This phrase is so often repeated by Christians that we have come to think of it as the main point of the account of Elijah in the cave. Recently though, in studying 1 Kings chapter 19, it has become clear to me that this is a beginning, not a conclusion. It doesn't even appear that … Continue reading The still small voice
obedience
Making disciples
I confess that I feel a lack in my life in being able to fulfill Jesus' command to make disciples of all nations. It seems to me that I am not alone in this, the people who sit beside me on the church benches Sunday after Sunday don't seem to be doing a whole lot … Continue reading Making disciples
Pietism
Oxford gives these definitions for pietism: 1 a a pious sentiment. b an exaggerated or affected piety. 2 (esp. as Pietism) a movement for the revival of piety in the Lutheran Church in the 17th c. Perhaps the best dictionary definition of what a pietist is is this one that I translated from le Petit … Continue reading Pietism
A Christian admonition from 600 years ago
[Barbe means beard. It came to be applied to the person wearing the beard, becoming a term of affection for an uncle and then became the term which Anabaptists in France and Italy used for their ministers. Pragela, a valley in the Alps west of Turin and near the French border was home to a … Continue reading A Christian admonition from 600 years ago
Two way communication
God has spoken once, His words are written in the holy book and it is the whole duty of man to obey all that is taught in the holy book. Religious leaders help to understand parts of the holy book that may not be clear, but God does not speak to people today. The religion … Continue reading Two way communication
Getting from survival to revival
I trust that most of us have coped well during this time of enforced hibernation. Now spring has come, nature is alive once more and we want to be too. What now? Do we go back to the way things were before our hibernation? Is that even possible? What is normal going to look like … Continue reading Getting from survival to revival
Exegesis vs Eisegesis
(First posted six years ago) I know some people will see this title and will already have a pretty good idea of what I am going to say. Others may wonder why I am using such fancy words. I hope you will all bear with me, read the post and feel free to comment. In … Continue reading Exegesis vs Eisegesis
To be a disciple
The Great Commission tells Christians to make disciples from all nations. In practice though, it seems many evangelical efforts have thought it sufficient to get a profession of faith from new believers, to make converts. That’s only a beginning. If I stop at being converted, I am not sufficiently rooted and grounded in the faith … Continue reading To be a disciple
Not a scary book
When Howard was converted, he knew there were a lot of differing ideas out there about what the Bible said. So, every time he sat down to read the Bible, he would pray first and ask God to help him understand correctly. When I met him some years later it was evident that God had … Continue reading Not a scary book
What the Bible is all about
The Bible is not a story about good people versus bad people. It is a story of people that were created to be good and rather chose to be bad from the very beginning. From that point on it is a story of people who have been rescued from evil and those who still need … Continue reading What the Bible is all about
Flatlander Faith 