The world needs leaders. Good, godly, intelligent leaders. And so does the church. Corrupted leaders, especially when they are nationally or internationally known, have brought suffering and shame upon the church. Yet there would not be a church today without some...
This is important to understand, considering we have both good leaders and the few rare ones who abuse and take advantage of their followers. There are believers who have been so wounded by leadership that they do not submit to any human leadership. They insist that...
I’m talking about relationships with fellow humans, real people with personal connections. Interaction that feels right and makes you a better person. Real people, honest people, humble people connecting and keeping those connections. Often we call these relationships...
The western world is now described as “post-Christian.” At one time, society took its values from Christian, Bible-based values. Today that is no longer true. This does not mean that the word “Christian” no longer has any relevance in our world. Thirty-one percent of...
Patiently waiting is one of the most difficult things we will ever have to do, but it is such a great evidence of real faith. Something that is very difficult to do. Hebrews 11 speaks of “Now faith.” Now—present tense. This kind of faith, the Scripture says, is the...
Trouble…what does it mean? During his trials, Job said, “Man’s days are few and full of trouble.” We all run into trouble on some front. We sometimes handle trouble poorly because of our misguided expectation that “if God is for me and I am God’s child,” I will not...
Truthfully, I don’t exactly know. I don’t pay much attention to the stories of “out-of-body” experiences or near-death encounters. Those experiences may be real — it’s just that everyone seems to have a slightly different experience. My faith in heaven is not based on...
Everyone needs encouragement. I don’t know anyone who is always positive about life, work, or ministry. We all have our moments of concern and sadness and discouragement. Courage means “heart” (from the French word ‘couer”) or inner strength. Sometimes we lose that...
I don’t believe in karma. Neither should you. I was watching my mechanic work on my truck the other day. Things were going very well, and then he said, “It must be karma.” I’ve heard it before—even from Christians. But that belief that we are somehow in control of...
The Book of Numbers tells us the story of Israel’s discovery of the “promised land.” God instructed Moses to send some men to explore the land of Canaan with this promise in mind. “This is the land I am giving to you,” God said. Every promise of God is backed by His...