Most of us are familiar with searching the Scripture and praying as we discern the will of God. But even these processes are not infallible. Yes the Scriptures themselves are infallible; yes the Holy Spirit is infallible. But our internal process is not infallible. We can bend contexts. We can easily fall prey to impressions... Continue Reading

It may feel for some of us as though we are going through our own version of Gethsemane. But- I wonder whether for some of us we will need to say through tears- “Father I accept this as your will for me. Help me to submit to it.” In the end God’s will always has... Continue Reading

There is only one answer to the Philippian jailer’s question, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul gave it: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:30–31). Simple and straightforward, uncomplicated and unambiguous. Do not be confused.     Lately I have been mystified by—and distressed with—a trend I’ve seen... Continue Reading

You are lying awake at night in fear. What, dear Christian, should you do? You must do what Isaiah is commanding Israel to do in the face of their uncertain and devastating future. You must take your situation in hand and argue from the greater down to the lesser. That is precisely what Isaiah is calling... Continue Reading

Sawyer, of course, was able to handle more than he thought he could. He endured all of the pain and the fear and the blood and the needles. He limped out of the ER with a story to tell. When the worst of the pain came over him, he kept his eyes clenched tight and... Continue Reading

 If we can cover over deep pain with an attitude of ‘it’s meaningless to look for reasons’ then why do we lament ? Why do we have such deep empathy or a righteous anger over suffering? If suffering has no purpose, reason or meaning then why long for sympathy, mercy, hope OR be soothed by... Continue Reading

We must rely on our people—both those in our congregation and also members of the larger body of Christ—to plan for how to protect our churches. Fortunately, we are up to the task. As Paul says in Ephesians, when Jesus ascended on high, he “gave gifts to his people” (4:8). We can trust that the... Continue Reading

“Blessed” should not be available on Facebook as a momentary “feeling,” but as an unchanging status. Biblical blessing is abundant and enduring. We are to understand that God is the generous Giver of blessing; it is not for us to decide whether or when we are blessed.     After resisting the time-consuming temptations of... Continue Reading

Those hurts we experience in our lives reach deep. They can threaten to embitter us or immobilize us. But our focus is not backward; it is forward – on Christ. Our strength is not inward; it is outward – on Christ.   How can we possibly get over traumatic events in our own lives? “I... Continue Reading

Natural history was one of Lydia’s passions, probably sparked by Hugh’s interest in geology. In spite of being self-taught in this subject, Hugh became a competent expert on the subject, so much that several scientists sought his views and advise. Like Hugh, Lydia considered science and religion as complementary, with science as a tool to appreciate... Continue Reading