Category: Christian news

The Evangelical Council of Venezuela is seeking a new way of societal accord, peace, and reconciliation. Venezuela, with the oil wealth of Saudi Aribia, today looks more like Syria, noted a journalist. With the country in free fall, it is hard to imagine how it can last much longer. In daily updates, we listen to multiplying horror stories of no food, empty medicine shelves, stunning numbers of kidnappings, and the hemorrhaging of ten percent of its population in a matter of months. This... Read More

Sometimes culture makes it difficult, but there are aspects of culture that are quite conducive to evangelism. In part one, I talked about some of the headwinds hindering evangelism— things slowing or making sharing the faith more difficult. Now, we’re going to focus on the good news; specifically, we’re going to examine the tailwinds accelerating people’s openness towards sharing (and in some cases receiving) the gospel. Ironically, I think one of the great... Read More

We’re still trying to figure out what the future should ultimately look like as we continue to share the gospel. I recently came back on a flight from Orange County. Before departing from California, the pilot announced that we would be arriving in Chicago about 40 minutes early due to some powerful tailwinds. That sounds like great news. However, amazing as those tailwinds are, all they mean in the Chicago airports is that you sit on the runway for an extra 40 minutes instead of being in... Read More

Historic confessions escape an Islamist, while Muslim converts pray for reform. One of the early iconic martyrs of Sudan’s recent protests was inspired by Christian oppression. Shot dead by police while aiding protestors against the regime of 30-year dictator Omar al-Bashir, Babiker Salama—a 27-year-old doctor from an exclusive Khartoum suburb—was motivated in part by what he witnessed in the mountain region populated by one of Sudan’s few Christian... Read More

The church network pushed back against renewed scrutiny around SGC and former president C. J. Mahaney’s response to abuse claims. Despite continued calls for an independent, third-party investigation into Sovereign Grace Churches (SGC) and its response to abuse allegations, the network has officially taken the option off the table, calling it “inappropriate, impractical, unjust” and “impossible.” Controversy has surrounded SGC—previously Sovereign Grace... Read More

We’re still trying to figure out what the future should ultimately look like as we continue to share the gospel. I recently came back on a flight from Orange County. Before departing from California, the pilot announced that we would be arriving in Chicago about 40 minutes early due to some powerful tailwinds. That sounds like great news. However, amazing as those tailwinds are, all they mean in the Chicago airports is that you sit on the runway for an extra 40 minutes instead of being in... Read More

With new law, president Evo Morales comes through on his promise of greater religious freedom. Evangelicals in Bolivia received a major religious freedom boost this week from the same administration that banned evangelism last year. Months after Evo Morales criminalized proselytizing—before swiftly reversing course—the Bolivian president reached out to Christians to help draft legislation to recognize evangelical churches and institutions. This week, he made it... Read More

The truth of the gospel requires telling the whole story. Sitting across the table from me, he picks up a crumpled napkin. Amid our lively conversation, my friend—who is a pastor—explains his sermon preparation. He is brilliant and creative, deeply concerned with the Bible and why it matters to his congregation. Flattening out the napkin, he writes an X in one corner to represent the biblical text. Then he draws a giant cross in the middle of the square. Finally he adds an arrow... Read More

According to the gospel of John, the cross casts us into community. We Americans tend to be a sentimental people. This makes it difficult for us to look directly into the horror, shame, and degradation of a death by crucifixion. When Jesus says to Mary, “Woman, behold thy son” and to John “Behold thy Mother,” we often interpret this saying of our Lord as a sentimental invitation to take good care of your mother. I am a mother, and I definitely want to be taken care of!... Read More

The celebration of Christ’s resurrection stands in contrast to Christmas joy. Easter joy has been harder to come by this year. Between the growing ugliness of American politics and the acrimony within the church body, I’ve found it harder to anticipate looking up from the broken body of my Lord to rejoice this Sunday in the resurrected and ascended Christ. When I shared my struggle with a good friend, he suggested I revisit a collection of sermons that the 19th-century priest John... Read More