A stained-glass window (German, 1728) at Pena Palace, in Sintra, Portugal. It includes a depiction of the Israelites defeating the Philistines, after Samuel has offered a sacrifice at Eben-Ezer (1 Samuel 7:2-14).--PUBLIC DOMAIN Last week we met Samuel the child , awakened in the night by the voice of the LORD. Today we follow that child across an entire lifetime — from God’s gift to a praying mother, to prophet, judge, king-maker, intercessor, and finally a voice heard even

Jeremiah is the second of the “major prophets” of Scripture, following Isaiah by roughly a century. Like Isaiah, he was called directly by the LORD, spoke at the national level, and confronted kings, priests, and false prophets. Yet in temperament and experience, Jeremiah could hardly be more different. Where Isaiah seems to stride confidently into his calling, Jeremiah shrank back from it. Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of t

The Crowd is Untruth: One theme in the writings of Søren Kierkegaard is his claim that “the crowd is untruth.” At first reading, it sounds harsh, even exaggerated. Surely the problem lies with bad crowds, not crowds as such. But Kierkegaard presses the point relentlessly, and in doing so, he forces us to look again at the Passion of our Lord. Kierkegaard reminds us that it was not a single individual who mocked Jesus, spat upon Him, and crucified Him — it was the crowd.

Abram Was Not a Perfect Father — And God Still Worked Abram’s story is honest. The Bible does not flatter him. He made mistakes — even serious ones. He moved his household into danger through fear, telling Sarai to say she was his sister. Twice. He also listened to Sarai’s plan involving Hagar, trying to help God keep His promise in human strength — a decision that produced heartache, jealousy, division, and lifelong tension between Ishmael and Isaac. Abram was faithful — bu

Kierkegaard is not interested in abstract philosophy here. He is speaking pastorally, urgently, and personally. He writes to the “single individual,” calling each of us to stand honestly before God and ask: What do I really want? What is the deepest “will” that directs my life? And then he makes this piercing claim: Purity of heart means willing one thing — the Good.

John Wyclif (c. 1320–1384) lived in one of the most turbulent centuries of English and church history. The Black Death had swept through Europe, kings and popes struggled for power, and the Church was immensely wealthy—yet spiritually weak. Into this world God raised up a scholar-priest from Oxford whose life’s labor would help place the Word of God into the hands of ordinary people.

The Bible tells us John was the disciple Jesus loved. We see this When he leans on Jesus' breast at the last supper When he comes to the cross, and Jesus gives him His mother. Later, when He visits John and commissions him to write Revelation. This is the fullest expression of that love, the privilege of revealing Him as He is now - In His glory.

The crowd is untruth.”— Søren Kierkegaard Courage is not loud. Courage is not militant. And in Kierkegaard’s world, courage is not popular. The courage Kierkegaard demanded was something far more disturbing than activism or heroics. It was the courage to believe the New Testament as written — and to live accordingly — alone if necessary, against the entire weight of polite, institutional Christianity. Christendom: Christianity Without Christ Kie

During Advent, the Church honors two great pastors whose ministries shaped Christianity across centuries: Ambrose of Milan (339–397) and Richard Baxter (1615–1691). One lived in the waning days of the Roman Empire, the other in the turmoil of post-Reformation England. Yet their lives prove the same truth: When God calls a pastor, He equips him with courage, compassion, and conviction — and the Church is never the same.

The Man Behind the Myth The Bishop of Myra was a man of holiness, Scripture, generosity, and courage — a shepherd who defended the truth of Christ when the world trembled on the edge of heresy.

“What think ye of Christ?” — Matthew 22:42 Advent is upon us. Lights are going up, carols are playing, stores are crowded, and everywhere you turn, you hear the word Christmas. But here is a searching question for every believer — a question Jesus Himself once asked: “What think ye of Christ?” (Matthew 22:42) Not What do you think of Christmas? Not What do you think of the season? Not What do you think of religious tradition? But what do you think of Christ? Who is He —

“Ye are not your own… for ye are bought with a price.” — 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 When we come to Jesus, we give up our sovereignty. We lay down the illusion that we belong to ourselves and bow to the truth that we are “not our own… for we were bought with a price.” That price was paid at Calvary, and the One who bought us has every right to rule us in love.

Jesus came to me when I was still in my crib. ---His Presence filled the room, and I knew I belonged to him. ---But I wanted my own life to live out my dreams "to the fullest." ---Those dreams turned out empty, and I repented and turned to Him. I surrendered my own sovereignty and accepted His: NOW I belong. “We are not our own, for we were bought with a price.”

I love 658 Monroe Avenue because it was our home. Still is, in some ways. When I dream, I am often there — in that solid, wood-framed house tucked between the city and the church. The walls held laughter, prayer, and the hum of hymns that filled the evenings. If every place has a spirit, this one was wrapped in Scripture and song.

Born a princess in exile and raised among the piety of the Hungarian court, Margaret of Scotland became one of the most influential Christian queens in medieval Europe. Through holiness of life, deep Scriptural devotion, and quiet but firm reform, she transformed her household, her husband, and ultimately the nation.

Feature Image: Ken and his father by the rosebush, 1950 — 658 Monroe Avenue, Elizabeth, NJ. Intro Before I ever knew the world, I knew the Gospel. Before I ever heard the noise of the neighborhood, I heard the prayers in our home. This week’s Tender Branch  story on LinkedIn told part of that beginning. Here is the fuller story — one that shaped my life from the very first breath. Born Into the Gospel Dad lived the Gospel and raised me up in the Bible. He was born on this day

“When his branch is yet tender… ye know that summer is nigh.”  — Matthew 24:32 Rudolph Kalis with his three sons — Bob, Don, and little Kenny. (Image source: “A Man of His Word,” by Kenneth Kalis) I Every branch begins tender. Before strength comes testing, and before testing comes nurture. For me, those tender years were rooted in a big yellow house on Monroe Avenue in Elizabeth, New Jersey — noisy, crowded, full of life — and always under the loving shadow of my father’s

Every believer has a season when faith meets the real world.For me, it began in 1958 with my father’s accident and the long road that followed — through teenage rebellion, first love, vocational turns, and an unexpected call to Canada.This chapter, Prequel II: Growing Up – Train Up a Child (Proverbs 22:6), tells how God’s hand was shaping me even when I couldn’t see it. Have you ever looked back and seen His fingerprints on your detours?

Feast Day: October 18 Τετραευάγγελο Ε140 της Μεγίστης Λαύρας. Ευαγγελιστής Λουκάς. 15ος αιώνας Luke the Evangelist, Unknown artist 1450, PUBIC DOMAIN Luke has always been my favorite physician, historian, and storyteller. For a doctor, he has a great bedside manner, and his patients get healed. As a historian, he is impeccable, interviewing the Virgin Mary for details about Jesus. . Luke writes about the founding and early history of the Christian Church. He gave us the Good

As a boy in a Protestant Church, I stayed away from Roman Catholics. I never thought I would have anything in common with a Catholic nun, but I was wrong. Teresa of Avila had a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ and so did I. We are not alone: Thomas Aquinas had one in 1273, Bob Dylan in 1977. Jesus wants a personal relationship with you, too! Here's His invitation: Behold, I stand at the door, & knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door I will come