A universalist preacher, a gifted speaker, was holding meetings in a certain town and many came to hear him. At the close of the last meeting he asked if they wished him to come back every week to hold services. No one responded. Finally he asked if anyone objected to him coming back. Again there … Continue reading Beware of empty religion
To see as God sees
By virtue of my birth into this world, I am of the earth, earthy. This means that I have a natural affinity for all that is earthy. I gauge success the way the world gauges success; I gauge failure the way the world gauges failure. I expect governments to care for the elderly, the mentally … Continue reading To see as God sees
Home
We had a wonderful weekend, except for the last 80 km. Saturday was sunny and mild. We arrived at the home of my cousin in time for supper and spent the night there. Kara and her husband have four children, aged 9 to 18. Their oldest son is an enthusiastic lad of 16, almost six … Continue reading Home
Friendliness is next to godliness – part two
"The strong Anabaptist emphasis on discipleship has led to a warm fellowship among the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite congregations and a gentleness in human relations which makes visitors feel unusually welcome among them." - page 228, An Introduction to Mennonite History, Cornelius J. Dyck, editor © 1967 by Herald Press. It was many … Continue reading Friendliness is next to godliness – part two
Ghosts and goblins
Today is Hallowe'en, when little children will be decked out in scary costumes and sent to collect candy from kindly folks in the neighbourhood. Many people consider this innocent fun and the children truly are innocent of any real understanding of the symbolism. However, there are elements in our society who revel in celebrating the … Continue reading Ghosts and goblins
Feral Soul
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?
Flatlander Faith 