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Researchers estimate that 100,000 churches will close in the next few decades1. Another source estimates that at least 1,000,000 are attending churches that are declining or plateaued2. The question that needs to be asked by you is “Am I currently attending a church at risk of closing, or a plateaued church?” If the answer is yes, there’s something you can do. The early church described in Acts 2 in the Bible serves as the best model. It was a growing church, a serving church, a connected church, a worshiping church and a church going out to sp...
Sunday after church, we held a baptism at the Bull Pen fishing access on the Missouri River. Seven children and one adult joined the Kingdom of God by making a public declaration of their faith....
I imagine that many who are reading these words are “regular” readers of my column. I hope some of you may be blessing me with a few minutes of your life and are reading Musings for the first time. You see, over the past month I have been thinking quite a bit about how we people spend the time allotted for us here on earth. For instance, if you are 40 years old today, you have lived 350,640 hours. How have you invested these hours in living? Roughly one-third had gone to work, and maybe one-third to sleep. So that leaves you with app...
Rodney George Boboth, 71, was born June 20, 1953, in Conrad, Montana. He died August 16, 2024, at his home in Craig, Montana. Rod was the second of three children born to Bob & Peggy (Orcutt) Boboth. He spent his early years in Great Falls before they moved to the family farm east of Conrad. Rod played football all four years while attending Conrad High School. He was proud of being selected to play on the East team in the 1971 Montana East-West Shrine game (East won!). He was also named...
It’s true, God loves a cheerful giver — this coming from the Ultimate Giver. Giving to God’s work is intended to be a joy, a blessing. But in some Christian circles, tithing evokes a sense of legalistic compliance. The Old Testament commands on tithing included multiple tithes that some scholars say would be about 25 percent, not just ten. Nowhere does the New Testament prescribe a 10 percent tithe. Rather, every Christian should give generously and joyously and not grudgingly or under compulsion. Although, this writer thinks 10 percent is a...
You may have wondered what has happened to Dave Carroll and Mountaintop Musings. I know that occasionally I miss a week due to the business of ministry and life. Sometimes I just forget, ok? I am human and subject to messing up. But most of you reading these columns can not possibly know that my family has suffered a great loss. On August 6, my son Jesse was found dead in his apartment in Denver, Colorado. He was getting ready for work and laid back on his bed and stepped into the presence of Jesus. It was and is a shock to our family and his...
I have been meaning to write an update after VBS season and camp. Also to get thank you’s out for the wonderful financial support many have provided for camp. A newsletter, etc. That was all on my list of things to do this week. However, on Tuesday am our beloved son Jesse passed on to the next life, in glory I might add. He died early in the day, laying on his bed apparently getting ready for work, trying to get his new phone working. Nothing suspicious, etc. Who knows what happened, God k...
Most people are familiar with the "Ten Commandments" to some degree, but few can name them all. If you'd care to brush up on them, they can be found in Exodus Chapter 20. This is where God, through Moses, delivered His commandments to His people. God considered these ten rules so important that He wrote them in stone with His own hand. These basic tenets of godly morality were the bedrock of our national laws. That is why they have been traditionally displayed in so many of our country's courtrooms, classrooms and legislative meeting places....
Norman W. Davis of Cascade, MT, died at home on July 30, 2024. Services will be held for Norman at the United Methodist Church in Cascade, MT, on Wednesday, August 7, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. Norman was born in Great Falls, MT, on July 12, 1940, to Beverly B. Davis and Robina W. Davis. He was raised on a ranch outside of Stanford, MT. Norman, and his sister, Donna had the unique experience of being flown to school in Stanford by their father. He always said, “Growing up on the ranch, we didn’t hav...
Over the years I have probably met just two or three people would truly say they do not believe in God, or some semblance of the God of the Bible. When people tell me they do not believe in God, I often ask them what they attribute the existence of life to, or how the stars are hung in space to create what we call the zodiac. Usually, they come around to admitting there must be some type of causal agent, but they will not admit to the existence of One so powerful He can speak the universe and all that is in it will come in to being from nothing...
Steven Michael Cabrin died peacefully, surrounded by his loving family on July 17, 2024. Born in Great Falls, MT to Laurence and Rita Cabrin on Sept. 10, 1954. He grew up on a ranch outside of Wolf Creek, MT with his two brothers, and his two sisters; one of whom is deceased. Steven was one of the four generations to graduate high school from Cascade, MT in 1972. Steven spent his 69 years of life developing into the strong, loving, family man he was. He joined the Navy and married Sharon Baker in Chewelah, WA on Oct. 19, 1973. He later...
In the past three days I have once again been reminded about the fragility and uncertainty of life. Last Thursday my brother-in-law Kurt texted me that a nephew of his had died unexpectedly from a heart attack. This man was on a detail with the company he worked for and had unusual chest pains. He went to the hospital on Wednesday evening and died Thursday. No prior heart issues. Now his wife, children and family are left with a huge, unexpected void in their lives. Early this morning I received a message from a dear friend who lives on a...
Myrle Allon Gollaher, born in Wenatchee, Washington on June 18, 1942, passed away from heart disease, on June 30, 2024, in Spokane, Washington, at the age of 82. Myrle went to school in Cascade, Montana graduating in 1960 and furthered his education at Northern Montana College and Montana State University. Myrle successfully competed in bull riding, bareback and steer wrestling and proudly served in the United States Navy before embarking on a lifelong career as a cattle rancher, establishing...
The Rich Young Ruler asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18). The Philippian Jailer asked the imprisoned disciples, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). A lawyer asked Jesus, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25). There are many Bible verses that answer the question asked. But they all point ultimately to the same thing: self-denial. Jesus said that anyone who desires to follow Him must “deny himself” (Matt. 16:24). Jesus put His finger directly on the Rich You...
Delores Nadine (Fairbanks) Juedeman passed away on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at the age of 92, surrounded by her four children, their spouses and her oldest grandson. Delores was born on August 8, 1931, in Great Falls, Montana to Frank and Henrietta Fairbanks. She grew up in Geraldine, Montana and graduated from Geraldine High School in 1949. Following high school, she attended Montana State College in Bozeman and obtained her bachelor’s degree in nursing. Her education included working for t...
Celebrations can be great fun. I know that most of us today are celebrating the founding of our country. July 4, 1776, is one of the greatest days in man’s history in my opinion. The best one was the day Jesus came out of the tomb and guaranteed victory for all who believe in Him! The second-best day of celebration for me was the day in the spring of 1971 that I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. I must say it took several decades for me to truly appreciate the value that is to me. I still am learning what a great thing it is to be a C...
As mentioned in the prior segment, Jesus’ shed blood on the Cross provided the solution to sin – the only solution. No one can obey The Law 100% perfectly; no one’s conscience is infallible. Jesus died to provide the only means for remission of sins – freedom from the guilt and enslavement of sin. It is as if the sins were never committed. His sinless blood was shed to wash us clean and to purchase freedom. He did what we could not do: He created the way to reconciliation with God and to escape eternal death. But we must respond. Two others wer...
Governor Jeff Landry of Louisiana recently signed into law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in Louisiana’s classrooms. This is the first law of its kind in the country since 1980, when a more moderate Supreme Court ruled a similar Kentucky law unconstitutional. The new law gives schools until Jan. 1 to display the Ten Commandments on “a poster or framed document that is at least eleven inches by fourteen inches” in every classroom. The commandments have to be the display’s “central focus” and be “printed in a large, easily readab...
Over the past several months, I have been very blessed by God and from many of my friends. I even was blown away by Jerry Iamurri, the executive director of our mission’s organization, InFaith-The American Missionary Fellowship. Much of this “blessing” involves various outreaches and ministry work that my wife Lisa and I can do thanks to God’s empowerment. First, I would like to thank God for the 20 kids that were faithful in coming to the after-school Bible clubs in Elliston and Wolf Creek. Those kids were able to learn about God’s wonderful...
Who was Jesus? Why did His death make a difference? The Bible states very clearly who Jesus was/is. And who He was/is makes the difference. I will let the Scripture speak for itself regarding who Jesus is, quoting from the New King James Version (Thomas Nelson, publishers). Jesus wasn’t an unfortunate victim of prejudice, or of tyranny, or of circumstances… “Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’ And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest wil...
Lynda Anne Hillmar, 74, passed away May 31, 2024, at Peace Hospice in Great Falls. She was born on September 8, 1949, to Clifford and Helen Huntsberger (Bruneau). Lynda graduated from Great Falls High School in 1968 and the University of Montana in 1974. She married Bert William “Bill” Hillmar on September 8, 1973. Lynda and Bill had two children while stationed at Pease AFB, NH. They were stationed in Hawaii and Nebraska before settling at Dumfries, VA where Bill was with the Department of Def...
Did Jesus really need to die on the Cross? Isn’t there another way? God did a very interesting thing after Adam and Eve sinned and immediately experienced spiritual death. He “delayed” the Advent of the Redeemer. Technically, He could have sent Jesus as soon as the two realized the enormity of what they had done and its consequences. Instead, He “delayed” this for many centuries. Why? One answer is simple: He wanted to prove to us that there was only one way to solve the problem. After Adam and Eve sinned, they were left on their own. They...
On February 10, 2024, at the age of sixty-four, James Alan Belisle passed away peacefully in Spokane, WA, in the home of his brother and sister-in-law, Ron and Kathy, and surrounded by the love and care of his siblings. He had suffered a stroke on December 28th, 2023. The days following were spent at Sacred Heart in Spokane with swarms of family arriving at his bedside and via FaceTime, sharing their love and favorite memories with him. He felt deeply loved upon his death. The last of seven...
Time, they say, eases the heartache and disappointments of life. I would add to that it also diminishes the highlights, the wonderful things of life. By that I think of the many championships my children won playing baseball, basketball and softball, and even myself as a young guy. At the time the victory is sweet, I mean it is always better to win a championship game than lose it right? But the fame and exultation soon fade, and life goes on. As young adults, married with kids (most of them) they are busy working and raising their families, an...
Why did Jesus Christ die on the Cross? The path to the Cross begins in Eden … As Genesis chapter 1 relates, mankind was made in God’s image and was declared by God to be “very good” (verses 27, 31). Adam and Eve were able to behold God and to talk with Him face to face because they had not sinned. Just what is sin, by the way? The Bible defines it simply and clearly: “To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17 KJV) In modern wording: If you know what is good/right, but don’t do it, you have sinned. Sin i...
