At least a dozen apple trees dot the church property. Most of these trees are old. All of them are untended. As a result, they are big, full trees with lots of branches. The large number of branches is bad for their fruitfulness. Most of the trees produce apples, but none of them produce the…… Continue reading The Fruit of Abiding

During the Wednesday night prayer meetings we have been discussing and practicing praying the Psalms. Part of the process has involved re-writing a Psalm in our own words as our own prayer. The Bible, and particularly the book of Psalms, informs our prayers and should also form our prayers. That is, the words of the…… Continue reading Praying Psalm 11

Jesus is the union of believers, the connection which unites Christian with Christian. The local church is a reality because those who join together in a local assembly are already joined together in Christ. He is the vine, we are the branches. We share the same relationship to one another that the branches of an…… Continue reading Union and Unity

Jesus is the author of the church and the foundation of the church. He is the bedrock on which the church is built. His death and resurrection is the work which created the church and which continues to build it. Jesus is the church’s foundation, origin, life, strength and success. God has made Jesus all…… Continue reading When Christ is Preeminent . . .

In Colossians 1 the Holy Spirit goes to great lengths to show that Jesus holds first place in all things. Colossians teaches that Jesus is the chief over all creation because He is God who made all things. Jesus is the head of the church because He purchased it by His own death and rose…… Continue reading Christ Preeminent in the Christian

America was horrified this week to see protestors storm the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. to interrupt the ratification of the electoral votes. The images of violent efforts seeking to interfere with the lawful process of selecting the next President of the United States are stunning. One would expect this to happen in a third…… Continue reading Chaos in the Capitol

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When they had…… Continue reading Christmas Praise: Magi

And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings…… Continue reading Christmas Praise: Anna

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s…… Continue reading Christmas Praise: Simeon

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph,…… Continue reading Christmas Praise: Shepherds