During my college years at Taylor University, one of my favorite things was when Dr. Jay Kesler, my mentor and friend, recited the beginning of a poem by James Whitcomb Riley before giving his message in one of the fall chapel services each year. In honor of Jay and of the first frost in Batesville, Indiana, I'm sharing the poem this morning. I hope you enjoy! When ... [Continue Reading]
Quotable
In order to lead effectively in the church today, it is essential to understand that this is the first time in its two thousand year history that the church has had to minister to five or more generations simultaneously. Richard L. Hamm in Recreating the Church ... [Continue Reading]
Sometimes Less is More (Job 10-13)
Job's friends went a little too far in giving him their opinions. It would have been better for everyone had they kept his thoughts to himself. Though they were well intentioned, they did more damage than good. Today's reading made me think about a poem I heard Alistair Begg recite once. The title is "Just Suppose," and the ... [Continue Reading]
The risk of ADVENTURE
I remember in college I used to think a lot about how Jesus said that the call of following Him meant persecution. Last week I mentioned a book called The Heavenly Man in a post about hope. The book is the autobiography of a man named Brother Yun - a Chinese Christian who faces intense persecution. It's possible that this idea of suffering is on my ... [Continue Reading]
Which is the better wish?
In reading The Heavenly Man by Brother Yun, I was really struck by a letter that Brother Yun wrote to his son at his son's birth. Yun's son was conceived shortly before Yun was taken into custody by Chinese authorities for sharing the Gospel. He was in prison when his son was born, and he penned these words: To my dear son Isaac, When you were born ... [Continue Reading]
Great quote by John Wesley
“Beware you are not swallowed up in books! An ounce of love is worth a pound of knowledge.” ... [Continue Reading]
Quotable
The Man Jesus as He appeared in the flesh has been equated with the Godhead and all His human weaknesses and limitations attributed to the Deity. The truth is that the Man who walked among us was a demonstration, not of unveiled deity but of perfect humanity." AW Tozer in The Knowledge of the Holy ... [Continue Reading]
Quotable
To admit that there is One who lies beyond us, who exists outside of all our categories, who will not be dismissed with a name, who will not appear before the bar of our reason, nor submit to our curious inquiries: this requires a great deal of humility, more than most of us possess, so we save face by thinking God down to our level, or at least down to where we can manage ... [Continue Reading]
Quotable
We who live in the cities see but a little farther than across the street. We spend our days looking at the work of our own and our neighbors' hands. Small wonder our lives have so little of God in them, when we come in touch with so little that God has made. -Harold Bell Wright in The Shepherd of the Hills ... [Continue Reading]
Quotable
"For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for man." -John Stott ... [Continue Reading]
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