The Chief

Take a Virtual Trip to the Biblical Sites in Israel, Greece and Turkey with our teacher Dr Randall Smith and your host Laura and Michael Bagby. Part 1  A Visit to...

Grapes have a special place in Hebrew society.

They are a source of nutrition, and according to Psalm 104, gladness. Jews considered grapes and wine to be a gift from God Himself, as it is the dew that falls from Heaven on the vines that cause growth and flavor.

¹³ You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home,
and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor.
¹⁴ You cause grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for people to use.
You allow them to produce food from the earth—
¹⁵ wine to make them glad,
olive oil to soothe their skin,
and bread to give them strength. Psalms 104:13-15

Jesus’ first miracle was at a wedding in Cana, turning water into wine, and not just any ordinary wine!

The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth As told by Matthew, Mark (Peter), Luke and John The Mural of Jesus from the Chora Church Constantinople (Istanbul) In preparation for...

My wife, Laura Nobuko Uyeda Bagby, is an extraordinary woman.

First of all she embodies the ideal feminine person; She’s a woman!

Secondly, she personifies the complete life mate and wife;

Thirdly, she has realized all the goals of motherhood.

 Complete Woman

Complete Wife

Complete Mother.

 But there is more….much more.

God is the ultimate “illustrator” who often uses real life examples to describe Who He is, What He is Like, and How He reaches out to Mankind.  The Hebrew Scriptures are full of such word pictures.  God paints portraits of Himself in his Law found in Exodus, and describes His relationship with Mankind through the Sacrifices given in Leviticus.  We see God’s principles for living through the accounts given regarding men and women who interacted with God in the pages of Genesis, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther and through the birth of Jesus narrative found in Matthew and Luke.

Building community through the Word of God   All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and...

 I work in a café business. You could say I am the boss of Rio Coco Cafes, although I never allow myself to think that way. Mostly. I have various executive roles to play- financial accounting and planning, cost analysis of our products, managing labor costs, purchasing green coffee, purchasing coffee and kitchen equipment, training our team members.

Then I have my other collateral duties: I’m the maintenance department; I fix toilets, paint walls, repair plumbing, change light bulbs, repair equipment.

But my most favored job is washing dishes. There is something about the effect of a five second scrub and rinse on a dirty plate that brings me great joy. Something that was dirty and useless becomes clean and an instrument for service. I have worked with many people over the years attempting to help them understand God and His plans and purposes for our lives. Many times I see no response on the part of those who have decided to walk their own path. They are valued creations of our father, but they are not useful to His purposes to invite many to spend eternity with Him. Others do respond and become world changers. I guess that is why I enjoy washing dishes. With just a few seconds of effort on my part that dirty dish or pan becomes shiny, fresh, and ready for the next use.

I was in Rome (Italia) on New Year’s Eve 1971. After a dinner of pasta and red wine, I didn’t make it to midnight, and fell asleep in my hotel room. Suddenly I awoke to the sound of crashing glass and ceramics. I opened the window and looked out. There were people standing on their balconies throwing plates, bowls, and glasses onto the streets. The cacophony was overwhelming! The next morning, I walked out of the hotel lobby and there was not one square inch of pavement visible! Broken dishes and glassware completely cover the street! Later that day I saw on the television that three people were in the hospital because of being hit by flying dishes and glass shards!