I Like Stories

I like stories, and I really like success stories. In the Bible the whole 11^th chapter of Hebrews is chocked full of success stories, but these aren’t dollar and cents success stories, they are much more important, they are stories about how people bet their lives on what they believed. These are gut level, heart-pounding stories and the first verse of the chapter sets the tone:

Minimum Knowledge to Become Christian

Some time ago a friend asked me to write an article about the minimum a person must know and believe to become a Christian. I agreed thinking, “That should not take too long.” But the more I thought about it the more difficult it has become,

Before getting to the answer to the question we need a working definition of a Christian for this article:

To be Christian means having a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

The Meaning of Easter

Jesus spoke seven times on the cross. The sixth time he said one word, “TETELSTAI”, it is translated into English as “it is finished”!

The word can also be translated "PAID IN FULL!" THREE words in English, ONE word in Greek – TETELESTAI! The GREATEST WORD from the GREATEST MAN on the GREATEST DAY in all eternity! One word, but no word ever uttered has so changed the

Lystra - Interesting

Lystra and the events that happened there have always intrigued me. Lystra was a country town in Galatia (in what is now central Turkey) that Paul and Barnabas visited on their first missionary journey as recorded in the New Testament, Acts chapter 14 (48AD).

They spent a year and a half in southern Galatia and they operated out of four towns: Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. Their trip through Galatia is told in Acts 13-14.

Galatians Paraphrased for the 21st Century Reader

This post is Part 1 of a book titled Dead but Living, written by Ray Sammons. The entire book, including 29 colored pictures of the places Paul may have seen, is available in print and ebook here.

The Forward and Introduction explain the book and its purpose.

Faith or Works (Paul vs James)

Faith, DEAD?

Recently I’ve had reason to revisit the idea that Paul and James have conflicting views of justification by faith alone. By selecting ‘proof’ verses it is easy to quickly generate more heat than light.

Here are the verses:

Do it Anyway

While doing some work on another project I came across some information about Mother Teresa and her efforts in India. These ideas gave my heart a lift and they inspired me as I thought about how we are to treat each other.