Eastern Ukraine Independence – Bible Prophecy

Last updated on: May 12, 2014 at 4:07 pm By Jim Erwin

Prophecy Watch Eastern Ukraine Independence – Bible Prophecy Two Eastern Ukrainian Oblasts (the Ukrainian name for province or state) have declared their independence from Ukraine. Ukraine continues to destabilize. The previous Ukrainian president refused to sign the European Union agreements last year. The Russians invaded Crimea just after they hosted the Winter Olympics in Sochi. The events of this week will have long-ranging effects. Will Eastern Ukraine enter more of Russia’s orbit of influence? Many of the people living... Read more

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

Last updated on: May 12, 2014 at 2:40 am By Jim Erwin

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) Star Trek The Motion Picture, the first film in the Star Trek film franchise, centers around the idea that a machine (Voyager 6) returns to search for its creator. The film suggests man-made machines in his image. The film centers about one machine (Voyager 6) and its search for “The Creator.” Voyager 6 wants to join with “The Creator” who made it. The Bible shares a similar sentiment. God made man in His... Read more

Proverbs 6:20-23 A Mother’s Teaching

Last updated on: May 10, 2014 at 6:51 pm By Jim Erwin

Proverbs 6:20-23 A Mother’s Teaching Dan Baber honored his mother by posting an auction on eBay titled “Best Mother in the World.” The winning bidder would receive an email from his mom, Sue Hamilton, that would “make you feel like you are the most special person on the earth.” During the auction’s seven-day run, 42,711 people—enough to fill most major league baseball stadiums—took a look. Ninety-two offered a bid, pushing the price from a $1 opening to a $610 closing. Isn’t it... Read more

The Purpose-Driven Church by Rick Warren

Last updated on: May 8, 2014 at 8:53 pm By Jim Erwin

The Purpose-Driven Church by Rick Warren is a book which describes the history and the development of a process for his church’s growth. It is also a handbook for pastors who wish to implement that process in their churches as well. Warren describes the Purpose-Driven Process as essential for church health, not church growth. Warren shares the history of Saddleback Church, the church he started in California in 1980, followed by the myths of growing churches. The most... Read more

A Beauty Pageant with a Purpose

Last updated on: May 7, 2014 at 9:52 pm By Jim Erwin

“The king loved Esther more than all the other women. She won more favor and approval from him than did any of the other young women. He placed the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. The king held a great banquet for all his officials and staff. It was Esther’s banquet. He freed his provinces from tax payments and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.” (Esther 2:17–18, HCSB) A beauty... Read more

Reaching the Next Generation for Christ

Last updated on: May 7, 2014 at 6:08 pm By Jim Erwin

Reaching the Next Generation for Christ (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) I want to talk to you a new virus in Barry County. I work as a doctor at the Erwin Ranch in Washburn. There are four patients, my four girls, in my home office. I have been studying the digital cultures taken from them. I have another set of patients at 618 2nd Street North, which calls themselves the congregation of Washburn First Baptist Church. This group of people say they... Read more

The Word on the Street by Rob Lacey

Last updated on: May 7, 2014 at 3:10 am By Jim Erwin

The Word on the Street by Rob Lacey is first and foremost a paraphrase of the Bible. The book was written with the sole purpose of getting people interested in reading the Bible. This book would be the Bible if you read it like people communicate today – newspaper, email, and social networks. This paraphrase of the Bible was written by a poet. He uses many poems, stories, and images that people would recognize today. Bible stories are retold as... Read more

Simple Church by Thom Rainer, Eric Geiger

Last updated on: May 7, 2014 at 1:21 am By Jim Erwin

Simple Church by Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger Simple Church by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger can be summarized with the book’s tagline: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples. The book’s main objective for the reader is to simplify the process of the church’s mission to making disciples. With cues from the surrounding culture, the authors contend that the church has made making disciples too complicated. In today’s culture, simple is effective. The iPod’s design (as well as... Read more

Supreme Court Prayer Case

Last updated on: May 6, 2014 at 7:44 pm By Jim Erwin

The Supreme Court has upheld prayer at government meetings according to this article from USA Today. I was a little surprised to read a Supreme Court prayer case decision that favored Christianity. I am happy that the local clergy will still be able to pray at events like this. The 5-4 decision was split along religious ideological lines according this article from the Washington Post. (All the dissenters except Sotomayor are Jewish. She is Catholic, as are all of the justices... Read more

1 Peter 3:8-17 Blessing Path

Last updated on: May 3, 2014 at 9:13 pm By Jim Erwin

A devoted pastor was facing serious surgery, and a friend visited him in the hospital to pray with him. “An interesting thing happened today,” the pastor told him. “One of the nurses looked at my chart and said, ‘Well, I guess you’re preparing for the worst!’ I smiled at her and said, ‘No, I’m preparing for the best. I’m a Christian, and God has promised to work all things together for good.’ Boy, did she drop that chart and leave... Read more

Where did Elisha cure Naaman?