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It has always been a favorite Christmas story of mine: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. It so beautifully illustrates the outreach of a local church to the rowdy children of a neighborhood family, the Herdmans. But it became even more dear to me one Christmas when I saw it in real life on the…

We expect to hear about the inappropriate use of finances in the secular world—big business and government. But misuse of money in the church by Christians? Surely that is an oxymoron.  All too regularly media reports relate the misdeeds of one church leader after another with respect to church…

Grandma died December 15, 2005, at 93 years old. Her lengthy name, Ninah Mae Mitchell Eyre Simmons, revealed her southern roots, Scotch English heritage, and two marriages ending in widowhood. In her lifetime, she moved less than 75 miles from her Louisiana birthplace residence in Montgomery to her…

Eugene Peterson (EP) has written more than 30 books on spiritual themes. He was a pastor for 29 years and recently retired from being professor of spiritual theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, so he could write full-time. He is perhaps best known for writing The Message, a…

Have you ever experienced a Christmas when there were no gifts under the tree and perhaps not even a Christmas tree because there was no money for such things? In the past four years I have talked to many who would have had that very experience if it had not been for Christians like those at the…

In 1976, the general assembly of the Church of the Nazarene amended its Tenth Article of Faith describing the distinguishing doctrine of the denomination, entire sanctification: "We believe that there is a marked distinction between a pure heart and a mature character. The former is obtained in an…

In the early 1960s, my wife, Elsie, and I attended Grace Church of the Nazarene in Kansas City. Melvin Shrout, and his wife, Marcella, were the pastors of Grace church. As years passed, we became best of friends. They had one adopted son, Stanley. Several times through the years I met with Stanley…

Q: What causes some people to hear things contrary to their opinion and think, "Maybe I have something to learn, even if I don't agree," while others think, "How dare you challenge my belief system?" As conscientious, Bible-believing Christians we ardently attempt to be true to our convictions and…

"I have an empty picture frame on my desk that once held my ordination credential. I never thought I would lose it, but who does? I sinned, lost my reputation and ministry, was arrested, placed on probation, and became financially bankrupt." The tragedy, like dragging a cloud over a sun-filled day…

David Argabright's idea for what to focus his life on didn't start in 2002 when he noticed that he was covered in his own sweat and blood, while quarantined in a rural Argentina clinic, but it did clarify his focus. Malaria was nearly killing him. In fact, every other person in the clinic died…