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Opinion
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- Written by: Pastor Chris DelCol
Say what! This is Old Testament law. Why would Jesus say these things since He came to fulfill the law, not force the law down our throats.
The reason is quite clear. In Verse 50 He confirms the message, “Be at peace with one another.” He wants to make the point about the very grace offered by God through faith in Jesus.
At one time in my life, before following my call to serve the Lord, I was the guy who would stand up in front of major accounts all over the world on behalf of the company I worked for. At the time, it was the largest telecommunication company in the world and I would in fact take the bullet for the company.
That was my job really. Take the responsibility for whatever problems our major customers had. I knew when I travelled to China, Singapore, Japan, Europe, all parts of Asia and Africa, and especially the Middle East, that when I got there, I was in the midst of customers who were angry and wanted their pound of flesh.
And many of those customers hate Americans so much, they would destroy us if they could. That is because a large percentage of the world do not understand what freedom and equality really means. They look at you with a murderous rage, wishing we would just cease to exist … maybe even thinking of how they might carry it out. There is no grace when there is hate! And those who don’t know Jesus cannot understand what grace is.
Jesus says that if you cause a little one to sin, then it is off with the hand, off with the foot, and out with eye. You mess up, and you pay the price big time. Certainly, Jesus never meant this be to be taken literally, but suppose we read it that way and acted accordingly.
What would the prison system in our country look like? Most of the prisoners would not be there because they would have been put to death at the town square every Friday like they do in Saudi Arabia.
Many would walk around with no hands, feet, tongues, whatever, because they would have had justice take place the Friday after they were sentenced. In that country justice is carried out publicly and immediately. No grace there and no appeal process! But in Christ, there is grace, and many cannot comprehend what grace is.
What Jesus really meant here is that the only way to sacrificial peace is through the grace he offered us on the cross. Thank God we have grace.
Over the past few weeks we’ve talked about how the tongue gets us into trouble, how peace can only be achieved through the cross and today we talk about what it is going to take to bring justice to a country that is moving away from the grace offered by a man who experienced the worst that Rome had to dish out and yet offered eternal life through His sacrifice.
Remember that phrase – “Father forgive them”? In the USA and more importantly Lake County as we recover from the summer fires, we can never let hate take over our freedom nor our love for Jesus or for each other.
For now, at least, there is still grace, there is still forgiveness, there is still a sense that justice can be served not by chopping off people's’ limbs, but by offering the peace which surpasses all human understanding. The grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. That simply means reaching out to help people recover from the devastation!
Please join us this Sunday for our quarterly country gospel service. Wear your cowboy hats, boots, western shirts, whatever you’ve got, and join us for a service that is truly a Gospel blessing.
Worship is at 11 a.m. followed by a hot lunch for all immediately afterward.
All are welcome, so come as you are!
Chris DelCol is pastor of First Lutheran Church in Lucerne, Calif. The church is located at 3863 Country Club Drive, telephone 707-274-5572. Email Pastor Chris at
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- Written by: Evan Arnold-Gordon
Many online retailers boast they have the largest selection of “official” merchandise at the lowest prices. However, some websites may be scams and trying to con consumers out of their money.
In 2017, there were more than 1,600 sporting good retail complaints filed on BBB Scam Tracker.
Complaints included consumers refund/exchange issues, customer service issues, and in some cases failing to receive their merchandise at all. It is important to note that some of the proceeds from the sale of authentic merchandise fund scholarships, charities, and youth programs.
Furthermore, the quality of counterfeit merchandise may be a drawback as well. Many of the laws that protect consumers from harmful chemicals and toxic substances in fabrics are ignored by counterfeiters, nor do they offer standard warranties to protect buyers that are harmed or unsatisfied.
Help protect your blind side by following these BBB tips when shopping online:
· Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true. If the price of an item is significantly less than what it is on other well-known retailers’ sites, this is a red flag that indicates a possible scam.
· Research the company before you purchase. If you want to make a purchase from a company you haven’t heard of before. Check www.BBB.org to see if they have a BBB Business Profile, or BBB Scam Tracker to see if anyone else has reported them as a scam. Look for contact information on their website and a robust social media presence to help determine if they are legitimate.
· Never wire money or use a prepaid debit card as payment. Both payment types are often requested by scammers and, once you’ve paid, there is no way to get your money back. Instead, make online purchases with your credit card and only on secure (https) websites.
· Learn to spot a fake site. Make sure that the team names and the URL address don’t have misspellings. Do a search online to see if anyone has reported the site on BBB Scam Tracker or online generally.
· Know how to find the business. Always look for contact information and a physical location on any shopping Web site. If the physical address of the business is not visible on the site, this is a red flag.
· Touch base with the business. Call the customer service number to make sure that someone answers before you pay. Ask them to tell you more about the company. Also, ask the representative about refunds and exchanges.
Evan Arnold-Gordon works for the Better Business Bureau serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California
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- Written by: Pastor Chris DelCol
When I read this, especially after talking last week about how our tongues continually bring us grief, I was overwhelmed with the thought, “Why do we do this to one another? Why do we continually avoid peace when it is there for the taking in Jesus’ name and instead go out of our way at times to bring discontent to ourselves, our families, friends, and to others? Why, in an environment where Jesus has guaranteed peace for those who seek it in His name, we are intent on making trouble instead?”
At the end of the service in our church, we have the Benediction, the last part of the service. It is then we ask, by the grace of God, to grant us peace … Amen, may it be so.
Do we really mean that? Are we really willing to go out of our way to bring peace to a situation of turmoil, to a family in trouble, to a church in conflict, to a heart that is troubled, to a friend we have hurt, to a spouse we have degraded, to a child we have beaten, to a co-worker we have slandered, to a church leader we belittled, to a pastor we have lied to about others?
How about to our own selves, unto whom we have violated our very being with sin that remains unforgiven because we are too proud to accept the guilt of it? One can only conclude that peace is not achievable!
James 3:18 states, “And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
The harvest that James is speaking about here, a harvest of peace, will never happen unless we are all willing to make peace.
Have you ever wondered why there is so much hate and discontent in the family, community, county, state, country, continent, and in the world?
It is because Satan has convinced us that it feels a whole lot better to lift ourselves up in the glory of conflict, rather than humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord and give glory to God through the peace offered by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Most of what I have said thus far is law. That is the tough stuff! But there is also Gospel here because in spite of the law, the peace which surpasses all human understanding is staring us in the face at the base of the cross. That’s where we will find peace because it is there where the blood of eternal peace is found.
In our community, we are going through a time where only the power of the peace of God is going to help us recover from the recent disastrous fires. We can no longer point fingers at God for this happening. We need to let Him lead the recovery.
Please stay tuned as First Lutheran Church will soon be implementing a plan to bring relief to the community in Jesus’ name. The time for peace is now … let’s be the example!
Please join us for worship at 11 a.m. this Sunday, Sept. 23, followed by a lunch after service.
Leading worship and preaching this week is Bob Hamilton from Galilee Lutheran Church in Kelseyville.
All are welcome, so come as you are!
Chris DelCol is pastor of First Lutheran Church in Lucerne, Calif. The church is located at 3863 Country Club Drive, telephone 707-274-5572. Email Pastor Chris at
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- Written by: Dave McQueen
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Welcome back!
This is the first in a series of monthly columns to share what’s happenings at Kelseyville Unified School District.
Let me start by saying how excited we are to have students back in school. Our administrators, teachers and staff are committed to making sure that every student feels safe and welcome in our schools. At Kelseyville Unified School District, we care about kids.
Support for each and every student
Truth is, some students like school and some don’t.
Some enjoy being involved in extracurricular activities, while others have part-time jobs or family responsibilities to attend to.
Whether students like sports, leadership, music, career/technical education, FFA, theater, academic clubs or other endeavors, we want to support them.
Our goal is not to squeeze students into a one-size-fits-all box, but rather to offer a huge variety of activities, electives and support, so students can discover their passions and reach their potential.
Attendance matters
But we can’t do that if they don’t come to school.
Research shows what common sense has already told us: Kids who miss a lot of school often struggle.
Missing 10 percent of school days, just two days each month, is considered “chronic absenteeism” and it can put kids at risk of academic failure.
It all starts in kindergarten. A seven-year study followed a cohort of students from kindergarten through sixth grade.
Students who were chronically absent in kindergarten did not perform as well as their classmates:
– They scored roughly 20 percentage points lower in reading;
– They scored 25 percentage points lower in math;
– They were twice as likely to be retained in grade;
– They were more than twice as likely to be suspended by the end of seventh grade;
– They were likely to continue being chronically absent.
Setting good attendance habits in the first years of school has an enormously positive impact – in school and in life.
When students attend school daily, they form good habits. They can keep up with class material and get the support they need – academically and socially.
We have great teachers and counselors ready to help students in whatever way they need. If you’re a parent who is struggling to get your child to school regularly, reach out to your child’s school. We may be able to help.
Also, if you need care for your elementary student after school, be sure to ask about our ASES program.
Free school meals for all
In addition to a great education, students now get free meals at school – both breakfast and lunch.
Every student, regardless of their family’s income level, is welcome to eat free of charge.
All we need is for Kelseyville Unified families to complete the LCFF form that was sent home with students.
Staying up-to-date with Kelseyville Unified
This year, we’re putting extra effort into updating our website and Facebook pages with school activities and events.
We know parents and community members who would like to participate in school activities, attend events and/or volunteer need time to plan.
Check out our district Web site at www.kusd.lake.k12.ca.us.
New administrators
Finally, to kick off this year, I’d like to introduce our new administrators.
Mike Jones is the new Kelseyville High School principal, with Scott Conrad named as the school’s new vice principal.
Noah Gomez is now vice principal at Mountain Vista Middle School.
Mike and Scott are Kelseyville Unified veterans and Noah is new to our district, but not new to education.
We’re excited to welcome them to their new positions.
Dave McQueen is superintendent of Kelseyville Unified School District.