Jesus asks one of the most profound questions that anyone could be asked: “What do you want me to do for you?” Two blind men are standing before Him, crying out for Him to have mercy on them. It would appear to the naked eye that the need was obvious, but why would Matthew insert this narrative here if it were as simple as a first glance event? Let’s see what the gospel writer has in mind! Do we s...  Read More

“Much of what happens in our world is evil and bad, but God specializes in bringing good out of it” (Rick Warren). This makes for a nice meme, but real life often puts such sentiment to the test, doesn’t it? The more I read the Bible, the more I realize the abundance of “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” experiences (Psalm 23:4). I ask you to take a step back from our f...  Read More

In the age of Ancestry.com, we are invited to discover our family roots! Perhaps some of you have taken advantage of various opportunities to delve into your family history. The Bible is filled with accounts of God’s work through families. Indeed, the family of God is based upon the redemptive history of God’s work in the world. God’s Son, Himself, became flesh and was born into a family (John 1:1...  Read More

“He had it all,” as we say, “then lost it all.” Humanly speaking, Saul had everything that people prize in a leader. He was kingly in appearance, a strong military strategist, and popular with the people. He fits a common leadership misconception; namely, that leaders are born, and their charisma wins the approval and following of their people. My how things never seem to change! We often choose o...  Read More

God guarantees that the greatest good will emerge from within your darkest experience. Paul knew this to be true when he wrote the opening words of 2 Corinthians. He had encountered severe suffering, a near-death experience, and it was through this circumstance that God intervened and delivered him. “God’s intervention seemed like a resurrection in his life” (HCBC). Notice, Paul concludes that God...  Read More

Cyril Eustace Bousfield was born 30 October 1870 in Bishop's Hull, Somerset, southwest England, to a devout Anglican pastor and his wife, Rev. Christopher W. and Ellen Aldridge Bousfield. His parents valued education, so he studied hard from an early age, even learning Latin at age seven and Greek at age eleven. Cyril earned the BA and MA degrees from Christ's College, Cambridge, and was ordained ...  Read More

An enduring elementary school memory was the day I stood in a long line of my fellow students to receive the polio vaccine on a sugar cube. There was no protest because we knew the impact that the disease could make upon our young lives. Poliomyelitis is highly contagious and can affect the central nervous system, leading to paralysis. It can be life-threatening. Prior to immunization with the Sal...  Read More

“I sing praises to your name, O Lord, praises to Your name, O Lord; for Your name is great and greatly to be praised.” Most of us will be able to recall this familiar worship song simply by reading the words. If you are like me, you began to sing the chorus as soon as you recognized the words! Here is the link to sing it right now: I Sing Praises to Your Name. The tune gives us comfort and strengt...  Read More

Evangelist Anne Graham Lotz once said, “I don't want to be entertained. I don’t want visuals or musicals. I don’t want a vacation. I don’t want to quit. I don’t want sympathy. The cry of my heart is ‘Just Give Me Jesus.’” That was the Apostle Paul’s genuine heart cry, and his message was used powerfully by God to change hearts. We all do well today to learn Paul’s simple secret to being used effec...  Read More

The timeworn statement heard throughout my lifetime in ministry has been that the Christian army is the only one that shoots its wounded. Sadly, this maxim holds true in too many cases. In my mind, we need strong arms to lift up, not shove down, fellow believers who fail. We have before us today a wonderful passage that teaches us the correct way to handle moral failure in the church. The importa...  Read More

Our generation sadly searches all too often for the dead among the living. I hear folks speaking about “sightings” of everything from slain presidents to superstar entertainers on a semi-regular basis. This phenomenon indicates that most folks long for some contact with those beyond death’s pale. In direct contrast, there are those who hold no belief in existence beyond the grave and regard all su...  Read More

What does one do when those closest to him fail to recognize God’s work in his life and ministry? This was the case with Jesus’ own family and reminds us of His own words that stated the division that the Gospel would cause even in families (e.g. Matthew 12:52-53). We know this to be the fact even today. Many dedicated Christian servants suffer great rejection from their own families and friends. ...  Read More