I never understood spiritual warfare until I got heavily involved in global evangelism and intercessory prayer. Two things that greatly irritate Satan and cause him to attack are the sharing of the Christian faith with intent to convert, and intercessory prayer for the non-believer and the backsliding believer. When Christians do things that lead non-Christians…
Decisions of how to serve God occasionally turn on very small hinges. While my father wanted an athlete for a son, my mother desperately wanted a musician. I’m not sure of the content or length of their discussion on the subject, but in the early days of my athlete career, my mother asked me if…
During my first year in High School I was relegated to the Junior Varsity baseball team. The next year I was determined to make the varsity. When the uniforms were passed out I was given #25, not one of my hoped-for numbers. When I asked the coach why I got #25, he replied, “Because we…
Having been retired from the Seminary classroom for several years, it was a bit awkward recently to find myself back in a substitute role for one of my former students, now teaching the same course he learned from me. One of the things I remembered during the class time was that, when teaching, I always…
I’ve heard it all my life, but when I heard the expression again the other day, I paused to reflect on the exact meaning of, “Lo and behold”! It’s actually an exclamation meant to draw attention to something. It is used especially to announce things that are considered important, thus it is often written with…
Over the years, I’ve had friends who had strong spiritual convictions but low moral standards. The results of such lifestyles have been displayed widely in the media. I fear what has been revealed in the spotlight is only a fraction of what has been practiced in the shadows. More recently I have developed friendships with…
What a joy to share another’s joy! When you enter into the joy of another, their joy overflows back on you, making you joyful as well. Perhaps it’s enjoying a child or grandchild open a present with joyful expressions, or observing someone complete a perfect musical presentation. Maybe it’s tearing-up with the Olympic athlete as…
Two specialist surgeons in my county accept my type of medical insurance. I used Dr. X on my first surgery and despite the fact that he was very highly rated and recommended by my physician assistant, I was not pleased. It was not just him, but his entire staff that made me uneasy with their…
My first clue was a note in the elevator that the hotel restaurant would be closing at 11am for Family Day. My second clue was the day-old newspaper in the restaurant (no paper printed on Family Day). When I asked Donna, my favorite Vancouver waitress, what was going on she replied, “It’s Family Day! It’s…
One of the good things about visiting the office of a medical doctor is seeing what is on the walls. Often times it is pictures or shadow boxes of medical instruments or practices of long-ago. That’s what I saw this week – a picture of an old-time method of facial care. It was an instrument…