Philip Friesen

Kookaburra paraphrase of the Baptizer’s Sermon

– Bible Reading – 
 Luke 3: 15-17, 21-22 – The activities of John the Baptiser struck a chord with the deep yearning for a national saviour, and people began to speculate that perhaps John might be the one who God had chosen. John was quick to hose down such ideas, saying, “I’m only baptising you with water. The One who is coming is way out of my league — the chance to polish his...

Philip Friesen

Found Old Treasure for the New Year

On New Year’s Eve we met for prayer A younger sister’s prayer brought to mind long forgotten lyrics by Stuart Hamblen The  story of this song is found at http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/s/stuarthamblin.htm The chimes of time ring out the news, Another day is through. Someone slipped and fell. Was that someone you? You may have longed for added strength, Your courage to renew. Do not be...

Philip Friesen

Visitors to a Christian(?) Country- a few thoughts

Note to Friend following a welcome event for arriving foreign students- Last night was also a good thing, and we did get a good crowd. There was one thing in your presentation that I thought was confusing. 1. First there were these wonderful testimonies from internationals who, when coming here, found America to be so much less than a godly place. Here they met real temptations they hadn’t faced at...

Philip Friesen

HELL O!

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. Mark 9:43 When a limb of a soldier injured in battle become gangrenous, it has been common in the past to cut off the infected limb so that the infection would not take the life of the soldier. This is the picture Jesus gives us here. It is one of a...

Philip Friesen

LOVING UNTO DEATH: A Question of Values

Returning from the airport with an international high school student named Chen I had an opportunity for witness to my Lord. The conversation had turned to some aspects of Chinese history, which is a topic of interest to me. Chen mentioned what a great hero was the Emperor Chin Shi Huang who unified China around 200 years before Christ following the period of warring states. Emperor Chin was a bloody man...