Forthright

The struggle against evil is constant: Prayer

A prayer for Sunday and for every day.

Our only God of kindness …

The struggle against evil is constant, so we know your patience is so great, since we human beings get tired and discouraged when we look at the evil flood in the world and almost drown in it. Preserve us, O Sovereign, and keep our eyes on the Lord Jesus. He went to the end and rose from the dead with total victory. He will return to seek the faithful. I want to be in the middle of these. I want to fight the good fight and successfully finish the race. Continue reading “The struggle against evil is constant: Prayer”

Book, chapter, verse and context

Among sundry items, the editor thinks he saw another chiasmus.

¶ I like book, chapter, and verse. Is there any other way to go? What’s not to like? Add in the context, and that approach will take us far.

¶ Critics there are of adhering closely to the sacred Text. It’s their way of getting you to pay attention to them. Continue reading “Book, chapter, verse and context”

I want growth: Prayer

Gracious God ─

Another day has begun, no movement, no sound, but in a little while urban life will agitate the streets and shops. In homes people are waking up to start another week of work, study or household chores. Continue reading “I want growth: Prayer”

Howard Norton has passed

He was a missionary to Brazil and former editor of The Christian Chronicle.

Howard Norton, missionary to Brazil and former editor of The Christian Chronicle, passed away today in Searcy, Ark. His wife Jane passed away Oct. 6. Their son Tom sent the following message: Continue reading “Howard Norton has passed”

Our God

Four quatrains on our favorite subject.

The following poem was almost finished in 2018. I tripped over it while searching for other things. Hopefully, it has improved with age. Continue reading “Our God”

The Christian’s bread and butter

Put God squarely in the center of all teaching.

Back in 2011 I made this list, in Portuguese, for some now forgotten project. For some time now, I’ve sought to put God squarely in the center of all teaching. This list might be useful to you for a class or lesson as a starter idea, or even a series. Continue reading “The Christian’s bread and butter”

‘The word came to me’

A divine event happened to one man in the midst of many.

The Bible proclaims to be a revelation from God and a product of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It consistently demonstrates that it is exactly what it claims to be. We can, therefore, open its pages with complete confidence that we are hearing the Word of God. Continue reading “‘The word came to me’”

A Merest Click

A short poem-prayer about time and eternity.

Above all time, O God, on high,
You watch the days and years go by,
A merest click on calendar and clock;
For humans, on the door a knock. Continue reading “A Merest Click”

The unlimited church

God will do more in us and through us than we dare dream of.

To help a discouraged congregation not too far from us, I proposed a course that will be held next Saturday, called “The Unlimited Church.” For six hours I will speak on seven or eight topics.

My list is this: Continue reading “The unlimited church”

The peacemaking church of God

This work is for all of us.

The church of God is a peacemaker.

Our world always has been and always will be full of violence, injustice, war and conflict. There are forces that turn people and groups against each other, manipulating them and taking advantage of conflicts. Continue reading “The peacemaking church of God”