Seek and Find, Eureka! — John 1
Allen Rea, a pastor in Georgia, suggested that the repetition of “found” is a play on words by John. I love that suggestion. Notice how it brings the verse alive: “[Andrew] first found his own brother Simon [= Peter], and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated, the Christ).”[1] There are […]
A Testimony of God’s Faithfulness: Trial by Rain
In June of 1986 I was hired by Multnomah Bible College to teach Greek and Bible. This required a big move from east Texas. We packed all our furniture into a U Haul truck and with the help of Sharon’s parents, Graham and Camille, moved to Oregon. We found the best place to live, Lake […]
Hiding Your True Identity
When I went to college I chose to attend a military college. I really enjoyed being there, but there was one major problem. Whenever I and many of my fellow cadets wanted to go downtown, we didn’t want people to know we were military cadets. It was only a few years after the end of […]
Right Thinking, Essential to Spiritual Growth
The bedroom door slammed open and my son ran in crying. “There’s a monster on the ceiling!” “Huh?” Not again. I groggily got out of bed and followed Zane down the hallway and into his room. He pointed a trembling finger at a red light on the ceiling. “Monster eyes!” I sighed. “Bubba, who told […]
A History Lesson about Zane Hodges
The other day I was talking with Mark and Bethany. They’ve worked here for many years. I mentioned that Zane Hodges had never worked for GES and they were surprised. I realize I need to clarify Zane’s involvement for all who enjoy our ministry. I founded GES in June of 1986. I have headed the […]
Your Golden Years, A Parable of Preparation
When I was in my late twenties I read articles and books on finances and investing. Most of the authors pointed out that if you could save just $2,000 per year for 10 years when you were 25 and then add nothing to it you’d have more money at age 65 than if you saved […]
Every day, God is Good
I was studying Hebrew in Israel when another student arrived somewhat unexpectedly without a place to stay. We were in a conundrum. He was present for the course but did not have a place to stay. Lodging at a price a student can afford can be difficult to find, especially on short notice. I made […]
By Their Fruits You Shall Know Them (Matthew 7:15-20)
by Bob Wilkin and Zane Hodges, originally published in the Jan/Feb 2015 edition of Grace in Focus Question: Doesn’t Matthew 7:15-20 teach that all believers will inevitably have some good fruit in their lives? Does the evidence of good works in a person’s life prove they are saved? Bob Wilkin (BW): The saying, “You will […]
Jesus’s Yoke of Rest
The year was 1989. I had just finished presenting a paper on repentance at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in San Diego, CA. I was near the end of the question and answer time. There were several professors and pastors from John MacArthur’s school and church in my session. One of them […]
Idioms, Language Learning, and Giving Light
by Ken Yates Recently, I undertook the task of learning Spanish. When we study another language we soon learn that other folks use phrases that do not make sense to us. Sometimes we see these phrases and think we know what they mean, but then realize that they mean something completely different. For example, I […]