Imagine… hundreds of tiny islands with lush tropical vegetation; pristine white coral sand beaches lined by swaying coconut palms; turquoise lagoons with warm, crystal clear water; beautiful, hospitable people. Sound like paradise? Now imagine… 120,000 people and the institutions to … (read more)
“I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry…’” (Matthew 15:32) The gospels tell us of two occasions in which … (read more)
I have recently had the spectacular privilege of visiting the Holy Land. On one fine day our pilgrim group journeyed to the ruins of Caesarea Philippi, once the administrative center of Philip the Tetrarch. Philip was the son of Herod … (read more)
Everything is near, it seems, in the Holy Land: you can travel from the shores of the Mediterranean to the banks of the Jordan River in a single afternoon. You can travel from the Golan to Masada in a day. … (read more)
“Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.” (Luke 10:7) Hidden in the story of Jesus sending out the 72 disciples is the story of … (read more)
Some dear old friends of ours have recently gifted us with tickets to Israel – just now, in the first days of Lent. I can hardly believe the generosity! We returned from our pilgrimage a few days ago. Let me … (read more)
About three years ago I slipped into a meeting of Twin Cities pastors to hear a well known and somewhat controversial systematic theologian speak on the topic, Preaching Christ In An Age of Religious Pluralism. An inner-city pastor asked, “Should … (read more)
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) In April 1992 California was preparing for its first execution in 25 years. Robert Alton Harris was on death row for … (read more)
The year 2013 was an interesting year for World Mission Prayer League finances – not for its remarkable occurrences, but rather for the lack of them. Most years contain some sort of drama that we would probably rather avoid. But … (read more)
I have recently read a psalm that called to mind a date in March, that reminded me of a singular, passionate teenager in old Ireland and his radical conversion to Christ, his irresistible calling to mission, and the evangelistic movement … (read more)