can earn the favor of God by living a good life. It’s despicable arrogance that leads someone to think: “Unlike myself, that person over there does not deserve God’s favor!” The truth is: no one deserves…

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god (Daniel 1:1,2). Sometimes we are confused, maybe even shocked, to see what the Ruler of…

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted (Matthew 28:16). Doubts are like stones thrown onto our path.  Small doubts may just make us pay attention to our footing.  Large doubts can become spiritual IEDs. The person who never has any doubts is at great risk. We dare not believe everything we read on the Internet.   We scoff at ads that promise:…

“The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD” (Amos 8:11). We have heard about famines. We have seen the pictures of emaciated adults and small children whose bones seem to show through their skin. We feel sorry for such people. The Bible mentions many famines. We are told: “Now there was a…

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:2-6 The famous poem declares, “No man is an island.” We…

We Remember “Remember my chains.” Colossians 4:18 In a famous poem, Rudyard Kipling repeated the warning to his British countrymen, “Lest we forget—lest we forget.” On the anniversary of a day when terror struck from the skies, it would be well for Americans to heed that warning. It may be disturbing to learn there are some who do not remember the day when planes full of passengers were used as weapons to target buildings full of people. But we remember.…

Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it” (Genesis 18:23,24)? When we think of days that brought death and destruction, 9-11 and New York City might come to mind. So might Pearl Harbor on a December 7th. Yet neither compares to the…

And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him (Revelation 12:7-9). As much as peace is to be sought for and war to be…

There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (I Kings 19:9) He was hiding. He was giving up. He was feeling sorry for himself. From the heights to the depths! Sometimes, that’s how our lives go. Just a short time ago, Elijah was riding the crest of success, He had challenged the priests of Baal and overcome them. The people had shouted, “The Lord,…

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14). She brought a blanket to the cemetery. It was a pink one. It was a baby blanket. She did not smile, but she did not cry. She had that far-away look that combat veterans sometimes get. She had come to complete a task. She had come to bury her daughter. There had been no funeral. There…