Will Vaus

A man went to see his doctor in an acute state of anxiety. “Doctor,” he said, “you have to help me. I’m dying. Everywhere I touch it hurts. I touch my head and it hurts. I touch my leg and it hurts. I touch my stomach and it hurts. I touch my chest and it hurts. You have to help me, Doc. Everything hurts.”   The doctor gave the man a complete examination. “Mr. Smith,” he said, “I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is you are not dying. The bad news is you have a broken finger.” [1]   The book we are visiting today in our journey along Route 66 is also a good news, bad news story. The bad news is much worse than having a broken finger. But, like the doctor in my little story, this book begins with the good news. Listen for God’s word to you from Romans 1:1-17… Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle   and set apart   for the gospel of God— the gospel he promised beforehand   through his prophets   in the Holy Scriptures ...

Many years ago, Rev. Ralph Stockman said, "The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable." Some have also claimed that the hinge of history is found in one verse in the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk. We will see why in a few moments...  Author   Little is known about Habakkuk as a person. He is not mentioned in any other book of the Bible outside this one that bears his name. Traditionally it was thought that Habakkuk was a contemporary of Jeremiah. There is also a legendary account of Habakkuk ministering to the needs of Daniel in the lions’ den in the Apocryphal book  Bel and the Dragon .   Date   The presumed setting for this book is after the rise of Babylon as a world power in 612 BCE. The prophecy may have been written down a little before or after the battle of Carchemish in 605 BCE, when Egyptian forces, who had earlier gone to the aid of the last Assyrian king, were routed by the Babylonians under Nabopolassar and Nebuchadnezzar and were pu...

The story is told of a pastor who died and was waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him was a man dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket, and jeans. Saint Peter says to the first man, “Who are you, so that I may know whether to admit you to the Kingdom of Heaven?” The man replies, “I’m Joe Cohen, cab driver, from New York City.” Saint Peter consults his list. He smiles and says to the cab driver, “Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” The cab driver goes into heaven with his robe and staff, and then it is the pastor’s turn. The minister stands up straight and booms out, “I am Joseph Snow, pastor of Saint Mary’s for the last 43 years.” Saint Peter consults his list. Then he says to the pastor, “Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” “Just a minute!” says the pastor. “That man was a taxi driver, and he gets a silken robe and golden staff. How can this be?” Saint...