Ministry > Questions.org
A Fence in Finchley
“I never thought a fence in Finchley could be a place where I encountered God as much as at the Western Wall,” said a man at a retreat I was leading. He was referring to a prayer exercise we did based on the book of Lamentations and some of the Psalms. Using the Western Wall in Jerusalem—the surviving remnant of God’s temple, where pilgrims often slip prayer notes in the cracks—as inspiration, we wrote prayers of lament on slips of paper that we slipped into the cracks and crevices of the church fence as a symbol of releasing them to…
The “Go” of Relationship
Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two—Matthew 5:41
Our Lord’s teaching can be summed up in this: the relationship that He demands for us is an impossible one unless He has done a …
Why I Reach Out To Prostitutes and the Marginalized
I was trained as a social worker and worked for seven years in a government agency. I loved that my job entailed advocating for change at a systemic level and thrived at work. It also enabled me to live out my faith intentionally, which shaped the ways I interacted and worked with those around me.
A Fence in Finchley
“I never thought a fence in Finchley could be a place where I encountered God as much as at the Western Wall,” said a man at a retreat I was leading. He was referring to a prayer exercise we did based on the book of Lamentations and some of the Psalms. Using the Western Wall in Jerusalem—the surviving remnant of God’s temple, where pilgrims often slip prayer notes in the cracks—as inspiration, we wrote prayers of lament on slips of paper that we slipped into the cracks and crevices of the church fence as a symbol of releasing them to…
The “Go” of Relationship
Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two—Matthew 5:41
Our Lord’s teaching can be summed up in this: the relationship that He demands for us is an impossible one unless He has done a …
Many Beautiful Things
Just before her death, artist and missionary Lilias Trotter looked out of the window and saw a vision of a heavenly chariot. According to her biographer, a friend asked, “Are you seeing many beautiful things?” She answered, “Yes, many, many beautiful things.”
Trotter’s final words reflect God’s work in her life. Not only in death, but throughout her life, God revealed much beauty to her and through her. Although she was a talented artist, she chose to serve Jesus as a missionary in Algeria. Ruskin, a famous painter who tutored her, is said to have commented, “What a waste,” when she…
…
Hurricane Prayers
As powerful Hurricane Irma approached the state of Florida in the US in 2017, nearly seventy-five children gathered in Munyonyo, Uganda, to pray for those in the storm’s projected path. Many of those trapped in Florida were greatly encouraged to see by video the boys and girls praying and asking God to calm the storm.
Are some sins more wrong than others?
Many of us have a tendency to judge certain sins as worse than others. We say, “I have my struggles, but at least I don’t struggle with that.” Surely some attitudes and behaviors carry the potential for greater, far-reaching consequences than others. But that does not make one set of sins worse than another. The […]
Does Satan Have a Special Hatred for Israel and the Jewish People?
Does Satan have a special hatred for Israel and the Jewish people that will be expressed especially in the last days? There is a sense in which Satan has a special hatred for Israel and the Jewish people, just as he has a special hatred for the church and the Christian people. From the beginning, […]
Should Christians Trust What They Read on the Internet?
Should Christians trust what they read on the Internet? Lots of Christians question the Internet as a source of reliable information, but an historical perspective can help us understand its potential. In biblical times, lots of people had rudimentary reading ability, but only a small portion of the population could read and write well. These […]
How Can We Love our Neighbor as Our Self, as Jesus Commanded?
Loving other people as oneself is a difficult goal. But Jesus clearly made it fundamental to Christian living. On one occasion, an expert in the Jewish law challenged Jesus with the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with […]
Can We Rely on the “Mainstream Media” as a Source of Information?
Compared to past generations, 21st-century people have access to an unprecedented amount of news. We see live coverage of disasters and conflicts in distant places and are flooded with information and commentary on thousands of subjects, from politics and social problems to religion and popular science. Much of the news we get from mainstream media […]
Should I Believe in the Doctrine of Eternal Security?
Many Bible passages emphasize the reality of our security as believers in Jesus Christ: John 10:27-30; 13:1; Romans 8:29-39; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30; Jude 1:24. But even genuine believers can backslide and lose the joy of their salvation. The New Testament gives many examples of believers who drew back from their fellowship with Jesus Christ: the […]
Is Deep Sorrow Necessary to be Saved?
Do I have to experience deep sorrow for all of my sins before I can be saved? The term repentance in Hebrew means “to turn or return and is applied to turning from sin to God” (The New Bible Dictionary). In the New Testament, the term repent has the meaning of “a change of mind.” […]
Did Jehovah, the Father, Tell Jesus What to do?
The relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is considerably more mysterious than is implied by the expression “persons of the Trinity.” The word translated LORD in the King James is always the tetragrammaton YHWH.1 This word is used in combination with other words to emphasize specific qualities of God. Whenever either Jehovah or […]
