Have you ever heard a fellow Christian speak of receiving a rhema? Rhema is Greek for “word” or “utterance,” like an epiphany or spark of inspiration, from God’s word. This terminology may not be as popular today as it used to be, but the concept is very important. I am very thankful for the rhemas from Scripture that have shined in my life. When a rhema happens, the text becomes a precious treasure and I get a very real sense that the text was written for me.

Many years ago, the Church of the Nazarene had an advertising campaign titled, "Our church can be your home."

It was a catchy phrase and as a pastor during that time, I welcomed it as a useful tool with which to adorn Sunday worship bulletins, midweek newsletters, church stationery, and so on.

"During my training at the police academy, I was taught to aim for the heart or head when firing my weapon. No exceptions," says Carlos Amaza, choking back tears. "I just can't do that anymore."

For the past 22 years, First Sergeant Carlos Amaza has served as a police officer in the city of Neuquén, Argentina. He has avoided the thin line of corruption that snarls many in his profession. Emotional scars from daily images of brutality and murder led him to seek escape in a bottle and in the arms of numerous women. Amaza was at a point of destroying himself and his family.

On that last day, that great day of the feast of tabernacles, Jesus stood in the temple teaching. It was the autumnal feast, the feast of thanksgiving, and the high priest stood before the altar of sacrifice and poured out of a golden vessel water and wine, emblems of the blood and water soon to be poured forth from Jesus' side.

On that last day, that great day of the feast of tabernacles, Jesus stood in the temple teaching. It was the autumnal feast, the feast of thanksgiving, and the high priest stood before the altar of sacrifice and poured out of a golden vessel water and wine, emblems of the blood and water soon to be poured forth from Jesus' side.

There is no disharmony in the things of God. There may be seeming contradictions to the finite mind, and some things "hard to understand," and we may not be able to see how we can have joy in the midst of suffering or peace with the turmoil of war all around us. But God has so arranged it that there can be an unbroken peace and a deep joy in the midst of severe suffering.

Have you ever felt guilty but did not know why? A mother tells her daughter who lives in another state and works full time, "You don't visit me as often as you should." The daughter feels guilty but sees no way she can take additional time off from her daily responsibilities to see her mother more frequently. A church member tells a new Christian who is working two jobs and getting far too little sleep, "You need to spend more time praying and reading the Bible each day." Good advice, but it creates unnecessary guilt.

Q: If you could meet a historical figure, who would it be and why?
A: Abraham Lincoln - to talk about faith in the face of adversity and priorities in the face of demands.

Q: What habit would you like to change?
A: Staying up late at night answering email!

Q: What do you do to relax?

Uncharacteristically blue eyes sparkle in a traditionally beautiful Bulgarian face. Charming femininity and an easy smile disguise the inner strength of this woman determined to plant seeds for the future in rocky terrain.

Media in the Church of the Nazarene took root during an era in the church when you could make movies, but you couldn't go to one. At the time, stained glass windows were okay in a sanctuary, but a projected image wasn't. Television was beginning to enter homes, and Marshall McLuhan, who some say was the most authoritative commentator of the century, was declaring, "The medium is the message." It was a time when the "devil" was in the projector, whether the image was of sin or salvation.

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.