Any mention of Deadwood, South Dakota usually evokes images of gambling and gunfights. Famous personalities such as Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane made the city synonymous with Wild West adventure and excitement. But the real hero of Deadwood didn’t play poker. Circuit Riding Methodist Minister Henry Weston Smith, also known as “Preacher Smith,” came [...]
Section Six of the United Pentecostal Church International’s Illinois District (whew – that’s a mouthful!) will host a Youth Rally on Friday, April 23rd, at Calvary Tabernacle, 1125 Hampshire in Quincy. This evening of youth-centered worship and preaching will begin at 7:30 p.m. We are especially excited about the evening’s lineup of speakers. Nine young [...]
This week Tollie and I had the privilege of ministering at Cornerstone Ministries in Litchfield, Ill., one of the most exciting Pentecostal churches in central Illinois. Pastor Steve Benthal and his assistant, Keith Paris, were on a week-long tour of the country of Israel, so I filled in during the church’s Wednesday evening Bible study [...]
One of my favorite Bible study resources is my copy of Zondervan’s New International Version Study Bible. It absolutely is loaded with insights into the Scriptures, as well as interesting cultural and historical notes that shed light on life in Bible times. If you don’t have a copy, you need to get one yesterday. Oh, [...]
If you haven’t noticed yet, my friend Victor Aghadi left a fantastic comment on my previous post about the shooting at Farm King. Bartlett United Pentecostal Church, where Victor attends, recently hosted evangelist Travis Worthington. Victor reports that Worthington took 20 young people to the mall for evangelism. In one hour, the group secured 15 new [...]
Late December is a time for making New Year’s resolutions. Many people focus on weight loss and money management, but how about another suggestion: resolving to be a catalyst for positive change in your local church during 2010. (I’m assuming that most readers of this blog attend church on a weekly basis: if you don’t, [...]
The big news in the religious world today was the passing or famous televangelist Oral Roberts, the founder of Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla. Roberts was 91 years old and living in Newport Beach, Calif. at the time of his death. There will be many opinions voiced about Roberts in the coming days, but [...]
Psalm 105:14-15 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes; Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. (King James Version) Throughout my life, I have heard Psalm 105:15 quoted as a warning of the danger of speaking against the ministry, particularly the pastor. While I [...]
Beginning in early January, my wife and I plan to launch a new convert’s class at Calvary Tabernacle. Our church has been in desperate need of this type of ministry for some time, so I’m excited about having the opportunity to fill a hole. We plan to schedule our class at 7 p.m. on Thursday, [...]
Last week I received a phone call from a friend who wanted to pick my brain about organizational structure in the church. I almost laughed. Like my friend, I’m basically a novice in this area. In fact, much of what I’ve attempted in this area in the past has failed, often because of a lack of [...]
