The middle of July 1979 Lisa and I pulled into Concord, Massachusetts and stopped at an ice cream spot where I learned that a milk shake in New England is not what it is anywhere else in America. We'd driven all the way up from Chattanooga in a rented Toyota Corolla to visit Kip and Elena and the Lexington church of Christ with the notion that we might move there. Now we had to find the Gempel's house and since the national markers had not yet been placed pointing the way to their famous living room, I had to make a phone call to get directions. Throwing away my milk with a little squirt of chocolate, I found a pay phone in the corner and dropped a quarter...I think it was a quarter then, could have been a dime or maybe even Indian beads...and waited. After a couple of rings someone picked up and I heard an incredibly deep, "Hello?" I was surprised to find out it belonged to a kid two years younger than me. That was the first time I met Doug Arthur. I'd be listening to that voice for the next three decades. It's a voice that comforted me through thousands, yes literally thousands, of miles in 2003 when I was crying, driving from chicken farm to chicken farm wondering if God would ever let me ... More »
Steve and Lisa Johnson with Mike and Anne-Brigitte Taliaferro
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring goodnews, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" Isaiah 52:7
Mike and Anne-Brigitte Taliaferro paid us a visit this past week. Coming all the way up from San Antonio, Texas, they graciously extended the 'right hand of fellowship' to us and encouraged us to trust in the awesome power of God for all of our needs. In fact, that was the message Mike preached to the congregation on Wednesday evening which can be heard on our website and inspired so many of us here. Along with the Scriptures he preached, we were all encouraged to hear him tell good news from other brothers and sisters who are serving the Lord with all their hearts around the world. God does reign. Always has; always will.
Mike and A.B. are legends in some church circles and not total strangers to folks here in Portland. Mike has written many books which we've had on our book table in the back of services since before I moved here in '06. "The Lion Never Sleep ... More »
We've probably all had it happen to us. Maybe it was your wife, or husband; your child or a friend, but you fail to keep a pledge and they say, "But, you promised!" Sometimes you might not even remember ever making the promise in the first place...that's another problem all by itself...but now conflict ensues because someone believes you're not doing what you said you would do.
James the elder, one of Joseph and Mary's other sons, had something to say about this. In James 5, verse 12 he writes, "Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned." Okay, he was quoting the Lord from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5, but notice Jesus says "simply" let your yes be yes and James says "above all". Above all implies that it's the most important thing. What does that mean? Let's ask him, "Hey James, elder in charge in Acts 15, allegedly martyred for your faith in Jesus. You've seen a lot, grew up with a perfect big brother; know a lot about being a disciple...any advice for us poor folks trying to make it 2000 years later?" Seems like his answer might be that the most important thing to do is just to do what you said you were going to do.< ... More »
