dangerous concessions
In 1857, a few white members of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) in South Africa asked permission to celebrate the Lord’s Supper separately from their black brothers and sisters. The General Assembly...
View Articletransforming grace
At the start of the 1998 film Les Miserables, recently released convict Jean Valjean staggers into a small village. Cold, starving, and out of options, Valjean receives a meal and lodging from a local...
View Articlecontent with contention?
With its uncomfortable booths and tiled floors, the restaurant reflected the chill of the winter air. Having recently made the decision to take in foster children, my family sat waiting to meet a...
View Articledriving God out?
Is it possible to drive God away? The answer is a resounding “Yes!” Ezekiel gives us one sure way— idolatry. In a fascinating account, the prophet recorded what made God leave the room. In Ezekiel 8:1,...
View Articleif My people
I was speaking with three friends about the lamentable condition of our country. They mentioned the continued practice of abortion, the rise of homosexual marriage, and the debt crisis. One friend...
View ArticleApril 29, 2013
The book “When Helping Hurts” reveals that the wrong kind of “help” can actually hurt those who are in poverty. What are some positive ways for believers in Jesus to minister to the poor?
View Articlefreeing money
Among the poor, I’ve often encountered extravagant generosity. In the Amazon jungle, locals stretched their meager resources to provide me with daily meals. One evening they prepared fresh monkey stew...
View Article65 gifts
Doug Eaton wanted to celebrate his 65th birthday in an uncommon fashion. When he asked his friends how he should celebrate the big day, one suggested that he perform 65 random acts of kindness. And...
View Articlegood religion
As a pastor, I get interesting responses from people when they discover my vocation. Some will immediately apologize for the language they’ve used. Some offer a forced smile and then come up with an...
View Articlethat name
Back in 2001, Mark Cuban, owner of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Dallas Mavericks, offered WGN Chicago Radio sports-talk host David Kaplan $50,000 to change his name legally to “Dallas...
View Articlejudgment of justice
An acquaintance of mine, who is highly intelligent and has a philosophical bent, also carries antipathy toward God and religion. He enjoys being provocative, recently quoting the second-century...
View Articleone before the other
The question I felt needed to be answered affirmatively before I married Miska was this: Can I live without her? My intentions were romantic and chivalrous, but my focus was dead wrong. I discovered...
View Articlebwana asifiwe!
Bwana asifiwe!” is Swahili for Praise the Lord! As I traveled from the dry place of Tala to the slums of Kawangare to the densely populated and dangerous ghetto of Korogocho in Kenya, this is the way...
View Articlebackslap back?
When I lived in China, I had an American friend who was radically committed to bringing the gospel to that nation. He mastered the Chinese language until even the Chinese thought he spoke exactly like...
View Articlehad to go there
Author Elizabeth Berg once wrote, “You know the phrase ‘It’s always in the little things’? In writing, it is always the little things—it’s the details . . . that make a character and a story come alive.”
View Articlewalls
Walls are designed to keep people safe. But walls also divide, keeping people apart. The 96-mile (155 km) Berlin Wall kept the East Germans in. The Great Wall of China, which was believed to be 5,500...
View Articlea lot by a lot
The first 4 years my adopted Ugandan son was with me, I experienced no fears about the future or my ability to support him. Recently, however, as I’ve struggled to pay bills and survive on a small...
View Articlea baby’s cry
Recently, one state in the US instituted a law requiring each pregnant woman considering an abortion to watch a sonogram of her unborn child, receive medically accurate explanations of what she views,...
View Articleunpopular
Chick-fil-A is a popular American fast food chain whose president, Dan Cathy, also happens to be a Christian. Biblical values permeate its 1,600+ restaurants which are always closed on Sunday....
View Articleunwanted and unloved
A pastor and his congregation, serving in an area known for addicts, alcoholics, and prostitutes, have prayed an interesting prayer for many years: Lord, send us the people nobody else wants. That...
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