To My Friends Outside of the United States on this 4th of July

By Tuesday, July 5, 2022 0 No tags Permalink 10

Most of my fellow citizens spent this day celebrating our nation’s 246th birthday. Americans loved, lived, and laughed today. We gathered at parks, beaches, swimming pools, and lakes. We feasted as savory smoke from backyard grills wafted through our neighborhoods. Many of us bowed our heads in gratitude to God for the countless and undeserved ...

My Pledge To The President

By Wednesday, January 20, 2021 0 No tags Permalink 6

Four years ago I made a pledge to President Donald Trump. Today, I make a similar pledge to President Joe Biden. I do so with full knowledge that my highest allegiance belongs to Christ, my King, and to his church, for whom he came and died. And yet my King has given specific decrees concerning my ...

“Unprecedented”

By Monday, December 21, 2020 0 No tags Permalink 7

An Advent Poem for 2020 John 1:14–18 Steve Bateman “Unprecedented” is the word That dominates our talk A thing that’s not before occurred A word which now we mock. A year we all would like to see Slip tamely to the past Along with all its bitter fruit We hope will not long last. Our 2020 Vision was Significantly blurred. This year has undermined our hope And left our ...

Forever

By Friday, December 29, 2017 0 No tags Permalink 12

“Forever” Advent Poem, Christmas 2017 Steve Bateman Based on 2 Corinthians 5 and Revelation 21–22   “And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” –Revelation 22:5   “Forever,” says His holy Word. Forever it shall be! There are some things that will ...

An Honorable Man

By Wednesday, April 19, 2017 0 No tags Permalink 6

I had a privileged childhood, growing up in the company of four uncles, on both sides of my family, who did things like surviving the Great Depression, serving their country in World War 2, laboring to bring crops to market, working on their own cars, cleaning their own fish, keeping their wedding vows, publicly worshipping ...

Apologia

By Sunday, December 25, 2016 0 No tags Permalink 11

Each year at Christmas, I write an Advent Poem for my church family based on the sermon series we are in at the time. Its not an original idea and a lot of pastors do it, but it has become a tradition a few look forward to. This year, we are halfway through Ephesians as ...

My Pledge To President-Elect Donald Trump

By Tuesday, November 22, 2016 0 No tags Permalink 15

  Here in December of 2016, we now know what God knew before the creation of the world. Donald Trump will be the 45th president of the United States. Even though Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, Mr. Trump garnered the necessary electoral votes to become the chief executive of the government of our divided nation. ...