Share Do People Look At You Strange? Are You a Gaijin? By Martin Schmaltz / last month When I minister in other countries, there is this barely perceptible, but yet real emotional maybe psychological thing that happens when I return home. It seems that when I arrive back at the first major U.S. airport, there is this sigh and relaxation that passes through me. As I am making my way to immigrations, […]
Share Used To By Martin Schmaltz / 8 months ago Used To I was at lunch the other day enjoying good food and conversation with some friends. One of them was discussing what he was like before we knew him and made this statement: “I’m not what you are used to.” My mind began to reel! I wonder if Jesus said that: I can imagine […]
Share Decline of Christianity By Martin Schmaltz / 9 months ago Decline of Christianity The cover story for the April 9th issue of Newsweek magazine is entitled “The Decline of Christian America,” and presents a bleak picture of the church’s future of impacting society. Based on the 2009 American Religious Identification Survey, the article quotes the following statistics: The “number of Americans claiming no religious affiliation […]
Share Amway By Martin Schmaltz / 10 months ago Years ago when my wife and I were newlyweds, we got involved in the Amway craze. I see your head nodding – you did too! Well, one of their encouragements was that you did not have to sell the products; they sold themselves, as you demonstrated their effectiveness. I remember removing shoe polish, waterproofing handkerchiefs […]
Share Image By Martin Schmaltz / 11 months ago Image Representative: One that serves as a delegate or agent for another. – American Heritage Dictionary Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion… This scripture gives us wonderful insight into God’s purpose for mankind. Adam was created in the image and […]
Share Plates By Martin Schmaltz / 11 months ago Plates As a kid growing up, I remember seeing the juggler who would spin plates. They would place an individual plate on a thin stick and spin it; then repeat this process over and over. Periodically they had to return to a previous plate and give it an extra spin to keep them from falling […]
Share Tradition By Martin Schmaltz / 11 months ago Tradition In a previous article, we presented the idea that the proof of being apostolic was not in our doctrine or structure, but it was obediently going and doing what we have been sent to do. The challenge we face is that in many (if not most) believers lives and churches we are not going. […]
Share Possessing Our Inheritance By Martin Schmaltz / last year It seems there was this man that for all of his life lived in need. No matter what he attempted, it seems he could never get ahead. One day he received notification that a distant relative had died and left to him their mansion. Obviously, this man was elated. Finally, something had gone right for […]
Share Sandwich By Martin Schmaltz / last year Suppose it is lunchtime and you are starving: you enter your favorite sandwich shop and place your order for that super deluxe dagwood special. As your sandwich arrives, you immediately realize something is wrong: the first clue – you are looking down at a pile of lettuce, no apparent bread. Upon closer examination you notice […]
Share Apostolic By Martin Schmaltz / last year Much is being said today about “the apostolic.” There are those who believe a restoration of “the apostolic” is necessary. Various views of what apostolic means include: a succession of leadership traceable back to Peter, a particular doctrine instructed by the apostles or a particular church organizational structure with an individual in leadership, calling themselves […]
