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Follow the Leader

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Remember playing “follow the leader” when you were a kid? While working at a roller rink during my late teens, I occasionally played that game with the younger skaters. They followed me around the rink copying exactly what I was doing.
On social media sites, entertainers usually have the greatest number of followers. Let’s look at the top five on Instagram… Taylor Swift: 49.6 million followersKim Kardashian: 48.1 million followers Beyonce: 47.2 million followers Selena Gomez: 45.9 million followers Ariana Grande: 44.6 million followers Now look at the five most followed people on Twitter (according to friendorfollow.com)… Katy Perry: 101,038,793 followerJustin Bieber: 92,035,447 followersBarack Obama: 91,940,321 followersTaylor Swift: 85,432,857 followersRihanna: 75,338,688 followersEverybody follows somebody. A person with a huge amount of followers doesn’t mean he or she is worth following. Adolf Hitler amassed millions of devotees before triggering World War II resulting in much death…
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Love the Jews

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Some believers are reluctant to share the gospel with Jews because of past atrocities done to them in Christ’s name. Nevertheless, they still need to hear the Good News to be saved. A Jewish convert named Paul wrote in Romans 1:16 (NLT), “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes–the Jew first and also the Gentile.” 
Once I lived with a family in Virginia that had a Christian mother and a Jewish father. The mother originally didn’t want me witnessing to her husband because other believers tried forcing the gospel upon him. Three days before I moved out, the Lord instructed me to witness to this man. After mentioning this to his wife (who gave her approval), I asked him questions about his eternal destiny. He wouldn’t pray with me but listened politely as I mentioned a few Old Testament prophecies pointing to Jesus as the Messiah.
At the Mall of America near Minneapolis, some of their kiosk workers are from Israel. W…
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Conviction vs. Condemnation

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Two nights ago I briefly listened to an online church service. I logged off after hearing a young preacher say, “You’re not going to come here [to his church] and feel condemned…or convicted.” I believe he meant well since he talked about mistakes the church made generations before him. Unfortunately, many ministers who emphasize grace disregard the Bible’s warnings on not obeying God’s commandments.
Certainly God doesn’t want us feeling condemned. One dictionary defines condemn as “officially declare (something, especially a building) to be unfit for use.” That same dictionary defines condemnation as “the action of condemning someone to a punishment; sentencing.” Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…” As long as we stay in communion with the Lord, we shouldn’t fear condemnation. There is always hope for redemption.
On the other hand, Jesus told a woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” (John 8:11)  G…
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Remember Their Sacrifices

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Every year on July 4th, my fellow Americans celebrate the anniversary of our nation’s declared independence from Great Britain. Yet many of them take our freedoms for granted. It’s often been said, “Freedom isn’t free.” Over the years, countless U. S. soldiers shed their blood so we can enjoy this prosperous nation God blessed us with.
What’s also tragic are the veterans neglected by the very people who should be assisting them. Fortunately, President Trump recently signed the Veterans Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. This will hopefully cut down on the number of bad VA employees making it difficult for veterans to receive benefits they deserve.
In the meantime, many homeless veterans are begging on street corners asking for help. I go out of my way to minister to them as well as other veterans I’ve seen wearing caps indicating they fought in certain wars. First I approach these veterans by thanking them for their service and mention that I spent time in the Army Nationa…
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God Needs You

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Occasionally I hear believers say, “God doesn't need us…we need Him.” Of course, I agree with the latter part of that statement but have to take issue with the first part.
Throughout the Bible, God used man to help accomplish His plans and purposes. What if Noah had refused to build the ark? Except for animals that live in the sea, all of creation would have perished in the flood. 
What if Moses didn’t go before Pharaoh and told him to let his people go? The Israelites might have stayed in captivity longer until God raised up someone else to be the deliverer. In fact, Moses killing an Egyptian in Exodus 2:12 and then going into exile delayed Israel’s time of deliverance. Instead of 400 years as originally prophesied in Genesis 15:13, Egypt’s affliction upon Israel lasted 430 years.
Look at this passage in Ezekiel 22…
30 “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.  31 The…
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A Dedication to Dad

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On this Father’s Day, I want to take time to honor the man who brought me into this world and took care of my needs while growing up.
Richard C. Post was born in 1943 in Hood River, Oregon. His father was stationed there as a soldier during World War II. The family later moved to North Dakota. My dad eventually graduated from Fargo Central High. The late singer Bobby Vee was one of his classmates.
After a brief stint in college, Dad settled into a career as an interior decorator. Over the years he worked at various furniture stores in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Dad could have made more money as a traveling salesman but opted for jobs that allowed him to come home every night to be with my mother, sister, and me. Often our evenings were spent watching TV and playing an occasional board game. Dad sometimes brought meals home for us such as hamburgers and Mexican food. In recent years, we’ve often eaten at Asian buffets.
During the 1970s, Dad’s work prospered him enough to own three cars incl…
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Children’s Day

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Probably a question most kids ask is, “How come we have a Mother’s Day and a Father’s Day but no Children’s Day?” Many adults answer, “Every day is Children’s Day.” One time I noticed a Children’s Day on a calendar given to me for Christmas. I eagerly showed it to my parents wanting another day to receive presents. Our family observed Children’s Day only once. My dad simply gave me money to go bowling that day.
According to Wikipedia, Children’s Day is observed on different days in different countries. Children’s Day in the United States actually predates both Mother’s and Father’s Day. Many churches started it in the 1860s. Today there are Americans campaigning for Children’s Day to be a national holiday. They believe there are physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual reasons for children to have a special day of their own.
Psalm 127:3 (NLT) says, “Children are a gift from the Lord;they are a reward from him.” Those involved with raising and teaching kids should be careful not to abu…
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