It is a natural impulse in us all to look down on those we think dumber than we are and to take advantage of those weaker than we are. We fawn over the beautiful, rich, and powerful and despise losers....
Because these verses are just a summary of two battles between the Israelites and the Philistines, it’s easy to miss the subtle, poetic contrast here. Notice—the Philistine soldiers had to carry their gods with them into battle, lifeless idols of wood and stone that had to be faced in the direction of the fighting to “support” their men. Then the soldiers had to lug their gods back to camp. By contrast, the LORD went before the Israelite army to rout their enemies. They didn’t lug their God along; they followed his mighty train and merely mopped up the detritus left by fleeing soldiers. ...
Early one morning I was groaning under an anvil of anxiety. Though gazing directly at the brightening horizon, I was blind to the brushstrokes of glory that God was layering in the heavens. I suddenly experienced an irrational fear that the sun would not rise. It was ludicrous, and yet it was very real to me in that moment. ...
New Regional Theological Education Program (RTEP) Director Guy Marquardt had the opportunity to visit leaders of the Indonesian church recently. Moving forward, ALS and their seminary faculty will work together to strengthen the practical experience given to their students. ...
Old, experienced Christians still make mistakes; and Samuel was no exception. Even though Saul looked as kingly as any man could—tall, handsome, and impressive in his royal armor—he was a regal dud. Samuel had experienced that firsthand on multiple occasions. ...
ALS’s opening service included the installation of Guy Marquardt as Regional Theological Education Coordinator. He will provide solutions to people in unique situations so that anyone who wants to study theology can study theology. ...
Near the end of the cinematic version of “Prince Caspian,” there is a powerful scene in which Lucy, the tiny child with enormous faith, faces the ferocious Telmarine army alone on a bridge, standing defiantly between them and escape with nothing but a dagger in her hand. She looks helpless, even silly. But then the camera pans away from the scene of this solitary kid soldier as Aslan, the mighty Lion, strides up beside her. You quickly realize that Lucy is not bold because of faith in herself but because of the unstoppable force beside her, a divine Lion who controls the rivers, the trees, and the wild animals. This scene vividly conveys the beauty of the famous quote, “One with God is a majority.”...
New ALS President, Dr. Jon Bare, held the first class of this semester for the online B.Th/M.Div program. Students have joined online from all over East Asia to equip themselves to serve their people. ...
I love to read history books as an adult; but when I was a kid, I hated history class, unless the teacher was talking about battles. I didn’t care who the president was during the Great Depression or who the first Holy Roman Emperor was. Give me lightsabers and magic spells, not Puritans and the Mayflower Compact! ...
ALS opening service is being held at ALS on the 4/f at 3:30pm. You are welcome to come join us! Students, alumni, staff, and faculty especially. Sign up here to join if you’d like to join! ...