One weekend in March I led a retreat on the theme of Mary and Martha the sisters in Bethany whom Jesus loved We were in a remote spot along the English coastline When we were snowed in unexpectedly many of the participants remarked how the extra day together meant they could practice sitting at Jesus rsquo s feet as Mary did They wanted to pursue the ldquo one thing needed rdquo Luke NKJV that Jesus lovingly told Martha she should embrace which was choosing to draw close and learn from Him When Jesus visited the home of Martha Mary and [... more]

The convention center darkened and thousands of us university students bowed our heads as the speaker led us in a prayer of commitment As he welcomed those to stand who felt called to serve in overseas missions I could feel my friend Lynette leave her seat and knew she was promising to live and serve in the Philippines Yet I felt no urge to stand Seeing the needs in the United States I wanted to share God rsquo s love in my native land But a decade later I would make my home in Britain seeking to serve God among [... more]

The memories flooded back when I rustled through some envelopes and glimpsed a sticker that said ldquo I rsquo ve had an eye test rdquo In my mind I saw my four-year-old son proudly wearing the sticker after enduring stinging eyedrops Because of weak eye muscles he had to wear a patch for hours each day over his strong eye mdash thereby forcing the weaker eye to develop He also needed surgery He met these challenges one by one looking to us as his parents for comfort and depending on God with childlike faith Through these challenges he developed resilience [... more]

Just days before Holy Week when Christians around the world remember Jesus rsquo s sacrifice and celebrate His resurrection a terrorist stormed into a supermarket in southwest France opening fire and killing two After negotiation the terrorist released all but one hostage whom he turned into a human shield Knowing the danger police officer Arnaud Beltrame did the unthinkable He volunteered to take the woman rsquo s place The perpetrator released her but in the ensuing scuffle Col Beltrame was injured and later died A minister who knew the policeman attributed his heroism to his Christian faith pointing to Jesus [... more]

When Andrew and his family went on safari in Kenya they had the pleasure of watching a variety of animals frequenting a small lake that appeared in the scrabbly landscape Giraffes wildebeests hippopotamuses and waterfowl all traveled to this life-giving source of water As Andrew observed their comings and goings he thought how the ldquo Bible is like a divine watering hole rdquo mdash not only is it a source of guidance and wisdom but it rsquo s a refreshing oasis where people from all walks of life can quench their thirst In his observation Andrew echoed the psalmist who [... more]

In the days of self-isolation and lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic words by Martin Luther King Jr in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail rang true Speaking about injustice he remarked how he couldn rsquo t sit idly in one city and not be concerned about what happens in another ldquo We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality rdquo he said ldquo tied in a single garment of destiny nbsp Whatever affects one directly affects us all indirectly rdquo nbsp Likewise the COVID- pandemic highlighted our connectedness as around the world cities and countries closed to stop the [... more]

Raised in a turbulent home in south London Claud started selling marijuana at fifteen and heroin when he was twenty-five Needing a cover for his activities he became a mentor to young people Soon he became intrigued by his manager a believer in Jesus and wanted to know more After attending a course exploring the Christian faith he ldquo dared rdquo Christ to come into his life ldquo I felt such a welcoming presence rdquo he said nbsp ldquo People saw a change in me instantly I was the happiest drug dealer in the world rdquo Jesus didn rsquo t [... more]

Seeking to affirm some children who live on the streets in Mumbai India Ranjit created a song of their names Coming up with a unique melody for each name he taught them the tune hoping to give them a positive memory related to what they rsquo re called For children who don rsquo t regularly hear their name spoken in love he bestowed on them a gift of respect Names are important in the Bible often reflecting a person rsquo s character traits or new role For instance God changed the names of Abram and Sarai when He made a [... more]

At the end of a meal to mark Passover a traditional Jewish holiday that celebrates and remembers the greatness of God rsquo s saving work church members expressed their joy by dancing together in a circle Barry stood back watching with a huge smile He remarked how much he loved these occasions saying ldquo This is my family now This is my community I rsquo ve found somewhere where I know I can love and be loved where I belong rdquo In his childhood Barry suffered cruel emotional and physical abuse robbing him of his joy But his local church [... more]

General Charles Gordon ndash served Queen Victoria in China and elsewhere but when living in England he rsquo d give away percent of his income When he heard about a famine in Lancashire he scratched off the inscription from a pure gold medal he rsquo d received from a world leader and sent it up north saying they should melt it down and use the money to buy bread for the poor That day he wrote in his diary ldquo The last earthly thing I had in this world that I valued I have given to the Lord Jesus rdquo [... more]

For six years a woman tried to make herself the ldquo perfect minister rsquo s wife rdquo modeling herself after her adored mother-in-law also a pastor rsquo s wife She thought that in this role she couldn rsquo t also be a writer and painter but in burying her creativity she became depressed and contemplated suicide Only the help of a neighboring pastor moved her out of the darkness as he prayed with her and assigned her two hours of writing each morning This awakened her to what she called her ldquo sealed orders rdquo mdash the calling God had [... more]

Shortly after Dwight Moody ndash came to faith in Christ the evangelist resolved not to let a day pass without sharing God rsquo s good news with at least one person On busy days he rsquo d sometimes forget his resolution until late One night he was in bed before he remembered As he stepped outside he thought No one will be out in this pouring rain Just then he saw a man walking down the street Moody rushed over and asked to stand under his umbrella to avoid the rain When granted permission he asked ldquo Have you any [... more]

When Joni Eareckson Tada returned home after suffering a swimming accident that left her a quadriplegic her life was vastly different Now doorways were too narrow for her wheelchair and sinks were too high Someone had to feed her until she decided to relearn how to feed herself Lifting the special spoon to her mouth from her arm splint the first time she felt humiliated as she smeared applesauce on her clothes But she pressed on As she says ldquo My secret was learning to lean on Jesus and say lsquo Oh God help me with this rsquo rdquo Today [... more]

My brother grew up battling severe epilepsy and when he entered his teenage years it became even worse Nighttime became excruciating for him and my parents as he rsquo d experience continuous seizures for often more than six hours at a time Doctors couldn rsquo t find a treatment that would alleviate the symptoms while also keeping him conscious for at least part of the day My parents cried out in prayer ldquo God oh God help us rdquo Although their emotions were battered and their bodies exhausted Paul and my parents received enough strength from God for each new [... more]

In Mere Christianity C S Lewis recommended asking ourselves some questions to find out if we rsquo re proud ldquo How much do I dislike it when other people snub me or refuse to take any notice of me or patronize me or show off rdquo Lewis saw pride as a vice of the ldquo utmost evil rdquo and the chief cause of misery in homes and nations He called it a ldquo spiritual cancer rdquo that eats up the very possibility of love contentment and even common sense Pride has been a problem throughout the ages Through the prophet [... more]

Lily a Bible translator was flying home to her country when she was detained at the airport Her mobile phone was searched and when the officials found an audio copy of the New Testament on it they confiscated the phone and questioned her for two hours At one point they asked her to play the Scripture app which happened to be set at Matthew ndash ldquo Do not judge or you too will be judged nbsp For in the same way you judge others you will be judged and with the measure you use it will be measured to you [... more]

When I moved to a new country one of my first experiences left me feeling unwelcome After finding a seat in the little church where my husband was preaching that day a gruff older gentleman startled me when he said ldquo Move along down rdquo His wife apologized as she explained that I was sitting in the pew they always occupied Years later I learned that congregations used to rent out pews which raised money for the church and also ensured no one could take another person rsquo s seat Apparently some of that mentality carried on through the decades [... more]

Th eacute r egrave se of Lisieux was a joyful and carefree child mdash until her mother died when she was just four years old She became timid and easily agitated But many years later on Christmas Eve all of that changed After celebrating the birth of Jesus with her church community she experienced God releasing her from her fear and giving her joy She attributed the change to the power of God leaving heaven and becoming a man Jesus and through His dwelling in her What does it mean for Christ to dwell within us It rsquo s a [... more]