• One for the Road – “Kicking Against the Goads”

    Posted by admin on August 14, 2017

    Kicking against the goads.  That’s a struggle to be avoided.   A goad is a sharp stick…used to prod animals.  It’s sharp – pointed – and designed to inflict pain.   The word picture is powerful.   Saul of Tarsus was confronted by Jesus with these very words: “It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”   Put simply…it is painful to fight against the will of…


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  • One for the Road – “No Thanks”

    Posted by admin on August 7, 2017

    No thanks.  That’s a polite response…when denying an offer.   You decide not to make the purchase…or in some way express your refusal.   But…for some people these two words describe their ingratitude – there is no thanks.   In sharp contrast are the words of Paul:  “In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”   It’s the all-inclusiveness that…


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  • One for the Road – “Dark Secrets”

    Posted by admin on July 31, 2017

    Dark secrets.  They will steal your joy…and destroy your effectiveness.   It might be an indiscretion from years ago…or an addiction…or an unclean habit.   The Bible reminds us that what is hidden …is well-known to God.  And…in the end…all that is now secret will be exposed.   Thankfully…you need not live one moment longer with a dark secret.   ”If we confess our sins, he is faithful and…


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  • One for the Road – “Forbidden Fruit.”

    Posted by admin on July 24, 2017

    Forbidden fruit.  When people eat it…death is at the door.But…what is it?  It’s anything unlawful…that stimulates human cravings.   It might be the quest for power…an inordinate appetite for food…the lust for illicit sexual gratification…or any wrong attraction.  Forbidden fruit comes in many varieties.   God said to Adam and Eve: “…You must not eat from the tree that is in the middle of the garden…”   But…Eve…


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  • The Seed of the Church: A Story from China

    Posted by admin on July 24, 2017

    By Robert Menzies – Recently I was privileged to visit a church near the city of Qujing in Yunnan Province. This church was established by Pentecostal missionaries, Max and Emily Bernheim, in the 1930s. The Bernheims, along with one son, were murdered by bandits in 1940….


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  • A Strong Foundation

    Posted by admin on July 24, 2017

    By Robert Menzies – Recently I was once again reminded of the strong foundation of Christian faith in our region. I, along with several friends, traveled to visit a Lisu family and worship together with the church that meets in their…


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  • Asian Pentecostalism

    The Future of the Church in China: Why China’s House Churches will Prevail

    Posted by admin on July 24, 2017

    By Robert Menzies – If you are a Christian from North America or Europe, when you enter the Holy Trinity Church in Kunming, China, the architecture of this beautiful, stately structure will immediately remind you of home, of traditional churches in the West. It even has a steeple. The atmosphere of quiet reverence will also seem familiar to Western…


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  • One for the Road – “Capacity”

    Posted by ACPT on May 1, 2017

    Capacity.  That’s an important measurement.   Containers have capacity…as do elevators – airplanes – trains…to name a few.   But…here’s the question.  What is your capacity?   To forgive.  Do you stand ready always to dismiss offenses?  Or…do you hang on to wrongs?   To love.  Are you protective of your rights?  Or…do you think always of others?   To serve.  Do you make sure you get noticed and…


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  • One for the Road – “We are the Clay”

    Posted by ACPT on April 24, 2017

    When the clay forms the Potter.  That’s when man forms God into his own image.   This is idolatry at its worst.   Here are some examples.   The God of accommodation…when people imagine a God who adjusts his requirements to fit their desires.   The God of convenience…when people give God the time and service that fits their schedule.   The God of good feelings…when people imagine God…


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  • One for the Road – “Stain Resistors”

    Posted by ACPT on April 17, 2017

    Stain resistors.  They’re used to prevent soiling.   How about your soul?   Remember Lot?  “…that righteous man…was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard…”  So it was in Sodom and Gomorrah.   And…so it is with you.   The mockery of righteousness.  The ridicule of divine authority. And…the blasphemy of what is holy.  It’s what you face day by day.   So…you need…


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