The Gift of Prophecy and us “Reformed-types”

Here is a blog post from a friend of mine, Rev. Rich DeRuiter, a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church in Washington state.  I have found it quite helpful.  I think you might as well.  Follow the link below in order to read this interesting and helpful post. The Gift of Prophecy and us “Reformed-types”.

Pastor Note #45 — Living in Time, Living with God: Part 1–Introduction

  Living in Time, Living with God             I do not have a good natural sense of the passage of time.  Some people are very good at estimating how long an activity will take to complete.  Some folks almost never lose track of how much time has passed between when they sit down to work … Continue reading Pastor Note #45 — Living in Time, Living with God: Part 1–Introduction

Prayer Note #40 — On Dangerous, Desperate Prayers — Nehemiah 1:1-2:9

On Dangerous, Desperate Prayers Nehemiah 1:1-2:9  Nehemiah presents us with a picture of a practical, detail-oriented, can-do sort of man who is also a man of deep, dangerous, desperate prayer.  For some reason, we can sometimes think that the practical and the prayerful can't function in the same heart.  Nehemiah demonstrates that that kind of … Continue reading Prayer Note #40 — On Dangerous, Desperate Prayers — Nehemiah 1:1-2:9

Prayer Note #39 — On Not Being All That I Could Be

Let me have ears to hear you clearly and a heart and mind to understand you deeply and a strong inclination to go as you lead me and to use what you have given me, and so to glorify your name. You have given me many gifts, many resources, many tools.  But mostly I squander … Continue reading Prayer Note #39 — On Not Being All That I Could Be

Blog Announcement #1

I've created a new feature for my blog.  You find it at the top of the page.  It's called "Growth Tracks."  You'll find a detailed explanation of the feature by clicking on the "Growth Tracks" link -- probably more detailed than you want.  But in general "Growth Tracks" are small topical study units in which … Continue reading Blog Announcement #1

Pastor Note #44 — Coffee Mugs and Robust Coffee, Churches and the Powerful Presence of Jesus

There are several steady coffee mugs in my life.  In our kitchen cabinets at home, we have quite a stable of coffee mugs.  Coffee mugs seem to just accumulate over time.  Recently, we cleared some of them out because we were running out of room on the shelves.  I’m willing to drink coffee out of … Continue reading Pastor Note #44 — Coffee Mugs and Robust Coffee, Churches and the Powerful Presence of Jesus

Pastor Note #43 — Blood on the Pew (A day in March 2000)

It was Tuesday noontime.  I had gone into the big, dark Romanesque sanctuary of my church in downtown Columbus, Ohio for a weekly prayer meeting with a handful or so of people, mostly not members of my congregation but rather folks who worked downtown and constituted part of my weekday ancillary congregation. As I sat … Continue reading Pastor Note #43 — Blood on the Pew (A day in March 2000)

Prayer Note #38 — The Voice

Oh, Lord, how I long to be intimately familiar with your voice. Your voice is full of power -- whether you speak with rock-breaking loudness or whether you whisper quietly in my ear.  Your voice is full of soul-transforming power.  Let that powerful voice pierce to the center of my mind, to the core of my … Continue reading Prayer Note #38 — The Voice

Prayer Note #37 — On a Summer Morning

Lord, the sun is warm and pleasant on my back.  The birds of all sorts are chirping and twittering in the trees around me this morning.  Lily, my gracious, canine companion, is lying beside me with her chin on the bottom rail looking out into the backyard, watching everything and nothing in particular, patient and … Continue reading Prayer Note #37 — On a Summer Morning

Bible Note #16 — By the River Jabbok

The tinkling of sheep bells was the last sound audible to him fading away up the path and over th hill on the other side of the small river.  The crunch of foot and hoof on the sandy gravel of the path had been lost to him fist, washed away by the splash and rush … Continue reading Bible Note #16 — By the River Jabbok