As I stood up to welcome people on behalf of the family and to thank them for coming, I was deeply moved to see other friends who had traveled from afar, at some cost and some inconvenience, just to be with us in our sorrow. So from all this I have learned the value of presence... Continue Reading

When you are panicking or stressed or anxious, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and run through the truths you know about God: he is on your side, he is good, he is powerful. Jesus was able to calm the storm with a word, heal the sick with a touch, and dispel evil spirits.... Continue Reading

Christianity does not, by its nature, cause its adherents to possess hateful attitudes or commit hateful actions. Are there instances of Christians—or Christian societies—sinning against others? Of course. But there’s a world of difference between arguing that Christians sin and arguing that Christianity causes those sins.    In 1971, John Lennon wrote a song that... Continue Reading

I shouldn’t get my instructions about how to live a godly life from politicians or movie stars or bloggers. If I am living according to Scripture, I will see the world differently, and that means I will sometimes be misunderstood and considered prudish, judgmental, out of touch, and irrelevant, even by some in the church.... Continue Reading

Love, in many cases, is a weapon. If not a weapon, then a bargaining chip. It’s something that we hold back, waiting for another person to warrant it. It’s ironic to think that we use the word so freely and yet have the tendency to be so careful with its reality. But Christian love is... Continue Reading

Esther is the only book of the Bible that does not mention God or God’s name. In fact, the author goes out of his way to avoid writing it (consider the pains he took in Esther 4:14, writing an ambiguous sentence when every Jewish child would know God was the one working). But this too is... Continue Reading

Our souls seek their fulfillment in the things of earth, and these chains are not easily broken. We lean on money, health, power, sexuality, and intelligence, for in them we think we will find our security. Regarding this, one of the greatest blessings the Lord gives His child is to show them just how empty... Continue Reading

Food can act as a real draw for people. Even more so when the food acts a catalyst for the kind of Christian community that ought to be appealing to people. In the early church, as people saw the Christian community, they found it attractive. Food can have that same community building, evangelistic pull today.... Continue Reading

No Christian is automatically given a mature, godly and productive thought life at their conversion. It’s a part of wisdom and maturity which must be gained by prayer and prayerful labor. So whenever wicked (impure, lazy, selfish, etc.) thoughts pop up, the first step is always repentance. Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount revealing... Continue Reading

There’s no question that I know more about a bunch of famous people I’ve never met than I do about most of my neighbours. Does that seem odd? It should. In the history of the world, we are the anomaly. Our ancestors knew the people around them because they had no choice – there were... Continue Reading