The Psalmist writes, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all. (Psalm 34:19). John writes, “So, when he [Jesus] heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was” (5:6). One wonders if the passages conflict, and if there are times when God does not care for us in our sufferings. Here are the facts: Lazarus is ill, Jesus kn...  Read More

Do you hunger for change? The opening question will likely prompt several types of answers. Responses will likely include desires for changes in health, employment/income, housing, and even relationships. The query indeed holds moral importance in each of these areas, but it also holds spiritual meaning! I recognize this fact whenever I read John 6 and the miraculous feeding of 5000 men and their ...  Read More

“The Only True God Will Deliver and Restore His People” is a covering for the entirety of our lives. It encourages our hearts and reminds us of God’s excellent daily care. The heading in fact provides us with an excellent caption for chapters 40-55 in Isaiah. This section of the prophecy answers a key question in Israel’s history: Is God powerful enough to defeat all foreign gods (cf. NAC, EBC)? T...  Read More

The great Reformation leader, John Calvin, once wrote, “We can only be Christians if we are brethren” (EBC). I witnessed and received much love from numerous Christian brothers and sisters over the course of last week in Lagos, Nigeria. Friendships built over the years have remained strong through the power of the Holy Spirit. I am glad that today’s New Testament reading is in Hebrews 13 because t...  Read More

God does not lose those souls He has saved (1 Peter 1:4, “kept in heaven”). There can be no more powerful statement than the one with which I have begun this devotional because the readers of Hebrews needed to remain steadfast in their commitment to Christ. This chapter has created libraries full of interpretation based upon a flawed interpretation of verse 6 and the phrase “have fallen away.” The...  Read More

Endurance runners are elite athletes who train themselves to overcome severe obstacles and fatigue to reach their goals as the end of races. One of the hindrances is when their minds tell them to quit once the pain in their bodies reaches their brains! Come to think of it, suffering as we follow Christ will occur at times throughout our Christian race (cf. 2 Timothy 4:7b and Paul’s use of “race” a...  Read More

In the history of Christian missions, those intending to share the gospel have taken several approaches in doing so. Early on, during the Catholic European expansion period, missionaries were regularly sent out with explorers. They sometimes exploited indigenous peoples as they claimed lands and resources, forced baptisms, and eradicated original cultures and languages. Later, some Colonialists st...  Read More

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostilityâ€-Ephesians 2:13-14, ESV The opening scene of the 1951 movie, “The African Queen,†which starred Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, shows two British missionaries leading a church s...  Read More

“In prayer it is better to have a heart without words, than words without a heart.” The psalmist knew this when he cried out, “You are my God!” This psalm is the only one associated with King David in the third book of Psalms. He pours out an individual lament to God and, while we do not know the specific circumstance, his cry involves need, affliction, and even enemies (86:1, 7, 16 &17). All thre...  Read More

Shockwaves sounded throughout the American church in recent days as two high profile pastors have stepped down from their positions due to moral failures. Sadly, these are the most recent cases of what has become an epidemic of pastoral and leadership failure. I am reminded, yet again, of Paul’s words that qualifications for leadership tie directly to character. A short list of typical outward lea...  Read More

The famous “Round Toit” expression has become synonymous with procrastination. I wondered where the term originated, and one source states that it predates ancient Egypt. I even discovered an address in North Carolina on Rountoit Road! I would hesitate to bid on the purchase of that home because, as the name suggests, it likely would be a long and frustrating process to reach the final sale! Paul ...  Read More

“All is vanity” represents one of the most recognized claims in the Scriptures and one of the most pervasive worldviews throughout history. Oddly, people know that Solomon pens these words in Ecclesiastes, but do not search further to understand their meaning and find the answer to meaninglessness. “Everything is transitory and therefore of no lasting value. People are caught in the trap of the ab...  Read More