Author: Forthright

Randal and his wife Vicki have lived and worked in Brazil since 1984. He is one of God's little ones. He seeks to speak the truth simply and lovingly. Comments here.

God is always the same, in this way, too

Learn what it means for Jesus to be our propitiation.

Who trembles before the fearsome God? Today, people speak with contempt of the times when they talked about divine justice, God’s wrath and his holiness. There was certainly manipulation and exaggeration in it. But such seriousness is better than talking about God as Daddy in heaven and treating him as if he were a heavenly Santa Claus. Can we restore the following truth to our faith? Continue reading “God is always the same, in this way, too”

Every day is Thanksgiving

We have the loving and powerful God to thank.

First of all, a joyful Thanksgiving to you and yours. We are enjoying the day with family, here in the USA. (We arrived a few weeks ago.) Last week, all our children and their families gathered together for a special time. We’ve enjoyed food, rest, and recreation together. Continue reading “Every day is Thanksgiving”

My Idols Betrayed Me

A short poem on the place of idols.

My idols betrayed me. What shall I do?
If metal, I’ll grind them; if wood, I’ll burn them;
if stone, I’ll break and bury them deep.
If power or coin or science, I’ll spurn them.

If human, I’ll love and help them see
the heart delights in lesser things,
to wield control o’er deity.

O carnal mind ─ No idol can guide you.
What has the Almighty God denied you?

─J. Randal Matheny

The Bible is authority and power (OT)

These five Bible texts make a great start.

For decades we’ve used a study series two of us created in 1985 for our evangelism work in Brazil. The first lesson starts with the subject of the Bible.

The series has several good features, such as simplicity — we use a 3×5 (or 4×6) index card and write out the references and key words as we go. We also don’t jump around the Bible, but each study moves forward from one text to another. Continue reading “The Bible is authority and power (OT)”

20 years of column is no small feat

A bunch of motleys and uncounted blessings.

After 20 years of blessing us with his articles here on Forthright, Mike Brooks is retiring from a weekly commitment. We are grateful for his insights and friendship. His column “Field Notes,” often based on experiences in Nepal and Bangladesh, will remain online to bless new readers. Mike says he wrote 875 articles for his column. Most of those are in the archives, which still must be uploaded, again, to the internet and made available for search. Continue reading “20 years of column is no small feat”

Take Time to Be

To the tune of ‘Take Time to Be Holy.’

You may hear the old tune in the back of your mind. That’s good!

Take time to be thoughtful,
Each day in the Word;
Delve deeply to study
The mind of the Lord.
The truths of the gospel,
Such riches they hold!
More precious than silver
Or finest of gold!

Take time to be earnest,
In all things sincere,
With purest of motives,
Your purpose be clear.
All your supplications
To Heaven may fly.
In word or in action
The Lord glorify.

Take time to be loving,
Toward friends and your foes.
For all these in darkness
Christ died and arose.
His will is to save them,
From sin to forgive.
Like him, bear your burden,
That others might live.