Each time the Apostle Paul stopped in a new location during his missionary journeys, he first went into the synagogue to teach. This always ended with the Jews rising up in opposition, sometimes with great violence. Roland Allen, in Missionary Methods, St. Paul’s or Ours, expresses the view that it was Paul’s intention to make … Continue reading Some thoughts on evangelism
Holy Spirit
A faith worth dying for
Many of the Old Testament prophets died for the things they said. They were speaking the truth that God had revealed to them by His Spirit and the leaders of the people could not stand to hear that truth. So they killed the messengers of God thinking that would bring them peace. The Jewish leaders … Continue reading A faith worth dying for
The Works of Antichrist
[From a Waldensian writing dating from the year 1120. The historical belief of the Anabaptist-Waldensian-Mennonite faith is that Antichrist refers to a counterfeit of Christ.] The first is that he perverts the worship properly due to God alone, by giving it to Antichrist himself and to his works, to the poor creature, rational or non … Continue reading The Works of Antichrist
Why I am a member of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite
I was looking for a home—a family. An inner longing was pushing me to search for a church where there would be truth and warmth. Sometimes in my mind I thought I had found it, but that inner longing told me—No, this isn’t what you need. I met many good people along the way, picked … Continue reading Why I am a member of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite
Love is for giving
Love is the first-mentioned characteristic of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is given to us freely and abundantly, as long as we keep on giving it away, freely and abundantly. But if we feel that smiles, thank you’s and kind words are too precious to be squandered unless we receive them first from … Continue reading Love is for giving
Five reasons Christian communes don’t work
1. They isolate members from other people Relationships with family and friends outside the community that do not further the goals of the community become suspect. 2. They disconnect members from the reality of the world around them People who don’t have to choose and pay for their own food, clothing and shelter can hardly … Continue reading Five reasons Christian communes don’t work
Some spirits need to be quenched
I was alone in the lunchroom when Rhonda came in. She sat down on the other side of the table, opened her lunch bag and announced “He told me I looked like a horse.” “What? Who did?” “Doug, that young guy who got a summer job here. He just walked up to me and said: … Continue reading Some spirits need to be quenched
What does “Mennonite” mean to you?
Some people consider themselves to be birthright Mennonites because their ethnic origin is Plautdietsch or Pennsylfannisch Dietsch and their parents held to certain traditional values that they called Mennonite. Those values may have been cultural; language, clothing, lifestyle; or they may hae been intellectual: a somewhat counter cultural emphasis on peacefulness and helping one’s neighbour. … Continue reading What does “Mennonite” mean to you?
The things I believe
I believe in the God revealed in the Bible. The great and terrible Almighty and Eternal Creator of all things, who hates all unrighteousness. I believe that He is at the same time loving, merciful and compassionate, a father for the fatherless. He knows everything about us and wants us to know Him and be … Continue reading The things I believe
Learning to see
Let us not forget that the greatest composers were also the greatest thieves. They stole from everyone and everywhere. –Pablo Casals Writers do much the same thing, though I do not believe it is proper to call it theft. We learn something from everything we read and everything we see. Often it is just a … Continue reading Learning to see
Flatlander Faith 