The Calamities Of God

Immediately after a hurricane or some other disaster (tornado, bombing, shooting etc.) Christians begin doing damage control for God. "He had nothing to do with it," they say. "The devil caused this to happen." "We just live in a fallen world." While such sentiments make sense to our human thinking, and come out of a...

The Birth Of John Mark

Our room at the hospital was filled with the sound of screams and tears. Everytime Yakira would take a deep breath and push I would hold my breath as well. The atmosphere was intense. My wife had been in labor for 27 or so hours before she began to push. Two and half hours in...

The Problem of Evil

People don't believe in God because they suppress the truth by their ungodliness and unrighteousness. Two big words, but both reflect the problem inherent in all humanity. Ungodliness means to simply be un-like-God. We were made in His image, good and pure. In our disobedience to Him, our sin, we wounded this image and fell...

Pray Without Ceasing

What is the power of prayer? Many things go into prayer, the greatest ingredient is faith, but faith misplaced is also the biggest mistake. Our faith must be firmly in Jesus Christ, our desire to do His will. If our goal is to glorify Him and take delight in who He is, then our desires...

God is speaking, are you listening?

Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. (2 Timothy 4:2) As I sat in the detainment unit, I was having a wrestling match within. Here I was again. Same airport. Same country. And yet it seemed like everything was against me getting...

Are You Really A Christian?

The most pressing question today is not whether you claim to be a Christian. The majority in the United States say they are. It is not whether you go to church, read your Bible, or participate in charity. It is this, "Does Jesus Christ dwell in you?" It is not a question of whether you...

The Idolatry of Relationships

There is an idolatry among Christians today that is very subtle. It doesn't appear to be idolatry because it is cloaked in the language of love and friendship. It is the idolatry of relationships. The focus on relationships has replaced the centrality of Christ among his people. It began very innocently telling people they needed...

Peace And Compromise

I remember my friend once explaining to me the Jewish idea of peace. It's not something that is caused from lack of strife, it is in fact something to be gained after everything in the way of wholesomeness and well-being (personal and societal) is taken out of the way. Evil must be removed if there...

Man-Centered Or Christ-Centered?

Throughout the history of the church there have only ever been two types of believers. Those who are after their own praise and glory, and those who glory in Christ alone. It's so subtle you might miss the difference. Both use the same terms, both speak about the same Lord, yet both have completely different...

Illegal Christianity

We Christians need to wake up in the West. I feel we are about as naive as they come today, ignorant of what goes on around us. Ignorance is not acceptable to a Christian. We must look to what is uncomfortable, what is hard, and be willing to expose the darkness. We do not hide...