Our Blog
Hope & Blessing Through a Simple Meal
Isaiah 58:10 | … And if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. (NIV) In our nation, it is common to assume that we’ll have access to three meals a day along with snacks and dessert. Many of us don’t think twice about purchasing a fancy drink from the local coffee...
Sheep Among Wolves
The Lord’s strategy to defeat religious deception and to dispel the darkness of hate and prejudice is NOT to unleash an army of sword-wielding, gun-toting zealots into the world. Quite the contrary, He is releasing a flock of defenseless sheep armed only with the gospel. “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.” (Matthew 10:16) Recently I learned of a documentary on YouTube called Sheep Among Wolves. In one hour, it explores the dangers and the challenges of living as a Christian in a predominantly Muslim country. Though it’s dangerous to be a Christ-follower in those lands, believers consider...
Deny Self
In his book, “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made,” Dr. Brand said it more clearly than I could, “Our culture exalts self-fulfillment, self-discovery, and autonomy. But according to Christ, it is only in losing my life that I will find it. Only by committing myself as a ‘living sacrifice’ to the larger Body through loyalty to Him will I find my true reason for being. We are called to self-denial, not for its own sake, but for a compensation we can obtain no other way.”Dr. Brand is referring to Jesus’ statement, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and...
Good Contractors
We all know how important a solid and level foundation is to any building. The Apostle Paul employed the analogy of construction in the third chapter of 1 Corinthians. There, we’ll find lessons for all of us, whether we are employed in the building trades or not. The apostle told the Christians in Corinth that his sharing the gospel with them was like the work of a skilled contractor. “I have laid the foundation like an expert builder.” (1 Corinthians 3:10). He goes on to explain that the foundation he laid was Jesus Christ.Like anyone knows, simply having a good...
More of Him, Less of Me
John the Baptist was not your ordinary man. “John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.” (Matthew 3:4) But Jesus said of him, “I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11:11). So, looking past his meals and fashion statement, there are a couple of qualities that we should try to emulate. For those less familiar with the Bible, a little explanation is in order. John’s parents were quite old and childless, when...