Pastor Scamman

At that time there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear ( Luke 2:8–9 ). When the glory of the Lord appears to us poor sinners, our first response…

John the Baptist spoke of Christ, saying, “He who is coming after me… will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” ( Mt 3:11 ). For many years, when hearing these words, I assumed that John was speaking of the fire of the Holy Spirit. But that’s not what this verse is saying. John is telling…

“[John the Baptist] confessed, and did not deny, but confessed [the Christ]” ( Jn 1:19 ). If we think of denying Christ, Peter often comes to mind. When asked point blank about Jesus, he denied him, saying, “I do not know the man” ( Mt 26:72 ). On the other hand, Christians often think that the business…

Jesus says, “I give [my sheep] eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” ( John 10:28 ). This is the verse that the Garcia family chose for their dear, departed mother and grandmother. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. These are the words…

The Lord God is coming to his temple. The Messenger of the new covenant is returning to his people. But the prophet Malachi asks, “Who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?” ( Mal 3:3 ). The answer is no one. The coming of the Messenger of the covenant reminds us that we…

As time runs out for our dying world, Jesus says that there will be “distress among the nations… people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world” ( Lk 21:25–26 ). Look around. Has this description of the end times ever been more fitting? People are seized with fear, literally…

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea ( Mt 3:1 ). John, who prepared the way for Christ, is the model for all pastors who would follow him: not afraid to call sinners to repentance, not burdened by worldly pursuits, not dressed in soft clothing, not delicate or effeminate,…

The greatest minds of the Pharisees had designed a question that was guaranteed to trap Jesus. There should have been no way out. “Should we pay taxes to the Roman government or not?” If Jesus said, “Yes,” the crowd would lynch him. Nobody likes to pay taxes. The world has changed, but that is a constant.…

Peter wants to know, “How many times shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” At this question, the ears of every Christian perk up, because the rest of us also want to know, “At what point am I allowed to cut my brother off? When does forgiveness rut out? When can I be…

Five-hundred and three years ago, on the eve of All Saints Day, October 31st, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg. This event is widely recognized as the beginning of the Reformation, but at the time Martin Luther was not yet a Lutheran. He was angry at…