Church Blog (Page 58)
Feast or Famine #6. “Feast of Joy.”
Did I ever tell you about the wedding that I performed in a tent? Everything was perfect, the bride, the groom, the guests, everything…except for the weather. The rains really did come down! As the groom and I waited for the bride, I noticed that small lakes were developing in the canopy above. When one would give way under its own weight, water would cascade down the outside of the canvas flaps; and we all checked our shoes. That day,…
Feast or Famine #5. “Famine of Belief.”
Each time Pharoah refused to let God’s people go, he was asking for another plague—God did not refuse him! Egypt witnessed YHWH’s wrath first-hand. They were left in no doubt as to His complete power over all their pagan gods. None of these gods arose to contradict or negate His devastation over every aspect of Egyptian life. The super-power was brought to its knees by the God of their slaves. By the Tenth Plague all of Egypt believed! They did…
Feast or Famine #4. “Feast for the Soul.”
On one of my few foreign adventures I was invited a garden party at the country estate. The event was hosted by the lady of the manor. On arrival she encouraged us to partake of the lavish array of foods set out, and to enjoy the equally lavish array of paintings on display. The paintings were available for purchase, but the representative insisted: “First and foremost they are here for your enjoyment.” Now, I was no art expert, but I…
Feast or Famine #3. “Famine—Nutritional wasteland!”
I have always been averse to taking prescription medicines. On this, my husband-and-wife doctor team have been patient with me; to a point! When I have been hesitant to adjust to their better judgement, they have deftly tilted their computer screen towards me and given me a brief history lesson. You see, I can kid myself that I am going to do better (and I have), but the facts remain that my family history paints a solemn picture. So, unless…
Photo, negative
By Kevin Hogg For the older readers out there, before the digital era brought such great advances, our cameras used film. When the film Cartridge is processed they produced a photo for your album and a negative from which further photos can be made. In essence, the negative is the true, and the photo was the copy. Commonly called type and antitype. It is the same of our world; we believe that physical is the real, because we physically perceive…
Feast or Famine #2. “Feast—A party like no other!”
When I get to heaven, I am going straight to the fast-food section. Not McDonald’s et el., but the bread and gravy and fried meats and donuts, etc; all the food I am not allowed to eat now. I know that it is the stuff of sugar, salt, fat, and every chemical you don’t want to know about, however its one redeeming quality is that it tastes so good. And since it will be heaven, I will not have to…
Feast or Famine #1. “Famine—A lonely place to be!”
Europe has an abundance of empty church buildings for sale. As unbelievable as it may sound, spaces once filled with dark clad, austere worshipers are now filled with nightclubbers and skateboarders. Sadly, this has been coming for a very long time. Even as far back as the mid-1800s, David Livingstone and other missionaries were praying that Africa would one day send missionaries back to revive Europe’s beleaguered Christian spirit. Elijah lived during a spiritual famine. In fact, at one point,…
I’ll take my Chances#5. “A Foolish Gamble.”
I remember it well. My brother was driving as we were travelling through the back roads of The King Country around Christmas 1978. Suddenly, the view from my car door window turned black. It was no mystery as to what had happened; an oncoming car had forced us off the road. My brother’s swift reactions put our vehicle up against the bank to avoid a head on collision. What went through my mind in the split second that I was…
I’ll take my Chances#4. “But if it ends before I wake…”
There was a lady taking notes as the preacher was waxing eloquent. But as an overwhelming sense of tiredness came over her, she is said to have written this verse: As I sit me down to sleepI know the sermons long and deepBut if it ends before I wakeSomebody give me a little shake. That story comes from a sermon by James Maxwell. However, judging by the number of “Amens” and other affirmations, I doubt that anyone would have wanted…
I’ll take my Chances#3. “Christ or Con-artist?
Travel to a tourist town and you might happen upon The Shell Game. There you will witness a con that goes back as far as ancient Greece. The confidence trickster artfully engages his ‘mark’ in a supposed game of: ‘Which shell is the object under?’ Unbeknownst to the poor victim, the object is removed and restored at the conjurer’s will. The ‘mark’ is speedily set-up by a cheering crowd and several “wins;” then the fraudulent street magician strikes. Only three…