Lance Hickerson (Page 5)

Lance Hickerson (Page 5)

Maintain Marriage Integrity

  Here is a poster I adapted for the concept of Marriage Integrity.  In our current talking culture’s hourly attack on what is labelled traditional marriage, it is difficult to respond without being slandered by supposedly “progressive”  redefinitions.  For instance, to adopt their politically biased terminology and speak of a “ban” on X marriage is to forestall rational discussion of the issue.  To label someone as “banning X” is simply bald assertion and begging the question.   Nothing is being…

Queen Victoria or the Holy Spirit?

  It was Wednesday night fellowship at church and I heard it–someone’s phone was “ringing” and the sound was the theme song of a greatly popular PBS series called “Downton Abbey.”   I know the tune well, for I have likewise become attached to the story.  It is about the goings-on in a lavish British manor house with its wealthy family and array of servants around and during the time of World War I.    The show is a wonderfully accurate period…

“Truth Has Fallen in the Street” (Isaiah 59:14)

Forest Home had a unique visitor this past Thursday for 5:30 p.m. prayer.  She is Kate Marchiniak, a dual citizen of New Zealand and Canada who has lived in Williamson County for over 10 years.  Several years ago a newspaper reporter noticed that Kate was showing up at the Franklin Square every Friday at 12:30 or so, and asked what she was doing.  The resulting story reported how Kate was keeping a commitment to pray for Franklin every Friday from…

The Political Name: “Christian!”

     Since we have witnessed two major political conventions within less than a month, we have a good context to understand the word and label:  Christian.  “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch,”  “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name” (Acts 11:26; 1 Peter 4:16).  One may still find in print that the word “Christian” means “little Christ;” however, this is not accurate.  I find scholar…

Jean (John) Frederic Oberlin and Kingdom Vision

  Jean Frederic Oberlin (born Strasbourg, France, 1740 – d. 1826)  was an Alsatian churchman and a kingdom of God visionary.   [Alsace is an historic region of northeastern France]  He was educated at Strasbourg with the equivalent of a Ph.D. and in 1767 became pastor for a small village in the remote countryside of the nearby Vosges Mountains.  “There he spent the rest of his long life in labor for the material and spiritual improvement of his impoverished parishioners. He…

A Parable of Our Common Country Life—What Can We Pray for our Country?

A man walked into his counseling appointment right on time, alone but concerned about his marriage.  It was his first meeting to discuss a possible problem in his relationship of 30 years, emphasis on a possible problem.  That was the question to the counselor.  He had a vague, uneasy feeling, and he was asking the counselor for advice on whether there was a problem or not, “I am wondering, do I need to be concerned about my marriage?” The man…

Closet Relativists Come Clean (Yes Me and You)

Closet Relativists Come Clean (Yes Me and You) What are the “big sins” of our day? No one is giving out “Scarlet Letters” these days, but society is still branding just the same. If I were to empty a tray of spent motor oil in the street gutter, I would experience outrage and likely more than verbal abuse. If I were identified “trying to convert someone” to Christianity, what would I experience? “Trying to convert someone” is not only unpopular,…