Write That big!
For many years, I have been impressed with a little verse from the second chapter of Habakkuk. It is a verse that the Apostle Paul picked up many years later, in his Epistle to the Romans (1:17). It is a … (read more)
TIP Editorial
The Day After Christmas
I write to you on Saturday, November 25, 2006 — the day after “Black Friday,” the busiest shopping day of the year. Yesterday, more than 70 million Americans went to the mall. Some outlets were open at midnight to accommodate … (read more)
A Day of Small Things
It was, it seemed, “a day of small things” (Zechariah 4:10). Have you ever had days like that? The setting was big enough – enormous, in fact. God himself was writing a Story – the broad and beautiful story of … (read more)
The “North Country!”
God is at work! He is writing a wonderful story throughout the pages of human history – a story full of love and mission, high adventure and great daring. It is a story that involves you. “You can learn something … (read more)
Hidden Among the Myrtle Trees
The prophet Zechariah appears on the scene in the year 519 before Christ, approximately – and in the nick of time. Twenty years earlier, the people of Israel had returned from a long captivity in Babylon, full of vision, enthusiasm … (read more)
Pages Torn Out of a Book…
I have been thinking lately of the prophet Zechariah. I return to this older brother from time to time. Zechariah was a servant of mission, filled with passion and conviction, vision and power. His passion and vision encourage me. Zechariah … (read more)
An Extravagance You Cannot Live Without…
A few weeks ago, on a lovely Saturday morning, I sat down in the kitchen to read the newspaper with a second cup of coffee. It was a fine way, I reckoned, to unwind after a very busy week. But … (read more)
Persistence in Prayer!
I am learning something about persistence – and in particular, persistence in prayer. An interesting New Testament word stands behind the concept. Proskartereo may be translated “to persist,” or sometimes “to be devoted to” or “to focus on.” We find … (read more)
The Age of Christian Missions
Not long ago, a pastor announced to one of our missionaries: “The age of Christian missions is past.” When I heard of the encounter, I almost dropped my jaw. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In fairness, our pastor … (read more)
What Ever Became of Mission?
As I mentioned last month, I have been reading 2 Corinthians once again recently. (Actually, we have been reading the book together at our headquarters in Minneapolis.) In a single verse in chapter nine, I came upon an edgy description … (read more)