Someone has suggested that Adam turned to Eve as they were leaving the Garden of Eden and said "My dear, we are in a time of transition." Probably not, but it would have been appropriate and the world has been in a continual time of transition ever since. Our happiness, our peace of mind, and … Continue reading A time of transition
Faith and life
The Myth of the Good Christian
To all my fellow believers in the saving blood of Jesus Christ. I believe we have a problem. At least most of us do. For sure I do. The problem is that we want to be good Christians. So we mine the Scriptures for clues about how we should conduct ourselves. What we should do; … Continue reading The Myth of the Good Christian
Let your roots go deep
Image by Peggy Choucair from Pixabay Here on the dry plains of Saskatchewan we haven’t had any significant rain for six weeks. The grass has turned brown; it’s not dead, but it’s not growing either. The trees are green and show no sign of stress. The difference? Grass roots are shallow and depend on surface moisture provided by … Continue reading Let your roots go deep
The farmer and the salesman
Once upon a time there were two Bible study groups, one led by a farmer and the other by a salesman. Both groups studied the same portions of Scripture, but the discussions were not at all the same. The farmer spent his days alone, driving a tractor up and down the fields or repairing the … Continue reading The farmer and the salesman
Simple and Complete – God’s plan for the church
Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, the whole world has lain in wickedness. All mankind is by nature inclined to choose darkness rather than light, to obey Satan, the god of this world, rather than the Creator. Therefore God has from the beginning called people to come out of the kingdom … Continue reading Simple and Complete – God’s plan for the church
Leadership in the church
Three words are commonly used in the New Testament to describe leaders in the church: diakonos (servant or minister), episkopos (overseer or bishop) and presbuteros (elder). A careful reading shows that these words do not denote different offices in the church, but different areas of responsibility for the same person. Neither is there any sense … Continue reading Leadership in the church
Meekness
Meekness rhymes with weakness; modern English dictionaries defines it with words that sound like weakness. That is not what the Bible means by meekness. Meekness is a strength of character that is neither an inherited personality trait nor the work of the human will, but solely a gift of the Holy Spirit. It is an … Continue reading Meekness
Unmoved by empathy
Empathy was foisted upon us 60 years ago as a more egalitarian substitute for sympathy. I suppose I’ve always had an analytical mind, sometimes that’s just an excuse for inaction. But I never believed this new word offered anything useful. I have been part of a small minority. The majority has come to believe that … Continue reading Unmoved by empathy
The old path is narrow
Jeremiah 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. I am – Christian, born-again, evangelical, Anabaptist, Mennonite – all those terms … Continue reading The old path is narrow
Flotsam and jetsam
At the beginning of Creation, God separated earth and sky from the primordial sea. The sea remains as a constant threat to the earth and those that dwell upon it. The sea is chaos, unpredictable, ever changing, ever threatening to overflow the boundaries that God set for it. The Bible depicts the multitudes of mankind … Continue reading Flotsam and jetsam