In his book, Run with the Horses, Pastor Eugene Peterson gives us a vivid illustration of prayer as commonly practiced.  It’s like going to a restaurant with somebody where we’ll order food and drink from the waiter.  At the end we might say thanks for a good meal or good service; and ...

To encourage young folks who are struggling with directions in their lives, I sometimes share my journey from being someone who had no clue what I wanted to or could do, to becoming a counselor, and in the end, a pastor.  Out of high school I did not know what I should choose as a […]...

Last week God called home a friend in ministry, Marojahan Sijabat. After ministry in Batu, Malang, he experienced acute abdominal pain; so, he was taken to a hospital in Malang, which subsequently sent him to a hospital in Surabaya.  The doctors found abdominal blockage but before they could pe...

On Tuesday evening our sister Vera called Santy and me to break the sad news that her father had suddenly passed away.  She told us that just an hour prior, Benny, Vera’s husband, was still talking to her father over the phone.  After the phone conversation, Vera’s father went to a nea...

This year we are celebrating our church’s 45-year anniversary.  Like a person, each church has its own distinct quality that sets it apart from others, quality that’s usually imprinted early on by its founder.  I am sure we can come up with a lot of qualities, but I’d say that the ma...

At our youth group’s 50th reunion, I met Robert and Lea.  You might be familiar with their songs that we frequently sing such as Deeper in Love and Kau Yang Terindah.  It’s nice seeing them again and to hear what God is doing in their lives and ministries.  But what did touch me was what [&he...

Santy and I would like to thank you for letting us go to Indonesia to celebrate my mother’s 90th birthday.  She is doing fine and to this day, she’s never stopped praying for our church.  Thank you for the many birthday’s wishes.  May God bless you for your love and care.  ...

What did they do in the face of adversity in ACTS? Doesn’t it seem like life is just getting more and more difficult? There are more challenges, more division, more uncertainty, and it’s a lot harder to be optimistic about the future. In ACTS the community of faith had things they always did, an...

Power given to people in ACTS As we look at the beginning of ACTS, we read Jesus’ words that His followers will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon them and they witness for Him in Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (ACTS 1:8). The word for […]...

If God’s willing, this coming Thanksgiving we will have our annual retreat again.  This time the theme will be, “Prove What Is That Good and Acceptable and Perfect Will of God,” taken Romans 12:2.  I will divide this topic into four sub-topics: (a) Prayer and the Will of Go...