February 1999

Standing for Right

Recently, I listened to a sports radio talk host berate his callers for the old-fashioned notion of desiring "good guys" to play on the local team. He said this idea was outmoded and that the name of the game was to win, even if it meant having "bad guys" on the team. By this he meant that if it took a few Dennis Rodmans or Michael Irvins to win a championship, it was worth whatever off the field problems were caused by them. He went on to discuss the Salt Lake City Olympic scandal, defending the practices of bribery, corruption and the furnishing of prostitutes to IOC officials as "the same thing that happens in business everyday." more...

Footnotes In the Church

As you travel around the state or country, you have probably noticed that there are certain names which are familiar to almost all Christians. Faithful gospel preachers, especially older ones who have served God for many years, have names instantly recognizable to almost everyone. The rest of us however, are pretty much unknown. We are the footnotes in the recent history of the church, but what kind of footnotes are we? more...

Four Small, Wise Creatures - Prov. 30:24-28

I am constantly amazed at the variety of life on earth. Animals, fish, birds, there are all kinds and varieties of each, and the variety speaks loudly of God's existence (Ps. 19:1). But of all the creatures God has created, there are four that seem particularly wise, even though they are small in size: the ant, the badger, the locust, and the spider. No, I haven't lost my senses, nor am I "stretching" for something to write about! I am simply reminded of the words of the Proverb writer who said in Proverbs 30:24-28: "There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces." more...

Towards 2000

Americans love new beginnings. Those who came here seeking refuge from religious persecution looked for a new beginning. Our revolution was a new beginning. FDR promised a "New Deal." JFK promised a "New Frontier." Ronald Reagan's "Morning In America" promoted a "new awakening." more...

The Christian and the Internet

It is 11:15 p.m. Dena and I are discussing our upcoming trip out to west Texas to see her brother. Suddenly one of us wonders if we could get over to Carlsbad Caverns and take the girls through the caves. But will Carlsbad be open on Memorial Day, and if so, how long does the tour take and how much does it cost? Five minutes later my mouse is clicking through the National Parks Service website and delivering to us pages of information. Hours of operation (yes, they are open Memorial Day), ticket prices, maps to get us there and more - it is all available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week through the Internet. No one at Carlsbad would have been able to answer our questions if we had called at that time of night because no one was there. It didn't matter. The Internet is always open. We were able to find what we needed quickly and easily. Dena asked "What did we do before the Internet?" The Internet has become such a part of our lives that question now puzzles me. However, it is even more important that we ask, "What are we doing now for the cause of Christ with this great tool?" more...

Fallen From Grace

At Abundant Life we have avoided the topic of the Presidential scandal for the simple reason that we do not wish to become embroiled in a political debate. As the proceedings appear to be headed toward a close, I believe it is proper to comment in certain areas, because some facts seem to be undisputed. more...

The Preacher's Pen

I made a product change last month. I switched from Product A to Product B. Why did I leave behind good ol' A? It wasn't because I had seen commercials or print advertising for the new wonder Product B, although I had. Lots of television commercials had touted insistently that I needed Product B, but mostly I ignored them. Then a good friend mentioned that he was using B and really liked it. Almost immediately I was moved to try B, found it to be good, and decided to use it regularly. more...