silence of God
She sits alone in her room—dark circles under her eyes, tears running down her cheeks. Since her teenage years, God has been her fulfillment, but her heart still has gaps—empty places, hollow spaces, unmet longings. And she has prayed, oh how she has prayed for God to give her the desires of her heart. Or to take them away. One…
a persecuted people
This news item appeared in the Lausanne World Pulse: “While officiating at a wedding on June 3, 2006, Pastor Hasim received a text message on his cell phone: ‘Pastor, you will die today.’ The 47-year old Filipino pastor had been receiving death threats for months. After the wedding, he and his daughter Mercilyn headed home by motorcycle. Their bodies were…
dying for life
"Some men can't be bullied or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn." —Alfred the Butler
Those words, from last summer's mega-blockbuster movie The Dark Knight speak of motive. Like me, you may wonder what motivates real terrorists to strap on explosives and self-detonate—blowing up others in acts of terrorism that some call martyrdom.
The writer of…
God's colors
Ever wonder how a black, shriveled sunflower seed placed in dark brown soil can grow into a tall, green plant with a yellow flower? This metamorphosis of colors and shapes reflects God's creative and mysterious ways. We are often surprised by His work in our lives.
The bright, "light" tones we see at the end of Acts 11—believers being taught…
persecuted for Jesus
Recently, in a Middle Eastern country, a teenage girl was beaten by her family for refusing to renounce her faith in Jesus. In Africa, a young boy was nailed to a board because he attended a church service. Around the world, pastors and other believers are treated harshly because they hold church services in their homes.
In the days of…
