By Bob Schneiter on 11/29/2009

Romans 5:21 

          While we are “...dead in our trespasses and sin” (Ephesians 2:1), we are also blind to the things of God. Paul explains this clearly to the Corinthians in the second chapter of his first letter: “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they sound like foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” When Christ comes into our lives, being able to see what God sees begins. It is a slow process and directly related to the time we spend in God’s Word, in prayer conversation with...

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By Bob Schneiter on 11/22/2009

Matthew 2:1-11; I Corinthians 1:27, 28 

          The Thanksgiving celebration was over. It had been a hectic time. Susan had invited the whole clan over for Thanksgiving dinner. It was nice to have everyone in their home, but it came with a price. The house had to be gone over from top to bottom. Susan had a list of things that had to be done before the company could arrive: cleaning the carpet, new wall paper in the bathroom, new bedding for the beds of those staying overnight, a new cover for the table by the window, a centerpiece for the dining room table, a cornucopia for the sideboard,...

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By Bob Schneiter on 11/15/2009

Luke 1:26-38 

          One of the strangest phenomena of our age is our insecurity and lack of fulfillment. Have you thought about that? This ought to be the golden age of mankind. Every possibility for self-fulfillment is at our fingertips. We can hop on a plane and in a few hours visit the other side of the world. As I am writing this, Maurice is in Kolkata, Terry is in Cairo, Jessica is in leaving for Swaziland, Austen is in Turkey and Annie is leaving for Thailand. It’s amazing. Missionaries used to go to the mission field for a minimum of six years to a lifetime because travel was so difficult. We have self-help seminars and videos and we can go on-line to get the answers to almost any problem we might face in life. We have all kinds of entertainment and recreation to fill our leisure time. We can participate in virtual football and have a vote on who wins in “Dancing with the Stars”. We are no longer just part of our own little community but we are connected to the world. Last night we got a phone call from a lady in India who was just “checking in.” When we dial up support for one of many electronic gadgets, it is likely we will talk to someone on the other side of the world. Many children are even tutored on-line by someone on the other side of the world. It’s an amazing world we live in today. We are educated, enlightened, well-fed, dressed in the latest and finest, living in pleasant surroundings and in affluence with an amazing latitude of freedoms. If 2+2=4, this ought to be the recipe for happiness, security, good marriages, well-adjusted children and a deep sense of peace and fulfillment. Right? Is this what our lifestyles have produced?

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