Dateline Afghanistan This week the Associated Press reported some positive news from Afghanistan about a Christian named Sayed Mussa: An Afghan man who was jailed for nine months for converting to Christianity has been released after an intense campaign by international diplomatic missions and Christian activists, an official said Friday.1 Sadly, just being released from…
Month: February 2011
What’s in a Name?
This week I spent a couple days off-the-grid in East Millinocket, Maine with Mike, my father-in-law (a retired truck driver who dabbles in used car sales). During one trip (to plain-old Millinocket) I saw a sign for an oil and propane supplier—one I'd never noticed before: Dead River Company. I told Mike that it seemed…
Not So “Children Stories” in the Bible
I ran into Tim Hawkin’s for the first time last night. It’s great to have another "clean" comedian I can watch and listen to. As I was working on my sermon today, this great bit came to mind. Sadly I won’t be able to work it in. 🙂 Graham Maxwell, a friend of mine (and…
WealthTV?
I can’t help but think there is something wrong with Sky Angel, a Christian TV provider (through Internet streaming) adding this channel to their lineup, even if it is not part of the “Faith Package” (as compared to “Family Package” or “Family Values Package”). I’ve been away from the Internet (mostly) for more than three…
Prayin’ Like a Pagan (Part 2)
Quick Review Before we jump into "Prayin' Like a Pagan (Part 2)" (otherwise known as "Winslow's Sermon on the Lord's Prayer (Part 2)"), let's quickly review the highlights of part 1. Although we are reviewing eleven verses (Matthew 6:5-15), we only made it through three of them two weeks ago when I last preached. I…
A Lesson from Smuggling
One of the first editions of Ruport Murdoch’s new iPad-only newspaper, The Daily, included a story that had all the makings of a great old-fashioned G-Man tale.1 An unmarked truck sneaks out from Pennsylvania before dawn with liquid contraband destined for Manhattan. After arriving, the banned substance is clandestinely slipped into a crowded room of…
Diane’s Miracle
In the "we took way too long to start it" category are the monthly church prayer meetings that began in January (and will repeat every fourth Sunday at 10AM instead of Bible study). Although other items were also brought before the Lord, one request especially stood out—Diane’s need for an operation that might finally stem…
Diane’s Miracle
A friend of mine has had multiple sclerosis for over 22 years now…and has been slowly…painfully…loosing the battle. There is a new treatment that could give her a lot of her freedom back…but they don’t have the insurance to cover it. So, as the first step in a new ministry to reach out to shut-ins,…
Prayin’ Like a Pagan (Part 1)
A.K.A. Winslow’s Sermon on Prayer (Part 1) I have asked folks to let me know if there is anything they’d like me to preach on, and a few weeks back Winslow delivered by requesting a sermon on the Lord’s Prayer. I postponed doing it because it’s far less simple than it sounds…and although I still…
How Far Would You Go?
The lead article in the most recent Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter is about the exploits of Rolo, a former member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) who now spends his time leading residents of FARC-controlled areas (and FARC rebels themselves) to Christ. Needless to say, it is a very risky proposition. Not…
Would Jesus Use Facebook?
As an avid user of Facebook it would seem especially important for me to answer this article’s title. However, I’ll admit that I never slowed down enough to ask myself its question; instead it only came to mind when a friend (in a Facebook message) mentioned that "since joining Facebook [she has] often wondered if…