A Mother’s Touch
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
The Meaning of Life
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
It’s Possible!
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
The Birth of Second Fiddle
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
Two Kingdoms
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
The Word From Heaven
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
Don’t Forget
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
How to Help Needy People
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
God’s Heart For The Nations
Feel free to listen to the audio version of the blog post. The history books could have been rewritten in 1271 when Italian travelling merchants Niccolo and Matteo (Maffeo) Polo (the father and uncle of
The Heat is On
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,
The Best Food
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
A Fruitful Life
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
“He is risen!”
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
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
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
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?” […]
Blessing God’s Baby — Allan Pole
Blessing God’s Baby — Allan Pole 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 […]
May I Ask You A Question? — Allan Pole
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
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 — 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 […]
Be Gentle — Allan Pole
Be Gentle — Allan Pole Be gentle. I have said this often to young children when touching newborn babies or animals. It seems that we never outgrow the need for this occasional reminder. Paul the Apostle provides such a reminder. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” […]
Are You A Humble Person—Allan Pole
Are You A Humble Person — Allan Pole Perhaps you know of a friend or family member with qualities that make them attractive, yet these qualities have nothing to do with appearance, talent, intelligence or wealth. The Apostle Paul describes three such qualities in Ephesians 4:2. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with […]
The Power of Touch—Allan Pole
I drove by two middle-aged men standing on a sidewalk in Calgary. They were kissing each other on the cheeks and my first thought was, “They must be gay.” I took another look and I remembered seeing similar looking men greeting and kissing each other in Ukraine. The kiss in the ancient world was both […]
ELL Bible Study the Simple Way — Dale Fisher
This year, we were pleased when a family from our Monday night ESL class decided to join our church. They were from a Catholic background but seemed comfortable at our Anglican church. The children quickly fit into Sunday School, and the family said they enjoyed the service. After a few months, I asked them if […]
Be All There — Allan Pole
An obscure gardener died in a small town. His name was Hubert Bales, and he was one of the shyest men around. When he talked, he squirmed, blinked his eyes rapidly and smiled nervously. Hubert never ran in influential circles. He grew shrubs and trees, working with his hands the plot of land left by his father. He was anything […]