By Bob Russell I’ve never been very fond of New Year’s Eve. When I was a boy, our family usually went to church for a Watch Night service on December 31. The activities started around 9:00 p.m. and included some children’s games and light snacks. We gathered for a devotional service just before midnight, […]
By Bob Russell General Douglas MacArthur led the U.S. military forces in Japan following World War II. According to American historian Lawrence Wittner (“MacArthur and the Missionaries: God and Man in Occupied Japan,” Pacific Historical Review, Vol. 40, No. 1, University of California Press, 1971), MacArthur was proactive about bringing Christianity to the Japanese. […]
By Bob Russell This coming Thursday is July 4th. While we still go through the motions of celebrating Independence Day as a national holiday, there really isn’t much patriotic fervor anymore. There aren’t many grand parades or moving speeches about the glories of the American Revolution. In churches there aren’t many rousing patriotic services […]
By Bob Russell The resurrection of Jesus Christ occurred nearly 2,000 years ago. Yet the reality of Easter underscores two relevant principles that should dramatically impact our lives every day. Ultimate Hope Life after death is a realistic promise. Since the will to live is arguably the strongest human instinct, there is no […]
By Bob Russell “This is the sorriest bunch of drivel I’ve ever read. With pitiful leaders like you it’s no wonder our churches are in such terrible shape! One day God will judge you in eternity for leading his people astray.” Those strident comments were e-mailed to me by a believer who was upset with […]
