Treasure Chest

The Church: A View From Above, Part 1

By John Woodward

When I was a member of a Christian musical group, we visited York, England. What I remember most about that city is the cathedral. I was awed by the grandeur, size, and architecture of that centuries-old church. What impressed the writer of Psalm 84 was the significance of the Old Testament temple. He testified of…

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Precise Directions

By John Woodward

A friend who came to visit our family was dropped off in Toronto by his father. He planned to take the subway to the bus station, then catch a bus to our town in southern Ontario. He knew approximately where the subway station was, but asked someone on the street for directions. “I’ll bring you…

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The Gift of Victorious Life

By John Woodward

A joyous holiday season to all readers! The giving and receiving of gifts is woven throughout our generation’s celebration of Christ’s birth. Many of us fondly remember childhood holidays, family traditions, and gifts.[1] What is the greatest gift you have ever received? I’m not thinking of the kind presented in wrapping paper. Christians joyously declare,…

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God in Us (Part 1)

By John Woodward

Imagine that a hero was needed to save us from death, and that he had to come from the far edge of the Milky Way galaxy to do it. The trip of 70,000 light years would be hard to fathom. But if he arrived and then laid down his life to save us, what a…

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O Little Town of Bethlehem

By John Woodward

Phillips Brooks was the minister of a church in Philadelphia when he wrote the lyrics of “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” He desired to have a special carol for the children to sing in their Christmas program. As he contemplated the nativity, Brooks recalled visiting Bethlehem while on a trip to the Holy Land in…

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Your Palette of Emotions

By John Woodward

A young boy once wrote this note to a psychotherapist: “Dear Dr. Gardener, What is bothering me is that long ago some big person it is a boy about 13 years old. He called me turtle and I knew he said that because of my plastic surgery. And I think God hates me because of…

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Job: A Case Study On Suffering, Part 2

By John Woodward

This brief survey of the book of Job is intended to provide a godly perspective on this problem of suffering. Rick Rood has observed: “It is unquestionably true that there is no greater obstacle to faith than that of the reality of evil and suffering in the world. Indeed, even for the believing Christian, there…

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Why Christians Get Sick, Part 2

By John Woodward

  . We’ve been considering the complex question, Why do Christians get sick? Having discussed the cases of sickness unto death and sickness unto chastisement, we now focus another possibility. 3. Sickness unto the glory of God The concept of God being glorified through our sickness may sound strange. How can something as negative as…

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Why Christians Get Sick

By John Woodward

Do you ever wonder why people get sick? And in particular, Why do Christians get sick? Although spiritually healed by Christ’s stripes of crucifixion, believers get sick in ways that almost parallel nonbelievers (1 Pet. 2:24). I say the ways almost parallel non believers. In his book, None of These Diseases, Dr. S.I. McMillen gives…

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A Higher View

By John Woodward

When I consider a higher view, I’m reminded of my visit to the C.N. Tower in Toronto. Overlooking Lake Ontario stands this tower which is the world’s tallest building and free-standing structure (1,815′ or 555.3 meters high). We took the glass elevator up to the 360 degree observation deck. Not only is the panorama of…

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