Monthly Archives: October 2023

Those words are in a recorded message that Jesus spoke through the Apostle John to the local, New Testament, first-century church at Smyrna: “Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Rev.2:10) Paul exhorts his readers and disciples in Thessalonica that “faithful is He that calleth you who willContinue reading ““Be Thou Faithful Unto Death””

It was an exciting day for me, the father of two beautiful girls (ages 4 and 2) when, on June 5, 1970, the doctor who attended the delivery of our third child at Baylor University Hospital in Dallas, Texas, announced, “It’s a boy!” There was no way of knowing, back in those days, what genderContinue reading “Theo’s Journey*”

The well-known author and historian H. G. Wells was quoted as saying, “I cannot adjust my life to secure any fruitful peace. . . . Here I am at 65 still seeking for peace.” George Vaillant, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, has spent his career researching adult development and recovery from schizophreniaContinue reading “Peace, Peace, Wonderful Peace”

Well, someone has designated October as “Pastor Appreciation” month. It has well been said that one’s pastor should be appreciated every month, but there is probably widespread agreement that it is well to set aside certain days to give special recognition and honor to those in our lives who are making significant contributions and differencesContinue reading “Pastors Appreciation”

Ellen and I just returned from the annual meeting of Baptist World Mission, hosted by Calvary Baptist Church in Huntsville, Alabama. It was a Sunday through Wednesday meeting for the church, their faith promise missions conference running concurrently with the BWM board meeting, or vice-versa. The theme for the conference was compassion. It was aContinue reading ““And Jesus…Was Moved With Compassion””

Shakespeare, in “As You Like it,” wrote that “all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and entrances, and every man in his times plays many parts.” The poet went on to say that man’s life has seven acts: (1) “Infancy, when he is mewling andContinue reading “Saga of a Sovereign”

In 1989, through the political engineering of two heads of state, U.S. President Ronald Reagan and the Soviet Union’s Premier, Mikhail Gorbachev, the impenetrable “Iron Curtain” began to crack. The opening made it possible in June of that year for Evangelist Ed Nelson and myself, with Natasha Vins and a few other believers, to takeContinue reading “Remembering Them That Are in Bonds”

Paul Harvey, the ABC newsman who for years ended his 5-minute radio program with the catchphrase “now you know the rest of the story,” once told of a man picked up in the middle of the night walking across a bridge naked. He was living in an area where there had been a drought. WhenContinue reading “Antidote For Our Heart’s Devices”

Almost 30 years had passed since Jacob—younger son of Isaac and Rebekah, twin brother of Esau—had left his kindred and homeland due to the threat his estranged brother had made on his life, after Jacob and his mother connived to cheat Esau out of the coveted elder son’s blessing from Isaac. It was a sordidContinue reading “Back to Bethel”