Simply ChurchDuring World War II, my father was a prisoner of war under the Japanese. He, and those with him, endured unspeakable atrocities for more than three years. Although I was protected from all the details as I was growing up, it dominated our family in many ways. Looking back on it now, I’m fairly sure… Read More
Sometimes Tony and I will look at each other and just say, “We are so blessed.” God has showered us with his grace and favor in many, many ways. I am so thankful for you, the readers of this blog, who put up with my rants about this and that, my theological musings, my passion… Read More
In my last post I shared some statistics that demonstrate the pain that the world experiences. Not that Christians don’t experience pain, but we do have Someone who walks alongside us in the midst of it. Alyce responded to that post, and her comments were so relevant and beautiful, I asked her permission to post… Read More
Consider the following: 17.6 million adults–1 in every 12–suffer from alcohol abuse or dependence 8% of people aged 12 and older have used illegal drugs in the past 30 days Every 40 seconds, someone in the world dies by suicide. Every 14 minutes in the US. The US divorce rate is the highest of any… Read More
All too often Christianity is cheapened to the point that it becomes a religion of rules in which the do’s and don’ts (especially the don’ts) govern our lives. In an effort to please God by keeping ourselves separate from the world (2 Cor 6:17), we live lives that are less than attractive to those who… Read More
This past weekend I met with a group of people to discuss missions. Traditional church is complex and complicated. Think of what goes into a typical Sunday morning service, let alone the upkeep of a building, handling the finances, keeping the programs running. Ordinary people, who have no training in ecclesiology and who have jobs… Read More
Is there a spiritual realm, an unseen dimension to what happens here on earth? Is spiritual warfare just our imagination? Does what we do spiritually make any difference to what happens here on earth? Understanding the reality of an unseen dimension that affects what goes on here on earth jolts us out of religious complacency and… Read More
The following is a report from Floyd McClung. It speaks for itself. It’s much longer than my usual posts, but don’t rush through reading it–let the Lord speak to your heart. I just returned home from a two-week visit to some of the Syrian refugee camps in the Middle East. Several people have asked me… Read More
Some people collect stamps or coins. I, from time to time, collect quotes–usually from spiritual leaders of the past, but occasionally I come across others that fascinate me. Here are some interesting ones–from Golda Meir. Golda Meir was one of the signatures on the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. She was the fourth prime minister… Read More
Over the many years I’ve been a follower of Jesus, I’ve noticed a trend. What I focus on makes a difference. Every few years, it seems the Lord leads me to study a certain area/doctrine. Often it’s a matter of necessity. For example, when we lived in a very poor inner city area for many… Read More