The whole matter of finding the true foundation is made all the more difficult because these defiant weeds which have sprung upon it are called the true foundation by many; they, pulling to themselves the growth on top of the house ruins, declare, “This is the foundation and the way, all should follow it.” And with many of them we see that their new foundation sinks into soft ground, the floor settling at
different levels. This shows the difficulty of finding the true foundation…
– Peter Chelčický, The Net of Faith, 1440-1443
Posted in Incisive Quotes | December 19th, 2013 | No Comments »
“The Kingdom of Heaven is not for the well-meaning: it is for the desperate.”
- James Denney
Posted in Incisive Quotes | October 22nd, 2004 | 1 Comment »
Sometimes, personal evangelism reminds me of dubious multi-level marketing schemes, where the appeal is the desire for wealth without effort, not appreciation and enjoyment of a quality product. “Well no, it hasn’t worked for me yet, but if you can recruit people to sell it for you, think of where you’ll be someday!”
If you need to be coaxed into sharing your faith in Christ, maybe your faith isn’t worth sharing. Get a living faith and then you can’t help but share it.
Posted in Desperate Suggestions | November 11th, 2006 | 1 Comment »
“Prayer is the midwife of mercy, that helps to bring it forth.”
- Matthew Henry
Posted in Incisive Quotes | December 25th, 2004 | No Comments »
“The accomplishments, arts, or gifts which God has given me, were at first pleasant companions and recreations; now they yield me holy fruits. It is true, I have sweated, suffered cold, and as much as I was able, watched night and day; but this labor has tended and redounded to make me more perfect; there never passed a day or hour without some improvement. Behold, the true countenance of God has been revealed over my life, and the Lord has caused me to experience great joy in my heart. In Him alone I shall rest in peace.”
- Algerius, Martyrs Mirror, p. 570-573
Posted in Martyrs Mirror | March 17th, 2005 | No Comments »
During the past couple of years, caring for my grandmother became my most important priority. Later, my fiance also fell in love with my grandmother, and we continued to care for her after we were married in September 2005.
But soon after our wedding, my grandmother’s family and friends began taking over responsibility for her. At the beginning of March 2006, we informed them that we would be moving to Texas, closer to my family.
After we told Grandma, she kept saying with a smile, “I’m going to miss y’all. Y’all have spoiled me.” Now that we are gone, the family has hired other caregivers to come to Grandma’s home, at least until she decides on permanent arrangements.
We still believe that love triumphs over hate, that mercy triumphs over judgement, and that truth endures forever.
Posted in General Overview | May 22nd, 2006 | No Comments »
“…We are not willing to be imprisoned and in fear and tribulation with you, but in about seven or eight years I will promulgate the truth aright and make great gain by it.”
- a religious teacher in Louvain, AD 1550, speaking to Anabaptists imprisoned for their faith, Martyrs Mirror, p. 497
Posted in Martyrs Mirror | November 7th, 2004 | No Comments »
When at 14, I first heard the claim that Jesus was the son of God (somehow my previous church had missed this teaching), I remember that I was most offended by the specificity of the claim, not by anything else.
I reasoned, “There are five major world religions. What are the odds that I just happened to be born into the right one?”
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Desperate Suggestions | February 8th, 2007 | 5 Comments »
