As you may know, I visited the Middle East earlier this month. Perhaps a more accurate description would be, I took a trip through history. The Middle East is where the oldest known civilizations developed and I got to see evidence to some of these civilizations. The evidence is left behind by empires that conquered
Read MoreVisiting the cave identified as the birthplace of Christ was an experience. The Church of the Nativity was built over the site, which is a cave. So many people stand in line to see it. The line is perhaps a dozen people wide and 100 or more feet long which leads to a staircase leading
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American culture has been shaped by rugged individualism. (Remember the Marlboro Man?) As a result, when we think of our spiritual lives we think in individualistic terms. And so we orient our involvement with others, the church, and even Bible study in terms of our own personal growth. If it helps or you think you
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January 30 – February 28 When the apostle Paul was preaching about Jesus in the Greek city of Corinth in the first century he faced a great degree of persecution and threats. One night in a vision the Lord said to him, Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent,
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In C.S. Lewis beloved book, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Lucy discovers a magical world after hiding in a wardrobe. This world is filled with snow, which she finds mysterious and wonderful, until she sees the puzzling weariness it has brought upon the inhabitants of the land. For Lucy, the winter wonderland seems
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The name “Christian” was first given to disciples of Jesus in the city of Antioch in the 1st Century. It was not long after many of Jesus’ followers had to flee Jerusalem because they were being persecuted for their faith. That meant sacrificing social groups they may have had, kids activities and educational opportunities, even
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Some ideas take time to mature. Here are some of those for me. The Sovereignty of God The Power of Love Contentment There are plenty more, but these 3 have proved of great significance in the last couple of years. The Sovereignty of God. This, of course, is a doctrine we find in the Bible.
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For the past century, since the period of the enlightenment, the world has drifted away from Truth in the public sphere. By “Truth” I mean absolute truth. Biblical truth. (That’s the only truth there is.) Lately, it seems that this drift has accelerated. At the same time, that absence has left a vacuum. As it
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With the coming of Covid came a new dilemma for Christians in the Western world: risk. How do I factor risk into my faith? Common sense says risk is best approached with a cost/benefit analysis. Businesses do this all the time. The insurance industry is built on such. When it comes to looking for Biblical
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At the beginning of every year I try and give a “state of the church” letter. Like every politician I’m tempted to paint a rosy picture and pretend painful realities don’t exist. And there is some justification for painting a rosy picture, which stems from the fact that our future is rosy. We know that
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