blame and confession
Blame shifting is common in our world today. Consider, for example, the United States' two-party political system. Instead of taking shared responsibility for things gone wrong, the Democrats point fingers at the Republicans. The Republicans accuse the Democrats. The "right-wing conservatives" blame the "left-wing liberals." The "left-wing liberals" fault the "right-wing conservatives," and so on. Even those who profess faith…
wrong impressions
Recently, a pastor led a young man to faith in Jesus. At one point in their conversation, the young man had hesitantly asked the pastor, "Now that I'm a Christian, do I have to walk around judging everyone?" The pastor, saddened by the question, was able to say, "Of course not. That's the opposite of how a follower of Christ…
beware
David Wayne Sharpton, 54, has won the Georgia lottery three times—raking in $350,000 in 2004, $1 million in 2005, and $2.5 million in 2007. The repeat winner continues to work at his job as a restaurant-oven repairman, even though his winnings have provided more than enough money for him to retire. "Am I the luckiest man alive?" he asks. "I…
June 17, 2009
"Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words." What does this quote mean to you?
deception
Jérôme Kerviel, a 31-year-old options trader at France's second-largest bank, Société Générale, used the bank's system to make unauthorized stock trades. When he was discovered, the high roller's bets totaled $55b. To put it in perspective, the entire bank was worth only $35b. Talk about deception!
Ananias and his wife Sapphira, the famous deceivers of the New Testament, made a…
double trouble
I saw a funny commercial on TV. A young boy stood near home plate and shouted, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world!" He tossed a baseball into the air, swung mightily, and missed. "Strike one," he said to himself. He shouted louder, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world!" flipped a ball into the air, swung, and missed. "Strike…
in the tent
As I was sorting through the daily mail, my life suddenly merged with the lives of fellow believers thousands of miles away. As I looked at the simple foldout from a magazine, the brown and white colors of the map muted the violent attacks these persecuted Christians endure. The map, pinpointing places where the gospel goes forth with great struggle,…
june 14, 2009
What hard experience have you gone through when you sensed God's presence in a new and different way?
steering clear
It would have been easy for Teresa Clarke to get discouraged and pitch the whole idea. She had failed her driving test 12 times over the past 27 years—never managing to get her license. During that time, she spent more than $25,000 on 450 hours of driving instruction.
But Teresa got behind the wheel again last summer and passed test…
all shall be well
Between natural disasters leveling wide swaths of crops and inflation dramatically skyrocketing prices, even subsistence foods like rice or beans have been pushed almost out of reach for many in developing economies. In response to the estimated one million North Koreans who starved to death in the late 1990s, government researchers have been working to develop a noodle that "delays…
June 11, 2009
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, through his Faith Foundation, has launched a global program to foster better relations and understanding between world religions. It's designed to promote dialog among young people from different faith backgrounds. What's your take on this effort?
the cup
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus' soul was "crushed with grief to the point of death" (Matthew 26:36). He had often spent long evenings talking with and finding strength in His Father. But this night was different. Anguish swept over Him. Three times, He got up to seek out His disciples. He could not enjoy the sweet fellowship with the…
the church has left the building
Bekah Rosie skipped church on Sunday. So did her Sunday school teacher. So did her pastor. In fact, the whole church skipped church—and got out into the community for the entire weekend, serving wherever they could: cooking and delivering meals, clearing shrubbery, giving food to the homeless.
The next Sunday, Pastor Eric Thomas told his church, "You were living church…
water for the people
Shortly after moving to Uganda, I opened my home to two AIDS orphans. The other night I took the youngsters out for dinner. On the way home I aimed the car lights on a rock quarry and said, "There are many Ugandans who can't afford to go to school. Without an education, they have to do hard jobs like working…
