Our Blog
The Presence of God is given first place.
"Everybody squirt!" Suddenly 100 women whip out their spray bottles and begin to squirt their neighbor. Shrieking and laughing, we all cool down from the 105 degree heat. OK, back to the teaching... Our first multi-day conference for women is in progress. It's a first for most. A bit tentative and shy at first, they are warming up to the idea of a safe place where camaraderie and fun are core values. They will spend three full days here in a...
Why Do Christians Suffer?
Many of our brothers and sisters in India are facing persecution at the hands of those who believe following Christ is a political statement that is an affront to the Hinduism of their nation. Our partners haven’t faced bodily harm, but they have felt the climate of their nation cool towards Christianity. Why does God allow His children to suffer, sometimes starvation and sickness, or other times, persecution? The Bible reveals at least three reasons why God’s children suffer.ONE: SATAN - Those who haven’t yet given their hearts to Christ tend to blame God for all the bad stuff in...
Doing Good, Reducing Pain
Jesus reduced the suffering and pain of those around Him. The Scripture says that it “was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.’” (Matthew 8:17). In a similar way, Jesus wants His followers to reduce the pain and suffering of those around them. It may be that of our neighbors, or clients, or society, in general. It might even be people who live in another country.After describing in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) the character qualities Jesus wants to be in His people, He said that His followers would best...
Staying True to God
Do you remember the first day your child left for school, or you dropped them off at childcare? They were on your mind constantly. It didn’t get any easier when, years later, they left home for college or the military. Still, you worried. You wondered what they were doing. Were they safe? Were they happy or sad? Were they standing up to the lies and temptations confronting them? Were they staying true to Christ? The parents of Daniel in the Bible had the same concerns. But, instead of waving goodbyes to Daniel heading off to college or the military, their last...
Going Home
A friend of mine enjoys camping in the middle of the woods, alone and far away from people. It doesn’t matter to him if it’s clear, raining, or snowing. He loves to wake up to a cool morning, smell the fresh air, build a campfire and cook his breakfast. I prefer waking up in my own bed, building a fire in the woodstove, having a cup of freshly brewed coffee, and cooking breakfast in the microwave. Though I’m not much for camping, I have observed that the New Testament uses the imagery of a tent to describe our physical body. “Now...