COVID Reflections
This week is an anniversary of which we would not like to remember, but that we would always do well to remember. It was this week two years ago that we closed the doors to the building in an effort to “flatten the curve” as our health advisors told us at the time. I am grateful to God for a state government that is not still restricting movement, mandating, or even keeping us locked down as I know many places…
What’s the Focus of Our Compassion Cards?
The Compassion Card program began with the goal to help make contact with folks who have significant life-changes (ie. Death in the family, new baby, new job, surgery, painful diagnoses, etc.) and to bestow the church’s love and care for them—with the purpose to follow up and introduce the recipients to Jesus and His church. Here are a few ways to remind us of what’s important about this program: It begins with compassion. We feel with and for people in…
Philippines Mission Letter: February 2022
Click to download the letter. Dear Brethren, We implore the Lord in a humble prayer to watch over you, provide your needs, and bless you in all that you do for His kingdom. We exalt and glorify our Almighty God in heaven for continuously blessing our work in His vineyard, especially in sharing the saving power of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with the lost. We appreciate and acknowledge all that our brethren…
The God Who Turns Everything Around
Acts 7:9 – “And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.” This is THE classic example of God thwarting men’s plans while having a far grander plan in mind. Genesis 37:28 should have been the last we heard of Joseph. Maybe…
What A Friend!
In John 15, Jesus refers to Himself as “the vine” and calls His followers “the branches” (5). The purpose for this is clear (5b-6). A relationship to Christ must be maintained and fruit must be produced. Jesus could have stopped there. But, He wants the connection to be more than this. In John 15:9-15, He talks of love and friendship. These verses suggest some wonderful thoughts. First, we see evidence of His friendship. His friendship would be demonstrated in a…
Profiles of the Kingdom
You learn to appreciate people who do not walk in lock-step with the status quo, but instead make thoughtful and loving stands for what is right. We are noticing the work of black brethren as Black History Month continues, and how men like these have helped shape this country and the church. This profile highlights a dedicated servant both in upholding truth in politics, as well as upholding truth in the pulpit. John DeBerry served as a Democratic member of…
Profiles of the Kingdom
February in the United States is designated as Black History Month in order to honor and observe the roles of Black Americans in the shaping of this country. One such man who is worthy of honor in the difference he made is our brother Marshall Keeble. Marshall Keeble. Brother Keeble was a gospel preacher who lived from 1878 until 1968 and who still speaks in influence, books, and in recorded sermons found online. There are a number of books about…
Philippines Mission Letter: January 2022
Click to download the letter. Dear Brethren, We continue to ask God in prayer that He will keep you all in your well-being and bless all that you do for His glory. We thank the Lord always for keeping our loved ones protected from the serious illnesses although many of us got cough, cold, and fever for over a week due to a varying weather that we experienced last month. We are grateful that our family and the brethren here…
Proverbs
We’ve all heard them! Pithy statements that cause us to stop, think, and mull over life and choices we make. A few “classics” include: Don ’t count your chickens before they hatch. Strike while the iron is hot. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. These kinds of witty, memorable statements, known as proverbs, offer wisdom for practical living. We use the pictures of unhatched eggs, hot irons, and chains to emphasize doing things at the right…
An Unchanging Principle
We often talk about how different things are now when compared to an earlier time. This is usually done in terms of devices (“Why, we didn’t even know what a cell phone was when we were young!”) or rules (“My mother made me be home from a date by 9:00 P.M.”) or some other comparative matter we feel worth noting. Yes, things change. But, some don ’t. Here is one: trust in God and obedience to His will. Centuries ago,…
Race Relations and God’s Design
Racism is a problem that is ongoing, not only in America 2022, but has been for thousands of years. Wasn ’t it, in part, racism that Pharaoh ’s wife accused Joseph of impropriety (Gen. 39:17)? Wasn ’t it, in part, racism that kept Jonah from wanting to preach to those horrible Assyrians? Wasn ’t it racism that caused the Jews and Gentiles of the early church to look down on or to avoid each other (Gal. 2:11 -ff)? Is this…
The Clockwork Phone Call
Every morning I ’m in the office, between 8:05am and 8:13am, the phone rings from the same “1 -800” number. I picked up the phone for about the first month it rang and realized it was either a spam -caller, a fax -machine ’s wrong number (do people still use those?), or someone who just wants to mess with me (bravo for persistence in the joke if that ’s the case). Now when it rings, I simply lift the receiver…