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5 signs of true revival

Now and then we hear news of “revival.” I can think of several times during my ministry where talk of revival was commonplace, including last February (2023) with the events at Asbury University in Kentucky. Naturally, pastors and ministry leaders get asked a lot of questions during these seasons. People are curious and asking - what should we make of all this “revival” talk? It is appropriate to turn to the work of Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), in order to answer this. Edwards was a colonial era pastor ministering in the frontier town of Northampton, MA, and had profound ...

What gets into us?

Mark 1:21-28 Men and mice share one thing in common. None of us wants to die. Self-preservation is one of the strongest instincts in living creatures. And yet high in the Scandinavian mountains lives a small mouselike creature that every few years commits mass suicide. I’m talking about lemmings. They’ve given us the phrase, “like lemmings headed for the sea,” because that’s what they do. Every few years when their population has grown too large and the food supply has become too scarce, they leave their burrows and like a mighty army, swarm out of the mountains and ...

Biblical ignorance on display

When looking at the vast majority of Jews we know they have always believed in a resurrection. They believe in both a national resurrection and a personal resurrection. What do I mean by a national resurrection? In Ezekiel 37 there is a picture of the national resurrection of Israel. The Messiah would come and would be a conqueror like David and would raise Israel from death to victory. One writer said, “Just as David emerges from nowhere, defeated Goliath and became a national hero, so the Jews were anticipating the arrival of a similar figure who would resurrect Israel as a ...

Football party favorites from Bev’s Kitchen

Hello from the Kitchen! A big football weekend is coming up. For all you football fans, I have a few food ideas to make for the big game. Pasta salad, tacos, avocado appetizer, homemade pizzas or vegetable trays are just a few. Also, cold veggie or fruit pizza are tasty finger foods. I’m not a football fan, but I do enjoy the commercials. Here are a few recipes. Veggie pizza 2 pkgs crescent rolls 1 cup sour cream 1 envelope dry ranch powder 1 (8oz) cream cheese (room temperature) Fresh veggies cut into bite sized pieces Flatten out crescent rolls into a large ...

‘Wonka’ on par with its predecessors

Now in its third rendition, the beloved Willy Wonka has returned to capture our imaginations once again. In the 2023 film, “Wonka,” rated PG, we meet a young Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) determined to make it as a chocolatier in a town that’s just not big enough to hold his dreams. ...

Put a little love in your heart

Since Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us, I thought it would be fun to delve into the origins of the holiday. Where did it come from? Why do we celebrate it? I fully expected to uncover stories featuring chubby, naked little cherubs flying about, launching arrows and sprinkling love dust on unsuspecting humans and Greek gods or something. I was in for a rude awakening when I discovered its actual roots. According to the much-respected History Channel, Valentine’s Day began as a pagan, Roman fertility festival. Who knew? On this day, priests would sacrifice a goat for fertility and ...