We are… but He is!

By Samuel Magondu, Kenya I am . . . Just your average guy next door. Not someone who stands out in a crowd. Not the guy whom you will cast a second glance. Just a guy trying to make it in this big, wide world. I am the guy who will borrow money with no [...]

We are… but He is!

By Samuel Magondu, Kenya I am . . . Just your average guy next door. Not someone who stands out in a crowd. Not the guy whom you will cast a second glance. Just a guy trying to make it in this big, wide world. I am the guy who will borrow money with no [...]

Good and Evil

By Debra Ayis, Nigeria “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” — 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) The seas pound with rhythm, Like rhyme in an ancient song, The daily theme of life flows by, As the church bells go bong, bong, bong, People quickly drift [...]

Good and Evil

By Debra Ayis, Nigeria “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” — 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) The seas pound with rhythm, Like rhyme in an ancient song, The daily theme of life flows by, As the church bells go bong, bong, bong, People quickly drift [...]

There’s Power

When my sister found out she had cancer, I asked my friends to pray. When she had surgery, we prayed that the surgeon would be able to remove all of the cancer and that she wouldn’t have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation. And God answered yes! When I reported the news, one friend remarked, “I’m so glad there’s power in prayer.” I responded, “I’m thankful that God answered with a yes this time.”

How the Lord’s Prayer impacts our lives both when we’re in need, and when we have plenty

When your cupboards are stocked, your bank accounts sufficient, and your blessings abundant, can you sincerely pray for “daily bread”? A fresh take on Jesus’ words, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Responding to Crisis

By Rachel Ang, 21, Singapore It is not ordinary to wake up to the sound of bullets in the streets or see burnt buildings tossing billows of smoke skyward. It is not ordinary that bloodstains smear the very roads that lead to schools or workplaces. It is not ordinary for peace rallies to turn into [...]

Responding to Crisis

By Rachel Ang, 21, Singapore It is not ordinary to wake up to the sound of bullets in the streets or see burnt buildings tossing billows of smoke skyward. It is not ordinary that bloodstains smear the very roads that lead to schools or workplaces. It is not ordinary for peace rallies to turn into [...]

Already Settled

I love watching soccer, and I am a fan of the Liverpool Football Club in England’s Premier League. When the Reds are playing, it is an anxiety-filled experience for me. Because one goal or one misplay can change the game’s outcome, I feel a constant tension as I watch. That is part of what makes the games enjoyable. Recently, though, I saw a tape-delayed replay of one of Liverpool’s games. I was surprised how much calmer I felt seeing the replay. Why? Because I already knew the outcome, and as a result I was able to relax and enjoy the action.

Life is often like observing live sporting events. There are shocks and surprises, frustrations and fears, because we are unsure of the outcome. Followers of Christ can draw comfort, however, from the fact that though many of life’s situations are uncertain, our eternal outcome is settled by the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

The apostle John wrote, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Life may present us with surprises along the way, but because of Christ’s work we can have peace. He has already settled our eternal outcome.

Fatal Attraction

By Roy Clark The 1987 movie Fatal Attraction is the story of a successful attorney (Michael Douglas), who has an affair with an editor (Glenn Close) while his wife and daughter are out of town for the weekend. Though he believed it would be a simple fling, it developed into a complicated affair. Close’s character [...]

The Opened Sight

This verse is the greatest example of the true essence of the message of a disciple of Jesus Christ in all of the New Testament.

God’s first sovereign work of grace is summed up in the words, “. . . that they may receive forgiveness of sins . . . .” When a person fails in his personal Christian life, it is usually because he has never received anything. The only sign that a person is saved is that he has received something from Jesus Christ. Our job as workers for God is to open people’s eyes so that they may turn themselves from darkness to light. But that is not salvation; it is conversion-only the effort of an awakened human being.

Reborn Identity

By Joe Stowell One of my favorite movies is The Bourne Identity. The main character, Jason Bourne, suffers from a severe amnesia that leaves him haunted, frustrated, and confused. A lot of us live like Jason Bourne. Our stories are not as dramatic but the issues are the same: Who am I, and does anyone [...]

Reborn Identity

By Joe Stowell One of my favorite movies is The Bourne Identity. The main character, Jason Bourne, suffers from a severe amnesia that leaves him haunted, frustrated, and confused. A lot of us live like Jason Bourne. Our stories are not as dramatic but the issues are the same: Who am I, and does anyone [...]

Just Entertainment?

By Dan Vander Lugt Today there are an astonishing number of movies in this genre. A large proportion of the DVDs for rent in an average “family” video store are horror movies. The advance of computer-generated effects and digital photography has exponentially enhanced the ability of filmmakers to produce horrific special effects. But what generates [...]

Just Entertainment?

By Dan Vander Lugt Today there are an astonishing number of movies in the genre of horror. A large proportion of the DVDs for rent in an average “family” video store are horror movies. The advance of computer-generated effects and digital photography has exponentially enhanced the ability of filmmakers to produce horrific special effects. But [...]