What If?
Posted on July 31
The Billion Soul Initiative, of which I’ve been a part since its inception 15 years ago, recently held a teaching hub in Nepal to train pastors. There is rapid growth of the Christian faith in Nepal. Over 200 pastors from Nepal attended. The teaching hub was so effective that now there are 7 teaching hubs! One pastor from Dolpa, whose elevation is 15,000 feet, the highest altitude of any human settlement in the world, wanted... more »
Posted in Inspirational
Moon Olympics
Posted on July 24
A wise man once told me, “Do the things that God created you to do – and avoid the things that God instructed you not to do.” That’s good wisdom. We get in deep trouble when we don’t follow it. It happened to Charlie Duke, one of the astronauts on Apollo 16. Apollo 16 was launched 3 years after Neil Armstrong touched the moon. It was the fifth mission to land men on the moon... more »
Posted in Inspirational
Moon Walking
Posted on July 17
During the 1960s President John F. Kennedy shared with the world his dream that the United States would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. That was a bold vision. Many people laughed at him, and told him how impossible that would be. But he kept that “impossible” vision in front of the American people. That’s what leaders do! About that time, there was a boy graduating from high school... more »
Posted in Inspirational
Lest We Forget – Our Hope – Part 3 of 3
Posted on July 10
Be careful – lest we forget – Our HOPE. We hear many suggestions where we ought to place our hope to have a future as a nation. Our ultimate hope for the future must never rest primarily in our economic success, military power, political strength, or educational systems, etc – but in our trust in God! I believe in a strong military and the latest equipment and training for all of our military persons, but... more »
Posted in Inspirational
Lest We Forget – Our Heroes – Part 2 of 3
Posted on July 3
This week we focus on lest we forget – our Heroes. Micah reminds us that God always raised up heroes to bring deliverance. He writes, “I delivered you from a bad life in Egypt. I sent Moses to lead you, and Aaron, and Miriam to boot. Remember what Balik, king of Moab, tried to pull and how Balim, son of Beor turned the tables on him? Keep all God’s salvation stories fresh and present.” (Micah... more »
Posted in Inspirational
Lest We Forget – Our Heritage Part 1 of 3
Posted on June 26
It’s easy to forget when God removes us from a very tough situation and allows us to live with many, many blessings. When we’re on our backs, we cry out for help. When we stand tall on our feet, we tend to forget who it is that put us there. We need to remember that turtle sitting on a fence post – he didn’t get there by himself! Don’t forget. God’s people were reminded early... more »
Posted in Inspirational
What Do You Make?
Posted on June 19
At a 30th high school reunion people were bragging about how much they had accomplished. The most discussion came around the question, “What do you make?” Most shared (bragged about) their financial success. Some had been very successful. When they came to a teacher, they asked, “What do you make?” He had the best answer of all. He said, “I make a difference.” Making a difference in life is the biggest and best paycheck anybody... more »
Posted in Inspirational
Are You In That Number?
Posted on June 12
I was invited to speak at the Ozark area Chamber of Commerce membership banquet at the Ozark Civic Center. The Ozark newspaper reported that “The guest speak is St. John Ed Mathison, Senior Pastor of Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church in Montgomery.” Wow! That’s some typographical error. I got several copies of the paper, and shared it with my friends. They really laughed! My wife was the most amused! I had a small electric hot... more »
Posted in Inspirational
Pick Your Friends
Posted on June 5
Picking the right friends is very important. We tend to become like the people with whom we spend time. Good friends can make you better. Bad friends can pull you down. David gives us great insight into selecting friends in Psalms 5. He gives titles to 4 different kinds of people who would be dangerous as friends. The Message describes them this way: The HOT AIR BOASTER – that’s the person who is filled with... more »
Posted in Uncategorized
Make it a Great Day
Posted on May 29
One day I said to an individual, “Have a great day!” My Dad was walking with me and later said, “Let me suggest something to you. It’s ok to tell someone to have a great day, but that can be a passive statement where we just sit back and hope to have a great day. It would be better to say, ‘Make it a great day!’ That means there is intentionality. That means there’s something... more »
