Ever been in a real stem-winder of a storm? Most of us have, and some have been recently. There have been many devastating tornadoes this spring and summer! Some years ago, a gentleman in our church, an elderly man named Walter Smith, gave me a poem he wrote about a blizzard his family went throughContinue reading “God’s Way in the Storm”
Monthly Archives: July 2023
Faithful Unto Death
All of the apostles were mistreated by anti-Christian magistrates, rulers, and emperors. They were called to seal their confessions of faith with their blood, and nobly did they bear the trial. The following was the fate of the apostles, according to tradition: • Matthew was slain with a sword in a distant city of Ethiopia;•Continue reading “Faithful Unto Death”
Culture of Grace?
A culture is a consensus of popular opinions, lifestyles, and thought, along with trends in art, music, food, fashion, politics, and various and sundry other categories, that impact the daily lives of people within a community. It is based primarily on preferences rather than absolutes. So, to talk about a “church culture,” one would haveContinue reading “Culture of Grace?”
Thankful for Teachers!
You probably are one. Parents are teachers, pastors are teachers, teachers are teachers in school, in Sunday School, in seminars and seminaries. There are all kinds of teachers, as a good part of life is about learning—and much of one’s learning comes through the dedicated efforts of faithful teachers. The worth of a good teacherContinue reading “Thankful for Teachers!”
A Lesson Learned the Hard Way
A nephew of ours is a pastor to members of the Cherokee nation in northwestern North Carolina. He recently shared a personal testimony that, with his permission, I’d like to pass along in hopes that it may help others. I was struck by this post of his, because a very similar incident happened to me,Continue reading “A Lesson Learned the Hard Way”
Victory!
On Sunday, July 2, Pastor Mark Felber celebrated, with his family and church family, 40 years as pastor of Victory Baptist Church of Whiteland, Indiana. It was a day of thanksgiving, praise, rejoicing, and lifting of hands and hearts in recognition of God’s unspeakable goodness, grace, and faithfulness through these past four decades. Ellen andContinue reading “Victory!”
Have Hope!
In a radio broadcast on Christmas Day, 1939, with darkening war clouds looming large over Europe and England, King George VI quoted what was then an unknown poet’s words: “And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’Continue reading “Have Hope!”
July 4th, Then and Now
Today marks the 247th birthday of this great nation! I can remember July 4, 1976, in Wichita, Kansas, when our family joined other families in commemorating this special day with an all-day preaching and dinner-on-the grounds service. We so enjoyed that day, and though the 200-year-old nation then was (and is) fraught with problems, weContinue reading “July 4th, Then and Now”