If you’re familiar with Jacob’s life and story, then I can almost guarantee you know at least two things about him: he worked 14 years to marry Rachel and had a night-long wrestling match with God. On a surface level, these two events in Jacob’s life can easily teach every believer about perseverance. However, when we dig deeper into the second event, his wrestling match with God, we gain a much c...

1 So the Lord said to Moses: “See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. 3 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My ha...

In the vast and intricate tapestry of human history, few theological narratives resonate with such profound depth and transformative spiritual significance as the parallel stories of the “first” and “second” Adam. These two notable figures, each intricately woven into the very foundations of religious and philosophical thought, present an extraordinary lens through which humanity can contemplate a...

* I encourage you to read this, not as an article, but one on each of the 12 days of Christmas.“Adornaments” started as something I did with my children when they were growing up. The “adornaments” reading and ornament were ways to help them/us focus on the true meaning of Christmas amidst all the presents and lights of the seasons. Thirty-plus years later, it is still a treasured part of our Chri...

There is great wonder and awe in the fact that our God “counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.” (Psalm 147:4). And maybe the most famous star is the star of Bethlehem as featured in Matthew 2:1-2.“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews...

In March of 1974, my friend Tommie Sharp invited me to a revival meeting to hear Evangelist Dolphus Price. I accepted the invitation, went to the revival, and heard a message entitled “Three Hours of Darkness.” The Evangelist preached with passion and vividly explained how Christ became my sin-bearer. The message was clear and life-changing. That night, I accepted Christ as my personal Savior, but...

Every country in the world has its own set of traditions, but the United States, however, seems to rank at the top of the charts. You can find a holiday or tradition to celebrate almost anything of interest in today’s society. Because the US has opened its arms to all sorts of global influences, we are obsessed with generating festivities to bring people universally together. This is accomplished ...

Am I willing to trust God with the consequences of my obedience?As a high school junior growing up in a Christian home, I watched my father ask himself that very question as he wrestled with the prospect of taking his family to Africa. A family physician with a thriving practice in Greenville, SC, he had been asked by a medical missionary to consider filling a critical need for a doctor during the...

As a sophomore in college with a history minor, I took a world geography class.  I enjoyed my somewhat animated professor who liked to remind us that when studying geography, we need to have our mental map out and ready for use in class.  I will admit that some days, my mental map was blurry and fuzzy, but his words stuck with me as I realized the value of a mental map.  Like that world geography ...

In today’s fast-paced world, we often feel overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of global needs. When the word “missions” comes up, many might assume that it’s the work of career cross-cultural missionaries—extraordinary people who travel across the world to spread the gospel. However, missions, the act of sharing Jesus with the world, is not just for career vocational missionaries. Every follower o...