Can you imagine being a parent to 12 sons and one daughter? Seventeen hundred years before Christ, a man named Jacob was. Jacob‘s home was far from perfect. He played favourites with his sons—the boys reacting with intense sibling rivalry. In the midst of his mistakes, however, Jacob did get some things right as
Mothers have a tough job! A prominent early church leader had a mother and grandmother who played key roles in his life—so much so that the Apostle Paul singles them out in 2 Timothy 1:5: “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother
The British preacher, W.E. Sangster, began to lose his voice and mobility in the mid-1950s. He had a disease that caused progressive muscular atrophy. He recognized the end was near, so he threw himself into writing and praying. In the midst of his suffering he pleaded, “Let me stay in the struggle, Lord.
Traits that identify a follower of Jesus Christ are found in Galatians 5:22-25. Would you please take a minute to review the fruit of the Spirit? At first glance, we could conclude that the qualities listed in Galatians 5 are impossible to get. But are they? It’s possible to be like Jesus when there
A famous instrumentalist was asked, "What is the most difficult instrument to play?" He replied, wisely, "Second violin." Not all of us have the leading part, but each one of us has a part to play; and this part is just as important as the others. One of my unsung Bible heroes is a
Feel free to listen to the audio version of the blog post. Matthew, a tax collector, is making money hand over fist. Despised by all the people for collaborating with the Romans, he absorbs himself in his world of money. Then one day, (in Matthew 9:9) Jesus passes by, looks at Matthew and simply
Feel free to listen to the audio version of the blog post. Two thousand years ago God dressed Himself in street clothes and entered our world to connect with us [all humans impacted by sin and death]. On the cross Jesus defeated Satan and set us free from the power of sin and death.
Feel free to listen to the audio version of the blog post. We all face temptations. Thankfully, the Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 that we are not alone. Would you please take a few moments to read this passage? When you face temptation, remember God is with you. Paul draws a
Feel free to listen to the audio version of the blog post. Frightened by the clamour of thunder in the night, a little girl cried out. Holding her securely in his arms, her father explained that she need not fear. God would take care of her because He loved her greatly. "I know God
When a tree's life is threatened—stressed by elements of fire, drought, or another calamity—it twists beneath its bark to reinforce and make itself stronger. This new inner strength may not be visible, because bark often continues to give the same vertical appearance. However, when the exterior is stripped away, or the tree
This scene got me thinking while we stayed in Lunenberg, Nova Scotia on a family holiday. At our campground, I saw a big, beautiful slide-out motorhome with a Jeep parked beside it. The spare tire cover on the Jeep proclaimed, “Life is good.” It struck me, “Is having a large motorhome,
Men and women are radically different. Now that I have your attention with this profound observation, let me explain how they are different. When you ask men what a fruitful life looks like, they typically think of their accomplishments. How much have I made? What have I made? What have I fixed?
A. Cressy Morrison, an accomplished chemist and former chairman of the New York Academy of Sciences, wrote an article entitled, “Seven Reasons Why I Believe in God.” This is what he said: “Consider the rotation of the earth. Our globe spins on its axis at the rate of one thousand miles an hour. […]
Don’t Jump to Conclusions — Allan Pole Listen to our audio version below. I read a book about Steven Truscott when I was a boy. On the evening of June 9, 1959 Steven was seen giving classmate Lynne Harper a ride on his bicycle in Clinton, Ontario. They parted ways. Later that […]
Our Heritage — Allan Pole Listen to our audio version below. Two penniless Hungarian brothers named Zsolt and Geza Peladi inherited £4 billion GBP [almost 7 billion CAD] from their long-lost German grandmother. The Hungarian press reported that “luck struck two homeless brothers, Zsolt and Geza, who survived from a precarious life”. They […]
The Life of Faith — Allan Pole Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. As they lay down for the night Holmes said, “Watson, look up into the sky and tell me what you see.” Watson replied, “I see millions and millions of stars.” “And what does that tell you?” […]
Most people miss the significance of Christmas. Is it all about Santa Claus, shopping, exchanging gifts or eating a lot of food? Is it about spending time with family? Or even about the baby in the manger? Don’t answer this last question too quickly. Instead of focusing on the baby in the manger, I want to […]
May I Ask You A Question — Allan Pole Someone recently asked me what I thought they should do about a situation they faced. The answer seemed obvious to me, with several Bible passages coming to mind—which I had just shared with this person. I bit my tongue, resisting the urge to quote […]
Selective Speaking — Allan Pole By Allan Pole, CESLM Board President King Solomon shares a great insight for relationships in Proverbs 9:8-9: “So don’t bother rebuking mockers; they will only hate you. But the wise, when rebuked, will love you all the more. Teach the wise, and they will be wiser. Teach the […]
Be Patient — Allan Pole Be patient. I can’t count the number of times I’ve said this to others, and others to me. “I would have been a doctor, but I didn’t have the patience.” Ironically, not all doctors who have many patients, have a lot of patience. Several elderly church members were […]
