Nine years ago we were living in a little village north of Saskatoon. One day early in the year the phone rang and when I answered a voice with a pronounced southern accent said, "My name is Jay Bullock and I hear you are having Vacation Bible School up there this summer and I wonder … Continue reading Christianity: it’s not all about me
Bible
Giving an answer
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15). The three highlighted words: “give an answer” are a translation of a single Greek word: apologia. The … Continue reading Giving an answer
The path to Christian unity
Believers today are troubled – perhaps frustrated would be a better word – by the divisions among Christians. It was certainly never God’s plan for there to be these kinds of divisions (“there should be no schism in the body” 1 Corinthians 12:25). Yet schisms have been part of Christian history since shortly after the beginning. … Continue reading The path to Christian unity
Is it hot?
My wife and I went away for the day, leaving our four-year-old daughter with Grandma. When Grandma started to make dinner, our daughter saw the electric element on the stove glowing red hot, asked “Grandma, is it hot?” and placed the palm of her hand on the element. I guess she really never understood what … Continue reading Is it hot?
Just open it and read
What is the best way to read the Bible? Just open it up and start reading. It’s that simple. I quit attending church when I left home. I had heard all the old familiar Bible stories that are taught in Sunday School. I had also absorbed a lot of contradictory teachings in school, through the … Continue reading Just open it and read
Moralistic, Therapeutic Deism
Moralistic, therapeutic deism, a term first used by Christian Smith, seems a fitting description of much of what passes for Christianity in North America. The followers of this religion believe in a God who wants them to be good, wants them to feel good about themselves, doesn’t need to be consulted except in case of … Continue reading Moralistic, Therapeutic Deism
What is wrong with this picture?
We send missionaries all over the world from our North American congregations. We rejoice when reports come back of the faith taking root in countries where the prevailing belief is animism, Hinduism, Buddhism or Islam. Then we go into Tim Horton's and the person behind the counter is a recent immigrant from one of those … Continue reading What is wrong with this picture?
One God, two kingdoms
In 1660 AD, Thieleman J van Bright, a deacon of the Mennonite church in Holland, published the result of his exhaustive historical research of the beliefs and the persecutions of faithful Christians from the time of Christ up to the date of publication. This book, the Martyrs Mirror, runs to more than 1100 pages and … Continue reading One God, two kingdoms
The foolishness of preaching
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is … Continue reading The foolishness of preaching
Somebody ought to do something
Just about every day the media presents new evidence of bullying, neglected and mistreated children, juvenile prostitution, verbal, physical and sexual abuse, youth gangs and all the other problems that seem to afflict the children and youth of our society. Cries of distress and outrage go up and there is a universal feeling that something … Continue reading Somebody ought to do something
