This entire last year has been this statement: "Now that I have your attention...this place is reminiscent of Matthew 13 where the multitude heard the parable of the sower. There were the disciples, and the multitudes did not understand. But the disciples who came to him and to them, He explained the parable of the sower.
The Americans combine the notions of Christianity and of Liberty so intimately in their minds that it is impossible to make them conceive the one without the other.
-Alexis de Tocqueville, 1835
It is remarkable the number of writings during the Revolutionary War era that are relevant to our times. A few of these articles could be inserted into today’s newspapers and magazines and fully engage twenty-first century readers. Take for example “The Crisis” written in December 1776, by Thomas Paine:
Scriptures are New King James translation unless otherwise indicated.
Recently, I was awakened at 5:32 AM and instructed to look at Ephesians 5:32. I knew this verse spoke about the responsibilities in the husband and wife relationship but there was more. To my surprise the verse said this:
“This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:32).
Recently, my wife and I spent a weekend in New England and we went to see the Boston Harbor, which houses the USS Constitution. This ship was built in the 1780s and is still actively commissioned as part of the United States Navy. The USS Constitution was built from what was called “North Carolina” or “Carolina Oak”—live oak that had a density so substantial that cannon balls would bounce off of it. That’s how it got the nickname “Old Ironsides.” The vessel is now in dry dock.
In the fall of 1975, I moved to Anchorage, Alaska. I quickly became familiar with a unique aspect of Anchorage – earth tremors. These tremors happened regularly, yet for a group of longtime Alaska residents, these tremors were anything but routine.
Nine years earlier, Anchorage had experienced a 9.2 earthquake, the second largest quake on record. The devastation was severe and a subsequent tsunami destroyed the town of Valdez. For Alaskans who had experienced this 1964 quake, new tremors awakened horrible memories.
By Tom Hardiman
When we explore the various tribes of Israel, it becomes evident that individual tribes have their own particular giftings and emphases that help identify them. For instance, the tribe of Judah was known for its worship. Issachar was gifted ...
By Tom Hardiman
Recently, I was in a church meeting and during the worship, a pastor shared the lyrics from a Curtis Mayfield song:
People get ready, there's a train a comin'
You don't need no baggage, you just get on board
All you need is faith, to hear the diesels hummin'
Don't need no ticket, you just thank the Lord
