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The Pastor’s Pen: Who am I?
The German philosopher Immanuel Kant used to love to take long walks on a summer evening, meditating and thinking. On one occasion he was seated in a park when a suspicious policeman noticed that he had been there for several hours. The policeman came up to him and said, “What are you doing?” The philosopher…
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The Pastor’s Pen: Our greatest treasure
Peter Schmidt says if you’ve ever bought a used car, you have illustrated this truth. Someone got rid of that car for whatever reason, they got a new one. They wanted something bigger or they simply just got tired of it. But that old car that they wanted to get rid of was just what…
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The Pastor’s Pen: The Red Baron and temptation
Manfred, Freiherr von Richthofen was a famous German First World War fighter pilot. He was better known as the Red Baron because he flew a distinctive red Fokker aircraft. He shot down more combat planes than anyone else on either side in the first World War. His known kill tally was 80. On April 21,…
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The Pastor’s Pen: Dirt or glory
One morning a little girl dressed in spotless white with a lovely bouquet of flowers in her hands passed by a boy who was playing in the dusty street. The sight of this pretty girl stirred the spirit of mischief in the boy’s heart. In no time a handful of dirt struck the clean white…
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Church is a treasure hunt
Don Chapman writes: “Recently I visited a church where I had to jump over a few unnecessary hurdles before I finally took my seat in their worship service. There was no sign out front. I drove to the church’s location and was surprised not to see a sign. Was I in the right place? I’ve…
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The Pastor’s Pen: Make your reservation
Is your name written in the Book of Life? Ruthanna Metzgar, a professional singer, tells a story that illustrates the importance of having our names written in the Book of Life. Several years ago, she was asked to sing at the wedding of a very wealthy man. According to the invitation, the reception would be…
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The Pastor’s Pen: When to save a drowning man
Watchman Nee tells the story of his stay in China with 20 other Christians. The bathing accommodations were inadequate in the home where they were lodging, so they went for a daily dip in the river. On one occasion, one of the men got a cramp in his leg and began sinking fast. Mr. Nee…
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The Pastor’s Pen: Do you want to be famous?
English evangelist George Whitefield (1714-1770) learned that it was more important to please God than to please men. Knowing that he was doing what was honoring to the Lord kept him from discouragement when his enemies falsely accused him. At one point in his ministry, Whitefield received a vicious letter accusing him of wrongdoing. His…
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The Pastor’s Pen: True Disciples
When I was a teenager we had a revival in 1971 at Inez First Baptist Church. There were so many people saved that it seemed like the whole town had turned to Christ. The revival lasted for almost three weeks. Over 100 people made decisions. It seemed that just about every young person at Inez…
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The Pastor’s Pen: Using your time
The state of Indiana is in a state of confusion about time, according to a fascinating article in a recent issue of The New York Times. In the small town of Vevay, for example, it can be 3 p.m. at the post office, but across the street in Danner’s Hardware Store, the time is 2…
Tag: Jack Ward
