Hudson Taylor, the famous missionary to inland China. Last week we took a peek into his life before arriving in China, getting to know the various circumstances and trials that led to him eventually landing in Shanghai. If you haven’t read that post, I’d recommend doing that now, as it provides a lot of useful […]
Hudson Taylor Part One: Preparation for China
Of all the stories I’ve heard of missionaries, not one of them has been boring. The life of Hudson Taylor is especially full of tremendous risks and disasters, followed by miraculous examples of God’s faithfulness, of course. The common thread that has begun to become apparent in all the missionaries I have studied is their […]
The Parable of the Sower
The parable of the sower is one of the many stories Jesus tells to the crowds during his time here on Earth. Thanks to some insights from elder Bruce’s sermon the morning before I’m writing this, I’ve learned a lot from this half a chapter in Matthew. Let’s read the parable, shall we? “And he […]
What Else am I Supposed to Do?
“But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable [common] use?” – Romans 9:20-21 [brackets mine] […]
Loving Unconditionally
“’But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs […]
There is No Them
There it is on the news again. More refugees trying to come into our country. Fleeing from violent countries, sure to bring that violence here. What are we going to do about them? This flood of immigration, it’s going to pollute our country, turn it into another has-been destroyed by an influx of outsiders. I […]
A Mountaintop Experience
Well, it’s that time of year again. Time for several posts in a row inspired by my latest Haiti trip. I can’t promise they’ll be entirely different than last year’s, but I can promise that each trip is different and brings with it an entirely new perspective on my time there. Today I’d like to […]
Carry Your Cross Daily
“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” – Luke 9:23 I love this verse. It’s a fairly popular one, but I think that the depth of it goes so much deeper than what most people consider when they […]
Blessed are the Poor
Luke six is a chapter full of profound topics and amazing lessons, especially since it contains the Beautitudes. I could write several posts on this chapter alone-and I may- but for today I want to dive into verses 20 through 26. Let’s begin with the first four verses: “And he lifted up his eyes […]
A Truth and a Lie
One of the most amazing things about Jesus is that he not only came and died for us but before that, he took the time to understand us. Before he even started his ministry, he spent thirty years just living, understanding the human experience. He was tempted in every way we are, so he understands […]