The dilemma of unanswered prayer is particularly vexing for us who pray. We who try to be diligent in prayer know the disappointment that attends prayers that seemingly go unanswered. Why doesn't a loved one recover from illness? Why can't family...
Political activist James Foreman asked Pastor Ernest T. Campbell (1923-2010) for permission to read the Black Manifesto in worship the next day at Riverside Church in upper Manhattan. The manifesto called for 500 million dollars in reparation from...
Suicide is on the rise in our country, yet we still don't know how to talk about it. We speculate in hushed tones about the deceased mental state and rush to conclusions, yet we are hard-pressed to know what to say to grieving family members. This...
He described himself as “the worst boy known in Tregynon (a town in Wales) in thirty years.” Thomas Olivers (1725-1799) was orphaned at four and went to live with a great uncle who died a few years later, leaving him a small fortune. Thomas...
He was passing through Exeter, New Hampshire, on Sept. 29, 1770. He was invited to preach at a local church, but when 6000 people showed up, the venue was moved outdoors. Some people in the crowd could tell George Whitfield (1714-1770) wasn't...
Knighthood conjures up legendary stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Knighthood is bestowed by the British king and queen for significant achievement and meritorious service to the United Kingdom. The prefix “Sir” is an...
Are you born again? The question is often posed in certain Christian circles to determine whether someone has had a proper conversion. Experience tells me some people come to faith all at once while others come gradually over time. Charles Wesley...
It was time to choose a new Archbishop of Canterbury to lead the church in England. King Henry II supported Baldwin of Forde (1125-1190) for the position while neighboring monks put forward three other suitable candidates. The bishops assigned to...
I have a soft spot in my heart for farmers. When my grandfather retired from the Marine Corps, he bought a farm in Ohio where he raised cattle and harvested grain crops. My family lived adjacent to the farm, and one of my vivid memories is chasing...
On paper, they seemed like an odd match. King Charlemagne was worldly and aggressive. Cleric Alcuin (735-804) was gentle and scholarly. One of Alcuin’s contemporaries described him as “the most learned man anywhere to be found.” Charlemagne invited...
Vance Havner (1901-1986) was a good ole' country boy. He grew up in the hills of North Carolina in a place called Jugtown (so-called for the people who made pottery there). He loved the outdoors, opened his heart to Christ alone in the woods as a...
Tim Keller wrote, "Humility is a shy virtue. If you start talking about it, it leaves." What a perfect lead-in to today's prayer. Wiliam Steele was a Baptist minister and a successful trade merchant, making it possible for him to provide formal...
Bill Bright (1921-2003) moved to California in 1944 to start Bright's California Confections, a gourmet candy business. He described himself as a "happy pagan." He rented an apartment from an elderly couple who kept inviting him to Hollywood...
Have you ever known people who walk in their sleep? It's a strange sight. Our daughter was a sleepwalker as a child. I recall her opening the refrigerator while fast asleep. Once, while deep in slumber, she barged into our bedroom, opened a...
Some people tell me they never pray for themselves but only for others. When Jesus taught his disciples, "Ask and it will be given to you," he never qualified the asking. The pronoun "you" incorporates everyone. "Standing in the Need of Prayer"...
There was a convent not far from my boyhood home. The very idea of nuns living in seclusion, practicing celibacy, and wearing funny clothes made no sense to me. Why would anyone want to live this way? Monasticism emerged in the fourth century after...
The National Cathedral in Washington is known for its numerous stone sculptures that adorn its buildings and spacious grounds. Statues of Jesus, Moses, and Peter are given central prominence. The same is true of famous Americans like George...
He abandoned all worldly possessions, lived a celibate life and traveled on foot proclaiming God's love. His parables were the stuff of legends. No, it's not Jesus, but someone many people said lived more like Jesus than anyone they had ever known....