New Covenant Fellowship - Glendora, Calif.

bible
Verse of the Month
Isaiah 41:14

Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you," declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Commentary
Lot's in a Name

A member of our church in Canada explains why our church changed its name from Worldwide Church of God to Grace Communion International.

This appeared in "The Mainstreeter," an urban newspaper in Ottawa East, Ontario, Canada.

Christians in Strange Places

is a series of interviews and reflections by actor, writer and producer Alan Doshna and his friends.

Tom Jones Sings Gospel

According to Billboard.com, Tom Jones of driving-ladies-wild fame will release "Praise and Blame" on July 27 and the Gospel influence is undeniable.

From singing "The Lord's Prayer" to his Welsh Presbyterian school companions, Jones was attracted by the great Mahalia Jackson's soulful Gospel early on.

Jones laments that his personal favorite, "The Old Rugged Cross" didn't make the final cut because he remembers singing it often with Elvis Presley after they would appear separately headlining different shows in Las Vegas.

"Elvis loved it," says Jones who has made a career of doing the unexpected. "This is my meat," he says of this new album.

***

Ferguson Interviews Tutu

May 17 was a rerun of Late Late Night Craig Ferguson's interview with – hold the phone – Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. Originally taped back in 2009, Tutu talked about love, God, and forgiveness and Ferguson was neither fawning nor flippant during their interview.

Ferguson said afterward that in his view Tutu's appearance changed both him and the show. "He is one of the few people I'd travel all the way to South Africa to interview."

The original interview won a Peabody Award. Yes, Christians can still be found on TV, even in late night.

Sermon
'Where...Is God's Name?'

The Book of Esther in the Old Testament is written during the Persian period of Israel’s history – roughly 539-333 BCE.

The Persians left important Biblical legacies including their language, Aramaic, which was spoken by Jesus and the common people of first century Judaea.

The Persians also restored the Jewish exiles in Babylon back to their homeland which occupies the books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Isaiah 40-66 as well as many Psalms.

But there were still Jews scattered across the vast satraps and provinces of the Persian Empire and therein hangs a tale. Two of those exiles who had not returned were named Mordecai and his niece Esther.

Ah, Esther. One of the great unsung books of the Bible! The story contained in the book named Esther radiates hope for those of us who wonder if God is really up there in a season of oil spills, deadly wars and economic stagnation.

The one distinguishing mark almost every preacher notes about Esther is that it is the only Bible book of 66 in which God’s name is not mentioned – no, not even once.

(Click photo to enlarge.)