When Aaron made a golden calf for the people to worship, he was not intending it as idolatry. The people could not grasp the concept of an un seen God and wanted something they could see. It is called a calf in the Bible, but it was a bull, represented in the prime of his … Continue reading The living Word of God
To know and to do the will of God
There are striking similarities in the stories of the three men mentioned in Monday’s post. Their study of the Martyrs’ Mirror and the writings of Menno Simons and Dietrich Philips led them to see that the Mennonite church to which they belonged was adrift from the anchor of the old faith. Each one found that … Continue reading To know and to do the will of God
Suicide is a spirit
One night, somewhere in Canada, a young indigenous woman found herself battling thoughts of suicide. She was a Christian, she knew that was not what she wanted to do, yet the thought kept coming to her that it would be so easy to escape from her troubles. All she needed to do was walk out … Continue reading Suicide is a spirit
A little history, and a little mystery
Levi Young was a young man on fire for the Lord. He couldn’t have been more than 21 when he was ordained a minister in the Evangelical Mennonite Association. This was a small group with a few congregations in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. Levi Young served as an itinerant evangelist, but soon began to feel that … Continue reading A little history, and a little mystery
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay The title is quoted from lines that Alexander Pope wrote 300 years ago. In popular culture only the first line is remembered, with knowledge substituted for learning, as I have done above. A little learning is a dangerous thing;drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,and drinking largely … Continue reading A little knowledge is a dangerous thing
Our neighbours are not interested in our faith
What are we doing, or not doing, that leaves our neighbours uninterested in our faith? Looking at myself, I recognize that I come from a family of opinionated and argumentative people. Some people enjoy a good argument, but it’s not the best way to share the gospel. A whole lot of people are wary of … Continue reading Our neighbours are not interested in our faith
The law does not teach us how to be a Christian
But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. (Galatians 3:23-25). Schoolmaster = … Continue reading The law does not teach us how to be a Christian
Dreams and happiness
Let me ask you a question — if you achieve the thing you are dreaming of, will you be happy? Tom Sukanen came to Saskatchewan from Finland as a young man with immense strength and talent. He was a friend to all. He helped neighbours build their homes, work their land, repair their machinery, thresh … Continue reading Dreams and happiness
May God’s peace rule your heart
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts – May the peace of God “judge, decide, and govern” in your hearts, as the judge did in the Olympic contests of Paul’s day. No heart is right with God where the peace of Christ does not rule, and the continual prevalence of the peace of … Continue reading May God’s peace rule your heart
The way to happiness
Image by dima_goroziya from Pixabay The Bible demonstrates again and again how futile it is for a person to think he is able to understand and decide by himself how to live a successful and happy life. But we keep trying. Four centuries ago, René Descartes, elevated this human propensity into a philosophical belief systemn which says that … Continue reading The way to happiness
