This morning our pastor, Stephen Lowrie, preached a message titled, “The Face of Encouragement,” using the Acts’ accounts of Barnabas, “son of encouragement,” as the scripture’s example of a life given to encouraging others. He ended by suggesting that God can use the simplest of things to encourage someone, something as simple as a smile. […]

As our Savior inched His way through the streets of Jerusalem, blood streaming down His face, thorns piercing His head, His cross pressing into His lacerated back, the face of God, which Moses had not been able to look at and live, could no longer even be recognized as human. Every prophecy about His suffering […]

MUSIC MATTERS Salzburg, Austria/East Germany: January, 1984 When we crossed the border into East Germany we were not sure what to expect. It had been a long trip from Salzburg that day, and the 85 Americans, (on two busses) participants from the Salzburg “International Congress on Revival,” were getting tired. The border crossing had taken […]

NO ROOM When Christ was born, He had no room, There was no room for Him inside the Inn. And when He died, He had no tomb, So in a borrowed tomb they buried Him. And even when He lived He had no place to call His own, For though He lived on earth, this […]

To us, a child of royal birth, Heir of the promises is given. The Christmas Lamb appears on earth, the Son of God, young Prince from heaven. A Savior born in love supreme, He comes our fallen souls to raise. He comes, His people to redeem with all the fullness of His grace. IN THE […]

Manley Beasley Man of Faith, Instrument of Revival Looking back across church history you observe that God sometimes delights to use folk whom most people would consider “least likely to succeed” in order to showcase His wisdom and greatness. Such was the conclusion of many who knew the boy, Manley Beasley. For one thing, he […]

LIVING FAITH “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is the substance of what you are looking for before it has even arrived. God says it, that settles it, so go act upon it and you’ll have a faith that’s alive. To get in […]

Have you ever thought what the world would be like without music? I’ve been looking back over the decades to those days when we were constantly on the road and have been reading notes from one particular trip on which I was particularly aware of the importance of music at every stage of the journey. […]

THE THRONE IS OCCUPIED “Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the One who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian…” (Revelation 4:2) You sit enthroned above the earth, you reign in majesty. You’ll judge with justice and in might throughout […]

PATIENCE: Not my strongest virtue. And you? The following word I recently read by Henri J. M. Nouwen was a reminder to me that, after all, as we read in Galatians 5:22, one of the fruits of the Spirit is patience. “Patience is a hard discipline. It is not just waiting until something happens over […]