Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
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Jesus said, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain be removed and cast into the sea. It will obey you. In looking at our next judge, we will see that mustard seed sized faith in action. Israel had sinned again. This time God sent Midianites and other eastern nomadic nations to oppress Israel. They did. Scripture proposes they were like locusts stripping the land of everything. The raiding bands of Midianites lived on the move, in tents, taking everything w...
Many may tune out the sound of a siren, but for first responders, it’s the beginning of a serious situation. The First Church of the Brethren in Roaring Spring honored first responders during a church service on Sunday, April 16. The idea sprouted from the Outreach and Missions Club of the church, and the service will now be an annual event for the church. Some of the first responders in attendance included Assistant Chief Corey Eicher, Landon Beers, Tim Laird, Bill Beers, Gary Thompson, Fred Beers, and Bobbi Beers, who led the call to worship....
Trinity United Methodist Church in Roaring Spring will host its monthly Manna on Monday on April 24 from noon to 1 p.m. This will be a sit-down meal or take-out. The menu will consist of cheeseburgers, mac and cheese, vegetable and dessert. This meal is free to the community and all are welcome. –––––––––––––––– The Ladies Encounter will be held at Faith Assembly of God Church 4870 Spring Mountain Road, Roaring Spring, on Saturday, April 29, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bonnie Floyd will be the speaker. More information at www.ladiesencoun...
John 13: 31-35 Do you ever think about what might have been happening up in Heaven in the time before Jesus came to earth—before all eternity? Do you think God could have lovingly put his arm around Jesus’ shoulder and said, “Son, you are going to leave Heaven. You will go to a manger and to a small carpenter shop. You will flee Egypt as a fugitive. You’ll go to banquets with tax collectors and prostitutes. You’ll go to houses where they will make a hole in the roof just to get in because they are excited you are there. You’ll go where leper...
Thus far we have had most unusual candidates for heroes. We have found a man who was successful because he was left-handed. We have had a man who won a major battle and did not even have military training, uniforms, or weapons. Hopefully we learned Israel has skipped these absolute requirements of God: The need to worship and obey God, the need to teach and train the next generation, the need to purge and cleanse the land of sin, we have seen the need to repent of disobedience and idolatry. But...
Pastor Alan Brumbaugh delivers his Easter message to a crowd at the Fairview Church of the Brethren Sunday morning. Following the service, the church had a breakfast for the fellowship....
It is sometimes surprising to hear Christians bemoan the fact that the world is not friendly toward churches, the Bible, and people of faith. We sometimes feel entitled to be respected and to have a voice as we seek to represent God in the world. We fear that we are losing our Christian freedoms in America. If you wonder why the unsaved world does not show you more love, you may want to read the words of Jesus in John 15 as he spoke to his 11 disciples and, by extension, to us. Since the birth of the church, the world was at odds with...
The Spring Ladies/Teen Encounter will take place on Saturday, April 29, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Faith Assembly, 4870 Cove Mountain Road, Roaring Spring. The speaker for the encounter will be Bonnie Floyd. Her message is “Forgiven – Give God Something To Work With” In the first session, Bonnie will share her testimony of love, murder, and redemption, including many updates on what God has been doing on the island of Barbuda. In the second session, through scripture and real relat...
Trinity United Methodist Church in Roaring Spring will host its monthly Manna on Main Street on April 15 from 5 to 6 p.m. This will be a sit-down meal or take-out. The menu will consist of ham, green beans and potatoes, bread and butter, dessert. This meal is free to the community and all are welcome....
The times of the “Judges” is roughly 350 years. We are not sure who the author of the Book was, perhaps Samuel wrote at least part of it. The nation had become a fragmented group, no central government, no strong leader, and not much held them together tightly. God used this period of time to test Israel even as he had tested them in the wilderness. He wanted to see if they would be faithful to Him. They did not do well in this testing. They had not cleansed the land of evil or enemies. The pas...
The Dunnings Creek Friends Meeting (Quakers) will present the spring 2023 event in their “Still Listening” guest speaker series on local history in April. Delores “Dee” Marshall Myers of Everett will present The Testimony of a Black Woman: Love Justice Equality relating her experiences growing up and living in the small rural town of Everett. A lifelong resident born and raised in Everett, Myers tells of growing up under segregation, and of the challenges and changes for black people in rural Pennsylvania from the 1940s through the present...
Roaring Spring ARCH officially opened its doors for community outreach in January 2022 with a goal of bringing unity in churches and community, according to ARCH co-founder and board member Vanessa Wiand of Woodbury. Wiand and her mother Christine Ebersole, who both attend Faith Assembly in Roaring Spring, saw a need for further community outreach in the Cove. They met with several people throughout 2021 to seek advice about needs and project plans, and they knew that the ARCH's current...
Text: John 6:22-59 When I was younger, I baked all of our bread. I loved the process of working with yeast, kneading properly, watching the bread rise on the cook stove that I used for baking. But there were lots of bread calamities, too: yeast that didn’t work, bread that got too high and spilled over the side of the bowl. A lot of yeasty bread disasters got buried in our garden. And that’s the problem with real bread. Sometimes it doesn’t bake up properly and when it does, it can get stale...
Messianic Seder A Messianic Seder will be held at 6 p.m. on April 6 (Maundy Thursday) in the fellowship hall at St. John’s Reformed Church in Loysburg. The Passover Seder tells of God’s deliverance of Israel from Egyptian slavery. Christ shared His Last Supper with His disciples — key elements of this meal give precious insight into Messiah Jesus’ fulfillment of ancient prophecy. A full meal will not be served, but those in attendance will sample key elements of the Passover Seder. Persons who wish to attend are asked to sign up on a list on...
We have been looking at a sort of “prologue” for the Book of Judges and have reviewed a bit of the Book of Joshua as well. I think it was good we did this because you can probably see a lot of the same things reflected in our own nation. The spies brought back a mixed report after they had traveled through the Promised Land. Everybody agreed it was a beautiful and prosperous land. We could say we have one, too. But, they did not agree on whether God could be trusted to give them possession or...
The internationally acclaimed African Children’s Choir will perform Wednesday, April 12, at 7 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church of Roaring Spring, 434 East Main Street. The “Just As I Am” tour combines traditional hymns with African cultural sounds and a stunning visual story of God’s faithfulness. The concert is free and open to all. A free will offering will be taken to support the children’s choir program, such as education, care, relief and development programs....
In my previous column I wrote about my college roommate and the impact that John 15 had on him as he wrote a long paper on it. It occurred to me that he might like to read what I had written. I was able to track down what I hoped was a current email address for him and sent it off. A few days later I was thrilled to get a reply and life update from him. That led to a Zoom call shortly after that. Upon seeing one another, we agreed that neither of us had changed a bit since the 1980s. Perhaps the only difference was our honesty. Not only had...
God gave Israel responsibility to eliminate the nations that were occupying the “Promised Land.” Why? Well, to begin with, these nations were evil. We note they were evil way back when Abraham lived more than 700 years before the times of Joshua and Judges. There is a little phrase God shared with Abraham. It was that ‘their cup of evil was not full’. What can we gather from that? Did God want more evil to come? Certainly not. God is long-suffering. He does not want to destroy anyone. He is giving these nations every chance to change. We shou...
Recently, a donation was made to the Martinsburg Food Pantry from a bequest given to Memorial Church of the Brethren. The local food pantry helps many in the community on a monthly basis and is very near and dear to Memorial Church, which also collects needed food items from its own congregation to donate each month. Darrell Smith, Memorial COB treasurer, hands the check to Linda Smith of the Martinsburg Food Pantry....
It’s still winter. Mornings seem too dark, the wind is cold, the temperatures are not as good as I would like. I am so ready for spring! Like the people griping at Moses, it is easy to feel impatient and to complain. The imagery we hear in Numbers 21:1-9 seems potent here in our times. Our lives do include brokenness and sin, evil and darkness. But that is not the end of the story. While reading this text the thing that caught my attention was that God sent snakes to bite the Israelites, to g...
“My Brother’s Keeper”(MBK) will hold a promotional dinner in Fellowship Hall of Martinsburg Brethren in Christ Church, on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at 6 p.m. The church is located at 334 Son Rise Drive, on Cross Cove Road, just outside of Martinsburg, on the hill above Ritchey’s Dairy. Access to the Fellowship Hall is at the far end of the church, down the wheelchair ramp. There is no charge for the dinner but reservations are required and can be made by emailing: [email protected]. Or by texting Rachel at (717) 658-9711. Those interest...
The Faith Baptist Church of Altoona will be hosting its Annual Missions Conference Saturday, March 25 through Tuesday, March 28, 2023. The theme of the conference is “Here-There-Everywhere” taken from Acts 1:8. Conference guests include the following: • Kevin Callahan with International Partnership Ministries Administration • Keith & Jamie Davidson with Seedline International • Dr. Satish & Saroja David with Christian International Embassy • Nehemiah & Anila Paul with Forgotten Missionaries International Conference sessions include the followi...
If we were to look for a verse that summed up the challenge of the Book of Judges, It would likely be 17:6, 18:1, 19:1 and 21:25. Now they are not exactly alike but they could and should be: “…everyone did as he pleased (or as he saw fit in his own eyes).” The fact (or fiction) that they had no king figures in as well. Actually Israel did have a king, someone to make decisions for them, rule over them, to lead them. That someone, that King, was God. They should have remembered, God did deliv...
During my four years at a Christian college, I was blessed with several good roommates. My first was one that I had served on a ministry team with a year earlier. Some of the guys in the hall were not fans of his, but we got along well. In my junior year I was with my best friend from my church back home whose Dad was my pastor. We had lots of fun together and sharpened each other spiritually. My second- and fourth-year roommate was someone I really looked up to. He was at least six inches taller than me. The fellow Bible major carried a...
There is a Book in God’s Word called “Judges.” I not sure how much it is preached or taught in today’s church. I know I have not spent lots of time in it in my years of ministry. I am not sure how much time I will spend in it now but I do want to look at some of the things it can teach us. First these judges were not like judges in our time. Our judges are generally schooled and skilled in the law of the land. They are elected or appointed to determine who is or has the right in certain issues o...
More than 30 area women attend a two day IF: Gathering at the United Methodist Church in Williamsburg Friday and Saturday. The event is broadcast online aimed toward equipping women with gospel centered resources. Cassie Roberts organized this event. In the center photo, Marlene Mingle Lynch (left) and Kendra Brubaker of Williamsburg listen intently. Beginning in 2014, “IF: Gathering” was launched in Dallas, TX. It was an all-female event talking about their beliefs in God....
It's been said that a good pastor can make or break a church, and for the last five years, the Grace Pointe Community Church of God has had a phenomenal pastor in Jim Spivey. It was announced earlier this month that Spivey had taken on a new church in Danville, Va. Feb. 26 was his last official service at the church. For Spivey, this goodbye is nothing short of bittersweet. "We loved being here - my family came together here," Spivey said. Spivey and his wife Ondria finalized the adoption of...
As I resume my series in the gospel of John, my mind goes back to the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was a turbulent time. Of course, we would be hard-pressed to think of an era since then that has not had its challenges. One thing I remember about those days was the quest for peace. People commonly held up two fingers as a sign of peace. There was also a unique symbol for peace that was everywhere. Christians felt that it was a variation of the cross that should be avoided. A movie called “The Jesus Revolution” is being released this wee...
This is my 2,100 “Thought.” I want to thank those who have supported my writing over the years. I am not sure exactly how to go about that but will talk with Editor Anna Baughman to do so formally. When I started to do this more than 40 years ago, I had no idea how long it would last. I am grateful for the opportunity. I do hope you have found some of the articles helpful to you. As you might guess, sometimes it is hard to squeeze everything I want to say into the space available. There hav...
Before the joyous Easter celebration comes the solemn and prayerful Lenten season. Even the devoutly religious may not know all there is to know about this penitential season. The following are some questions and answers about Lent. When does Lent occur? Lent is a period of 40 days preceding Easter Sunday. Since 1969, Lent has begun on Ash Wednesday and has ended on the evening of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. Since Sundays are not calculated in that time frame, Lent a...
Luke 9:51-62 Although I love art, I never thought I had any art ability. One thing I would jokingly say about my drawing skills was “Well, I can’t even draw a straight line.” As I grow older, I think the ongoing daily struggle of living a Christian life might have some connection to that skill of being able to draw a straight line. It’s funny what you remember from your past. One thing I remember is my seventh grade art class and the teacher. He loved teaching pencil drawings that showed perspec...
What about bad leaders? Does God ever punish them? The answer is mixed. Sometimes God does intervene in the affairs of men. Frequently that is in answer to prayer. But sometimes it is simply because God needs to bring judgment. God has struck down religious leaders. Some examples of this happen because those religious leaders disobeyed direct commands from God. I said last week, “Leaders must follow a code.” A story in Leviticus 10, tells of Nadab and Abihu, heirs apparent to the High Pri...
This poem written by Frances Pauline Nicodemus was submitted by her husband John T. Nicodemus. Frances has written many poems and psalms throughout her 62 years of marriage. The couple lives in Martinsburg. This poem was formatted by their daughter Susy Moran....
St. John's United Church of Christ, 117 E. Julian St., Martinsburg, will offer a self-guided time of worship on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. Scriptures, prayers, and words of reflection will be provided. For those who wish to receive ashes, the pastor will be available for the Imposition of Ashes. The public is invited to visit the church anytime between to hours of 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to worship and reflect as we begin the season of Lent....
Sometimes I wonder what Valentine would think of Valentine’s Day. He was, after all, a saint. He performed underground marriage ceremonies when they had been outlawed by the Roman government. He knew that marriage between a man and woman was God’s design. The commercial nature and cupid focus that it has become would probably not sit well with him. I have no problem with the red hearts, flowers, candy, jewelry that go along with the 14th of February. I just have never spent much money on it....
Leaders must follow a code. In the case of religious leaders, there is generally a written code. Since I am following what has been my pattern, the Israelite leader would follow what we call the Old Testament. The Pope would follow a Roman Catholic Bible. For Protestants, it would be a Bible but without the extra books contained in the Roman Catholic Bible. For the three-dimensional-Israel, their High Priest (religious leader), their family head and their king, (political leader) would all be ex...
Here we are at the beginning of February. It’s a month since we started the new year of 2023. We have been experiencing some cold, blustery, winter weather. Some people love this time of year, and for others, it feels bleak. Those new year resolutions that we carefully thought out — the agendas we planned for this new year — may have lost their fervor about now. But God’s agenda for today is a little different. If we open our Bibles we can count on beautiful words of scripture from God’s word....
What is a leader? It is someone who provides direction, goals, motivation, and perhaps sets the pace for the group. He possesses authority either because he has earned it or it has been given to him by someone in higher authority. His leadership can be in some specific discipline or an overall dimension. Since I write about religious or Biblical subjects, my definition of a leader is within certain perimeters. Israel is a three-dimension-people. They are first family; the offspring of Abraham,...
The Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown is celebrating Catholic Schools Week 2023 from Jan. 29 to Feb. 4. The theme for the national observance is Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service. “Our students embody that theme not only as they study, learn, and grow, but as they encounter the Lord inside the classroom and joyfully help others encounter Him outside the classroom,” stated Bishop Mark Bartchak in his Catholic schools Week message to the faithful. “I am proud of them, and I am grate...
Valentine's Day presents an opportunity to express feelings of love. Greeting cards and heart-shaped chocolate boxes are traditional gifts, as are red roses. Most people know how and why Valentine's Day is celebrated, but few may know the person behind the holiday's name. The Catholic Church recognizes three different martyred individuals with the name Valentine, who each may hold ties to the Valentine's Day celebration. The name Valentine comes from the Latin "Valentinus," which means "worthy, strong or powerful." The name was a common...
As someone who has done his fair share of writing over the years, I recognize that words have meanings. The other night my wife and I were talking, and I said something strange because I was thinking from an unusual perspective. I pointed out to her that I sometimes think in terms of roots of words. She was speechless. Some words are naturally negative. Storm. Cancer. Taxes. Trouble. Obey. Death. Snake. Ravens. Naturally not all words that may have negative connotations to one person will be that way to another. Some of it may depend on our...
We love and please God by obeying Him. Of course that is not only what God wants, it is good for us as well. I acknowledge it is hard because of our “fallen nature.” But think how wonderful our world would be if we all obeyed God’s commandments. In a recent message, our bishop said, “If we all obeyed God’s commands to live a chaste life, we would see the end of all Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).” Think about it. God says, “Do not commit adultery” and “Avoid fornication.” The...
The United Nations General Assembly designated Jan. 27—the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau—as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this annual day of commemoration, the UN urges every member state to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides. According to a press release sent by Jehovah’s Witnesses, few people know that the Nazis’ victims include...
In a couple of the daily devotionals I read, I saw the suggestion to choose a word to focus on for the new year, a word that would shape my life as the days unfold. Maybe the word would be patience, or peace, or gratitude. I had never read of this trend before and sat in some quietness pondering how I should shape my life over this new year. Life is busy. Life is noisy. Even as I age and truly see that it takes me longer to complete the things that we do each day, I also know that I need to spend more time in the Word, more time to pray. Yet...
The Bedford County Chamber is pleased to present our third annual Prayer Breakfast, an opportunity for the business community to come together to express gratitude and hope for the new year. This networking breakfast will be followed by a series of speakers with messages of inspiration and hope from the faith community of Bedford County. The breakfast will take place on Feb. 17, 2023, at the Bedford Elks Country Club. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. with the program beginning at 8:30 a.m....
“I want to always love You and be what You want me to be forever.” This was my closing sentence last time. Since God loves me (and you) perfectly, I think this should be my response to Him. When I was a child, we sang a hymn during worship services with these words: “Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole, I want Thee forever to live in my soul. Break down every idol. Cast out every foe. Now, wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.” A chorus followed. That song resonated with me. I did and do...
Trinity United Methodist Church in Roaring Spring will host its monthly Manna on Monday on Jan. 30 from noon to 1 p.m. This will be a sit-down meal or take-out. The menu will consist of an open-face turkey sandwich, gravy, mashed potatoes, vegetable and cake. This meal is free to the community and all are welcome....
It is probable that in my line of work I have more opportunities to interact with and meet people than the average follower of Jesus. In recent weeks I can think of several folks I have met who know and love the Lord, although they are of a different “brand” of Christianity than me. One of them is a dear woman in her mid-90s who grew up on a farm in the South. She has used chewing tobacco nearly all of her life. I can testify to the fact that she still does, despite having a cancerous cavern in her jaw bone. Sadly, I also meet my fair sha...
I would like to describe perfect love but I am not sure I can. First, I would say that no person who is only human could understand perfect love and could certainly not practice it. Therefore, I have rejected using a human dictionary to describe it. One dictionary I have, gives fourteen definitions for “love,” then gives 31 hyphenated uses. Only God can define and practice love perfectly. Part of the reason is because God is omniscient and eternal. That means He knows everything about eve...
Come see the record-setting Jerman Buck! Crossview Missional Church in Cassville, Huntingdon County, will hold its seventh annual Wild Game Meal on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. Doors open at 4 p.m. and the covered dish meal begins at 5 p.m. The keynote speaker is Brad Jerman of Ohio. Jerman harvested what is now known as the “Jerman Buck” in 2004. At 201 1/8 net Boone & Crockett points, the Jerman Buck is one of the largest 5x5 whitetails ever taken anywhere and the Ohio State Record Typical. The deer mount will be available for viewing during the...
