The Nigerian Olympic soccer team had a problem. They were stranded for days at the Atlanta airport on their way to Rio. Flights were cancelled for a variety of reasons. And when they finally were able to leave, it was on the very day of their first game. They were scheduled to play Japan at …
Last July 20, Russia’s new law came into effect. It places restrictions on the evangelism efforts of Christians, stipulating that it would be illegal to share the gospel outside of their own churches. If enforced strictly, the law will repress any kind of missionary outreach. Even personal evangelism will be curtailed, for it requires every …
We know the story of the disciples sleeping while Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. Recently, I realized that there’s another story that involves the disciples and sleeping. The account of what is called the “transfiguration of Jesus” is another familiar story. Luke’s account provides an interesting detail that is quite unique to his …
Death has been front and center in the media these past months. Sadly, they are mostly of the violent kind—police shooting civilians, civilians shooting police, terrorist attacks, military takeover attempts. And there are the accidents and “natural causes.” Then death strikes closer to home. A friend and brother in Christ steps into eternity after a …
The apostle Paul tells us, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Romans 12.11 NIV). That’s the kind of attitude that pastors and church leaders would want to see in church members—zeal, passion, eagerness, enthusiasm. The church thrives with people like that! Then, John Wesley comes along and warns …
Reading excerpts from John Bunyan’s Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, I found myself reflecting on my own experiences as one called to minister in the name of Christ. It is worth the reminder that, in the end, serving Christ is a privilege given by the grace of God. One difficult fact to face …
I’ve been reading selections from The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis’, specifically, his thoughts on dealing with temptation. I share some reflections generated by my reading of this classic on spiritual formation. Common wisdom tells us to run away from temptation. And it has some biblical backing too—flee from “sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians …
Steph Curry had been a rather consistent picture of calm and grace in the midst of pressure. It was easy to hold him up as a model of Christian behavior. Then, he lost his cool. The build up of frustration during the NBA Finals series finally boiled over in a moment of uncontrolled anger. And …
Stan Larkin lived without a heart for 17 months. That is, he had no heart in his body but an external artificial heart that he carried in a backpack. This was a temporary provision while he waited for a heart transplant. In late 2014, his condition had reached the point that he had to have …
We heard that the fabric and sewing store in the city was closing down, and was having a going-out-of-business sale. My wife Grace wanted to take advantage of what she hoped to be bargain prices. So we went, but ended up not buying much. While we were there, we observed how many customers (probably regulars) …
