In times of crisis we try to make sense of life. We crave perspective for our minds and relief for our hearts. We need our worldview realigned by God’s inspired Word: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). God promises that His Word “will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). A woman self-consciously... Read more
In writing my book If God Is Good, I interviewed dozens of believers who have experienced deep suffering firsthand. One of those people was Robert Rogers, whose entire family drowned in a 2003 Kansas flash flood. In a moment he lost his beloved wife and all four of his children. (If God Is Good is dedicated to Robert and many other faithful sufferers, whose extraordinary stories touched my heart.) The Christ-centered Rogers family went to church, tithed, read the Bible, and prayed... Read more
These are some great thoughts from Puritan Samuel Annesley (c. 1620-1696) on how we can find spiritual rest. (By the way, one of Samuel’s daughters, Susanna, was the mother of John and Charles Wesley, making Samuel Annesley the grandfather of John Wesley.) How can we live with a conscience that is pacified by the blood of Christ? Christians, be persuaded to practice these: 1. Take heed of every sin, count no sin small. 2. Set upon the healing duty of... Read more
Over the last year and a half, many Christians got angry at their churches for gathering or not gathering, going online or not going online, wearing masks or not wearing masks, or obeying or disobeying government mandates, or speaking up on political issues and candidates or not speaking up on them or speaking up on them in the wrong ways. It’s simply endless. There are many people who stopped going to church during COVID who will not resume in the... Read more
In the story of the rich young man, we’re told that he “ran up to [Jesus] and fell on his knees before him” (Mark 10:17, NIV). The man’s eagerness and sincerity are evident. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” So far, so good. This man wants to live with God in Heaven forever. After the rich young man spoke to Jesus, we read something remarkable that’s often overlooked: “Jesus looked at him and loved... Read more
Two weeks ago I shared a firsthand account of the persecution of Nigerian Christians from my friend Samuel Kunhiyop. The situation in Nigeria keeps getting worse. Please pray. One international study showed that 3,462 Christians have been killed in Nigeria in the first 200 days of 2021—a number equal to 17 Christians being murdered every day in Africa’s most populous country. And the killings just keep happeing. International Christian Concern reports, “Thirty-seven Christians were brutally murdered late Tuesday night [August 25] in Yelwan Zangam... Read more
Scripture is full of God’s words to generous givers: “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty” (Proverbs 3:9-10). But God doesn’t intend for us to keep everything He brings into our barns! We are to distribute it generously. We give to Him, He gives to us, and we keep giving it back to Him, recognizing that it belongs to Him anyway. Jesus says, “Give, and... Read more
Dr. Patti Giebink is a former abortion doctor at Planned Parenthood and the author of Unexpected Choice: An Abortion Doctor’s Journey to Pro-Life. She now spends her time helping people find compassion and sensitivity to those affected by abortion. Dr. Giebink was recently interviewed on Focus on the Family. This was a really wonderful interview: As an abortion doctor at Planned Parenthood, Dr. Patti Giebink believed she was helping women. Later, she began reading scripture and God gradually changed her heart on... Read more
You can also listen to an audio version of this blog. A wealthy plantation owner invited John Wesley to his home. The two rode their horses all day, seeing just a fraction of all the man owned. At the end of the day the plantation owner proudly asked, “Well, Mr. Wesley, what do you think?” After a moment’s silence, Wesley replied, “I think you’re going to have a hard time leaving all this.” All of us form attachments. All of us have... Read more
About forty years ago, my Nigerian friend Samuel Kunhiyop and I were talking in my living room. We discovered we were the same age. After he shared what a privilege it was to be attending seminary in our country, I said, “I love my country, but it really surprises me that you have such a great appreciation for it. So many countries, even those we’ve helped, are anti-American. But a number of Nigerians were bought or stolen and shipped to... Read more
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