The Presbyterian Church of Manaus is in the heart of the Amazon Basin. The church sits on the banks of the Rio Negro, the largest tributary to the Amazon in Brazil. For more than 20 years the people of the church have had a growing ministry to villages up and down the rivers of the …
Month: September 2008
“Stuff” and the Lost Art of Christian Contentment
George Carlin did a comedy sketch about "stuff". In essence it was a brilliant commentary on how our possessions actually possess us. Of course he did it from a decidedly American point of view. Having spent some time this morning walking around the city of Manaus in Brazil, I can tell you that "stuff" is …
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Provocative Love: Why Believing in God is NOT Enough
“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” James 2:19 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe …
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Provocative Obedience: The High Cost of Loving Jesus
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments." John 14:15 In 1976 Pittsburgh was still a very strong blue collar, union town. My friend Howard worked at a manufacturing plant that had a very strong union. One day there was a wildcat strike. Basically that means that the union members went on strike illegally. …
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The Unanswered Prayer of Jesus
"I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you." John 17:20, 21 As a pastor I can not count the number of times that I have had people ask me why some …
