2004 Articles by Ray Pritchard

Five Signs of the End Times (Jan 04, 2004)
FIVE SIGNS OF THE END TIMES by Ray Pritchard The e-mail wasn't really a personal message at all. The large, red letters across the top said, “Five Signs of the End Times in 2003.” It happens that I know the gentlemen whose names were attached to the e-mail so I decided to click on the link, which led me to another…

Baggage Claim (Jan 11, 2004)
BAGGAGE CLAIM by Ray Pritchard The following illustration comes from Craig Barnes, longtime pastor of National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. One day he stood at the baggage claim area in an airport, watching the bags tumble off the conveyor belt and onto the carousel one by one. As he pondered the matter, that une…

The Cost of Compassion (Jan 18, 2004)
THE COST OF COMPASSION by Ray Pritchard “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me” (Luke 8:46). These strange words mean at least this much: Jesus knew God's power had flowed from him into the body of the woman who touched his garment. Power that had been his passed from him to her. It resulted i…

The New Worship Schedule (Jan 25, 2004)
THE NEW WORSHIP SCHEDULE by Ray Pritchard Elsewhere in today’s bulletin you’ll find an announcement for the new worship schedule that begins Sunday, March 21. Here are the highlights: 1. We will have three worship hours on Sunday morning: 8:30, 10:00 and 11:30 a.m. 2. The worship schedule in the Sanctuary will be …

The Howard Dean Syndrome (Feb 01, 2004)
THE HOWARD DEAN SYNDROME by Ray Pritchard Howard Dean is an angry man. You can tell by the way he talks to people. You can also tell because lots of people are talking about how angry he is. I'm writing these words the day after the New Hampshire primary where he lost for the second time in a week to John Kerry. Maybe he's …

Follow the Cloud! (Feb 08, 2004)
FOLLOW THE CLOUD! by Ray Pritchard “So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels” (Exodus 40:38). The cloud and the fire represented the very presence of God. They weren't just symbols; they represented…

Sowing Seeds for Jesus (Feb 15, 2004)
SOWING SEEDS FOR JESUS by Ray Pritchard A friend writes asking for help with a difficult situation. Because of a change on the job, this person now works around two men who are openly homosexual. Recently they have started sharing details about their personal relationships. The problem: “I work in an environment that t…

Three Important Notes (Feb 22, 2004)
THREE IMPORTANT NOTES by Ray Pritchard 1) “The Passion of the Christ.” The much-discussed movie premieres this Wednesday in theaters around the country. On Saturday afternoon 450 people from Calvary (members, regular attendees, and their guests) will attend a showing of the movie at the Cinemark Theater in Melrose…

"He Took My Place" (Feb 29, 2004)
“HE TOOK MY PLACE” by Ray Pritchard The current controversy over “The Passion of the Christ” has raised an important point that deserves careful discussion. We know that Jesus died for others. What does that really mean? Perhaps an illustration will help. At the time of the Civil War, there was a band of…

Further Thoughts on "The Passion of the Christ" (Mar 02, 2004)

The Truth about the Passion Movie (Mar 03, 2004)

Forgiving the Unforgivable (Mar 07, 2004)

The Strategic Prayer Initiative (Mar 07, 2004)
THE STRATEGIC PRAYER INITIATIVE by Ray Pritchard Several years ago Mike Jebb came up with a revolutionary idea: What if Christians took prayer seriously? What if, instead of praying “when we feel like it,” Christians began to pray the way that soldiers go to war? What if our prayer room became a “war room…

Martin Luther's Advice (Mar 21, 2004)
MARTIN LUTHER’S ADVICE by Ray Pritchard Many years ago I took a course on Advanced Apologetics taught by Dr. John Warwick Montgomery. One day he talked to us about Martin Luther's theology, which Dr. Montgomery summed up as law and grace. All the details of that discussion have long been forgotten–all save one. I rem…

How God Uses Cancer to Help Us Grow (Mar 28, 2004)
HOW GOD USES CANCER TO HELP US GROW by Ray Pritchard Not long ago I received an e-mail from a man I've never met. He lives hundreds of miles from Chicago so I don't suppose that I'll ever meet him in person. A year ago he discovered that he has prostate cancer. In times past he made many mistakes and hurt his own family gre…

We Can't Be Friends with Everyone (Apr 04, 2004)
WE CAN’T BE FRIENDS WITH EVERYONE by Ray Pritchard The following question arrived a few days ago: “When it's all said and done, is it impossible for Christians to form close, intimate (platonic) relationships with non-Christians? As I grow closer in my walk with God, I realize how little I have in common with the …

Jesus Is All I Need (Apr 11, 2004)
JESUS IS ALL I NEED by Ray Pritchard I first heard this from Steve Brown who heard Ron Dunn say it in a sermon: “We often say, 'Jesus is all I need.' But you will never know if Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have. When Jesus is all you have, then you discover that Jesus is all you need.”� The more I…

God's Hidden Smile (Apr 25, 2004)
GOD’S HIDDEN SMILE by Ray Pritchard “The LORD said to him, 'Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ?’”� (Exodus 4:11). This is a verse that will make you stop and think. There are four questions here, and each one deserves consid…

Level Three Faith — A Personal Update (May 09, 2004)
LEVEL THREE FAITH””A PERSONAL UPDATE by Ray Pritchard During the Legacy Campaign last September, I preached a sermon called “Level Three Faith and How to Get There.”� Whenever a church enters a stewardship campaign, there is danger and there is opportunity. The danger is that by talking openly about mon…

A Visit to the Dentist (May 16, 2004)
A VISIT TO THE DENTIST by Ray Pritchard Rambling thoughts before, during and after my visit: 1) I wonder what he'll find this time? 2) You don't think about your teeth until there is a problem. 3) If dentists are so friendly, why do they have sharp tools in their hands? 4) I wonder how many times the Bible mentions teeth? A…

The God of Tiny Details (May 23, 2004)
THE GOD OF TINY DETAILS by Ray Pritchard Several years ago I spent a week speaking at Dallas Seminary. On my last day there, the president, Mark Bailey, took us out for lunch. While we were driving along North Central Expressway, I commented to Dr. Bailey about the brand-new, ten-story apartment building that had just been …

Are We on the Brink of Revival? (May 30, 2004)
ARE WE ON THE BRINK OF REVIVAL? by Dr. Ray Pritchard Is America poised for a great spiritual awakening? Many factors argue against it. Several years ago Chuck Colson issued a solemn warning about the decline of our culture. He spotlighted three ominous trends: partial-birth abortion, euthanasia, and the movement to legalize…

A Line in the Sand (Jun 06, 2004)
A LINE IN THE SAND by Ray Pritchard Last week Skip Olson sent me an e-mail wondering why professing Christians could not stand arm-in-arm over issues of great moral importance. In many ways the disunity within Christendom opens the door for evil to flourish in our society. But perhaps the critical nature of these times will…

"But Do It Soon" (Jun 13, 2004)
“BUT DO IT SOON”� by Ray Pritchard Last night my wife Marlene shared with me an e-mail she received from a woman she has never met. It all started several years ago when Nick was diagnosed with an autoimmune blood disorder. After a series of failed treatments, he underwent surgery that reversed his symptoms so th…

After You've Done Something Stupid (Jun 27, 2004)
AFTER YOU’VE DONE SOMETHING STUPID by Ray Pritchard The headline told the story: “Politicians' Private Lives Disappearing.”� The writer began by discussing Bill Clinton's moral failures while he was president. Those failings are well known to us all and don't need to be repeated here. Then the writer discuss…

Should We Use the Bible in the Marriage Debate? (Sep 05, 2004)
SHOULD WE USE THE BIBLE IN THE MARRIAGE DEBATE? by Ray Pritchard At first, the question seems unnecessary. Of course we will use the Bible in the great debate over marriage. How could Christians avoid the Bible? And why should we? Before answering that question, consider an article by Don Wycliff, the “public editor
…

So That … (Sep 19, 2004)
SO THAT by Ray Pritchard Recently I picked up a useful insight from some friends who were eating supper with us. Somehow the conversation turned to prayer, and a man shared an insight that was new to me. “When I pray,”� he said, “I always try to include the phrase 'so that.’ I heard a guest pre…

The First Rule of Holes (Sep 26, 2004)
THE FIRST RULE OF HOLES by Ray Pritchard A friend was talking with his son about the importance of sound financial principles. But what do you do when you are already in debt? The answer is not hard to find: Get out of debt as quickly as possible. My friend shared a pithy aphorism that he called the First Rule of Holes, whi…

The Best Defense for a Bad Memory (Oct 03, 2004)
THE BEST DEFENSE FOR A BAD MEMORY by Ray Pritchard “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips”� (Proverbs 24:26). This verse will suggest different things to different people. What exactly does it mean and what is the relationship between an honest answer and a kiss on the lips? I think there are three points o…

Amending Our Church Constitution to Define Marriage (Oct 10, 2004)
AMENDING OUR CHURCH CONSTITUTION TO DEFINE MARRIAGE by Ray Pritchard Last spring the elders appointed a task force to work on revising our church constitution in several key areas. This marks the first time since we approved our current constitution in 1992 that we have made any changes. The task force recommended, and the …

25 Ways You Can Be Part of World Focus Week (Oct 17, 2004)
25 WAYS YOU CAN BE PART OF WORLD FOCUS WEEK by Ray Pritchard Find Martha Peaslee’s picture on the missionary wall in the Sanctuary lobby. Pray for Uzbekistan at the Sunday night Concert of Prayer. Share a table with a missionary at the Family Night Supper on Wednesday. Ask Dr. Aletta Bell about her favorite Indian food…

Bob & Amber's Excellent Adventure (Oct 24, 2004)
BOB & AMBER’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE by Ray Pritchard Some years ago Bob and Amber Leland stopped by to see me one final time before leaving the Chicago area to return to Irian Jaya for another term of missionary service. When we got together, Bob had something definite on his mind. He took out some sheets of paper and sa…

Reformation Sunday 2004 (Oct 31, 2004)
REFORMATION SUNDAY 2004 by Ray Pritchard You could hardly imagine a less auspicious way to begin a revolution. A young monk named Martin Luther nailed a sheet of paper to the doors of the local church. Luther had no idea he was igniting a movement that would change the world. He merely intended his “95 Theses”� t…

Q & A About the Biannual Business Meeting (Nov 07, 2004)
Q & A ABOUT THE BIANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING by Ray Pritchard Q Why should I come to the business meeting? A Because it’s one of two times during the year when you get the inside scoop on what’s going on at the church. Q What you mean by “inside scoop”�? A We talk about the year just past and about our pla…

How to Recognize Satan's Accusations (Nov 14, 2004)
HOW TO RECOGNIZE SATAN’S ACCUSATIONS by Ray Pritchard This morning I happened to hear the end of a sermon in which Erwin Lutzer addressed an important question: “How do you distinguish between the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the accusations of the devil concerning our sin?”� Dr. Lutzer’s answer wa…

Restless, Waiting, Willing (Nov 28, 2004)
RESTLESS, WAITING, WILLING by Ray Pritchard At our recent Pastors’ Retreat, Howard Duncan shared something the Lord had put on his heart overnight. He said that as pastors, we are called to ask, “What is God doing and how can we join him in his work?”� That's different from asking, “How can we get God t…

St. Ephaem's Prayer (Dec 05, 2004)
ST. EPHAEM’S PRAYER by Ray Pritchard Most of us, I suppose, have never heard of St. Ephraem of Syria. Or perhaps I shouldn’t suppose that. The only thing I know for certain is that I had never heard of him before this week. While attending a pastors’ luncheon last Tuesday, Wilbur Ellsworth shared a prayer by …

Unexpected Good News (Dec 12, 2004)
UNEXPECTED GOOD NEWS by Ray Pritchard The current issue of Newsweek contains some unexpected good news. A recent survey reveals that 79% of Americans believe that Jesus was born of a virgin without a human father. Here are few other findings from the survey: 93% say that Jesus Christ was an actual person who lived on the ea…

It's Okay to Say "Merry Christmas" (Dec 19, 2004)
It’s Okay to Say “Merry Christmas”� by Ray Pritchard A man came into church last Sunday and said, “Merry Christmas.”� Then he looked at me and said, “I guess it's still all right to say that here.”� His comment reflects the growing frustration many Christians feel about the aggressive s…

Nothing Unusual Ever Happens Here (Dec 26, 2004)
NOTHING UNUSUAL EVER HAPPENS HERE by Ray Pritchard Bethlehem, December 25, 2000 Years Ago””It’s been a quiet day in our little town. Local police reported no suspicious activity in the last 24 hours. The Greater Hebron Chamber of Commerce said yesterday that they project a 50% increase in tourism next year as…