The epistle to the Laodiceans is not pure reproof. Against the backdrop of dismal decline the Lord proffers two superlative promises to individuals. Laodicea was about 15 miles north by northwest of Colosse, and the two churches received and interchanged Paul’s letters. Colossians contains the apex of the apostle’s teaching on the Person of Christ, […]
The young groom fidgets nervously in the anteroom, supported by his best man. Butterflies practice aerobatics in his stomach and a trip hammer works overtime in his ears. He thinks he can hardly stand another minute of this heart palpitation, this perspiration running in rivulets down his back, when the door opens: “It’s time,” says […]
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 thesis on the door of the Wittenburg Church and officially the Reformation had begun. On March 29, 1994, a number of leading evangelicals signed a joint declaration titled, “Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the 3rd Millennium.” This document had the approval of the […]
Felix Manz (1490-1527) was in the inner circle of the Swiss “Anabaptist” revival at the time of the reformation. The son of an unwed mother, his father was the canon of Grossmuenster in Zuerich. There were many illegitimate children as a by-product of the rule of celibacy in the priesthood. These included some of the […]
To Abram, called from the luxury of city life to be a sojourner in a strange land, God said: “I am thy Shield, and thy exceeding great Reward” (Gen. 15:1). Was Abraham a loser? Whatever he left, he had God as his present Reward. But in connection with a man who lived centuries before Abram, […]
Faithfulness produces both blessing and suffering. We all like blessing but tend to avoid suffering. Yet we cannot have one without the other. Proverbs 28:20 says, “A faithful man shall abound with blessings.” A good example of this is Abraham who was blessed by God and was in turn made a blessing to the world. […]
There were some groups conspicuous by their absence from the list of creditors, and others embarrassingly included. When the “double your money in six months” Foundation for New Era Philanthropy filed for bankruptcy on May 15, they listed $551 million in liabilities and $80 million in assets. Much of the money came from well-meaning donors […]
On September 18, 1981, I was well on my way to a night of drunken revelry in a Windsor, Ontario, tavern. Suddenly and for no apparent reason I was overwhelmed by fear. Rushing into the washroom, I tried to get a grip on myself. It was to no avail. As though pursued by an unknown […]
It lies there, docile in its dark, moist chamber, doing neither good nor ill. But don’t be fooled. It can suddenly spring to action, responding like a wild, bucking bronco, a storm-driven ship, a raging forest fire, a poisonous viper, or a bitter fountain (Jas. 3:3-12). Composed of muscles covered with a membrane, the “little […]