Gunmen kidnapped an American missionary from his home in central Niger and killed two other people. On Oct. 14, the attackers stormed into Jeffery Woodke’s home in the town of Abalak, killing his guard and housekeeper, Niger’s interior ministry said in a statement the following day. The armed men, driving a white Toyota Hilux pickup... Continue Reading

Their cloister home would eventually be filled with six of their own children, an aunt and several nieces, four adopted children, as well as a number of student borders. And “my lord Katie,” as Luther came affectionately to call her, had to feed them all. With wonder in his tone, he extolled his wife to a... Continue Reading

“If TULIP wasn’t original to Calvin, how did we get it?  What are traditionally known as the Five Points of Calvinism sprung from theologians who were actually opposed to Calvin’s teachings, specifically those on predestination.”    Ask someone if they know about Calvinism and most likely they’ll bring up TULIP, a helpful acrostic that stands... Continue Reading

“From a spiritual perspective, since gay marriage is legal in all 50 states, our communities have plenty of gay couples who, just like the rest of us, need marriage support and parenting help and Christian community. They are either going to find those resources in the church or they are not.” Hatmaker would not hesitate... Continue Reading

“Sanger was a leading advocate of the eugenics movement, specifically of negative eugenics, which promoted the reduction of sexual reproduction and sterilization of people with undesired traits or economic conditions.”   This weekend Planned Parenthood celebrated its 100th anniversary, commemorating the day that Margaret Sanger, the organization’s founder, opened the first birth control clinic in America.... Continue Reading

As women came forward to shout their abortions in response to Trump, the accounts were often similar. It was a wanted pregnancy, but they received a poor prenatal diagnosis, and chose to abort their babies rather than give birth. Their baby wouldn’t live long after birth, their quality of life would be “poor,” nothing could... Continue Reading

We’re being told we have to promote a message even if it’s against our conscience” (Daniel McArthur). This case is about punishing those who refuse to support same-sex marriage. That is a serious step: it is the force of civil law being used to persecute. Many will suffer if this ruling is sustained in law in a way... Continue Reading

Little wonder that Luther called marriage “the school of character.” No doubt, it was to be a lifetime tutorial that worked both ways. While Katharina had her work cut out for her living with a giant of a man like Luther, marriage would require still more radical adjustments for Luther. “There is a lot to get... Continue Reading

Setting to work with his typical zeal, Luther soon had matches or suitable circumstances arranged for all but one of the runaway nuns, spunky twenty-six-year-old Katharina von Bora. After several failed attempts—picky Katharina turned down several offers of marriage—she laughed off an aged candidate with the quip that she would rather marry Luther than Dr.... Continue Reading

Martin Bucer first heard Martin Luther in Heidelberg in 1518 when both were still monks. Luther and Huldrych Zwingli knew of one another. Publicly, Zwingli praised Luther, calling him a “Hercules” and a “faithful David” who fought the Lord’s battles.   It was 1529. Various reform movements were at work, purifying the church in Wittenberg,... Continue Reading