ARTICLES

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul tells us to not be anxious about anything (Phil 4:6). God commands His people dozens of times in the Old Testament to “fear not” (Isa 41:10, Isa 43:1, Josh 1:9). Jesus even rebuked His disciples for having fear in the midst of a massive storm (Matt 8:26).Despite His commands, being fearless is difficult; seemingly impossible at times! Part of the trouble stem...

In 1938, Nazi soldiers marched into the house of a German school teacher named Johannes Neubert. They demanded that he take down the painting of Jesus Christ over his study desk, join the Nazi Party, and conform to their beliefs. Neubert had to make a choice. Though only three percent of teachers in Germany refused to join the Nazi Party, he found courage, stood up to them and declared: "This pain...

Soren Kierkegaard, the great Danish philosopher, told about a fire at a theater that tragically killed a large number of people in the audience. Backstage, some of the cast members smelled smoke and soon discovered flames shooting out of a backroom of the theater. One of the actors quickly ran out onto the stage during a very dramatic scene and frantically yelled, “Fire!” Waving his arms, he repea...

The relevance of Christianity is powerfully illustrated in an episode of the award-winning series “The Crown” entitled “Moondust.” (Season 3, episode 7) It is 1969, and Prince Philip (the husband of Queen Elizabeth II) is enthralled by the prospect of man landing on the moon. At the same time, he is increasingly bored and disenchanted with religion. Philip is asked to address a group of Anglican p...

“I am sure my Aunt Gladys went to heaven because she was such a loving person,” my friend Ken said.“Do you really think so?” I replied.“Yes, I do.”“Well, I guess you didn’t know your aunt very well.”“What do you mean?” Ken asked.“I am quite certain that she was not that loving of a person,” I said.“What are you talking about?” Ken replied. “She was a wonderful individual! You didn’t even know her....

I remember getting my very first Bible when I was going into 3rd grade. I knew there was something very special about it. I remember it seemed like God was speaking to me through the words I read. That was the start of something so wonderful for me. My limited understanding only made me desire more. I got many other Bibles along the way, and my love for the Bible and the great God behind it grew t...

“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6During Christmas time some years ago, I was at a coffee shop in the Twin Cities area. There was a small group of women studying the Bible together. They were just finishing up and getting ready to lea...

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14, KJV)Friends, these words, spoken by angels to the shepherds the night Jesus was born, have been the source of great encouragement and hope. However, the peace and goodwill they seem to promise have been somewhat elusive. War and violent conflict have plagued humanity since the birth of Christ, just as they did befo...

“Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4How we frame the difficulties of life may be very important. Trials, temptations, and the hardships of life are not anything that we...

A third-grade teacher was telling her class the story of the grasshopper and the ant. “The ant works hard all summer and stores up plenty of food,” she said. “The grasshopper, however, plays all summer and does no work. Then winter comes. The grasshopper begins to starve because he has no food. He desperately goes to the ant and begs him to share his food. Now boys and girls,” the teacher continue...

I recently found myself in full agreement with a tweet posted by Rep. Ilhan Omar. That has not happened very often, but this time I think the Democratic congresswoman spoke important truth. It all started with a post on X (formerly Twitter) by Lizzie Marbach, a Republican political activist from Ohio. Marbach wrote, “There’s no hope for any of us outside of having faith in Jesus Christ alone.”Her ...

As we go into the fall, there are many changes and transitions and new things that begin. We anticipate a new start for the academic year. We work hard, we serve, we try to make a difference. Sometimes we are recipients of much of it and take it all in.Again, let us be reminded of our mission statement: Chisholm Baptist Church exists to love God, love others, and make disciples. How does this happ...

“It doesn’t matter what you believe, just as long as you’re sincere.” Those words, originally spoken by Linus in a Peanuts comic strip, have been taken very seriously by many. In fact, it has become almost an anthem of American culture. However, when people embrace this philosophy and try to live it out, it can be very destructive.In November, 1987, 700 men were gathered in the town of Soroti, Uga...

Most of us think of a “Good Samaritan” as a person who did something nice to someone unexpectedly. It could be a person who helped someone in distress or even a person who put their own life at risk in a life-threatening situation. This does carry much of the meaning of the idea of a “Good Samaritan.” However, when we look at the parable (a story with a meaning) in the original account, which Jesu...

An episode from the old TV show, Fraiser, has an important lesson for us. Radio psychiatrist Fraiser Crane has had a long, rough day. Finally, when a man steals the seat he was waiting for at the local coffee shop, Fraiser has enough. Grabbing the man by the collar, he runs him out of the shop, shouting, “What you need is an etiquette lesson!”Fraiser later chastises himself for losing his temper a...

When things are not going well for a sports team (football, baseball, basketball, hockey, etc.), a captain or other key player may call a “players-only meeting.” The players on the team get together, with no coaches or other staff members allowed in the room. They express their thoughts and feelings freely, and attempt to figure out how to improve the teams play and performance. The media often tr...

I had the recent joy of being out on a lake and fishing. The weather was beautiful and calm. Okay, the mosquitos were buzzing and infiltrating, but the hats and repellent were staving them off a bit. At one point, my friend tells me to cast my line on the other side of the boat closer to the weeds. Now, I know what you’re thinking. I launched on to a whopper. Well it didn’t happen. But “we”, that ...

Coming together as a corporate church body of believers on a Sunday or other times for worship is truly important. It brings into focus the larger body of Christ to center on worship and adoration to Him, to learn from the Bible, God’s Word, and to encourage one another in the faith.At the same time, in order to be truly connected to one another and to God and to be growing in our faith, we need m...

The most common question people say they would like to ask God is this: “Why is there so much suffering in the world?” Whether it is a typhoon that kills thousands or a serious illness in one’s life, it seems only natural to ask, “Why, God? If You are all-powerful and perfectly good, why do You allow these terrible things to occur?” The pain and suffering which pervades our planet causes some to q...

“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.”  Luke 6:40A woman invited some people over for dinner. At the table she turned to her six-year-old daughter and said, “Would you like to say the blessing?” The girl replied, “I wouldn't know what to say.” “Just say what you heard Mommy say,” the mother answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, ...