William Wilberforce was born in a bustling British seaport in the 18th century. He was a man of small stature but he exerted great influence. He was only 5ft. 3in. tall. But he had a sharp mind, a quick wit and an engaging personality. He was elected to British Parliament at the age of 20 and would work tirelessly to abolish slavery in the British … [Read more...]
Longing for Solid Ground
I have always struggled with motion-sickness. When I am on a car or a plane or a boat, my whole world seems to be spinning and I am always on the edge of nausea. I find myself longing to put my feet on solid ground. Some of us feel this way in relationship to our current culture. The solid Judeo-Christian values of our culture have eroded. Marriage … [Read more...]
Don’t Confuse the Church with a Political Party
We are living in one of the most politically-divisive times in our nation’s history. But I want to assert that those types of political battle lines have no place in the church. We must not allow ourselves to be hijacked by a political agenda. We should certainly speak to the issues of our day (i.e. immigration, civil rights, etc.). And we ought to … [Read more...]
President Trump is Not That Important
Nero was the Roman Emperor during the time when the apostle Paul was writing his letters to the various churches in the 1st century. Nero was no saint. He had an affair with his slave girl Acte. He had his mother executed. And when Rome burned, he blamed it on the Christians to remove suspicion from himself and had many of them executed. Now Nero … [Read more...]
The Peace of Jerusalem
President Trump has publicly declared his intent to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The reaction has been varied. It has inspired excitement by many Jews and Christians. And of course it has incited anger on the part of many Muslims and Palestinians. It is certainly true that God established Jerusalem as the center of worship for his … [Read more...]