In Flanders Fields

98 years ago Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote the poem, In Flanders Fields.  McCrae was a surgeon with a Canadian artillery regiment in the First World War and a day earlier had buried a close friend on the battlefield near Ypres, Belgium. Poppy seeds lie dormant in the ground until the soil is disturbed by … Continue reading In Flanders Fields

Defenceless Christians

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.  Rejoice, and … Continue reading Defenceless Christians

What do we have inside?

Ravi Zacharias, in one of his books, quotes an African proverb which says: "A man shows what he has inside by what spills out when he is bumped."  Much as we might wish to avoid it, we are going to be bumped, by circumstances that we did not foresee and by people who do not … Continue reading What do we have inside?

Where have all the doctrines gone?

There were three churches in the town where I grew up.  The doctrinal position of each was well understood and inflexible; none of them would have been considered evangelical.  About the time I began high school, an itinerant evangelist held meetings in a rented hall and people’s hearts were sufficiently stirred that a Baptist congregation … Continue reading Where have all the doctrines gone?

Marriage

We have invitations to three weddings posted on our fridge.  We would like to be at all of them, but the only one we will for sure attend is the one that takes place tomorrow in our home congregation.  This one involves a young man from Mississippi who is marrying a sister of our son-in-law.  … Continue reading Marriage

Land of Living Skies

Our Saskatchewan license plates proclaim that this is the "Land of Living Skies,"  I suppose that refers to the gorgeous sunsets that we see pretty much every evening.  In spring and fall it could also describe the flocks of migratory birds that pass over our heads. Especially in fall.  In spring the birds are in … Continue reading Land of Living Skies

God’s way is still best

“For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7). Progress and family have never been very compatible.  The economic development of the U.S. south depended on capturing large numbers of African people, who knew more about raising cotton than the plantation owners, bringing them to America and treating them as … Continue reading God’s way is still best

True Christianity is neither Protestant nor Roman Catholic

"And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" (Acts 11:26). Well, they had to call them something, didn't they?  Some of them had once been Jews, but that label didn't really fit anymore.   Others had been pagans, probably worshippers of Apollo and others of the Greek gods.  That label didn't work for them anymore.  … Continue reading True Christianity is neither Protestant nor Roman Catholic

Excuses

Faithful readers of this blog will have noticed that I was absent for almost a week.  I want to sincerely thank everyone who continued to check out the posts on this blog, even while nothing new was being added. No, I did not leave home on an extended trip, but other things came up which … Continue reading Excuses

All power

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Matthew 28:18 These are bold words, yet coming as they did from the mouth of one who had risen from the dead we must grant their credibility.  The question then is, at what point was Jesus … Continue reading All power