There’s a video of a boy, probably about 4 years old, all dressed up and pumped up, going through the motions of preaching. It appears to be an official church gathering, with the congregation and a couple of church leaders encouraging the boy to keep going (“preach on!” and “amen!”). Indeed, the boy kept going …
When Moses prepares to ascend Mount Sinai, the Lord instructs him to consecrate the people. And the consecration included this warning: “the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the LORD, or he will break out against them” (Exodus 19.24 NIV; see also verse 20). What does it …
Christian ministries in U.S. college campuses are facing a significant challenge to their “recognized” status. Student organizations are being denied access to campus facilities on the basis of new school policies that restrict them from implementing certain standards on leaders of their organization. In other words, school administration requires that no student be excluded from …
Some members of Vallejo International Baptist Church recently had the privilege of joining the Napa Mass Feeding Unit of the CSB Disaster Relief Ministries. The unit’s task was to prepare food for earthquake victims and Red Cross staff of the shelters set up in Napa and Vallejo. For me, it was the very first time …
Scripture speaks of “good works” that is expected of God’s people. Often we think of such works only as charitable-benevolent deeds, or moral-ethical behavior. But there is more to work being “good.” One meaning of “good” often overlooked in religious contexts is that which pertains to “meeting high standards or expectations of appearance, kind, or …
“Come to Jesus. He will not turn you away. He will accept you just as you are.” These are common words that express the conviction that everyone who comes to Jesus in faith, recognizing him as the only Savior and humbly submitting to his exclusive lordship, is assured of his full acceptance. “For God loved …
Once again the apparent suicide of a prominent person hit the news. Response has been overwhelmingly kind and sympathetic. Yet there were a few insensitive or rash remarks that are more hurtful rather than offer healing. Sad to say, when we disagree with suicide it is easy to condemn it without taking the time to …
The account of the time when Jesus visits the home of Mary and Martha is a familiar story to many Bible-readers (Luke 10.38-42). The sisters respond to Jesus’ visit differently: Mary sits at Jesus’ feet, listening to him teach, and Martha gets busy making “preparations” for the guest. When Martha notices her sister just sitting …
The lifted hand is a very common and popular image of a person in worship. It’s no big surprise, considering that it is a picture often used in Scripture depicting worship and praise. “I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands” (Psalm 63.4 NIV). …
A few weeks ago, Grace and I decided to go on a road trip. This was a trip with a purpose: the goal was to check out some Christian campsites for our church retreat, both for this year and options for future events. This trip was rather spontaneous. We just hopped on our car, with …
