I grew up in a small town and enjoyed swimming and fishing in the summer, hunting in the fall and playing pond hockey in the winters. I talk to many people who long for simpler times in rural America. Having said all that, I am increasingly convinced of the importance of cities. And after 23 years in Grand Rapids, I have appreciated the strategic … [Read more...]
Thinking Like a Missionary
The Christmas season provides many natural opportunities to talk about Jesus with co-workers, neighbors, classmates, friends and family. But how can we do this effectively? Lesslie Newbigin was a British theologian who spent the bulk of his ministry as a missionary in India. Below is an adapted list of his suggested ingredients for an effective … [Read more...]
Entering the Kingdom
C.S. Lewis wrote the Chronicles of Narnia to communicate the powerful truths of the gospel. Narnia, like earth, was filled with beauty, brokenness, evil and redemption. Lewis wrote the series in 1940 during the outbreak of WWII. The people of London were anxious and fearful. The four Pevensie children were sent away from their parents because of … [Read more...]
Remember Lot’s Wife
It is a terrible feeling to be caught unprepared. My oldest daughter, Anna, had one of those experiences during her college years. She overslept and woke up only five minutes before her exam was supposed to start. She raced out of her dorm in her pajamas, “borrowed” a bike off the bike rack, sped across campus and slipped into her chair as the … [Read more...]
The Dark Side of Advent
We generally prepare for Christmas by decorating our homes, attending parties, eating too much, and opening gifts. We entertain pleasant thoughts of a placid baby in an idyllic rural setting on a calm night. But for John the Baptist, Jesus’ coming triggered an radically different response. He called people to repent. He said, “…after me comes one … [Read more...]
Recovering Humility—And Boldness
Years ago, G.K. Chesterton observed that humility was becoming misplaced. He wrote, “What we suffer from today is humility in the wrong place…A man was meant to be doubtful about himself, but undoubting about the truth; this has been exactly reversed. We are on the road to producing a race of men too mentally modest to believe in the multiplication … [Read more...]
A Marvel Universe
Stan Lee, co-creator and writer of many of the most popular Marvel Comics, died Monday at age 95. By his own admission, Lee was not a Christian. In a recent article in Wired magazine, Jim McLauchlin wrote about his many interviews with Stan Lee. Lee believed in an imperfect God and didn’t comprehend the seriousness of human sinfulness. He believed … [Read more...]
The Test of Prosperity
Joseph is one of the most famous individuals recorded in the Bible. And I think we could all agree that he was a man of great faith. He trusted God and boldly spoke about his dreams even though he knew it would make him unpopular with his brothers (and his parents). He continued to trust God even when he was sold as a slave and falsely imprisoned. … [Read more...]
Wise as Serpents
As Jesus sent out his disciples, he wanted them to know that they would face opposition (Matthew 10:16). They would be sheep in the midst of wolves. Those who opposed the gospel would be vicious in their attacks. So Jesus urged them to “be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” This was not a license to lie or steal. They were to walk in … [Read more...]
A Politically Incorrect Gospel
October 31 marks Reformation Day. It was on this day in 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany. It signaled an urgent call for reform. Luther fiercely defended any perversion of this biblical truth. And this ultimately led him to confront the Roman church. In 1520 at the Diet of Worms, Luther … [Read more...]
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