RSS FeedWHO ARE YOU? A NEW YEAR’S EXAMINATION
At one stage in her life, novelist Muriel Spark (1918-2006) wrote, “I resolved to write an autobiography which would help to explain, to myself and others: who am I?” She said it would give her a sense of enriched self-knowledge. Authors of autobiographies are...
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
Gentle reader, whoever you are, wherever you may be in the world: the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia, may this Christmas bring you the peace of the angels, the awe of the Magi, the reverence of the shepherds and the eternal love of God who sent Jesus to...
CHRISTMAS IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT
On March 7, 1984, Jerry Levin, director of the CNN Middle East Bureau was walking from his Beirut, Lebanon apartment to his office when he was kidnapped by the terrorist group Hezbollah. He was placed in solitary confinement, chained to a radiator that didn’t work,...
AN ADVENT MEDITATION
J.R.R. TOLKIEN. What happens when darkness falls and the waters rise, when the light grows dim and the rock seems slippery? What happens when we cannot see or stand, and our fall seems all but inevitable? What happens when our faith fails us? I recently re-read the...
THE SEVENTH MARK OF THE CHURCH -WHOLEHEARTEDNESS
LAODICEA, TURKEY. In Revelation 3:14-22 Jesus Christ identifies the seventh mark of the church as wholeheartedness. He combines a fierce denunciation of complacency and a tender appeal for wholeheartedness. The Laodicean church was a halfhearted church. Perhaps none...
THE SIXTH MARK OF THE CHURCH – OPPORTUNITY
THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA, TURKEY The sixth mark of the church is opportunity. Christ placed before the church in Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) an open door, that no one can shut, and he holds the key to the door. Christ holds the key to the door of salvation. Do...
MY 2018 READING LIST
Here are the most significant books I read this past year. They are from a variety of genres: spiritual, devotional, theological, philosophical, biographical, and fictional. You might something in the list that appeals to you. I must say that the Sienkiewicz trilogy...
SIX REASONS BOOKS MAKE GREAT GIFTS
BOOKS DON’T GO OUT OF STYLE: When you buy someone a book you don’t have to worry whether it is the right size or color or whether it is in fashion. 2. BOOKS ARE AFFORDABLE: The cost of a book typically ranges from $6 to $30. In that price range, there is something for...
THE FIFTH MARK OF THE CHURCH – REALITY
CHURCH IN SARDIS, TURKEY The following is the commentary of John Stott (1921-2011) on the church at Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6. Reality is another sine qua non of a true church. A church should not only have the name of being alive but the life itself. So we must...
HOW DO YOU RECOVER FROM UNEXPECTED SUFFERING?
Mexico Beach, Florida after Hurricane Michael How do you recover when the husband or wife of many years suddenly is diagnosed with incurable cancer and dies within months? How do you recover from the devastating hurricanes or wildfires that have wiped out your...
Recent Comments