Tim Keller has pleaded with Americans to stop demonizing each other as the fight for the White House heats up. In just over 40 days, Americans will head to the ballot box to cast their votes for the next US President. With fierce differences over everything from Covid-19 and Black Lives Matter, to the economyContinue reading “Stop Beating Each Other Up”
Author Archives: Intentional Faith
When You Don’t Measure Up
I don’t measure up. That feeling stirs in my heart when I read the daunting biblical qualifications for church leaders. From one perspective, what the Lord asks of leaders isn’t very different from what he asks of every Christian. Who shouldn’t be gentle and hospitable? Who shouldn’t avoid the love of money? But “above reproach”Continue reading “When You Don’t Measure Up”
Humble Pie
In the ancient Near East, kingship and temple-building went hand in hand. The king—believed to be the servant of the gods and the conduit through which the gods interacted with the people—was responsible for the house of the national deity.* A monarch’s fulfillment of this sacred duty conveyed that his rule was legitimate. Divine andContinue reading “Humble Pie”
A Lot of Decisions
“Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom.”Genesis 13:12 Decisions. We all make them every day. From what to have for lunch to possibly moving to a new city and taking a new job, we are confronted with decisionContinue reading “A Lot of Decisions”
The Lost Year
Buzzfeed News is running a series of feature stories this month called “The Lost Year,” featuring profiles of how six people, of different ages and backgrounds have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The stories range from challenging to even, in some cases, devastating. Still, the title of this series is, I think, misleading. Is this really aContinue reading “The Lost Year”
There Is Still a Risk Out There
A pastor who told his congregation that they did not need to wear masks in accordance with Coronavirus precautions has been hospitalised in the ICU after contracting Covid-19. Pastor Paul Van Noy of the Candlelight Christian Fellowship in Idaho, USA had told his church congregants that they need not worry about wearing face masks whileContinue reading “There Is Still a Risk Out There”
Now They Attack Even Jesus
Shock, anger, sadness, and fear came over me as I watched a clip of a group of protesters curse “your Jesus” in unison with the F-word. Has it come to this? And what is this? Who is Jesus? Jesus of Nazareth does not belong to anyone, so there is no “my Jesus” or “your Jesus,”Continue reading “Now They Attack Even Jesus”
Singleness in the Church
I recently preached a sermon on singleness and was shocked by the feedback I received. Several single brothers and sisters told me it was the first time they’d heard singleness addressed from the pulpit, at least in a way that wasn’t telling them how to date or find a spouse. One sister said it wasContinue reading “Singleness in the Church”
International Week of the Deaf
It’s day two in the International Week of the Deaf, an annual celebration of Deaf culture, accomplishments, and sign languages. Each of the seven days has a specific focus, and IWD aims to raise Deaf awareness and advocacy among the wider hearing community. Read past IWD stories here. There are approximately 70 million Deaf peopleContinue reading “International Week of the Deaf”
ISIS Could Not Stop Christians
When the Islamic State drove Christians from their homes in northern Iraq in 2014, Mathi Habib Khodor and his wife Nazik took their six children and fled. Now, six years later they have been able to seek refuge from Covid-19 back in their house, rebuilt after it was destroyed. “We decorated the house so thatContinue reading “ISIS Could Not Stop Christians”
