Satan has been able to use the ethnic uniformity of our congregations to place a veil over the eyes of seeking souls, convincing them that what they see is the idiosyncrasies of a little German ethnic group. There may yet be some confusion on that point among many church members,. But the ethnic makeup of … Continue reading Coming to the light
Faith and life
Pray for all God’s children
There is an epidemic sweeping the world that no one dares mention. Jacques Ellul, French sociologist, philosopher and theologian, wrote The Technological Society in 1964. In the book he describes how technology has supplanted the church and the Bible as the ultimate source of truth. Efficiency has become the sole moral absolute. There is no … Continue reading Pray for all God’s children
The pen of the wise
I begin every day by meeting God, first in His Word, then in prayer. My French Bible is on a shelf just above the computer monitor. Most often I read and hear gentle reminders of things I know, but which are always in need of reinforcement. The strength I receive from this quiet time helps … Continue reading The pen of the wise
Christ is in all
The following question came in my email this morning and I decided to post it and give my thoughts. Feel free to join the conversation. I enjoy many of your inspiring blogs and this morning read “A matter of the heart, not the head.” You wrote: “ ...and there did not seem to be a … Continue reading Christ is in all
Qualifications of a minister of the gospel
Many words are used in the New Testament to describe spiritual leaders in the church. Bishop, or overseer (episkipos); elder (presbuteros); pastor; minister (diakonos); evangelist; prophet; teacher; apostle (one sent out). All of these, except perhaps the last, are used interchangeably and appear to be but different functions or gifts of the same office. An … Continue reading Qualifications of a minister of the gospel
A matter of the heart, not the head
As I walked the dusty streets of Plimoth, Massachusetts, Samuel Fuller fell into step beside me. “The church hierarchy in England says that we are not a legitimate church, because we have no ministers. A church is made up of Christian people; they don’t even have a church. Who made them ministers and bishops?” On … Continue reading A matter of the heart, not the head
Francophone Anabaptists
We may think of the Anabaptist faith as having originated among people who spoke German and Dutch. But before them most Anabaptists spoke French. Does that have any significance for us today? Most of the original explorers and settlers of New France were Protestants. The Roman Catholic Church in France soon moved to prevent further … Continue reading Francophone Anabaptists
Consequences of a false gospel
Several weeks ago I wrote about the effect on education of René Descartes’ belief in the ability of the human mind to discover all truth through the exercise of reason. That belief has worked its way into every aspect of Western civilization. It is found in our media, our social institutions, our ideas about business, … Continue reading Consequences of a false gospel
Their citizenship is in heaven
The Kingdom of God is the only kingdom or nation that is rightfully called Christian. The citizens of this kingdom are on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. They do not treasure things that are highly esteemed in this world, which are an abomination to their heavenly King. Their treasure is in heaven, where … Continue reading Their citizenship is in heaven
Baby steps
"God will provide." We say those words glibly, so certain of their truth that we may appear to have no compassion for people in distress. That isn’t what they are experiencing day after day. Life seems to be stacked against them. Perhaps they don’t have the skills to find a job that will pay a living … Continue reading Baby steps
