gracEmail September 21, 2017 Edward Fudge So many of you have inquired of us and others after praying for our safety during the recent onslaught by Hurricane Harvey. We are thankful that we suffered no personal damage or even loss of power and we grieve for hundreds of thousands of others who did, including numerous gracEmail subscribers. Frank Coats is pastor of Lake Houston United Methodist Church, which was thoroughly flooded and has conducted Sunday services for the past several weeks in the yard. Within our own Bering Drive church of fewer than 200 people, eight families were … [Read more...]
Archives for 2017
WAYNE MCDANIEL
He was usually one of the first to respond to any new gracEmail. His subject line would often say "another ace." Not for outstanding human wisdom or human oratory, but because it pointed to Jesus. Wayne was above all a Jesus man, and because it was my goal to be one also, he was one of my most faithful encouragers for more than 50 years. Wayne died on Monday, August 14, 2017, at age 70. He was still excited to be teaching Bible classes and preaching about Jesus when possible. I first met Wayne and Phyliss McDaniel in their trailer home at Florida College, when he was a student and eager to … [Read more...]
RED KNUCKLES ARE DECEPTIVE
As I walk with my walker, I sometimes notice my palms are red from holding the handles too tightly, gripping it for safety and security. But I realize that neither safety nor security depends on the intensity of my grip. Instead, I am safe and secure for reasons completely unrelated to my own efforts and determination. In fact, my sense of safety and my perception of security are actually counter-intuitive. Compounded by Parkinson's, my senses of direction and balance actually mislead me as I trust in them. These physical realities are also parables of our shared spiritual condition. We are … [Read more...]
Family Notes 20/4/17
ERIC METAXAS GUEST Recently I was invited to be the guest for an hour on the Eric Metaxas radio talk show, broadcast nationwide. The interview aired yesterday, Wednesday, April 19, in the second hour. The podcast of that conversation may be heard at : www.metaxastalk.com/podcast/wednesday-april-19-2017/ Eric was kind, courteous, and sincerely interested in the topic. He was also well-prepared, asked me about Hell and Mr. Fudge movie, and apparently had read rather broadly on the topic. He treated me withrespect and presented himself as a humble lover of truth throughout. He is an … [Read more...]
JESUS TRANSFIGURED
God intended for this event to make an impression and it certainly did. Peter, James, and John never forgot what they saw and heard that day (Matt. 17:1 ff). The scene sparkles with symbols reflecting God’s salvation story. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John, his inner circle of apostles, up a very high mountain, reminiscent of Mount Sinai where Moses received the Law. It was a scene of thunder, lightning and earthquake. God's voice spoke so fearfully the people begged that Moses be their intermediary to hear his voice (Heb. 12:18-21). At Mt. Sinai Elijah had encountered God afresh, not in … [Read more...]
BECAUSE GOD SHEPHERDS ME
The OT often speaks of God as Israel's shepherd (Psalm 80:1; Ezek. 34:15). In Psalm 23 David personalizes the image. God is not only Israel’s shepherd, he is also David’s shepherd. The original Hebrew says “The Lord shepherds me,” as does the Greek Septuagint. Because God shepherds David, he will lack for nothing. This includes nourishment and refreshment – green pastures and quiet waters -- and personal renewal. God guides David in righteous paths, not only for David’s sake but for the honoring of God’s name. God provides peace of heart even in the most frightening of circumstances. When … [Read more...]